Ethical Guidelines and Standards Flashcards

An executive coach discovers that their client is engaged in financial misconduct that harms employees. According to CELC ethical standards, what is the coach's primary obligation?

Answer: Confront the client about the behavior and clarify the limits of confidentiality as established at contracting

CELC ethical standards require coaches to address concerns directly with the client and reference confidentiality limits discussed during contracting, rather than unilaterally reporting or ignoring the issue.

Which principle best describes why executive coaches must avoid giving direct advice or telling clients what to do?

Answer: Coaching preserves client autonomy and self-determination as a core ethical value

Client autonomy and self-determination are foundational ethical principles in executive coaching, requiring coaches to facilitate the client's own insight rather than prescribing solutions.

A coach is approached by the sponsoring organization to provide a detailed progress report on an executive client. What is the ethically appropriate response?

Answer: Share only information the client has explicitly agreed to disclose, as established in the three-party agreement

Ethical practice requires a three-party agreement that clearly defines what information will be shared with sponsors, and coaches may only share what falls within that pre-agreed scope.

When must an executive coach disclose a potential conflict of interest?

Answer: Before the coaching engagement begins or as soon as the conflict arises during the engagement

CELC ethical guidelines require proactive, timely disclosure of conflicts of interest either prior to contracting or immediately when a conflict emerges during the engagement.

An executive coach realizes mid-engagement that the client's issue has evolved into a clinical psychological matter beyond the coach's competence. The ethical action is to:

Answer: Acknowledge the limits of coaching competence and refer the client to an appropriate mental health professional

Coaches are ethically required to recognize the boundaries of their competence and refer clients to qualified professionals when issues fall outside those boundaries.

Which scenario represents a violation of the CELC ethical standard regarding multiple relationships?

Answer: Coaching a senior leader while simultaneously consulting for the same organization on a restructuring project

Simultaneously holding coaching and consulting roles with the same organization creates a dual relationship that compromises the coach's objectivity and creates conflicting obligations.

Under CELC ethical standards, what does the principle of 'do no harm' require of executive coaches?

Answer: Ensuring that coaching interventions support the client's wellbeing and do not cause psychological, professional, or organizational damage

The 'do no harm' principle requires coaches to consider the holistic impact of their interventions on the client's wellbeing and avoid actions that could cause harm across psychological, professional, or organizational dimensions.