Coaching World Issue 19: Science of Coaching | Page 15

I’ve brought this it-really-happenedto-me scenario to numerous
ethics training sessions. I have
encountered some who barely shrug
at the situation, while others express
multiple concerns, both about the
direction of coaching as well as
potential conflicts of interest that
would cause the end of the coaching
relationship. How can that be?
While we coach from the same
ethical base, we bring different
core values, belief systems and life
experiences, which then mix with
cultural and legal norms to create
infinite possible outcomes. In this
column, I invite you to consider
the interplay between three of
these variables.

Ethics: One of Only
Several Codes We
Must Honor
Let’s notice the distinctions
between—and overlapping of—
ethics, morality and legality within
the coaching space.
• Ethics are defined as “moral
principles that govern a person’s
or group’s behavior.”* Ethics
are often agreement-based:
Groups create their own ethical
standards for self-governance
(e.g., coaches, certified public
accountants, therapists, lawyers).

• Paying bribes to close a business
deal is illegal in some places but
common practice in others. It can
be considered ethical if the end
result is for a good cause, but
be considered immoral even by
those engaged in the behavior.
• Dating a co-worker is perfectly
legal and moral, but it may
violate a company’s ethics policy.
If you’re dating someone in your
chain of command, it may also
have legal implications. Dating a
co-worker if you’re married, on
the other hand, certainly moves
the conversation into the ethical
and moral space.

I do not suggest that what you would
do in this scenario is any more “right”
or “wrong” than what I did. What I
love about the situation is that, for
me, it challenges the notion that our
approach to ethical practice can ever
be declared complete and sufficient.
We will always be discovering new
situations and challenges, even
as moral and legal lenses change
around us.
*All definitions are from Oxford Dictionaries.

Same Behavior,
Different Lenses
The ICF Code of Ethics addresses
discrimination (Section 1, Clause 4),
so if I was to terminate my coaching
relationship with a gay client, that
would be discrimination, right?
But what if I am morally opposed
to same-sex relationships? Am I
not creating a conflict of interest
(Section 1, Clause 8, or Section 2,
Clause 13) if I continue coaching,
as I cannot be objective? And
what about my duty to address
“imminent or likely risk of danger”
(Section 4, Clause 26)? Would
the potential loss of his job be a
“danger” I must address with the
client? What about his marriage?
Loss of trust? And whose issues are
those—mine, or the client’s?

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• Legality is “the quality or state
of being in accordance with

Consider that many decisions or
actions can be acceptable by one
code but not another. Furthermore,
cultural conceptions of these three
codes can vary, further influencing
whether an action is seen as right or
wrong. For example:

When I found myself in this situation,
I focused on the client and his
desired outcome: how to better
balance his personal calendar in
order to spend more time with his
lover. I asked about the legal issue
out of an ethical concern for his own
and others’ safety (there was not a
potential issue). I am comfortable
that my values system is only one
way to view the world, so my moral
sensibility allowed me to continue. I
later learned the client is struggling
with his sexual identity, and his ability
to do so within the safety of coaching
was extremely valuable for him.

Coaching World

• Morality is defined as “principles
concerning the distinction
between right and wrong or
good and bad behavior” or “a
particular system of values …
especially one held by a specified
person or society.” Morality is
values-based; i.e., it requires us
to ask, “What do I/we believe to
be true/right/good?” My beliefs
may stem from religious training
or personal experience.

the law.” Legality is a societal
agreement: What have we
legislated, and what do
we punish?