Rights and Duties in Business Coaching (Coachee, Coach, Company)

A Three-way Relationship

In any coaching process developed within a company, it is essential to recognize that there are three main stakeholders, each with their own rights and duties.

These parties are: the coach (the professional who facilitates the process), the coachee (the employee who receives the coaching) and the company or organization (the entity that generally hires and finances the service).

Clearly establishing the rights of each at the outset is crucial to managing expectations, ensuring transparency and maintaining the ethical integrity of the process, especially with regard to confidentiality and objectives.

Let's look at what specific rights are recognized for each of these parties involved.

Rights of the Coachee (Employee)

The employee involved in the coaching process has the following fundamental rights:

• To negotiate confidentiality openly and clearly from the outset.
• To have, as far as possible, the possibility to choose the coaching professional with whom he/she will work.
• To be properly informed about the training and experience of the assigned coaching professional.
• Make their own decisions within the coaching process, while maintaining their autonomy.
• Know in advance what specific documentation and information will be provided to the company as part of the follow-up or eva luation.
• Know what employment repercussions (positive or negative) the results of the coaching process could have on their career within the organization.
• Have the freedom to leave the process if they wish, without undue penalty.
• Receive effective support in improving their skills and achieving the objectives defined for the process.

Rights of the (Professional) Coach

The professional coach intervening in the business environment also has specific rights:

• To negotiate confidentiality in an open manner with all parties involved (coachee and company).
• To receive from the company the necessary resources and information to carry out their work effectively.
• Have the power to abandon the process for ethical reasons if they feel that the conditions or expectations violate the principles of the profession.
• Receive constructive feedback from both the coachee and the company at the end of the process.
• Focus their work exclusively on their functions as a coach, and not be required to perform additional tasks that are unrelated to their professional role.

Rights of the Company (Organization)

Finally, the company or organization that hires the coaching service is entitled to:

• Negotiate confidentiality in an open manner, establishing the limits and agreements with the coach and the coachee.
• Set their own organizational objectives for the coaching process, aligned with business needs or employee development.
• Share strategies and relevant context with the coach to ensure that the process is aligned with the company's reality.
• Evaluate and measure the progress of the coaching process, according to previously agreed indicators and methods.
• Establish a limit of sessions or duration of the process, jointly and consensually with the coach and the coachee.

Summary

Business coaching involves three parties: coach, coachee (employee) and company, each with rights and duties. Establishing these rights clearly from the outset is crucial to managing expectations and maintaining ethics.

The coachee has the right to negotiate confidentiality, choose a coach if possible, know his or her background, make decisions and know what information is shared. They also have the right to know repercussions and to leave the process.

The coach has the right to negotiate confidentiality, receive resources, leave ethically and receive feedback. The company has the right to negotiate confidentiality, set goals, share context, eva luate progress and limit sessions.