CMC (IIMC) flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

CMC Competence Framework

A structured model listing the knowledge, skills, and behaviours expected of professional coaches and mentors, used for self-assessment, development planning, supervision, and accreditation evidence.

Behavioural indicators

Observable, specific actions that demonstrate a competency in practice. Assessors and supervisees use them to judge whether competence is actually shown, rather than inferred from qualifications.

Ethical competence

The ability to apply professional ethics in practice: confidentiality, informed consent, boundary management, conflict-of-interest handling, and referral when issues exceed the practitioner's scope.

Informed consent

Agreeing with the client, before work begins, what the coaching or mentoring involves, its limits, confidentiality boundaries, data handling, and the client's right to withdraw.

Contracting

The opening process of agreeing goals, roles, expectations, logistics, confidentiality limits, review points, and success criteria for the engagement or each session.

Confidentiality boundaries

Clearly stated limits on what stays private, including legal exceptions, supervision disclosure in anonymised form, and any agreed reporting to a sponsoring organisation.

Reflective practice

Systematically reviewing one's own coaching or mentoring work to identify what worked, what did not, and what development action follows, usually recorded in a reflective log.

Supervision

Structured, regular support in which a practitioner reviews client work with a qualified supervisor to maintain quality, manage ethical dilemmas, and support ongoing development.

Competency clusters

Groupings of related competencies, typically covering ethics, contracting, communication, facilitating learning and results, and reflective professional development, used to organise the framework.

Self-assessment against framework

Rating one's own practice against each competency's behavioural indicators, then gathering corroborating evidence such as feedback, recordings, or supervisor observations.

Development plan

A written plan translating identified competence gaps into specific actions, resources, timelines, and evidence sources, reviewed periodically with a supervisor or mentor.

Referral and signposting

Recognising when a client's needs exceed the practitioner's competence or scope, such as clinical issues, and directing them to appropriately qualified professionals while maintaining confidentiality.

Boundary management

Maintaining appropriate limits in the coaching or mentoring relationship, including time, contact between sessions, dual relationships, physical setting, and personal disclosure.

Evidence of competence

Concrete artefacts such as session recordings, client feedback, supervision records, reflective logs, and observed practice that demonstrate behavioural indicators have been met.

Formative versus summative use

Formative use identifies development gaps during training; summative use judges whether competence standards are met for accreditation or certification decisions.

Continuing professional development

Ongoing, planned learning and reflection after initial qualification, evidenced through activities such as training, supervision, reading, and peer review, aligned to framework competencies.

Dual relationships

Situations where the practitioner holds another significant role with the client, such as line manager or friend, which must be disclosed and managed or declined.

Sponsor versus client

The sponsor pays for or commissions coaching while the client receives it; contracting must clarify what, if anything, is reported to the sponsor and to whom.

Power imbalance

The inherent asymmetry in coaching or mentoring relationships, managed through transparency, explicit contracting, client choice, and attention to organisational context.

Feedback for development

Structured input from clients, peers, or supervisors about observed practice, used as evidence against behavioural indicators and to prioritise development actions.

Competence versus credential

A credential records that a qualification or accreditation was awarded; competence is demonstrated by observable behaviour in practice and must be continuously evidenced.

Scope of practice

The boundaries of what a practitioner is trained and competent to address, used to decide when to continue, seek supervision, or refer the client elsewhere.

Record keeping

Maintaining accurate, secure, proportionate notes of sessions and agreements, compliant with data protection requirements and disclosed to the client during contracting.

Session review points

Agreed moments within an engagement, such as after a set number of sessions, to evaluate progress, revisit goals, and confirm whether to continue.

Goal agreement

Establishing clear, client-owned outcomes at contracting, distinguishing coaching goals from organisational performance targets and confirming how progress will be judged.

Supervision disclosure limits

The rule that client material discussed in supervision is anonymised or consented to, with the limits explained to the client during contracting.

Ethical decision-making model

A structured approach to dilemmas: identify the issue, gather facts, consider stakeholders and codes, consult supervision, decide, act, and review the outcome.

Client autonomy

The principle that the client retains choice and responsibility for decisions, with the practitioner avoiding advice-giving that creates dependency.

Termination and endings

Planned closure of the coaching or mentoring relationship, including reviewing outcomes, consolidating learning, agreeing future support, and closing records appropriately.

Peer review

Reciprocal examination of practice by fellow practitioners, offering an additional evidence source for competence and a lower-cost complement to formal supervision.

Professional body codes

Published ethical and competence standards from coaching and mentoring associations, used as reference points when interpreting framework expectations and resolving dilemmas.

Competence evidence portfolio

A curated collection mapping each competency and behavioural indicator to specific evidence, with reflective commentary explaining what the evidence demonstrates.