All session times listed in Eastern Time Zone.
The Neuroscience of Behavior Change: Coaching, AI, and Habits
Are you looking for a proven pathway to create lasting behavioral change? In this session, discover how you can harness neuroscience, hands-on coaching strategies, and purposeful digital tools—including light AI—to help your clients build and sustain habits that truly stick. You’ll explore real challenges, such as the knowing–doing gap and habit “drift,” and leave with practical frameworks, coaching techniques, and easy-to-adopt tracking methods to drive meaningful behavior change and measurable results. Join this session to boost your impact with scientifically grounded, people-focused solutions ready for immediate implementation.
In this session, you will:
- Explore neuroscience-based principles of habit formation and learning retention.
- Apply coaching techniques and digital tools to help individuals build, track, and sustain new behaviors.
- Utilize data and feedback methods to measure impact and adapt interventions for continuous improvement.
Speakers: Charles Good, President, The Institute for Management Studies; Dr. Karla Van Havel, PhD, ACC, Founder and President, Center for Dynamic Knowledge & KVH Virtual Productions
Coach, Mentor, or Manager: Which, When, and How
Is coaching the new managing? Is it possible to be both a manager and a mentor? Is it better to engage external coaching or develop internal coaching skills?
This session first explores the distinct roles of coaching and mentoring in organizational talent development, and then examines whether these are better implemented as tools to help develop leaders or as skills that leaders should possess to better develop others.
Through examples and case studies, you will explore the benefits and pitfalls of various coaching and mentoring approaches, and consider which approaches are best suited to their organizational or individual circumstances.
In this session, you will:
- Define and distinguish coaching and mentoring, and their roles in both leadership and individual contributor development.
- Design coaching and/or mentoring programs in specific organizational contexts.
- Incorporate manager-as-coach principles into leadership development initiatives.
Speakers: Jonathan Yeo, Founder, The Potential Space
Growing Your Coaching Business With AI
Coaches today aren’t just navigating how to use AI with clients—they’re also wondering how to use it to build a sustainable business. With the explosion of tools like ChatGPT, Claude, and Copilot, AI is no longer just a trend—it’s a competitive advantage for the modern coaching entrepreneur.
In this session, the speaker shares how AI can be your partner in scaling your coaching business—from content creation and marketing strategy to automation and audience connection. Drawing from fresh data collected from small business owners, the speaker will demystify what today’s solo coaches and coaching firms truly need from AI—and how to confidently use it without losing your personal touch.
You’ll learn how to align your strengths with AI tools to simplify your back-end, amplify your reach, and stay focused on what matters most: making a meaningful impact.
In this session, you will:
- Use AI tools like ChatGPT, Claude, Forms, and many more to simplify content creation and enhance brand consistency.
- Create time-saving systems using free and low-cost tools for marketing.
- Explore effective channel strategies for client acquisition—email, social, and beyond—powered by AI support without losing the human connection.
Speaker: Karol Figueroa, CEO, HIK Trainings®
The Insider-Outsider Paradox: Navigating the Challenges of Internal Executive Coaching
This session explores the unique dualities of internal executive coaching, focusing on how to maintain professional objectivity while also being influenced by the same organizational culture as your clients. This session is for coaches and leaders who want to consider how they are influenced by the systems in which they work. This awareness can help them challenge their perspective and also develop a more effective culture.
In this session, you will:
- Analyze Cultural Influence: Raise awareness for how shared organizational norms create “cultural blind spots.”
- Manage Dual Relationships: Implement contracting and other rituals to separate coaching interactions from operational or peer responsibilities.
- Leverage Your Cultural Understanding to contribute to the organization’s desired systemic culture: Utilize understanding of cultural norms to connect individual and team coaching to systemic organizational success.
Speaker: Tamar Lobell, MBA, PCC, Senior Director, Organizational Effectiveness, Mérieux University Americas
Unlock Leadership Potential With Assessment-Enhanced Coaching
Executive coaching isn’t just about improving leadership—it’s about transforming it. By integrating the right assessments, coaches can uncover hidden strengths, identify blind spots, and create a clear roadmap for growth. This approach empowers leaders to elevate their effectiveness and drive real, lasting change. This session is designed for coaches who wish to incorporate assessments into their coaching practice. Learn to harness data-driven insights to help clients reach their full potential.
In this session, you will:
- Review key assessment measures such as validity and adverse impact to select the most appropriate tool.
- Discuss several executive assessment instruments that offer insight into personality, competencies, and cognitive skills.
- Incorporate assessment debriefs into your coaching sessions.
Speakers: Angela Kutlik, Lead Consultant, HR Strategy Design, Kaiser Permanente; Meg Karakekes, Organizational Development Consultant and Executive Coach, Karakekes Consulting
The Partnership Pivot: Positioning Coaching as a High-Value Business Lever
Internal coaching programs or solutions rarely struggle because of quality; they struggle because of how they are positioned within your company. In large enterprises, coaching is often introduced through well-intended requests from HR partners or leaders who are navigating urgent talent challenges. However, without intentional design, the coaching function can become a transactional order-taker or internal broker of coaching rather than a strategic partner to the business. This session reframes the challenge: the question is not how good the coaching is but how you are positioned and socialized in the organizational system. We will explore strategies to best support key partners and stakeholders on how to determine when coaching is (and isn’t) the right solution, concrete ways to position coaching and your function as a thought leader and strategic partner in the business as well as how to leverage AI to support you in your efforts.
Designed for HR, Talent, and Leadership Development practitioners, this session focuses on scalable ways to strengthen the strategic positioning of coaching. The session emphasizes how internal coaching functions can intentionally shape stakeholder engagement and influence how coaching is leveraged. By shifting the partnership model, you can ensure that coaching is consistently utilized as a high-value, strategic asset that aligns with the organization’s broader objectives.
In this session, you will:
- Identify and best leverage the internal stakeholders who most influence awareness, adoption, and long-term sustainability of internal coaching programs, as well as articulate the value of coaching in ways that align with enterprise strategy, leadership priorities, and talent outcomes.
- Partner effectively with HR, Talent, and business leaders to continually strengthen credibility and shared accountability for coaching initiatives.
- Apply practical approaches to embedding internal coaching programs more fully into organizational systems and decision-making.
Speakers: Nicole Forward, M.S., Head of Coaching & Development, RHR
The Coaching Habit Workshop: How to Go Beyond Asking Great Questions
You know the coaching drill: Ask a good question, shut up and listen, resist the urge to jump in with advice, and then ask another question.
Simple. Also, difficult.
And even when you get good at coaching like this, something’s still missing.
Because coaching isn’t just about what you do. It’s also about who you are when you’re doing it.
Your presence changes everything — how safe people feel, how honest they get, whether the conversation actually goes anywhere, what changes they’re willing to make.
This workshop is for anyone who coaches, including independent coaches, internal coaches, managers seeking to lead differently, parents, or individuals who believe in the power of a good question.
In this session, you will:
- Identify what people are actually seeking when they talk to you (hint: usually not your brilliant solution … or theirs).
- Learn how you show up affects them—and you, and why “caring and not caring” is both the hardest paradox to grasp and the most liberating.
- Discover the four paradoxes that sit at the heart of meaningful conversations.
Speaker: Michael Bungay Stanier, Change Leader, Coach and Author
Career Circles is a 10-week group coaching program that empowers employees to take ownership of their careers through three key areas: self-discovery/confidence building, tactical skills, and goal-setting strategies. In addition, facilitators are trained to lead groups providing stretch opportunities. This innovative strategy provides a strong sense of belonging for both you and the facilitators. Learn how this was implemented in-house at a large healthcare system and how you could apply similar strategies in your own organization.
In this session, you will:
- Identify how investing in employees through a group coaching program creates a sense of belonging and engagement for employees.
- Discover a new group coaching model to invest in employees who want to grow within your organization.
- Discuss the readiness of your organization to provide support to employees regarding internal career movement.
Speaker: Megan Hysell, Senior Organizational Development Consultant, Nationwide Children’s Hospital
Charting Your Path as an Organizational Coach: Career Journeys, Skill Development, and Professional Growth
Coaching has become an essential capability in talent development, yet the pathway into and through a coaching career can feel anything but straightforward. This session brings together seasoned coaches—representing internal, part-time internal, and external coaching roles—to share their personal journeys and the lessons they’ve learned along the way.
In this session, the speakers will discuss how they entered the coaching profession, what helped them build credibility, and how they honed the skills that matter most.
Whether you are considering the coaching profession, seeking to strengthen your practice, or looking for clarity on the various pathways available, this session will offer grounded insights and actionable next steps to help you chart a rewarding and sustainable coaching career.
In this session, you will:
- Differentiate between common career pathways—including internal, part-time internal, and external coaching—and identify which roles align best with their interests, experience, and goals.
- Recognize the key skills, developmental experiences, and organizational conditions that contribute to a coach’s growth and long-term success.
- Evaluate the role of coaching credentials and certifications in building credibility, enhancing practice, and supporting advancement within organizational coaching careers.
Speaker: Carrie Abner, CAE, Vice President, Credentials & Standards ICF
Coaching Strategies for Leaders
How would your leadership change if you elevated your coaching skills? Coaching strategies can be leveraged to enhance communication, relationship building, sales, and leadership across industries, organizations, and roles. This session integrates best practices and successful internal and external coaching programs that you can apply immediately to elevate your coaching game.
In this session, you will:
- Leverage coaching strategies to enhance and develop your leadership.
- Integrate best practices into your coaching from internal and external coaching programs.
- Enhance your coaching skills with live practice.
Speaker: Diana Ideus, MCC, ACTC, Founder, Hawthorne Union
What to Know Before Launching an Internal Coaching Program
Standing up an internal coaching program isn’t just about creating a new initiative—it’s about shaping a culture of growth and accountability. From gaining executive buy-in to scaling coaching across the organization, the journey is full of lessons that can save time, resources, and frustration, especially early in the process. In this session, you’ll learn practical strategies and insider insights from building a successful coaching program at Johnsonville, so you can avoid common pitfalls and accelerate impact.
In this session, you will:
- Identify the critical success factors for launching an internal coaching program and how to navigate common challenges such as stakeholder alignment and adoption.
- Measure impact and sustain momentum without overspending.
- Build a roadmap that integrates coaching into organizational development strategy.
Speaker: Jordan Lindstrom, Senior Organizational Development Leader, Johnsonville
The AI-Powered Coaching Organization: A Method for Real Results and Impact
AI is rapidly reshaping coaching and human development at scale. As demand for coaching grows, organizational leaders face a dual challenge: evolving with AI-enabled systems while preserving the human-centered essence that makes coaching effective. Many fear AI will replace coaches, but the real question for organizations is how to integrate these tools responsibly to expand access, improve efficiency, and demonstrate measurable impact.
This session introduces the Do Good D.E.E.D.S. Method: A five-phase, research-informed approach for identifying, testing, and scaling AI within organizational coaching programs. Through real-world case studies, including a successful AI adoption initiative at one of the top 25 largest foundations in the US, a $3M NIH-funded coaching study, and scaling AI coaching to extend access, you will see how organizations are moving beyond pilots to achieve sustainable, ethical, and results-driven AI-enabled coaching at enterprise scale.
In this session, you will:
- Understand the Do Good D.E.E.D.S. Method for evaluating, testing, and integrating AI within organizational coaching programs.
- Identify high-leverage opportunities to apply AI across coaching, leadership development, and learning ecosystems.
- Apply evergreen, human-centered principles for responsible AI adoption.
Speaker: Tim Harrison, Founder and CEO, Coaching Innovation Lab
Coaching Through Conflict: Strengthening Skills for Difficult Conversations & Effective Feedback
In this session, you will learn practical tools to navigate the challenging conversations that naturally arise in performance-driven environments. Coaches often face moments where communication breaks down, emotions run high, or feedback is met with resistance. This session provides a clear framework for staying grounded, communicating with clarity, and fostering trust even when conversations feel uncomfortable. Through scenario-driven practice and peer dialogue, coaches will enhance their confidence and competence in providing and receiving feedback that leads to lasting behavior change. You will leave with a set of repeatable strategies they can immediately apply in coaching sessions, team meetings, and high-pressure performance moments.
In this session, you will:
- Identify the core components of an effective difficult conversation by observing modeled examples and analyzing what makes the communication clear, respectful, and productive.
- Recognize the elements of high-quality, behavior-based feedback by watching structured demonstrations and evaluating how specific word choices increase clarity and reduce defensiveness.
- Describe effective techniques for receiving feedback as a coach, including how to model openness, regulate emotional responses, and ask clarifying questions—based on observed demonstrations and facilitator walkthroughs.
Speaker: Katherine Branch, Manager, Organizational Development & Engagement, UCHealth
Beyond 2026: Emerging Coaching Trends and Models
The coaching landscape is shifting fast. Companies are re-imagining what leadership looks like, technology is rewriting how we support clients, and inclusivity is no longer optional. This 60-minute panel brings together forward-thinking coaching leaders to unpack where the industry is headed next. The conversation explores how AI is transforming coaching practice, how inclusivity is shaping expectations, what organizations are investing in, and which coaching skills will be essential in the next era of work. You will leave with a sharper vision of the future, practical insights you can use now, and the clarity needed to stay competitive in a rapidly evolving profession.
In this session, you will:
- Understand the key forces shaping coaching beyond 2026 and identify emerging organizational priorities and investment trends.
- Recognize the high-demand coaching skills needed for the future.
- Recognize your value as a coach and differentiate your practice from AI tools.
Moderator: Dr. Aikyna Finch, Vice President, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, ICF
Panelists: Susan Caesar, Director of Artificial Intelligence, ICF; Dr. Matt Barney, Founder & CEO, TruMind.ai; Robert Garcia, Vice President, Coaching in Organizations, ICF
