ICF Core Competency: Evokes Awareness

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In the field of professional coaching, the International Coach Federation (ICF) Core Competencies guide coaches in their practice and professional development. These core competencies are not just a theoretical framework, but an honest reflection of the collective understanding and commitment of ICF coaches worldwide towards upholding the highest standards in their work.

ICF Core Competency: Evokes Awareness

Evoking awareness is a fundamental aspect of creating change in coaching. It's about helping clients see things in new ways, challenge their assumptions (with permission and kindness!), and discover new possibilities. 

As defined by the International Coaching Federation, Evokes Awareness means "facilitating client insight and learning by using tools and techniques such as powerful questioning, silence, metaphor or analogy."

This competency is made up of eleven sub-competencies, as awareness is one of the most complex aspects of coaching. Let’s take a look at each of them in turn:

1. Considers the client experience when deciding what might be most useful

As coaches, we use information gained through active listening (and asking powerful questions) to understand the client's whole life.

This can look like connecting dots around the roots of the client's thoughts and behavior.

Other aspects might be:

• Understanding the client's world and the “cast of characters” in their lives
• Considering intersectional factors like race, gender, and socioeconomic status
• Recognizing common aspects of being human, such as anxiety, overwhelm, or shyness

By doing this, coaches can work with clients to create a comprehensive picture of what influences and motivations impact their journey towards their goals.

2. Challenges the client as a way to evoke awareness or insight

Many new coaches can struggle with this aspect of coaching. The key to challenging a client is that it needs to be done with both permission from your client and a lot of care!

Challenging in this case means poking around to see if there's any thinking that needs to be considered for change. It can also look like identifying (and naming!) limiting beliefs ("I'm too old/young," "I don't have enough time"),

Challenging can also look like examining behaviors that might be getting in the way of the client's goals and shining a light on areas that clients might not want to look at – again, always with permission and care.

3. Asks questions about the client's way of thinking, values, needs, wants, and beliefs

Understanding values, needs, and beliefs is a cornerstone of self-awareness and personal growth. 

This means helping clients choose their values intentionally, or exploring how alignment or misalignment with values affects feelings and actions. 

The ultimate goal of this sub competency is to build a “compass” that keeps the coaching process aligned with the client's authentic self.

4. Asks questions that help the client explore beyond current thinking

This is about helping clients get a "bird's eye view" of their situation.

• Looking at the forest from above instead of just the trees directly ahead
• Challenging perceived limitations
• Using tools like applied positive psychology to broaden thought repertoires
• Changing the story clients tell themselves about what's possible

5. Invites the client to share more about their experience in the moment

Asking questions – this is the great work of coaching! It can mean asking what's going on for the client in real-time during the session and honoring the work the client is doing, while gaining information to avoid assumptions.

6. Notices what is working to enhance client progress

Observing what’s actually working is an important part of being a guide for your client! As a coach, you’ll need to identify techniques, frameworks, or lines of questioning that work well for the client. You might also create a shared language that reinforces goal accomplishment and get creative – our “gremlins” technique is a personal favorite of many Lumia coaches. 

7. Adjusts the coaching approach in response to the client's needs

Not every approach works for every client. Adjusting might look like asking permission before introducing new techniques or concepts, checking in with the client about how different approaches are working, and matching your client’s pace. Everyone absorbs information and is ready to make change at a different pace! 

8. Helps the client identify factors that influence current and future patterns of behavior, thinking or emotion

Always with permission, this looks like exploring the client's intersectional identity, beliefs, values, capabilities, and behaviors. You might ask questions to help them think through environmental influences and the relationship between their emotions and behavior.

9. Invites the client to generate ideas about how they can move forward and what they are willing or able to do

Asking powerful questions can help your client to become more adaptable as they navigate life changes. Plus, idea generation means creative and innovative problem-solving and the ongoing result of reducing stress by cultivating a growth mindset.

10. Supports the client in reframing perspectives

Reframing is an essential coaching skill that involves answering the question "What else is there?"

Coach and client come together to replace flawed or destructive thought patterns with better ones, changing how clients see people and situations in their life.

11. Shares observations, insights, and feelings without attachment that have the potential to create new learning for the client

This looks like offering a fresh perspective or new set of eyes, but without attachment to being right or in control.

This can be difficult for new coaches! But it’s important to remember (and reinforce) that the client is the master of their own life, and the coach is there as a guide and thought partner. This allows the coaching relationship to flow freely and become a true collaboration.

When we evoke awareness, we help coaching clients gain new insights into their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. We also support clients in identifying patterns and making conscious choices, and facilitate the development of new perspectives and solutions. Most importantly, as a life coach, we help our clients to take real action towards their goals.

Interested in expanding your coaching toolkit? 

Coaching is a rapidly growing field that is continuously evolving. Even for seasoned life coaches, there's always more to discover. If you've not already earned your ICF accredited life coach certification, there's no better time than now to get started!

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