Benchmark Learning's Blog

For coaching to be successful there must be a strong level of trust between the coach and the coachee.  Coaches must be as confidential as doctors or lawyers.  It is expected by coachees and this trust is not to be broken. 

Assessment results and conversations between the coach and coachee are considered very confidential.  The coach should make this very clear up front and demonstrate confidentiality throughout the engagement.

However, coaches need to keep in mind that their confidentiality may be tested.  Often, a person is being coached on the recommendation of a supervior or someone in leadership.  They may expect that you report progress to them about the coaching engagement.  Although this may be expected, the coach must be very careful and describe the progress (or lack thereof) in general terms.  The sponsor may ask probing questions, but the coach must be prepared to state that specific information cannot be provided.  Again, the parameters of confidentiality must be made clear with the sponsor up front.

We often don't think about the coachee keeping the engagement particulars confidential.  But, we have had situations where a coachee will tell a colleague specifics or state something like, "My coach told me to..."  Make it clear to the coachee that confidentiality is a two-way street.  The coachee's comments can damage the relationship as well, particularly if the person misunderstood something the coach has said or misapplied a principle that was being discussed.

The foundation of any coaching relationship is confidentiality.  It should be the overriding principle for every coach.