Ethics Codes & the Ethical Review Process

The Global Coaching Marketplace and Its Impact on Ethics

One of the challenges of building an ethical coaching marketplace is to recognize that it is a global marketplace with diverse cultures and therefore diverse definitions of “appropriate behavior.”.  ICF is represented in 143 countries across the world. The ICF recognizes the responsibility that an international coaching organization has in understanding the diversity of its global membership and the need to create ethics that apply worldwide. In order to meet this challenge the ICF has deployed a globally diverse board of volunteer coaches to discuss the ICF Ethics Code monthly, walking through each section of the code and asking them to share what the words and concepts of the standards mean to them from their cultural perspective.  In this way the code is reviewed and updated to include these insights.

Adopting the Ethics Code and the Review Process

Establishing and adopting an ethics code is the foundation of building an ethical coaching industry.  Putting the code in to practice is essential in realizing an ethical marketplace.  The code is put in to practice when coaches and coach training organizations adopt the ethical code, and there is a forum for complaints to be addressed by a review process using the ethics code.

When a coach becomes a member of or is certified by a coaching organization with an ethics code, they are asked to adopt that organization’s code of ethics.  For the ICF the code contains 28 standards covering Professional Conduct, Conflicts of Interest, Professional Conduct with Clients, Confidentiality/Privacy and Continual Professional Development.    The code dovetails with the Core Competencies required in its individual coach training that all ICF-accredited training institutions teach.

The ICF maintains a board of volunteer coaches from around the world who are charged with managing ethical complaints.  This board is called the Independent Review Board (IRB).  When a complaint comes to the ICF it is first vetted by staff to confirm that it involves an ICF member and therefore qualifies to be reviewed by the IRB.  Once the complaint is vetted an investigative team of two IRB members conduct research on the complaint including interviews with the complainant and coach as well as others involved in the event.  Contracting documents are often reviewed as well as any other information relevant to the case.  The investigation summary is then passed to the review team – a minimum of three IRB members  – who determine if a breach has occurred.  If a breach has been found then consequences are determined and communicated to the coach.