Cultivating the Coaching MindsetICF – Carrie Abner, Micki McMillan and Luke Davis

In November 2019, the International Coaching Federation announced updates to the ICF Core Competencies. These updated Core Competencies resulted from nearly two years of rigorous research and are based on evidence collected from more than 1,300 coaches across the world representing a diverse range of coaching disciplines, training backgrounds, coaching styles, and experience
and credentialing levels, including both ICF members and non-members.

While this research validated that much of the current Core Competency model remains critically important to coaching practice today, new elements also emerged that have been integrated into the model, including the importance of a coaching mindset and ongoing reflective practice, the critical distinctions between various levels of coaching agreements, and the importance of cultural, systemic and contextual awareness within coaching relationships. These foundational components, combined with emerging themes, reflect the key elements of coaching practice today and will serve as stronger, more comprehensive coaching standards for the future.

This session will introduce participants to the updated Core Competencies and their implications for coach training programs. More importantly, the session will include interactive exercises, through individual reflection and small group discussions, that will support training providers in identifying strategies for integrating new elements in the updated Core Competencies into training curricula to support the development of coaching students.


Carrie Abner is vice president for Credentialing and Standards at the International Coach Federation. Previously, she served as assistant director for communications at The Council of State Governments, where she worked with state legislators, supreme court justices and executive branch leaders to foster collaboration and sharing of best practices across the states. Her past experience includes management of U.S. Justice Department grant projects on sexual assault and intimate partner violence, and she has also worked to ensure the protection of refugee women and children in humanitarian crises. Carrie holds a Master’s degree in international affairs from The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.

Micki McMillan is the CEO and a founding partner of Blue Mesa Group, an executive coaching and consulting firm based in Fort Collins, Colorado, providing executive coaching, coach training and leadership development.

Micki is the past president of the Association of Coach Training Organization, an assessor for International Coach Federation and the primary author and Program Co-Director for the Transformational Coaching Program, an ICF approved Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP). She is on the Board of Directors for AutoClubGroup, a 14 million member affiliate of AAA. She is Chair of the ICF Global Coach Training Board.

Once the highest-ranking woman in gas and electric operations, Micki has deep insights into the specific challenges executives face in highly competitive cultures. Micki brings her experience as a corporate leader, executive coach, facilitator and teacher to her work. She has coached and trained coaches in multiple world regions, including Asia, Australia, The United States and Europe. She honed her leadership skills as the executive responsible for gas and electric operations at Public Service Company of Colorado (with P&L responsibilities and a budget of over $100M). With more than twenty years of experience as an executive coach, Micki is one just over 1000 Master Certified Coaches.

Micki coaches individuals and executive teams in organizations. A partial list of her clients include: The Coca-Cola Company, Merck and Co. Inc., Yale New Haven Health, Colorado State University, Entergy, Trinity Health, Centura Health and Royal Dutch Shell, Providence Health & Services.

In 2012, Blue Mesa Group won the distinction of being named in of the Top 100 Women Owned Businesses in Colorado. The Women Business Enterprise Network Council (WBENC) has also recognizes Blue Mesa Group as a Certified Woman Owned Business.

Lucas M. Davis: Luke brings over fifteen years of experience as both a leader in higher education and a non-profit executive focused on operations, program management, and human resources leadership. He has a M.Ed. in Adult & Higher Education from the University of Missouri – Saint Louis and a B.S. from Western Kentucky University. He is also a certified Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) as well as a Society of Human Resources Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP).

He currently serves as the Vice President of ICF Coach Training for the International Coaching Federation leading the advancement of coach training and education. Luke previously served as an Executive Director of National University College as well as Founder & CEO of Make It Matter, LLC – a boutique consulting organization focused on helping individuals and companies find purpose and meaning in today’s workplace. He frequently focused on helping associations and organizations realign their branding, human resources policies and overall organization, efficiency, and strategy. He also previously served as the Executive Director & CEO of CAMPUSPEAK, the nation’s premier programming company for higher education. Luke also has served as an adjunct faculty member with several colleges and universities instructing leadership development courses and curriculum.

Luke is a member of various professional associations such as ASAE-The Center for Association Leadership, SHRM-Society for Human Resource Professionals, ATD-Association of Talent Development, and a proud alumnus of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.