Evidence-Based Coaching Practices Flashcards

A coach wants to measure return on investment (ROI) for an executive coaching engagement. Which approach is most aligned with evidence-based evaluation methodology?

Answer: Phillips ROI methodology — converting behavioral outcomes to monetary value against program cost

The Phillips ROI methodology extends Kirkpatrick's four levels by quantifying behavioral change in financial terms and calculating a formal ROI ratio.

Research on habit formation (Clear, Duhigg) is applied in coaching to support behavior change. Which element of the habit loop is the most powerful leverage point for coaches to work with clients?

Answer: The cue, because redesigning environmental triggers disrupts automatic behavior patterns

Research shows that modifying the cue — the environmental or contextual trigger — is the most reliable way to interrupt entrenched habit loops and build new ones.

An IAC coach conducts a client debrief using the Johari Window model. What is the evidence-based rationale for using this model in coaching?

Answer: It structures feedback to expand self-awareness by surfacing blind spots through trusted input

The Johari Window facilitates self-disclosure and trusted feedback exchanges, empirically linked to increased self-awareness and interpersonal effectiveness.

Which finding from adult learning theory (andragogy) most directly informs evidence-based coaching practice?

Answer: Adults are self-directed learners who are motivated by relevance to their current life roles

Knowles' andragogy research established that adult learners are internally motivated and engage most deeply when learning connects to immediate personal or professional relevance.

A coach working with a client on building resilience incorporates research-based strategies. Which intervention has the strongest empirical support for resilience development?

Answer: Cognitive reappraisal — reinterpreting stressors as challenges rather than threats

Cognitive reappraisal is one of the most robustly evidenced emotion-regulation strategies, consistently linked to lower stress reactivity and greater resilience across populations.

When a coach uses evidence-based practice, which approach to session planning best reflects the integration of research with client individuality?

Answer: Adapting empirically supported techniques to the client's unique context and preferences

Evidence-based practice in coaching — as in other helping professions — means integrating best research evidence with practitioner expertise and client values and context.

Research on emotional intelligence (EI) in coaching suggests coaches should prioritize which competency when working with clients experiencing interpersonal conflict?

Answer: Empathy — accurately perceiving and understanding the client's emotional perspective

EI research by Goleman and Salovey-Mayer consistently identifies empathy as the foundational competency for navigating conflict, as it builds the trust needed for honest exploration.