CELC Building the Coaching Agreement 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: When a sponsoring organization pays for executive coaching but the coachee's personal goals conflict with organizational goals, what should the coaching agreement address?
- Prioritize organizational goals since the organization is the paying client
- Establish a three-way agreement that clarifies boundaries and distinguishes organizational from personal objectives (Correct answer)
- Keep organizational and personal goals entirely separate with no overlap
- Immediately terminate the engagement due to the conflict
Correct answer: Establish a three-way agreement that clarifies boundaries and distinguishes organizational from personal objectives
A three-way agreement between coach, coachee, and sponsor clarifies how organizational and personal objectives will be balanced and where confidentiality boundaries lie.
Question 2: Which element is MOST critical when renegotiating a coaching agreement mid-engagement?
- Obtaining written approval from the coachee's HR department
- Revisiting and explicitly documenting the new terms with all relevant parties (Correct answer)
- Resetting the engagement timeline to zero
- Issuing a formal termination letter before starting a new agreement
Correct answer: Revisiting and explicitly documenting the new terms with all relevant parties
Renegotiation requires explicit discussion and documentation of changed terms so all parties share a clear, updated mutual understanding.
Question 3: In executive coaching, a 'psychological contract' refers to:
- A legally binding mental health clause in the coaching contract
- Unwritten mutual expectations about how the coaching relationship will operate (Correct answer)
- A checklist of psychological assessments the coach must administer
- The coachee's internal motivation to achieve goals
Correct answer: Unwritten mutual expectations about how the coaching relationship will operate
The psychological contract consists of unspoken, mutual expectations about roles, behaviors, and obligations that exist alongside the formal written agreement.
Question 4: An executive coach is hired by a corporation but the executive coachee refuses to share agreed-upon progress updates with the sponsor. The coach should:
- Share the updates directly with the sponsor to honor the original contract
- Refer back to the three-way agreement to determine what reporting was contractually agreed upon (Correct answer)
- Side with the coachee because coachee trust is paramount
- Immediately escalate to the company's legal department
Correct answer: Refer back to the three-way agreement to determine what reporting was contractually agreed upon
The pre-established three-way agreement is the authoritative document that defines what information flows to the sponsor and under what conditions.
Question 5: What distinguishes a coaching agreement from a coaching contract?
- A contract is verbal while an agreement is always written
- A contract covers legal and logistical terms; an agreement also captures working relationship norms and goals (Correct answer)
- Only licensed coaches can issue contracts, while anyone can use agreements
- There is no meaningful distinction between the two terms
Correct answer: A contract covers legal and logistical terms; an agreement also captures working relationship norms and goals
While a contract addresses fees, scheduling, and legal terms, the coaching agreement additionally defines how the relationship will function, communication norms, and goal-setting expectations.
Question 6: When establishing a coaching agreement with a C-suite executive, which of the following is LEAST appropriate to include?
- Confidentiality parameters
- Session frequency and duration
- Specific therapeutic interventions for unresolved trauma (Correct answer)
- Criteria for measuring coaching success
Correct answer: Specific therapeutic interventions for unresolved trauma
Coaching is distinct from therapy; including therapeutic interventions for trauma falls outside executive coaching scope and ethical boundaries.
Question 7: A coach and executive agree verbally to coaching terms but never formalize a written agreement. Which risk does this PRIMARILY create?
- The sessions will be legally invalid in all jurisdictions
- Misaligned expectations may go undetected until they cause relationship breakdown (Correct answer)
- The coach cannot bill for services without a written contract
- The coachee's employer will automatically void the engagement
Correct answer: Misaligned expectations may go undetected until they cause relationship breakdown
Without a written agreement, differing interpretations of goals, confidentiality, and success metrics can silently undermine the coaching relationship.
CELC Building the Coaching Agreement 2
When a sponsoring organization pays for executive coaching but the coachee's personal goals conflict with organizational goals, what should the coaching agreement address?