Statement of Ethics, Integrity, & Transparency

Our Why

We believe in a world where every interaction – between leader and team member, customer and coworker, family member and friend – is encouraging, life-giving, respectful, appreciative, and an invitation to exit the Red Zone and live in the Blue Zone of abundance, opportunity, and growth. 

This statement is our opportunity to “walk the talk” – to live openly, authentically, and honestly, inviting accountability and consistency into our daily work.

As we teach coaching, we commit to live out the Coaching Competencies. We embody a coaching mindset, and cultivate trust and safety in our conversations. We set agreements about what we are working on and how we will work together. We communicate effectively, and commit to ongoing learning and growth. As we teach ethics in coaching, we clearly state and embody our own ethics in the policies we write and the work we do.

As such, we commit to the following standards as we work, coach, and train.

Ethics and Fairness

As a coaching education company, The Academies are bound primarily by the Ethical Principles and Standards outlined by the International Coach Federation (ICF). We commit to this Code of Ethics as coaches and instructors of coaching, and will empower the coaches we teach to do the same.

We commit to embodying our mission and our values, not just as words on a page, but as a defining part of who we are and how we show up in the world. Understanding that coaching requires connection, connection requires trust, and trust is based on ethics, we count on every team member to lead the way in cultivating trust. To do so, each of us individually commits to embodying a personal sense of psychological safety–that we are safe and have everything we need in every moment–so that those who interact with us might feel the same.

Integrity

As an expression of integrity, The Academies prioritizes professionalism, excellence, and authenticity.

As facilitators of coaching education, we start with ourselves, focusing on our common humanity, compassion, and collaboration. We strive for excellence and consistency, empowering our instructors to show up as their best selves, to provide consistent learning outcomes to each student, and to embody as well as teach the ICF Competencies.

We provide consistent and quality training to each individual with regard to their mental models and respect for their lived experiences, inclusive and accommodating of their race, ethnicity, nationality, age, gender, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, language, education, neurodiversity, mental or physical ability, socioeconomic status, and other diverse backgrounds.

If any person, issue, or challenge prevents us from delivering excellent, professional, and authentic service, we choose to engage from the Blue Zone. We listen and are curious, we assume the best, and communicate our intentions, questions, and concerns. We communicate directly to resolve challenges and ensure that each person experiences consistent and valuable coach education, as well as open-hearted care from one human to another. 

Transparency

The Academies commits to open, honest, and accessible communication. 

In our interactions with prospective students, we welcome zero-pressure, exploratory conversations. We commit to helping future coaches think strategically about their goals, whether those conversations lead to training with The Academies or with another organization. We commit to educating prospective students about the impact and importance of accredited training and credentialing. We commit to open and upfront answers to questions about accreditation, pricing, and policies. 

As we support students in our programs to become excellent coaches, we emphasize common humanity, compassion, and collaboration as we commit to ongoing training and learning in our field. We are open to receiving feedback as well as giving it, taking recommendations under consideration and making adjustments as needed. We apply our policies consistently, and with grace, wisdom, and common sense. 

As a team, we focus on what is strong versus what is wrong, and look for opportunities to acknowledge and appreciate others’ strengths and contributions. We raise our hand when we need help, we admit when we’ve missed a beat, and turn every challenge into an opportunity to learn and grow. 

In every interaction, we choose to stay in the Blue Zone as we have conversations internally and externally, and invite others to join us there to make the world a better place. 

We commit to revisiting these statements with intentionality, as the organization experiences growth or major transitions, during the re-accreditation process, as well as when emerging trends and significant events shape and reshape our world.