Navigating Conflicts of Interest in Coaching

Conflicts of interest in coaching

Conflicts of interest in coaching happen more frequently than even most coaches realise. That little niggle in your mind that tells you something isn’t right but you can’t quite place it! Or the explicit in-your-face moment when a coachee’s line manager demands an update,

In the world of organisational coaching, coaches are often required to juggle the needs and expectations of multiple stakeholders—whether it’s the client, the sponsor, or other key players like HR, managers, and colleagues. 

While the client’s development is at the core of the coaching relationship, conflicting demands from different stakeholders can create ethical challenges and lead to the tricky territory of conflicts of interest.

These situations can leave coaches feeling torn between their ethical responsibility to the client and the demands of those who hold power within the organisation. 

When faced with these challenges, it’s critical that coaches navigate them with clarity, integrity, and professional boundaries. 

This is where coaching supervision comes in—helping coaches untangle these conflicting interests and come to clear, ethical decisions.

Understanding Conflicts of Interest in Coaching

Conflicts of interest in coaching often arise when the coach’s responsibilities to different stakeholders clash. 

One of the most common examples occurs when the sponsor—typically the organisation paying for the coaching—wants feedback on the progress of the client. This request for feedback may fall outside the scope of the confidentiality agreement established between the coach and the client, leaving the coach in an ethical bind.

For instance, the sponsor might ask how the client is progressing toward the coaching goals or whether they are meeting performance expectations. While the sponsor’s request may seem reasonable, it can place the coach in a difficult position. 

On one hand, sharing this information might violate the confidentiality agreed with the client; on the other, the sponsor could hold significant influence over the coach’s future engagements, creating a subtle (or not-so-subtle) pressure to comply.

Coaches may also face conflicts from other stakeholders within the organisation:

Leaders or managers

They might request insights into the coaching process to assess whether the coaching is leading to improved performance or leadership capability. However, divulging too much could betray the trust of the client.

HR departments

HR might have their own agenda, wanting to know how the coaching fits into broader performance management or professional development schemes. This can lead to a conflict between individual client needs and the company’s strategic objectives.

Colleagues or peers 

If the client is receiving coaching within their team or organisation, colleagues may inadvertently add pressure by making assumptions or seeking inside information on the client’s progress.

In each of these cases, the coach is tasked with navigating a delicate balancing act: managing the needs of the client while also respecting the interests of other stakeholders. This is where a clear understanding of ethical boundaries, confidentiality, and the coach’s role is crucial.

conflicts of interest in coaching

The Role of Supervision in Navigating Conflicts of Interest

Coaching supervision provides a critical space for coaches to reflect on these conflicts of interest and gain clarity on how to manage them. 

When coaches bring these challenges to supervision, the supervisor helps them explore the competing interests at play, examine their own responses, and develop strategies for managing the situation with ethical integrity.

One of the primary tasks in supervision is to help the coach clarify whose interests they are serving. In an organisational setting, it’s easy for the coach to feel pulled in multiple directions, trying to satisfy everyone’s needs. However, supervision helps the coach stay grounded in the primary responsibility to the client while recognising the legitimate interests of other stakeholders.

Eye 5: Parallel Processes and Conflicts of Interest in Supervision

In supervision, it’s useful to consider whether the conflicts of interest that the coach is experiencing with their client and stakeholders are also showing up within the supervision relationship—the Eye 5 perspective in the 7-Eyed Model, which focuses on the relationship between the coach and supervisor.

Sometimes, a parallel process can emerge, where the dynamics between the coach and their client are mirrored in the supervision relationship. 

For example, if the coach is feeling pressured by a sponsor to divulge confidential information about their client, they might unconsciously bring a similar pressure into the supervision space. 

The coach might seek the supervisor’s approval to share more than they should or look for validation that it’s okay to bend ethical boundaries. Alternatively, the supervisor might feel drawn into the same conflicting interests, perhaps wanting to support the coach in keeping the contract or meeting the sponsor’s demands.

It’s crucial that the supervisor is aware of these dynamics and remains vigilant about maintaining the boundaries of the supervision relationship. 

In these cases, the supervisor might notice their own discomfort or sense of being pulled into the organisational power dynamics, reflecting the coach’s experience with their client and stakeholders.

Supervisors can address this by exploring questions such as:

  • Am I, as the supervisor, feeling any pressure to take sides or support one interest over another?
  • Is there a parallel process at play, where the organisational conflict is showing up in our supervision relationship?
  • How can I ensure that we are focusing on the ethical responsibility to the client, while acknowledging the real-world pressures the coach is facing?

By examining these potential parallel processes, the supervisor can help the coach become more aware of the unconscious dynamics at play and support them in making ethically sound decisions.

Eye 2 and Eye 7: Managing Multiple Relationships and Organisational Context

From the perspective of the 7-Eyed Model, conflicts of interest often touch on Eye 2 (the coach’s interventions and strategies) and Eye 7 (the systemic or organisational context). 

Supervision helps the coach reflect on their interventions in the coaching relationship—how they are managing boundaries with the client and what strategies they are using to handle requests from other stakeholders.

For example, if a sponsor asks for a progress update, the coach can explore how they handled the situation: Did they clearly communicate the limits of confidentiality from the outset? Were they able to push back against inappropriate requests while still maintaining a positive relationship with the sponsor? 

These reflective discussions allow the coach to gain insight into their own behaviour and make adjustments where necessary.

Eye 7 brings the wider organisational context into focus. In supervision, the coach can explore how the power dynamics within the organisation are influencing their decision-making process. Are they feeling pressure from the sponsor because of concerns about contract renewal? Are they navigating the organisation’s culture, which might place a higher value on results and transparency, and how does this impact their coaching approach? 

Supervision helps coaches see these systemic influences and determine how best to manage them.

Ethical Dilemmas: Confidentiality vs. Transparency

At the heart of many conflicts of interest in coaching is the tension between confidentiality and transparency. 

Coaches are often bound by their ethical responsibility to keep client information confidential, but when working within organisations, the line between what can be shared and what must remain private can blur.

Supervision provides a space for coaches to navigate these ethical dilemmas. For instance, when a sponsor requests information about the client’s progress, the supervisor may guide the coach in reflecting on questions such as:

  • What was agreed in the initial contract about confidentiality and reporting back to stakeholders?
  • What is in the best interest of the client, and how does this align with your ethical standards?
  • How can you communicate the limits of confidentiality to the sponsor while maintaining a positive relationship?

Through this process, coaches can gain clarity on where their responsibilities lie and develop strategies for holding firm on confidentiality without damaging important professional relationships.

Eye 1: Considering the Client’s Experience

In all discussions of conflicts of interest, it’s vital not to lose sight of the client’s experience—Eye 1 in the 7-Eyed Model. 

The client may be aware of the potential conflict between their own interests and those of the organisation, and this can create tension or uncertainty in the coaching relationship.

Supervision helps the coach consider the client’s perspective. For example:

  • Is the client worried that their confidential information will be shared with others in the organisation?
  • Do they feel the coaching process is truly for their benefit, or are they concerned that it serves the organisation’s agenda?
  • Are they aware of the potential conflicts of interest, and how are they navigating this within the coaching relationship?

By reflecting on these questions, coaches can ensure they remain attuned to the client’s needs and feelings, addressing any concerns the client may have about the coaching relationship and its wider context within the organisation.

Conclusion: The Power of Supervision in Managing Conflicts of Interest

Conflicts of interest are an inevitable part of coaching in organisational settings. The complexity of managing multiple stakeholders, power dynamics, and competing demands can make it challenging for coaches to stay true to their ethical principles and maintain clear boundaries.

Supervision offers a vital space for coaches to reflect on these challenges, explore ethical dilemmas, and gain clarity on how to respond. 

By engaging in supervision, coaches can ensure they remain client-focused, ethically grounded, and capable of navigating the complexities of organisational coaching with confidence and integrity.

Ultimately, the ability to manage conflicts of interest is a crucial skill for any coach working in an organisational context. 

With the support of supervision, coaches can maintain clear boundaries, honour confidentiality, and navigate the competing demands of stakeholders while always keeping the client’s best interests at the heart of their work.

Picture of Nick Bolton

Nick Bolton

Nick is the founder and CEO of the International Centre for Coaching Supervision and Animas Centre for Coaching. Along with his love of coaching and supervision, he is a a passionate learner with a fascination for philosophy, psychology and sociology.

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