Becoming an Exceptional Executive Coach

CHAPTER19Professionalism and Responsibility

FOR ALL THE GOOD THAT COACHING CAN DO, THERE ARE NO GUARANTEES. YOUR OPTIMISM NEEDS TO BE BALANCED WITH A REALISTIC AND PRAGMATIC PERSPECTIVE ABOUT CLIENTS AND ORGANIZATIONS. ALONG THE WAY, THERE MAY be situations that challenge your values as a coach—unfulfilled commitments, goals that shift unpredictably, or pressure to reveal protected information. While these situations are unusual, you need to be prepared to deal with them as well as other challenges. Consider the following reminders.

First of all, do no harm. When your sense of fairness is aroused, be careful about being too activist and becoming ...