Untrue. Executive coaching is an investment that a company makes with the expectation that they will get a good return on investment. The best ROI is when coaching is provided to accelerate the growth and development of high potentials or maximize the potential of leaders who have already demonstrated proven results.
Coaching can be valuable for employees who need to change their behavior in order to remain successful at their organization; however, only if the organization truly wants to keep the employee. The one exception is if an employee is being terminated and offered coaching as part of their termination package to help them successfully transition into a new organization.
Coaches share the content of the coaching sessions with others, such as HR.
Untrue. Coaching works because of the trusting relationship co-created by a coach and coachee. Confidentiality is the basis for developing trust. The reputation of a coach is very closely tied to their ability to develop trusting relationships with their clients, which includes maintaining confidentiality.
Coaches work for their clients.
Partially true. Executive coaches work for and, typically are paid for by the organization. As such, coaching outcomes are expected to positively impact the business. Thus, the coach has two clients – the organization and the coachee. The content of the coaching sessions is strictly confidential between coach and coachee. Yet, the organization (such as the head of talent development, the coachee’s HR Business Partner, and the coachee’s manager) should be privy to the coaching process – e.g., whether or not the coachee is actively engaged in the coaching and whether the coach and coachee are meeting the terms of the agreement (number and length of sessions, administration of assessments, manager-coachee-coach meetings, etc). Experienced HR professionals understand and respect the difference between the process of coaching versus the content of coaching, which remains confidential between the coach and coachee.