CELC Ethics & Professional Standards in Coaching 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: An executive coach discovers that a client is planning to implement a strategy that is legal but likely to harm the client's employees significantly. What is the most ethically appropriate response?
- Immediately report the client to regulatory authorities
- Explore the client's awareness of the potential impact and invite reflection on their values (Correct answer)
- End the coaching relationship immediately without discussion
- Advise the client on a different strategy and implement it for them
Correct answer: Explore the client's awareness of the potential impact and invite reflection on their values
Coaching ethics require the coach to raise awareness and facilitate reflection rather than direct decisions or take unilateral action outside the coaching role.
Question 2: Which ICF core competency directly addresses the coach's responsibility to maintain ethical conduct throughout the coaching engagement?
- Communicating Effectively
- Cultivating Trust and Safety
- Embodying a Coaching Mindset
- Demonstrating Ethical Practice (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Demonstrating Ethical Practice
Demonstrating Ethical Practice is the ICF core competency that specifically addresses understanding and consistently applying coaching ethics and standards.
Question 3: A coaching client shares confidential information about a colleague's alleged financial misconduct within their organization. The coach should:
- Contact the colleague's supervisor directly with the information
- Maintain confidentiality unless there is an imminent threat of harm or legal obligation to disclose (Correct answer)
- Immediately disclose the information to the organization's sponsor
- Advise the client to report it and then follow up to ensure they did
Correct answer: Maintain confidentiality unless there is an imminent threat of harm or legal obligation to disclose
Coaches maintain strict confidentiality except where disclosure is legally required or necessary to prevent imminent serious harm.
Question 4: In a three-way coaching contract involving a coach, an executive client, and the sponsoring organization, what information may the coach ethically share with the organization?
- Detailed session summaries including all topics discussed
- Only information the client has explicitly agreed may be shared (Correct answer)
- Progress metrics the coach independently determines are relevant
- Any information that serves the organization's business interests
Correct answer: Only information the client has explicitly agreed may be shared
The coach may only disclose information that has been agreed upon in the contracting phase or that the client explicitly consents to share with the sponsor.
Question 5: A coach realizes midway through an engagement that the client's goals have shifted to areas outside the coach's competence. According to professional standards, the coach should:
- Continue coaching and research the new topic in parallel
- Disclose the limitation and refer the client to an appropriate professional (Correct answer)
- Reframe the client's goals to fit the coach's expertise without disclosure
- Ask the sponsoring organization to extend the contract to allow time to develop the competence
Correct answer: Disclose the limitation and refer the client to an appropriate professional
Professional standards require coaches to acknowledge the limits of their competence and refer clients to more qualified professionals when needed.
Question 6: Which of the following best describes the ethical principle of non-maleficence as it applies to executive coaching?
- Ensuring the client achieves their stated goals
- Actively avoiding actions that could harm the client or others (Correct answer)
- Providing equal coaching services regardless of client background
- Maintaining accurate records of all coaching sessions
Correct answer: Actively avoiding actions that could harm the client or others
Non-maleficence means the coach is obligated to avoid causing harm to the client, the organization, or third parties through their coaching practice.
Question 7: A coach is offered a significant referral bonus by a training company each time they recommend that company's programs to clients. What is the primary ethical concern?
- The coach may lack sufficient knowledge of the training programs
- The financial incentive creates a conflict of interest that could compromise the client's best interests (Correct answer)
- The arrangement violates copyright laws on educational content
- The coach cannot accept payment from more than one party simultaneously
Correct answer: The financial incentive creates a conflict of interest that could compromise the client's best interests
Accepting referral bonuses creates a conflict of interest because the coach's financial gain may influence recommendations that should be based solely on the client's needs.
CELC Ethics & Professional Standards in Coaching 2
An executive coach discovers that a client is planning to implement a strategy that is legal but likely to harm the client's employees significantly.
What is the most ethically appropriate response?