GDPR what is it ?

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is the biggest change in data protection laws for 20 years, and when it comes into effect on May 25th, 2018, it intends to give European citizens back control over their personal data. Its impact won’t just be felt in Europe though, as it will have wider implications for companies across the world that hold data on the continent.

While great news for individuals, it presents complex problems for companies. As a case in point – they could face fines running into tens of millions of Euros if they breach the new directive. With that in mind, we’ve put together this simple explainer to answer the key questions.

What’s GDPR again?

It is a new set of rules governing the privacy and security of personal data laid down by the European Commission.

The new single data protection act will make major changes to all of Europe’s privacy laws and will replace the outdated Data Protection Directive from 1995.

What is the point of the new laws?

They have been designed to give power back to citizens over how their data is processed and used.

Under the new rules, individuals have “the right to be forgotten”, meaning they will be able to request that businesses delete their no longer necessary or accurate personal data.

Plus, the intention is to simplify the regulatory environment.

How will this impact individuals?

As well as the right to be forgotten, the law holds provisions that could potentially increase consumers’ rights over their data.

But there is a huge grey area about how it will apply in reality. The laws mean that in theory people could ask social networks like Facebook to delete their profiles entirely.

Laws relating to freedom of expression will stop “the right to be forgotten” extending to news articles.

But there is the potential for individuals to transfer their data from one service to another more easily – which is great news for consumers, making it simpler to swap utilities, insurance or ISPs.

How will this impact my business?

This shake-up of data protection laws is all well and good for individuals, but it could mean huge fines for businesses that don’t comply with the laws.

This is because data breaches have become increasingly common in recent years. However, giving citizens back control of their complex personal data is not necessarily easy.

Plus working out how to give it back to them and how to ensure it is stored adequately throughout employment and then deleted securely is a bit of a technical and HR minefield.

How much will it cost?

The biggest change to the law is the increase in the amount of money regulators can fine companies who do not comply – up to 4% of their global turnover or 20 million Euros, whichever is greater.

This threat is certainly big enough to frighten companies into changing their data dealings.

But I’m not in the EU – will it affect my business?

GDPR has serious implications for companies in countries outside the EU. So even if you’re based overseas, but hold data belonging to anyone living in Europe, you’re liable.

So, in short, if you process data that belongs to individuals living and working within the EU, you will be subject to aspects of the directive.

What should businesses be aware of?

The Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK recently released a set of guidelines to help businesses prepare for GDPR.

It also recommends that companies review privacy notices and ensure there is a plan in place that allows them to make any necessary changes to be in compliance with GDPR.

However, it’s not too scary potentially as the ICO insists the new measures will contain many of the same principles and concepts as the current Data Protection Act.

Which means the companies already successfully abiding by the 1995 legislation will probably be covered.

But there are predictions businesses will go on recruitment drives for data protection officers – to ensure they’ve got the right personnel in place.

What are the other potential ramifications?

Once GDPR comes in, companies could see more legal challenges from individuals and groups that take up privacy issues on behalf of citizens.

But they may also see fewer challenges from individual country regulators, because of a “one-stop shop” clause that would put the onus on the regulator in the country in which the company is headquartered to pursue legal action.

Regulators are also being given more powers to intervene if they feel another is being too lenient

How to create a winning Linkedin Profile

As marketers, we invest a lot of time and resource in building brands. We’re trained at it – and we’re good at it. But how often do we apply those skills to building our own personal brands? For many of us, it’s nothing like as often as we should. I know that there’s more that I could be doing to build my own profile on LinkedIn – and I know that I’m not alone.

We don’t get around to it because we’re busy, and because it can sometimes feel selfish or egotistical to invest time in marketing ourselves. However, when we neglect personal branding, we don’t just sell ourselves short – we also miss a big opportunity from a marketing perspective. As my colleague Jason Miller demonstrated in his post last week, the impact of employees who share content is huge. And the most effective employee sharers are those who’ve built their personal brand on LinkedIn.

The LinkedIn profile page is the foundation for your personal branding. It’s been redesigned for 2017 to make it clearer and more visual than ever – more of a personal marketing platform than ever before. Here are 17 things that you can do this year, to make the most of that potential. Some of them are very quick wins, some of them may take a little bit of time – but all of them are very worthwhile. They will help to give you the profile on LinkedIn that you deserve.

1. Choose the right profile picture for LinkedIn

Your profile picture is your calling card on LinkedIn – it’s how people are introduced to you and (visual beings that we are) it governs their impressions from the start. There are some great posts explaining how to pick the right profile picture on LinkedIn – but here are some quick tips to start with: make sure the picture is recent and looks like you, make sure your face takes up around 60% of it (long-distance shots don’t stand out), wear what you would like to wear to work, and smile with your eyes!

2. Add a background photo

Your background photo is the second visual element at the top of your profile page. It grabs people’s attention, sets the context and shows a little more about what matters to you. More than anything, the right background photo helps your page stand out, engage attention and stay memorable.

3. Make your headline more than just a job title

There’s no rule that says the description at the top of your profile page has to be just a job title. Use the headline field to say a bit more about how you see your role, why you do what you do, and what makes you tick. If you’ve got sales reps at your company who are on the ball with social selling, then take a quick look at their profile page headlines for inspiration. They will almost certainly have more than their job titles in there.

4. Turn your summary into your story

The first thing to say about your LinkedIn summary is – make sure you have one! It’s amazing how many people still leave this field blank when creating their LinkedIn profile. Your summary is your chance to tell your own story – so don’t just use it to list your skills or the job titles you’ve had. Try to bring to life why those skills matter – and the difference they can make to the people you work with. Don’t be afraid to invest some time, try a few drafts, and run your summary past people you know. This is your most personal piece of content marketing – and it’s worth the effort.

5. Declare war on buzzwords

Every January, LinkedIn releases a ranking of the Top Ten most over-used buzzwords on LinkedIn profiles. These are adjectives that are used so often in LinkedIn headlines and summaries that they become almost completely meaningless. The top ten list for this year included ‘specialised’, ‘leadership’, ‘focused’, ‘strategic’, ‘experienced’, ‘passionate’, ‘expert’, ‘creative’, ‘innovative’ and ‘certified’. Now I’m not saying you can’t describe yourself as these things – or that they don’t matter. However, just using these words won’t convince people that you have these qualities. You need to demonstrate them as well – both in the way you describe yourself, and in the way you use LinkedIn profile features to show what you’re about.

6. Grow your network

One of the easiest and yet most relevant ways to grow your LinkedIn network is to synch your profile with your email address book. This enables LinkedIn to suggest people you could connect with. It’s amazing how effective this can be at surfacing relevant people for you to reach out to – and no connection requests are sent without your permission, so you can vet all of the potential connections. Beyond this, get into the habit of following up meetings and conversations with LinkedIn connection requests – it’s a great way of keeping your network vibrant and up to date.

7. List all of your relevant skills

It’s one of the quickest of quick wins on LinkedIn – scroll through the list of skills and identify all of those that are relevant to you. Doing so helps to substantiate the description in your Headline and Summary, and provides a platform for others to endorse you. However, the key here is staying relevant. A long list of skills that aren’t really core to who you are and what you do, can start to feel unwieldy. Take time for a spring clean of your skills list every now and then.

8. Spread the endorsement love

Endorsements from other members substantiate your skills and increase your credibility. How do you get endorsed on LinkedIn? For starters, go through your network and identify connections who you feel genuinely deserve an endorsement from you – that’s often the trigger for people to return the favour. Don’t be afraid to reach out with a polite message asking for endorsement for a few key skills as well. Remember though – relevance matters. Reach out to people whose endorsement you’d really value.

9. Manage your endorsements more proactively

Once endorsements start to come in, you might find that they skew the emphasis of your LinkedIn profile in ways that don’t reflect who you are. It could be that your core area of expertise is content marketing for example, but the people who’ve worked with you on events are more enthusiastic endorsers. Be proactive in managing your endorsements list using the edit features in the Skills section of your profile – you can choose which to show, and which to hide.

10. Request recommendations

Endorsements give people viewing your profile a quick, visual sense of what you’re valued for. Recommendations take things a step further. They are personal testimonials written to illustrate the experience of working with you. There’s a handy drop-down menu in the Recommendations section of your profile that makes it easy to reach out to specific contacts and request recommendations. Take the time to think about who you would most value a recommendation from – and personalise your request. It’s worth the extra effort.

11. Share media and marketing collateral

The marketing collateral that you produce for your business can add an extra dimension to your own profile as well. Sharing case studies, white papers and other brand content helps to show what the business you work for is all about – and helps people understand what makes you tick. It demonstrates passion and commitment as well.

12. Get credit for your thought-leadership with Publications

The Publications section is one of the most under-used elements in LinkedIn profiles – and that means that you can really stand out from the crowd when you use this feature to draw attention to existing thought-leadership content. Have you helped to write an eBook or a White Paper? Or written a post on your company’s blog? The Publications section links your profile to these assets.

13. Share relevant content from your LinkedIn feed

It’s one thing to have a network of connections on LinkedIn – it’s far better to have an active role in that network, appearing in your connections’ LinkedIn feeds in a way that adds value for them. Sharing relevant content with your network is one of the most accessible ways of doing this. You can make a start by keeping a close eye on your LinkedIn feed, and sharing content that you find genuinely interesting – and that aligns with your point of view.

14. Add comments

Sharing is great – but it’s just the starting point. When you add comments to your shares, you give yourself greater prominence within the feed and start to express why you think a particular piece of content matters. Well-expressed comments also enable you to share a broader range of content. It might be that you don’t agree with a point of view but still find it interesting, for example. A comment that can express that viewpoint starts to establish your opinion and thought-leadership. It’s also more likely to draw additional comments, which then raise your profile across LinkedIn. Bear this mind when you’re writing your comment – and make sure you’re saying something you’re happy for people to associate with you.

15. Follow relevant influencers for your industry

Following relevant influencers on LinkedIn helps to put a range of interesting content in your feed, which you can then share with others when you think it adds value. It also helps to give context to your LinkedIn profile, demonstrating your passion for what you do.

16. Become an employee advocate

LinkedIn Elevate is our platform for helping businesses to launch and manage employee advocacy programmes – and it generates some fascinating insights on the impact that employee sharing has for those doing the sharing. In fact, 86% of employee advocates say that sharing content for their business has had a positive effect on their own career. If your business is using Elevate, then it’s a great way to take a more active role in getting your brand content out there. If it’s not, then it’s still worth reaching out to colleagues and asking who’s producing content that would be worth sharing on LinkedIn.

17. Publish long-form content – and use it to start conversations

The more you share and comment on content, the more you establish your expertise and thought-leadership credentials on LinkedIn. Publishing long-form posts is the natural next step to take. A great starting point is to monitor the response that you get to your comments and shares. Are there particular subjects and points of view that seem to resonate with your network? Are there comments that you have shared which you feel you could expand on in a post? Evolving your thought-leadership in this way keeps it real – and keeps you plugged into the issues your connections are talking about. Be ready for your long-form posts to start new conversations too. Keep an eye on the comments and be ready to respond.

Getting your LinkedIn profile working harder for you doesn’t have to take up hours of your time. Try working through these ideas, building from one to the other – and you’ll find that you can make progress quickly, even if you’re just able to set aside a few minutes over a lunch break or in the evenings. Once your flexing the full advantages of your LinkedIn profile you’ll be amazed what a difference it can make to both you and your business. Make 2017 the year it happens!

GLOBAL CODE OF ETHICS For Coaches & Mentors

INTRODUCTION AND PURPOSE

The following bodies (“the bodies”) are signatories to this code of ethics: • Association for #Coaching (“AC”). • European Mentoring and Coaching Council (“EMCC”).

As #membership bodies, we are committed to maintaining and promoting excellent practice in coaching and mentoring. All our members, as part of their continuing membership, agree to adhere to the elements and principles of this code of ethics. This code of ethics aligns with the content and requirements set out in the Professional Charter for Coaching and Mentoring. The Charter, which was drafted in accordance with European law, is registered on the dedicated European Union database, which lists self-regulation initiatives in Europe. This code of ethics sets the expectation of best practice in coaching and mentoring and promotes the development of coaching and mentoring excellence. Its purpose is to: • Provide appropriate guidelines, accountability and enforceable standards of conduct for all our members. • Set out how our members are expected to act, behave and perform when working with clients. • In conjunction with our respective bodies’ professional competences, guide our members’ development and growth in the profession. • Serve as a guide for those individuals who do not necessarily identify themselves as a professional coach or mentor, but nonetheless use coaching or mentoring skills in their work. Where members fall short of these expectations and guidelines when working with clients, this code of ethics will be used as the basis of any complaint or disciplinary hearing and action following our bodies’ existing respective complaints procedures.

THE CODE OF #ETHICS The code of ethics is arranged into four sections and covers the bodies’ general expectations of professional behaviour and conduct: 1. Terminology 2. Working with Clients 3. Professional Conduct 4. Excellent Practice 1. Terminology a. Each body will define exactly which of its members and other stakeholders are expected to abide by this code (who are hereafter collectively referred to as the “members”).

© AC and EMCC 2016 www.associationforcoaching.com www.emccouncil.org v1.0

Page 2 of 5 b.

For proper understanding of this code of ethics (hereafter referred to as the “code”) members should be aware of their #respective professional body’s definitions and terminology for the precise meanings of key words used in this code e.g. coach, coaching, client, member, mentor, mentoring, sponsor, supervisor and supervision. 2. Working with Clients Context 2.1 Members will do their utmost to understand their clients’ and sponsors’ expectations and reach agreement on how they plan to meet them. Contracting 2.2 Before they start working with a client, members will explain, and make explicit, their commitment to abide by this code. Members will also make their clients and sponsors aware of their respective bodies’ complaints procedures. 2.3 Before starting to work with a client, members will explain and strive to ensure that a client knows, and fully understands, the nature and terms and conditions, of any coaching or #mentoring #contract, including financial, logistical and #confidentiality arrangements. 2.4 Members will be open about the methods they use, and on request be ready to supply the client with information about the processes involved. 2.5 Members will ensure that the duration of the contract is appropriate to achieve the client’s and sponsor’s goals and will actively work to avoid the client’s dependency. Integrity 2.6 Members will accurately and honestly represent their relevant #professional #qualifications, experience, training, certifications and #accreditations to clients, sponsors, members, coaches and mentors. 2.7 When talking with any party, members will accurately and honestly represent the potential value they provide as a coach or mentor. 2.8 Members will attribute ownership of work, ideas and materials of others to the originator and not claim it as their own. Confidentiality 2.9 When working with a client, members will maintain the strictest level of confidentiality with all client and sponsor information unless release of information is required by law. 2.10 Members will store, and dispose of, any records regarding clients, including electronic files and communications, in a manner that promotes confidentiality, security and privacy, and complies with all applicable laws and agreements. 2.11 Members will have a clear agreement with clients and sponsors about the conditions under which confidentiality will not be maintained (e.g. illegal activity, danger to self or others etc) and gain agreement to that limit of confidentiality where possible. © AC and EMCC 2016 www.associationforcoaching.com www.emccouncil.org v1.0

Page 3 of 5 2.12

Members will share with clients that they are receiving supervision and identify that the client may well be referred to in this context anonymously. The client should be reassured that the supervision relationship is itself a confidential relationship. 2.13 If the client is a child or vulnerable adult, members will make arrangements with the client’s sponsors or guardian to ensure a level of confidentiality in the best interests of that person while working within current legislation. Inappropriate interactions 2.14 Members are responsible for setting and keeping clear, appropriate and culturally sensitive boundaries that govern interactions, physical or otherwise, with clients or sponsor(s). 2.15 Members will avoid any romantic or sexual relationship with current clients,sponsor(s),students or supervisees. Further, members will be alert to the possibility of any potential sexual intimacy between the aforementioned parties and take appropriate action to avoid the intimacy or cancel the engagement in order to provide a safe environment overall. Conflict of interest 2.16 Members will not exploit a client or seek to gain any inappropriate advantage from the relationship – financial or non-financial. 2.17 To avoid any conflict of interest, members will distinguish a coaching or mentoring relationship from other forms of relationships, such as a friendship or a business relationship. 2.18 Members will be aware of the potential for conflicts of interest of either a commercial or personal nature arising through the working relationship and deal with them quickly and effectively to ensure there is no detriment to the client or sponsor or the member. 2.19 Members will consider the impact of any client relationships on other client relationships and discuss any potential conflict of interest with those who might be affected. 2.20 Members will disclose any conflict openly with the client and agree to withdraw from the relationship if a conflict arises which cannot be managed effectively. Terminating professional relationships & on-going responsibilities 2.21 Members will respect the client's right to terminate the engagement at any point in the process, subject to the provisions of the coaching or mentoring service agreement. 2.22 Members will encourage the client or sponsor to stop the coaching or mentoring engagement if it is believed that the client or sponsor would be served better by another coach, mentor or another form of professional help. 2.23 Members understand that their professional responsibilities continue beyond the termination of any professional relationship. These include: • Maintenance of agreed confidentiality of all information relating to clients and sponsors. • Safe and secure maintenance of all related records and data. • Avoidance of any exploitation of the former relationship, which could otherwise call into question the professionalism or integrity of the member or the professional community. • Provision of any follow-up that has been agreed to. © AC and EMCC 2016 www.associationforcoaching.com www.emccouncil.org v1.0

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Professional Conduct Maintaining the reputation of coaching and mentoring 3.1 Members are expected to behave in a way that at all times reflects positively upon, and enhances the reputation of, the coaching and mentoring profession. 3.2 Members will demonstrate respect for the variety of coaches, mentors and other individuals in the coaching and mentoring profession and for the different approaches to coaching and mentoring. Recognising equality and diversity 3.3 Members will abide by their respective bodies’ diversity statements and policies. 3.4 Members will avoid knowingly discriminating on any grounds and will constantly seek to enhance their own awareness of possible areas of discrimination. 3.5 Members will be cognisant of the potential for unconscious bias and seek to ensure they take a respectful and inclusive approach that embraces and explores individual difference. 3.6 Members will challenge in a supportive way any colleagues, employees, service providers, clients or participants who are perceived to be using discriminatory behaviour. 3.7 Members will monitor their language, spoken, written and non-verbal, for inadvertent discrimination. 3.8 Members will engage in developmental activities that are likely to increase their self-awareness in relation to equality and diversity. Breaches of professional conduct 3.9 Members accept that any breach that is upheld may result in sanctions including loss of accredited status and/or body membership. The bodies may share details of such breaches between them in the interest of client safety, upholding quality standards and maintaining the reputation of coaching and mentoring. 3.10 Members will ensure that no false or misleading claims are made, or implied, about their professional competence, qualifications or accreditation in any published, promotional material or otherwise. 3.11 A member can challenge another member when having reasonable cause to believe that this member is acting in an unethical manner and, failing resolution, will report that person to the body. Legal and statutory obligations and duties 3.12 Members are obliged to stay up to date and comply with all statutory/legal requirements in the country in which their work takes place and work within any organisational policies/procedures in the context in which the coaching or mentoring takes place. 3.13 Members will keep appropriate and accurate records of their work with clients and ensure they remain confidential, are stored securely, and comply with their country’s data protection and privacy legislation. 3.14 In the context of the country in which the member operates, members will have the appropriate professional indemnity insurance to cover their coaching and mentoring work. © AC and EMCC 2016 www.associationforcoaching.com www.emccouncil.org v1.0

Page 5 of 5 4. Excellent Practice Ability to perform

4.1 Members will have the qualifications, skills and experience appropriate to meet the needs of the client and operate within the limits of their competence. Members should refer the client to more experienced or suitably qualified coaches, mentors or professionals, if appropriate. 4.2 Members will be fit and healthy enough to practice as a coach or mentor. If they are not, or are unsure if they are able to practice safely for health reasons, they will seek professional guidance/support. Where necessary/appropriate, the coach or mentor should manage the ending of the client work and refer the client to alternative support. On-going supervision 4.3 To support their learning and on-going professional development, members will engage in regular reflective practice. 4.4 Members will engage in supervision with a suitably qualified supervisor or peer supervision group with a level of frequency that is appropriate to their coaching or mentoring practice, the requirements of their professional body and the level of their accreditation. 4.5 Members need to ensure that any other existing relationship with the supervisor does not interfere with the quality of the supervision provided. 4.6 Members will discuss any ethical dilemmas and potential, or actual, breaches of this code with their supervisor or peer supervision group for support/guidance. Continuing professional development and reflection 4.7 Members will reflect regularly on their client work and coaching and mentoring practice and their professional and personal learning and development. 4.8 Members will develop their level of coaching and/or mentoring competence by participating in relevant and appropriate amounts of training and/or continuing professional development (CPD). 4.9 Members will endeavour to make a contribution to the coaching and mentoring community appropriate to their level of expertise. This may take many forms e.g. informal peer support to fellow coaches and mentors, advancing the profession, research and writing etc. 4.10 Members will systematically evaluate the quality of their work e.g. through feedback from clients and other relevant parties.