Confidentiality in Coaching Discussion Post / Case Study

Week 3, you discovered that coaching for leadership development involves several stakeholders besides the client (i.e., the client's supervisor, the client's peers and employees, and human resources). In some manner, many, if not all, of the stakeholders are involved in the coaching process. The inclusion of stakeholders may present unique ethical and legal dilemmas for which coaches must be prepared. One such dilemma involves confidentiality. Think for a moment about what you might do, as a coach, if a client's supervisor asks you how the client is progressing. Alternatively, think about what you might say if a client asks you to name employees who gave negative reviews in his or her 360-degree feedback survey. In addition to stakeholder inclusion, other ethical and legal dilemmas may arise from a client's assumptions about the purpose of coaching. For instance, some clients may view coaching as an opportunity to work on personal issues, particularly if the coach also is a psychologist. Coaches must address such situations carefully to avoid ethical and legal ramifications.
To prepare for this Discussion:
• Review the article, "Confidentiality in Coaching," and pay particular attention to the ethical and legal confidentiality considerations that are evident in "Case 2." Consider the author's six specific recommendations to address these concerns.
• Review the online chapter, "Media Perceptions of Executive Coaching and the Formal Preparation of Coaches." Focus on the "Discussion" and "Conclusion" sections and think about the ethical and legal issues related to coaching qualifications and professional conduct. Consider how you might address each of these issues.
• Review the online chapter, "Facilitating Intervention Adherence in Executive Coaching: A Model and Methods." Think about the ethical dilemmas that may arise from the adherence issues related to coaching for leadership development. Consider how such dilemmas might be resolved in an ethical manner.
• Review Dr. Curphy's presentation, "Ethics and Legalities," in the Course Media and skim the online case studies from the Walden Library. Consider the ethical and legal concerns that may arise in coaching for leadership development and how you might resolve these issues.
• Review the ICF, IAC, and APA codes of ethics. Pay particular attention to the ethical guidelines related to coaching for leadership development.
• Review the Course Case Studies, provided in the Introduction area, and select one client to use for this Discussion.
• Identify at least two potential ethical and/or legal dilemmas that might occur in the selected case study.
• With the ICF, IAC, and APA codes of ethics in mind, think about how you might resolve the ethical and/or legal dilemmas you identified.
With these thoughts in mind:
Post by Day 4 a brief description of at least two potential ethical and/or legal dilemmas that might occur in your selected case study. Explain how you would resolve each dilemma, using specific guidelines from the ICF, IAC, and APA codes of ethics.