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After months of divisive debate, a decision.
And some coaches believe, a distinctly new approach.
The ICF president, Giovanna D’Alessio, writing on the ICF blog that there would be no rush to replace the three-tiered credentialing system at the center of debate. “We acknowledge that all the input received helped us realize that there are areas of concern that have to be addressed including two fundamental questions: 1) what is the purpose for the credentialing system and 2) whose task shall it be to develop a proposal to enhance our current credentialing system?”
The decision, as described by D’Alessio, was to hold off on any change to the three-tier system until 2012; and to begin an open discussion of what should (and should not be done) that will include “reach(ing) out and create task forces to include key stakeholders such as credentialed coaches, assessors, ICF Coaches Take a Stand members, ACTO, GSAEC and others to carry out the plan and ensure co-creation. A 2010 work plan with major milestones and time frame will be developed by the Committee for Board review on March 18.”
For coaches like Susan Klein, D’Alessio’s letter was a breath of fresh air. “It was succinct, provided clarity on the next steps, and demonstrated that the ICF board is listening,” said Klein. “This is exactly the type of communication we have been craving for years.”
Or, as executive coach Marcia Reynolds put it–in a word–”bravo.” Reynolds was one of two coaches to post comments on D’Allessio’s blog entry, along with a commenter who used the handle “clairec12003″ and wrote “great to see this update and that it is all being so transparently done. I feel very listened to as a member and it feels like we will be able to go forwards and discuss from a place of ease.”
The change–in transparency and tone–was considered by some coaches to be a marked departure from the previous months, when coach Michael Stratford described the experience of talking to members of the ICF leadership as insulting, with experienced coaches being talked to as if they were “discarded old voices resistant to change.”
After reading the letter from D’Alessio, Stratford who said in talking to the ICF’s new president, he “felt a more open and positive, inclusive, collaborative spirit in this person…she seems very real.”
For her part, D’Alessio is looking forward. “I’m proud of the work the Board has done and the depth, vision, authenticity and openness we experienced in the Board meeting,” she said. “It was exhilarating.” Looking ahead to the ICF’s 15th anniversary, D’Alessio described it as “a new beginning.”
You can watch CoachReporter Mark Joyella’s December, 2009 interview with Giovanna D’Alessio here:
Sequence 8-ICFBrainwavesGuy-Vimeo HD Encode from Mark Joyella on Vimeo.
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There are 3 Responses so far...
Great to see a new beginning for the ICF. I wish them well. For myself, I dropped membership in this organization because I simply found it uninspiring and that just doesn’t seem appropriate for a coaching organization. Leadership makes such a difference.
I’m curious about how things are progressing behind the scenes at the ICF.
I believe that the last update about the credentialing issue was on January 27. When might we expect to hear more about how things are progressing? After the Board meeting on March 18?
Jonathan, I know one coach who attended the ICF Open Call on March 2nd. There were 3 ICF Board members ready to take any questions, but there were only 2 callers. Have coaches lost interest, or did they not know about the ICF Open Call? There is another one scheduled for March 16th at 3:00pm EST.