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ICF Virginia Member Blog

ICF Virginia professional coaches blog dynamics:

Review & Approval for Publication:

  • Each blog must be approved by the board.
  • If you’d like to submit a blog, you may submit it to admin@icfvirginia.org
  • Your submission will be reviewed and accepted or denied based on compliance with ICF Brand guidelines, relevance to the coaching profession, readability, originality (not a copy of another blog).
  • Not all blogs will be posted.

Blog Requirements

Content:

  • Must be relevant to our membership commUNITY (coaches, those learning about coaching, those seeking a coach, businesses and non-profits who may benefit from coaching).
  • If you have content, you’re not sure about, let us know, we may adjust our criteria.
  • Each blog should have a call to action that tells the audience what to do. If written right, it also makes them feel inspired to do it.

Length: We accept both microblogs and blogs. Blog length must be between 250 words & 1000 words.

Original content: In order to maximize SEO, blogs submitted to ICFVA must be original content – not a copy of a blog that appeared elsewhere (e.g. your website). You may alter a blog from your website so that it is materially different, but on the same topic, and submit it. Material differences include Different Title, Different Meta description, up to 25% of your content is different.

Branding and attribution:

Each piece should adhere to blogging best practices and the following style guidelines:

  • Each blog needs a catchy title
    • Each blog needs sub-sections for easy reading/scanning
    • Follow ICF Brand guidelines (we need the look and design to be consistent with the rest of the site’s branding and consistent with ICF requirements.)
    • Each blog must contain a 50-word or less bio of the author that will appear at the end of the piece.
    • Any pictures, videos, illustrations used in your blog must be a) your own, b) purchased with proof and accurately cited, c) available from open-source usage sites (such as pixabay, pexels, unsplash, etc). Reviewers may request for you to replace any of these elements to be consistent with the style of the ICF VA and ICF Global Aesthetic. You may use items available in the ICF Digital Resource Center.
    • Marketing a private service offering or product is not permitted.
  • 02/17/2023 1:08 PM | Felix Figuereo (Administrator)

    The Dreaded “What do you think?” Question

    Sometime in our coaching practice, invariably a client will turn to us and ask, “What do you think?” We know how to turn the question back to them to help them find the answer within themselves. On one occasion the client responded, “I hate it when you do that.” Another time, the client shot back, “I know what you’re doing. Why can’t you just give me your opinion?”

    No matter our training, experience, or certification, when I have asked other coaches how they have handled this or similar situations, they admit they must dig deep and rely on their training because they are often tempted to reply to the question. One such coach told me she used the client’s questions to them to consider why they might want her opinion. Another coach, when asked what her opinion was, asked her client, “What do you hope my opinion is.”

    Because every client and situation are unique, there is no right or wrong response. Whether the client is asking for validation or approval, out of curiosity or fear, it is important to remember it is their process and their growth and “not about us.”

    We can do this best when we manage our response and stay focused on the client’s expectations and the outcome they wish to experience.

    So, what do you think?

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