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The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded] : A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
by Thomas L. Friedman

Code of Ethics

Updated: November 1, 2004

Focused Fool Inc. strives to ensure our members receive the best possible service from our Team Members. This Code of Ethics was developed to ensure that the highest possible standards are maintained to deliver the greatest benefit to our members.

Responsibilities of Team Members

There are currently two classifications of Team Members working with Focused Fool Inc.:

Success Coaches

Success Coaches work with Clients to inspire, encourage and empower elite performance.

While working with our Success Coaches, Clients will be inspired to improve their performance, encouraged to deepen their learning and empowered to enhance the quality of their lives.

Success Coaches will help their Clients produce extraordinary results in their lives, careers, businesses or organizations. This may be through one on one coaching sessions and / or working with groups though workshops, seminars, courses and other learning programs.

Examples of a Success Coaches are coaches, mentors, consultants, trainers, teachers, and workshop facilitators.

It is the Success Coaches responsibility to:

• Inspire their Clients by discovering what they want to achieve and showing them appropriate ways to realize their goals.
• Encourage their Clients by obtaining Client-generated solutions and strategies and expanding their awareness through self-discovery and learning.
• Empower their Clients by helping them create more choices then they presently have and holding them accountable to the choices they make.

Specific adaptations to The Code for Success Coaches include:

• I will be clear and constructive in my feedback.
• I will create opportunities for ongoing learning for my Clients.
• I will hold my Clients accountable for the mutually agreed tasks and actions.
• I will take reasonable steps to measure my Clients progress. If my Client is not progressing, I will discuss it openly with them.

Support Service Providers

Support Service Providers provide exceptional work within their specific area of expertise.

The team of Support Service Providers here at Focused Fool Inc. works with Success Coaches and directly with Clients to deliver quality services within their specific area of expertise. This assists the Focused Fool community by allowing our:

1. Success Coaches to focus on what they do best; inspire, encourage and empower elite performance.
2. Clients leverage the strengths of our Support Service Providers so that they can focus on their growth and development.

Examples of Support Service Providers are editors, writers, book keepers, accountants, website designers, insurance brokers and virtual assistants.

It is the Support Service Provider responsibility to provide the highest quality service that they are capable of performing when dealing with all Clients.

The Code

Professional Conduct

• I will conduct myself in a manner that reflects well on my Clients, fellow Team Members, and the Focused Fool Community.
• I will honor agreements I make in all of my relationships. If, for any reason, there is an agreement that I need to break, I will contact my Client immediately with an appropriate explanation and a revised proposal to fulfill the agreement.
• I will accurately identify my level of competence within my area of expertise and I will not overstate my qualifications, expertise or experience.
• I will only provide services and accept work that I am competent to perform based on education, training or professional experience.
• I will strive to stay up to date of the current best practices, new technologies, legal requirements and standards as related to my areas of expertise.
• I will continue to develop and enhance my level of competence through reading, peer contact and training.
• I will respect the works and rights of others in copyrights, intellectual property, trademarks and patents.
• I will acknowledge the contributions of others in developing my own materials and not misrepresent them as my own.
• I will promptly abide by any stated guarantees related to my services.

Client Relationship

• I will build a relationship of respect and trust with my Clients.
• I will ensure to clarify in writing, Client expectations when defining the request for service by outlining terms of service including fees, duration and expected completion time.
• If there is an interruption in providing my services, I will make reasonable efforts for other arrangements for my Clients.
• I will identify when my Clients are no longer benefiting from my services and provide reasonable steps to conclude the relationship or refer my Client to other Team Members within the Focused Fool Community.

Confidentiality

• I will respect my Clients right to privacy and confidentiality.
• I will not share Client information, except as otherwise authorized by the Client, or as required by law.
• I will not discuss confidential information in any setting unless privacy can be assured.
• I will maintain confidentiality when creating, storing, accessing, transferring, and disposing of Client information.
• I will take precautions to ensure and maintain confidentiality of information communicated through the use of telephone, voice mail, fax, computers, email, instant messaging and other information technology.

Conflicts of Interest

• I will seek to avoid all conflicts between my interests and the interests of my Clients.
• I will discuss any perceived conflicts openly with my Clients at the earliest opportunity.
• I will terminate the Client agreement / contract if I am unable to serve the Client objectively, respectfully or without internal or external conflict.

Team Member Pledge of Ethics

As a Team Member, I acknowledge and agree to honor my ethical obligations to my Clients, fellow Team Members, the Focused Fool Community, Focused Fool Inc. and to the public at large. I pledge to comply with the Code of Ethics and to abide by these standards when providing service with all of my Clients. If I break this Pledge of Ethics or any part of the Code of Ethics, I agree that Focused Fool Inc. in its sole discretion may hold me accountable for so doing. I further agree that my accountability to Focused Fool Inc. for any breach may include loss of my Team Membership.

Notice of Adaptation

Portions of this Code of Ethics were adapted from the following sources:

• The International Association of Coaches Code of Ethics
• The International Coach Federation Code of Ethics
• European Mentoring & Coaching Council Ethical Code
• Coaching with NLP by Joseph O'Connor & Andrea Lages