Below is your COMENSA Coaching Behavioural Standards Framework, keeping the original requirements but adding a simple explanation

1. CONTRACTING

Requirement

Negotiate agreement for a coaching interaction including the coaching relationship and the process of coaching.

Simple Understanding

Agree clearly with the client about what coaching is, how it will work, and what both people expect from each other.

Requirement

Sets out the administrative aspects of the contract.

Simple Understanding

Explain practical details such as costs, meeting times, confidentiality, and duration.

Requirement

Includes the implications of agreements between both parties.

Simple Understanding

Make sure both coach and client understand their responsibilities.

Requirement

Ensures that the agendas of all parties are aligned and transparent.

Simple Understanding

Everyone involved knows the goals and there are no hidden expectations.

Requirement

Explores what the client wants from the session thoroughly.

Simple Understanding

Take time to understand what success looks like for the client.

Requirement

Designs success indicators with the client.

Simple Understanding

Agree on how progress and success will be measured.

Requirement

Invites the client to reflect on their own learning.

Simple Understanding

Help the client think about what they have learned.

Requirement

Terminates the contract with significant time for reflection and evaluation.

Simple Understanding

End the coaching relationship properly and review results.

2. COMMUNICATING

Requirement

Listen actively to clarify and broaden understanding as well as to encourage thinking while paying attention to both the said and the unsaid.

Simple Understanding

Listen carefully not only to the words being spoken but also to emotions and things not being said.

Requirement

Use open questions to create options, challenge assumptions and provide opportunities for learning.

Simple Understanding

Ask questions that make people think instead of giving them answers.

Requirement

Provide direct feedback to the client that meets the needs of the client rather than the coach.

Simple Understanding

Give honest feedback that helps the client, not feedback that makes the coach feel smart.

Requirement

Responds in a way that is related to what the client is trying to achieve.

Simple Understanding

Keep the conversation focused on the client's goals.

Requirement

Asks questions which challenge assumptions, elicit new insights, raise self-awareness and facilitate learning.

Simple Understanding

Ask powerful questions that help clients see things differently.

3. BUILDING TRUST AND RAPPORT

Requirement

Establish and maintain trust through open, honest and ethical behaviour.

Simple Understanding

Be honest, professional, and reliable.

Requirement

Maintain a safe space in which the client can courageously explore their own thinking.

Simple Understanding

Create an environment where clients feel comfortable speaking openly.

Requirement

Be alert to fear and doubt and acknowledge and discuss them openly and without judgement.

Simple Understanding

Notice when clients are worried and help them talk about it without criticism.

Requirement

Adjust own tone, pitch, pace and volume to empathise with the client's emotional state.

Simple Understanding

Match your communication style to the client's feelings.

Requirement

Enables client to uncover unrealized concerns and hopes.

Simple Understanding

Help clients discover worries and dreams they may not have noticed.

4. CREATING AWARENESS AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR LEARNING

Requirement

Express insights to the client in a way that provides useful and meaningful feedback.

Simple Understanding

Share observations that genuinely help the client grow.

Requirement

Help the client recognise the impact of their own thoughts and feelings.

Simple Understanding

Show clients how their thinking affects their behaviour and results.

Requirement

Use own knowledge and experience as a resource in a way that supports but does not impose.

Simple Understanding

Share experiences when useful, but do not tell clients what to do.

Requirement

Trusts the client to choose how to respond in their own way without forcing awareness.

Simple Understanding

Allow clients to make their own decisions and discoveries.

Requirement

Allows enough space for the client to experience their own insights.

Simple Understanding

Do not rush to fill silence; let clients think.

5. DESIGNING ACTIONS AND MANAGING ACCOUNTABILITY

Requirement

Assist in developing and supporting an effective coaching plan in partnership with the client.

Simple Understanding

Work together to create a realistic action plan.

Requirement

Maintain attention on a relevant and effective client-centred coaching plan.

Simple Understanding

Keep coaching focused on what matters most to the client.

Requirement

Hold the client accountable for implementation of the agreed-upon action plans.

Simple Understanding

Check whether the client follows through on commitments.

Requirement

Builds in measurements at chosen intervals.

Simple Understanding

Track progress regularly.

Requirement

Promotes the process of self-governance by helping the client learn about their own strengths and weaknesses.

Simple Understanding

Help clients manage themselves instead of depending on the coach.

6. BUILDING SELF-AWARENESS

Requirement

Demonstrate sufficient self-awareness to have a realistic perception of own strengths and weaknesses.

Simple Understanding

Know what you are good at and where you need improvement.

Requirement

Demonstrate sufficient maturity to identify and deal with own prejudices, biases and stereotypes.

Simple Understanding

Recognise your own assumptions and prevent them from affecting coaching.

Requirement

Take responsibility for own actions and demonstrate commitment to meeting obligations and keeping promises made.

Simple Understanding

Be accountable and do what you say you will do.

7. CREATING OPPORTUNITIES FOR OWN PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL GROWTH

Requirement

Seek out and act on feedback to build on strengths and mitigate weaknesses.

Simple Understanding

Keep learning from feedback and improving yourself.

Requirement

Demonstrate a commitment to lifelong learning via participation in supervision and continuing professional development.

Simple Understanding

Never stop learning and developing as a coach.

Requirement

Fulfils the supervision requirements as set out in the COMENSA Supervision Policy.

Simple Understanding

Attend the required supervision sessions to improve your coaching.

Requirement

Fulfils the COMENSA CPD Requirements.

Simple Understanding

Complete the required ongoing training and development activities.

8. MAINTAINING A COACHING PRESENCE

Requirement

Be fully present and engaged during the coaching session.

Simple Understanding

Give the client your full attention.

Requirement

Be aware of and manage own emotions and reactions in such a way as to contribute positively to the coaching interaction.

Simple Understanding

Control your emotions so they help rather than distract.

Requirement

Identify and separate own agenda from that of the client.

Simple Understanding

Focus on the client's goals, not your own opinions.

Requirement

Stays fully present and connected, whatever might arise.

Simple Understanding

Remain calm, focused and attentive even during difficult conversations.

9. MANAGING DIVERSITY

Requirement

Work with diversity and adapt behaviour in response to unfolding contextual and cultural differences.

Simple Understanding

Respect and adapt to different cultures, backgrounds and perspectives.

Requirement

Work with issues such as prejudice, bias and stereotyping within unfolding cultural contexts.

Simple Understanding

Help people understand and overcome unfair assumptions.

Requirement

Demonstrate an understanding of and show empathy for past, current and future cultural contexts.

Simple Understanding

Understand how people's backgrounds and environments influence them.

Requirement

Adapt coaching style to suit a continuously changing environment.

Simple Understanding

Change your approach when situations or people change.

Requirement

Evaluate the purpose of the context to ensure congruency to the specific context.

Simple Understanding

Make sure the coaching approach fits the situation and environment.

One-Sentence Summary of the Entire Framework

A COMENSA coach must be able to build trust, listen deeply, ask powerful questions, create awareness, help clients take action, remain self-aware, continue learning, stay fully present, and work effectively with people from all backgrounds