Coaching Core Credential (IC-COAC)

Coaching Core Credential ICA Coaching Foundations for Agile Professionals

Stop giving answers. Start unlocking potential. Build practical coaching skills that help people think clearly, make their own decisions and take meaningful action.

🎯 Learn to coach without taking over the problem.
👂 Listen with presence and ask questions that create insight.
💬 Practise a complete, client-owned coaching conversation.
🧭 Recognise ethical boundaries, power dynamics and organisational context.
🎓 Build towards the ICA Tomorrow-Ready™ Coaching certification.

For: Scrum Masters Agile Coaches

Book My Place — €349

ICA-defined Coaching Core learning outcomes • 8 hours • Practice-focused • ICA credential pathway

ICA Coaching Core Credential

Develop the foundation recognised within ICA’s modular Coaching certification pathway. The standalone Core Credential is distinct from the full certification.
8 hours of focused learning

A compact learning investment designed around high-impact coaching behaviours you can use in everyday professional conversations.
Practise, don’t just listen

Explore realistic workplace situations, rehearse conversations and reflect on how your interventions affect the other person’s thinking.
Awareness before advice

Learn to replace automatic solution-giving with presence, open inquiry, reflection and shared clarity.
€349 course fee

An accessible entry point to intentional coaching skills and the ICA credential pathway.

Trusted by professionals worldwide Coaches, agile leaders, Scrum Masters and transformation consultants.

8h ICA Coaching Core learning programme

€349 Course price

1 Standalone Core Credential

Why now

Why your next conversation needs more than good advice

Agile professionals are often expected to help people improve without becoming the person who solves every problem. The challenge is not a lack of expertise: it is knowing when to set that expertise aside.

You see a solution immediately, but offering it too soon stops a colleague or team member from finding their own way forward.

Your one-to-ones and improvement conversations become a stream of suggestions instead of a space for reflection and insight.

People leave discussions agreeing with you, yet ownership, decisions and accountability remain unclear.

As a Scrum Master, Product Owner or team leader, you switch between coaching, advising and facilitating without always clarifying your role.

A challenge rooted in team norms or organisational constraints gets treated as an individual performance issue.

The TAC difference

Coaching skills you can actually use at work

This learning experience focuses on observable behaviours and sound judgment, not a collection of fashionable questions or a rigid coaching script.

Support ownership, not dependency

Help colleagues clarify what matters, explore options and decide on their next steps — without making their decisions for them.

Make listening an intervention

Use attention, silence and genuine curiosity to hear meaning and notice shifts instead of rushing to diagnose or fix.

Ask questions that unlock thinking

Practise concise, open, non-leading questions that explore assumptions, perspectives and possibilities.

Choose the right professional stance

Recognise when to coach, when to advise or facilitate, and how power, confidentiality and context influence that choice.

Start a flexible credential journey

Earn a Core Credential by meeting the requirements of an ICA-accredited programme; add two or more relevant Specialized Credentials later to complete the ICA Coaching certification.

What you will be able to do

By the end of the eight hours, you will have practised the core behaviours behind purposeful, responsible coaching conversations.

Distinguish coaching from mentoring, advising, teaching, facilitation and other forms of support, and select an appropriate stance.

Agree on a meaningful focus while keeping the coachee’s agenda, decisions and ownership at the centre.

Demonstrate coaching presence through curiosity, attentive listening, productive silence and self-management.

Formulate short, open, non-leading questions that help someone examine beliefs, values, choices and new possibilities.

Use reflections and tentative reframes to help someone recognise their own thinking patterns without imposing your interpretation.

Lead a complete coaching conversation from a clear starting agreement through exploration, insight, client-owned action and closure.

Notice when team, leadership or organisational conditions contribute to a challenge and when another intervention is needed.

Recognise ethical risks involving confidentiality, authority, competing interests and professional boundaries.

By the numbers

Your coaching investment at a glance

A defined learning scope, a clear price and a credential pathway you can keep building.

8h ICA Coaching Core learning programme

€349 Course price

1 Standalone Core Credential

0 ICA credential renewal fees

Who is this for

Made for people who help other people succeed

You do not need to be a professional coach to benefit. If your role involves supporting learning, problem-solving, collaboration or professional growth, these skills belong in your toolkit.

This is for you if…

Scrum Masters Move from fixing team problems to helping colleagues think, reflect and take ownership of improvement.
Product Owners & Product Managers Hold clearer discovery, stakeholder and development conversations without prescribing every answer.
Agile Coaches & Agile Team Facilitators Sharpen your coaching stance and recognise when coaching adds more value than facilitation or consulting.
Team Leads & Engineering Managers Support performance and growth while managing the boundaries between leadership authority and coaching.
Change & Transformation Practitioners Help people explore options and take action while respecting wider organisational constraints.
HR, L&D and People Professionals Use responsible listening, inquiry and reflection in meaningful developmental conversations.

When another course may be a better fit

Seeking an ICF ACC or PCC credential This ICA Core Credential is not an ICF-accredited coach education programme or an ICF coaching credential.
Seeking specialist team or systems coaching The course introduces context awareness; in-depth team and systems interventions belong in specialised learning.
Looking for a purely theoretical lecture The learning design focuses on active participation, practice and reflection, not passive content consumption.

Programme details

Everything you need to know.

Duration: 8 training hours
Format: Interactive, instructor-led coaching skills training with structured practice and reflection
Delivery mode: Live online instructor-led sessions; confirm delivery arrangements for the selected cohort
Language: English (verify the teaching language in the selected cohort)
Level: Foundation / Core Credential
Prerequisites: No general ICA prerequisite; suitable as an introduction to intentional coaching. Any local entry requirements are shown on the cohort.
Certification awarded: ICA Coaching Core Credential (IC-COAC), following successful completion of an ICA-accredited offering
Support material: Guided coaching practice activities and reflection prompts within the programme
Funding eligibility: Individual enrolment at €349; employer-sponsored booking may be arranged according to the available checkout options
Course price: €349
ICA designation: Coaching Core Credential — IC-COAC
Learning domain: People Development — Coaching & Mentoring
Learning structure: Four learning blocks totalling eight hours
Assessment: Course participation and demonstrated learning, according to the accredited provider’s criteria
Credential validity: No ICA renewal fee or expiry after issuance
Path to full certification: Coaching Core + minimum two relevant Specialized Credentials
Relationship to ICF: Not an ICF ACC/PCC credential or ICF-accredited programme

Programme structure

Inside the 8-hour Coaching Core programme

Four practical learning blocks cover ICA’s Coaching Core learning outcomes, progressing from professional boundaries to applied conversation skills and responsible practice.

01 🧭 1. Coaching Foundations & Boundaries

02 👂 2. Presence, Listening & Awareness

03 💬 3. The Complete Coaching Conversation

04 ⚖️ 4. Context, Ethics & Coaching Impact

What's included

What your €349 enrolment covers

A focused, practical learning experience built around the skills needed for effective one-to-one coaching at work.

8 hours of structured coaching learning Included

A complete foundation mapped to ICA’s Coaching Core learning outcomes.
Practice-based coaching exercises Included

Opportunities to explore, rehearse and reflect on workplace coaching conversations.
Foundational coaching methods Included

Presence, active listening, purposeful inquiry, reflection, reframing and client-owned closure.
Ethical and contextual judgment Included

Practical attention to boundaries, confidentiality, power and challenges that call for a different intervention.
Eligibility for the ICA Core Credential Upon meeting ICA requirements

Credential issuance follows successful completion and assessment of an ICA-accredited offering; the Core Credential is not the full Coaching certification.

Certification & career ROI

Your ICA Coaching Core Credential

The ICA Coaching Core Credential (IC-COAC) recognises foundational coaching capability. It stands on its own and forms the core component of the broader Tomorrow-Ready™ Coaching certification pathway. Full certification additionally requires at least two relevant Specialized Credentials.

1. Book an ICA-accredited Coaching Core course

Choose a cohort offered under the ICA accreditation and instructor-authorization framework.
2. Participate in all required learning

Engage with the eight-hour learning experience and participate in the activities covering the required learning outcomes.
3. Meet the course acceptance criteria

Demonstrate the expected learning through the provider’s approved assessment approach; do not assume a separate exam is required.
4. Claim your ICA Core Credential

Once the course completion requirements are confirmed and the credential is issued, access it through your ICA account. It does not require renewal fees.
5. Continue towards full ICA Coaching certification

When ready, complete a minimum of two relevant Specialized Credentials in the Coaching pathway.

Meet your trainers

Practitioners, not just lecturers.

Tadej Accetto

Agile Coach, Professional Coach and Trainer

ICP-ACC, ICP-ATF, ICE-AC, ICP-SYS, ICP-PDM, ICP-APM, ICF-ACC- ICF-PCC

Tadej Accetto is an Agile Coach with a decade of experience under his belt, working with clients of all sizes and industries. They value honesty, integrity, empathy, and continuous learning, and believe in collaboration, communication, and transparency when working in a team.

About

Upcoming cohorts

Choose a session that works for you

Select an available cohort in the booking calendar to view confirmed dates, local times and registration options. The programme comprises eight hours of training in total.

Timezone

Schedule

Recommended ☀ Morning

November 4 — 13, 2026

4 live sessions · Wednesdays & Fridays

10:00 – 12:00 Europe/Paris

2 sessions per week
Trainer: Tadej Accetto

View full schedule

November 2026: 4, 6, 11, 13

Invoice & company payment available

⛅ Afternoon

December 2 — 4, 2026

2 live sessions · Wednesdays & Fridays

14:00 – 18:00 Europe/Paris

2 sessions per week
Trainer: Tadej Accetto

View full schedule

December 2026: 2, 4

Invoice & company payment available

Questions

Frequently asked questions

What is the Coaching Core Credential (IC-COAC)?

It is ICA’s eight-hour foundation for professionals who want to use coaching intentionally. It covers boundaries, coaching presence, listening, questions, reflection, complete conversations, context and ethics.

Is this a certification or a credential?

This programme leads to a standalone ICA Coaching Core Credential once the requirements of an ICA-accredited course have been met. The full ICA Tomorrow-Ready™ Coaching certification requires the Coaching Core plus at least two relevant Specialized Credentials.

Is this course suitable for Scrum Masters and Product Owners?

Yes. Scrum Masters, Product Owners, Agile Coaches and other professionals regularly support learning and decisions. The programme helps you choose a coaching stance, avoid over-directing and support clearer ownership in workplace conversations.

Do I need previous coaching experience?

ICA does not set a general prerequisite for this Core Credential. The material is designed as a foundation; check the selected cohort details for any additional provider-specific requirements.

What is the difference between coaching and mentoring?

Coaching primarily helps the other person develop their own thinking, decisions and actions. Mentoring may draw more directly on the practitioner’s experience and perspective. You will practise recognising when coaching is appropriate and when another stance is better.

How long does the course take?

The Coaching Core programme requires eight hours of learning. The precise division into sessions and the timetable are shown in the cohort booking details.

How much does it cost?

The listed course price is €349. Any applicable tax treatment and payment details should be checked in the booking checkout.

How do I obtain my ICA credential?

Attend the required learning, participate in the course activities and satisfy the instructor/provider assessment criteria within an ICA-accredited course. Your training provider then completes the credential-issuance process through ICA.

Is there a final exam?

Not necessarily. ICA requires assessment, but an accredited provider may use practical activities, exercises or another approved assessment format. Refer to your cohort instructions for the exact evaluation method.

Will the ICA credential expire?

No. ICA states that its awarded credentials do not expire and do not require renewal fees.

Does IC-COAC count as an ICF ACC or PCC credential?

No. ICA and the International Coaching Federation are different bodies. This Core Credential is not an ICF ACC or PCC designation and does not, by itself, establish eligibility for ICF credentialing.

Can I continue towards the full ICA Coaching certification?

Yes. ICA’s pathway combines this Coaching Core Credential with at least two relevant Specialized Credentials. Those additional learning experiences are separate from this €349 Core course.

Is the training delivered online?

This product page is designed for instructor-led online cohorts. Confirm the delivery mode, language and exact time zone in the session information before booking.

Can I use the skills outside agile roles?

Yes. The foundations are role-agnostic and apply to leadership, people development, change, stakeholder conversations and other situations where you want to support another person’s thinking and ownership.

🛡️ Transparent programme information

A clear investment, with no inflated promises

You know the eight-hour learning scope and the listed price before enrolling. Review the chosen cohort’s schedule, delivery arrangements, assessment requirements and registration terms before completing your booking. No unconditional satisfaction or refund guarantee is implied.

Investment

A clear path to your next professional level.

Designed for professionals who want structured learning, practice and certification support.

Ready when you are

Become the colleague who unlocks better thinking

Great coaching is not about having the smartest answer. It is about creating the conditions in which others discover and own their next step. Start building that skill with the 8-hour ICA Coaching Core programme for €349.