The foundations of coaching—especially aligned with professional standards like the International Coaching Federation (ICF)—are the core principles, mindsets, and skills that make coaching effective, ethical, and client-centered.

Here’s a clear, structured breakdown:

1. Coaching Mindset (Who you are as a coach)

Key ideas:

• Client is naturally creative, resourceful, and whole

• You are not the expert in their life—they are

• You partner, not direct

What this looks like in practice:

• “What do you think is the best way forward?”

• Not: “Here’s what you should do”

2. Ethical Foundation

Grounded in codes like the ICF Code of Ethics and COMENSA.

Core principles:

• Confidentiality

• Professional boundaries

• Integrity

• Cultural awareness

• Avoiding harm

Example:

• You don’t coach beyond your competence (e.g., trauma → refer to therapy)

3. Contracting (The Container)

Coaching starts with clear agreements.

Two levels:

• Macro contracting (relationship level)

• Micro contracting (session level)

Includes:

• Goals

• Roles

• Boundaries

• Confidentiality

• Expectations

Example:

• “What would you like to walk away with from today?”

4. Coaching Presence

Being fully present, aware, and flexible.

Skills:

• Deep listening

• Emotional attunement

• Managing your own reactions

• Comfort with silence

Example:

• Not rushing to fill silence → letting insight emerge

5. Active Listening

Listening beyond words:

• Tone

• Emotion

• Patterns

• What’s not being said

Levels:

• Internal (your thoughts)

• Focused (on client)

• Global (environment, energy)

Example:

• “I notice you hesitated there—what’s going on?”

6. Powerful Questioning

Questions that:

• Open thinking

• Challenge assumptions

• Create awareness

Good questions:

• Open-ended

• Short

• Non-leading

Examples:

• “What’s really important here?”

• “What are you avoiding?”

7. Awareness Creation

The core of coaching:

Insight → Shift → Action

Tools:

• Reflection

• Reframing

• Patterns

• Challenging beliefs

Example:

• “You say you want growth, but avoid risk—how do those fit together?”

8. Goal Setting & Action

Coaching is not just insight—it leads to change.

Includes:

• Clear outcomes

• Action steps

• Accountability

Example:

• “What will you do before our next session?”

9. Client Responsibility & Accountability

The client:

• Owns decisions

• Owns actions

• Owns results

The coach:

• Holds the space

• Holds accountability

10. Trust & Psychological Safety

Without trust, coaching fails.

Built through:

• Non-judgment

• Consistency

• Empathy

• Confidentiality

11. Non-Directive Approach

Coaching is not:

• Consulting

• Mentoring

• Therapy (unless dual-qualified and contracted clearly)

Core principle:

• Facilitate thinking, don’t provide answers

12. Growth & Learning Orientation

Coaching assumes:

• People can grow

• Awareness leads to change

• Reflection accelerates learning

Simple Way to Remember (Core Flow)

Contract → Explore → Create Awareness → Act → Reflect

If you want a sharper edge (MCC-level insight)

At a high level, coaching is:

• Less about questions

• More about who you are being

• Less about solving problems

• More about transforming identity and perception

Contracting in the International Coaching Federation framework is primarily located in Competency 3, but it also shows up across several other competencies at a deeper (MCC) level.

Let’s break it down cleanly so you can use it for training or assessment.

🔵 CORE: Contracting Competency

3. Establishes and Maintains Agreements

This is the main ICF module for contracting.

Submodules:

3.1 – Explains what coaching is and is not

• Clarifies coaching vs mentoring, consulting, therapy

• Sets expectations of roles

Contracting relevance:
→ Defines the type of relationship

3.2 – Reaches agreement about the coaching relationship

• Logistics (fees, time, confidentiality, boundaries)

• Roles and responsibilities

Contracting relevance:
→ This is macro contracting (formal agreement)

3.3 – Partners with the client to define session focus

• What the client wants from the session

• Desired outcome

Contracting relevance:
→ This is micro contracting (session level)

3.4 – Partners to determine success measures

• What success looks like

• How progress is tracked

Contracting relevance:
→ Links contracting to accountability and outcomes

3.5 – Maintains agreements throughout the session

• Keeps conversation aligned to goal

• Renegotiates if needed

Contracting relevance:
→ Dynamic contracting (real-time adjustment)

 SUPPORTING COMPETENCIES (Often Overlooked)

1. Demonstrates Ethical Practice

Relevant elements:

• Confidentiality

• Boundaries

• Scope of practice

Why it matters:
→ Forms the ethical backbone of contracting

2. Embodies a Coaching Mindset

Relevant elements:

• Partnering with the client

• Not imposing agenda

Why it matters:
→ Prevents fake contracting (coach-led agendas)

4. Cultivates Trust and Safety

Relevant elements:

• Creating psychological safety

• Respecting client autonomy

Why it matters:
→ Without trust, contracting is superficial

5. Maintains Presence

Relevant elements:

• Staying flexible

• Adapting in the moment

Why it matters:
→ Enables real-time re-contracting

6. Listens Actively

Relevant elements:

• Hearing what the client really wants

Why it matters:
→ Contracting depends on accurate understanding

7. Evokes Awareness

Relevant elements:

• Clarifying goals

• Challenging vague outcomes

Why it matters:
→ Strengthens depth of the contract

8. Facilitates Client Growth

Relevant elements:

• Turning goals into action

• Accountability

Why it matters:
→ Contracting must lead to results

 MCC-LEVEL VIEW (Advanced Insight)

At master level, contracting is not a step—it’s continuous and fluid:

• Happens at the start, middle, and end

• Is often implicit, not scripted

• Includes:

  • Agenda

  • Emotional focus

  • Energy shifts

  • Identity-level outcomes

 Simple Mental Model

Contracting exists at 3 levels:

1. Relational (3.2)
   → “How will we work together?”

2. Session (3.3)
   → “What do you want today?”

3. Moment-to-moment (3.5)
   → “Where are we now?”

 If you're training coaches

A powerful way to frame it:

“Contracting is not a question.
It is a continuous alignment with what matters most to the client.”

Here are 20 MCC-level contracting questions aligned with the standards of the International Coaching Federation—these go beyond basic “what’s your goal?” and aim for depth, ownership, and transformation.

They are grouped by when and why you’d use them.

 1. Opening the Session (Deep Micro-Contracting)

1. What feels most important for us to focus on today?

2. What would make this conversation truly valuable for you?

3. If this session were a success, what would be different by the end?

4. Why does this matter to you right now?

5. What’s the real challenge beneath what you’ve just said?

 2. Clarifying Outcomes (From Surface → Depth)

6. How will you know you’ve achieved what you want from this session?

7. What would “better” look like in a concrete way?

8. What impact would achieving this have on you or others?

9. What’s at stake if nothing changes?

10. What deeper shift are you hoping for here?

 3. Expanding Awareness Within the Contract

11. What part of this feels most unclear or unresolved?

12. What are you not saying that might be important here?

13. Where might you be limiting your own thinking?

14. What assumptions are you making about this situation?

15. If we explored this fully, what might you discover?

 4. Re-Contracting Mid-Session (MCC Skill)

16. Where would you like to go from here?

17. Is this still the most useful direction for you?

18. What do you need from me right now to support you best?

19. Shall we stay here, or is there something more important emerging?

 5. Ownership & Accountability (Contract → Action)

20. What will you commit to as a result of this conversation?

 What makes these “MCC-level”?

They:

• Invite depth, not just description

• Create ownership, not dependence

• Allow flexibility and co-creation

• Focus on meaning, impact, and identity, not just tasks

 Pro Tip (What most coaches miss)

At MCC level:

You are not contracting for the topic
You are contracting for the transformation