Session 26 Practice Contracting

ICF Core Competency 3 — Establishes and Maintains Agreements

Definition

Partners with the client (and relevant stakeholders when applicable) to create clear agreements about the coaching relationship, the process, and both session and overall goals.

3.01 – Coaching philosophy and framing

Clearly explains what coaching is and is not, and shares their coaching approach so clients understand the nature of the work.

3.01. Describes one's coaching philosophy and clearly defines what coaching is and is not for potential clients and stakeholders

3.02 – Roles, responsibilities, and expectations

Reaches agreement on:

• What coaching includes and excludes

• What each party is responsible for

• Commitment to working toward goals

3.02. Reaches agreement about what is and is not appropriate in the relationship, what is and is not being offered, and the responsibilities of the client and relevant stakeholders, including commitment to working toward coaching goals

3.03 – Logistics and parameters

Agrees on the practical and formal elements of the coaching relationship, such as:

• Fees

• Scheduling

• Duration

• Confidentiality

• Ending the coaching relationship

• Involvement of third parties

3.03. Reaches agreement about the guidelines and specific parameters of the coaching relationship such as logistics, fees, scheduling, duration, termination, confidentiality and inclusion of others

3.04 – Stakeholder alignment (when relevant)

Works with both client and stakeholders to ensure clarity and alignment on goals, expectations, and the coaching arrangement.

3.04. Partners with the client and relevant stakeholders to establish an overall coaching plan and goals

3.05 – Coaching relationship fit

Partners with the client to explore whether the coaching relationship is a good match (compatibility, trust, readiness, alignment).

3.05. Partners with the client to determine client-coach compatibility

3.06 – Session purpose

At the start of each session, agrees on what the client wants to focus on or achieve in that session.

3.06. Partners with the client to identify or reconfirm what they want to accomplish in the session - list the icf core competency 3 word for word

3.07 – Session focus and need definition

Helps the client clarify:

• What specifically they need to address

• What problem or topic is most relevant for the session outcome

3.07. Partners with the client to define what the client believes they need to address or resolve to achieve what they want to accomplish in the session

3.08 – Measures of success

Defines or reconfirms how the client will know the session or engagement has been successful.

3.08. Partners with the client to define or reconfirm measures of success for what the client wants to accomplish in the coaching engagement or individual session

3.09 – Time and focus management

Coaches actively manage:

• Time boundaries

• Focus of conversation

• Keeping alignment with agreed goals

3.09. Partners with the client to manage the time and focus of the session 

3.10 – Maintaining direction

Keeps coaching aligned with the client’s desired outcomes, unless the client chooses to shift direction.

3.10. Continues coaching in the direction of the client’s desired outcome unless the client indicates otherwise

3.11 – Closing the engagement

Ensures the coaching relationship ends in a way that is:

• Respectful

• Clear

• Reflective of the coaching journey and client experience

3.11. Partners with the client to close the coaching relationship in a way that respects the client and the coaching experience

3.12 – Revisiting agreements

Regularly checks and updates the coaching agreement when needed to ensure it still serves the client’s evolving needs.

3.12. Revisits the coaching agreement when necessary to ensure the coaching approach is meeting the client's needs - Definition: Partners with the client and relevant stakeholders to create clear agreements about the coaching relationship, process, plans and goals. Establishes agreements for the overall coaching engagement as well as those for each coaching session.

Comensa Requirements

Sets out the administrative aspects

of the contract including the

implications of agreements

between all parties

Ensures that the agendas of all

parties are aligned and transparent

Explores what the client wants

from the session thoroughly

Designs success indicators with the

client

Checks whether the process is

Invites the client to reflect on

their own learning

Terminates the contract with

significant time for reflection

and evaluation

Re-contracts the outcome in

and in service of the overall goal.

Takes time to explore with the

client:

o how best they will work

together

o how the client learns

o how the client accepts

challenges for maximum

change

Reviews the coaching process by

inviting authenticity and openness

Invites the client to reflect regularly

on:

o His/her learning

o The implications of his/her

learning

In both the International Coaching Federation (ICF) Code of Ethics and COMENSA ethical framework, the moment you introduce a sponsor into a coaching agreement, the relationship shifts from a simple dyad (coach–client) into a triadic system (coach–client–sponsor).

That single shift has deep implications for everything in foundational contracting. Below is a structured, comprehensive breakdown of what must be clarified and what becomes ethically “live” in the first contracting session.

1. Role Clarity (core ICF requirement)

When a sponsor exists, you must explicitly define:

• Who the client is (the person being coached)

• Who the sponsor is (funding, commissioning, or requesting coaching)

• What authority the sponsor has (if any)

• Whether the sponsor can:

  • set goals

  • attend sessions

  • receive updates

  • influence direction

• Whether coach is serving:

  • individual development

  • organizational outcomes

  • or both (and how conflict is handled)

Implication: ambiguity here creates ethical breaches and role confusion.

2. Confidentiality Boundaries (one of the most critical implications)

You must contract:

• What stays confidential between coach and client

• What (if anything) is shared with sponsor

• Whether feedback is:

  • none

  • aggregated

  • thematic

  • direct quotes (rare and only with consent)

• Whether client has veto rights over what is shared

• Exceptions to confidentiality (legal/safety issues)

ICF expectation: client must explicitly consent to any third-party reporting.

3. Informed Consent Across All Parties

Each party must understand:

• Purpose of coaching

• Coaching methodology

• Limits of coaching (not therapy, consulting, or performance management tool unless defined)

• Information-sharing rules

• Rights to withdraw or renegotiate

Implication: consent is not one-time; it must be ongoing and revisitable.

4. Goal Ownership and Control

You must clarify:

• Who defines coaching goals:

  • client-led

  • sponsor-led

  • co-created

• What happens when sponsor goals differ from client goals

• Whether goals can be changed without sponsor approval

• How “success” is measured and by whom

Ethical tension: sponsor ROI vs client autonomy.

5. Reporting, Feedback, and Transparency Agreements

This is a major sponsor-related contract area:

• Frequency of sponsor updates (if any)

• Type of reporting:

  • progress summaries

  • competency tracking

  • behavioral themes

• Whether the client sees what is reported

• Whether reporting is pre-approved by client

ICF principle: transparency must never override confidentiality.

6. Power Dynamics and Psychological Safety

You must explicitly address:

• Sponsor influence over employment, promotion, or evaluation

• Fear of reprisal affecting client openness

• Whether coaching is truly voluntary for the client

• How safety is maintained if sponsor is internal (manager, HR, etc.)

Implication: coaching effectiveness collapses if psychological safety is not protected.

7. Conflict of Interest Management

Contracting must include:

• What happens if sponsor requests disclosure against client wishes

• How disagreements between sponsor and client are handled

• Coach neutrality boundaries

• Whether coach can advocate for either party (generally no)

8. Data Protection and Record Keeping

Especially relevant under professional ethics and often legal frameworks:

• Who owns coaching notes

• Where notes are stored

• Whether sponsor can access raw data

• Retention periods

• Data privacy compliance expectations

9. Session Structure and Attendance Rules

Clarify:

• Who attends sessions (client only vs triadic meetings)

• Whether sponsor can join sessions

• Rules for observation or shadowing

• Cancellation/no-show policies

• Session interruptions by sponsor (allowed or not)

10. Accountability Lines (who holds whom accountable)

You must define:

• Coach accountability (process, ethics, presence)

• Client accountability (action, reflection, engagement)

• Sponsor accountability (environment, support, non-interference)

• Whether sponsor can “enforce” outcomes (generally no)

11. Coaching Purpose vs Performance Management Boundary

A critical ethical distinction:

• Coaching ≠ performance appraisal

• Coaching ≠ disciplinary process

• Coaching ≠ HR reporting tool (unless explicitly structured and consented)

You must contract:

• Whether coaching data will influence employment decisions

• How to prevent coaching from becoming surveillance

12. Termination and Exit Conditions

Must include:

• Who can end coaching (all parties)

• Notice periods

• What happens if sponsor withdraws funding

• What happens if client opts out but sponsor wants continuation

• Ethical closure requirements

13. Independence of Coaching Relationship

ICF and COMENSA both require clarity that:

• The coach is independent of sponsor control in coaching process

• The coach does not become an agent of the sponsor

• Coaching conversations remain client-centered

14. Expectations vs Reality Alignment

You must explicitly surface:

• What sponsor expects vs what coaching can deliver

• What client expects vs sponsor expectations

• Misalignment risks early

This prevents later ethical breakdowns.

15. Ethical Escalation Pathways

Contract should define:

• What happens if ethical conflict arises

• Whether there is mediation between coach–client–sponsor

• Whether escalation goes to HR, ethics body, or termination

16. Review and Re-contracting Points

Foundational contracting is not static:

• When agreements will be reviewed (e.g., every 3–6 sessions)

• Who can request re-contracting

• How changes are documented

Big Picture Insight

In ICF and COMENSA terms, once a sponsor enters the system:

Coaching is no longer just a developmental relationship — it becomes a multi-stakeholder ethical system with competing rights, expectations, and confidentiality boundaries.

The entire foundational contracting session is essentially about one thing:

Making sure the client remains psychologically safe and autonomous, while the sponsor’s investment and expectations are ethically managed without distorting the coaching process.