In this webtorial, we talked about the 8th ICF core competency ‘Facilitates Growth’. I have been thinking about this topic since I became a father last year. In many ways, facilitating our coachee’s growth is like nurturing a plant. We need to understand what type of plant it is and what they need – some plants need more sunshine, some plants grow better in the shade, some plants survive with little water while some plants needs plenty of nutrients to grown.
First and foremost, we need to plant our seeds in the right soil. In coaching, this is creating a safe and supportive environment for them to grow. We need to find out what they need to grow, gain an insight into their world and behaviour, partner with our coachee to design a path to grow with the agreement that our coachee is accountable for their growth. We support our clients if they experience setbacks on their path and celebrate success with them when their goal is reached.
All ICF core competency are interrelated. It is not possible to apply the competencies singularly without other competencies. Throughout the coaching journey, when we apply all core competencies, we help our coachee gain self-awareness, expand their perspectives, and ultimately take purposeful actions towards personal and professional development.
