#145 Ethics in coaching: navigating the territory
Why Coaches Fail
This is the seventh in a series of 12 posts about why coaches fail. Being a great coach is about getting the balance just right between not enough and too much, the so-called Goldilocks Effect.
Coaches might underplay or overplay certain behaviours and derail the chances of successfully helping their clients reach their goals. Great coaches manage to strike a balance between these extremes and get it just right.
Today, I’ll explore ethics in coaching, show why balancing coaching theory and practice is so important for effective coaching, and how to cultivate it for yourself.
Ethics in coaching: navigating the territory
Ethics in coaching is not a fixed path - it’s a territory we must navigate with care. Coaches who adhere too rigidly to professional Codes of Conduct may do so out of caution or fear of slipping up. While their commitment to standards is admirable, this over-compliance can lead to missed opportunities. They may avoid emotional depth, hesitate to challenge or sidestep complexity. Their coaching remains safe, but lacks the courage needed for transformation.
At the other end of the terrain, some coaches treat ethical boundaries too loosely. They become mischievous in testing limits - over-disclosing, blurring roles or using interventions that serve their own curiosity more than the client’s growth. Their passion for coaching is real, but without ethical grounding, it risks volatility. Projective identification, transference and countertransference creep in, and the coaching space loses its safety and intention.
The balance lies in what I call ethical elegance, where the coach navigates the territory with discernment and grace. They understand the Codes not as fences, but as way markers. They hold an appropriate ethical attitude and principles with both respect and responsiveness, allowing for courageous work that remains well-boundaried. This stance honours both the taks and the relationship, creating a coaching space that is brave, ethical and transformative.
Three tips to coach with ethical elegance:
Know the terrain: study the Codes, but reflect on how they apply in real, relational moments.
Use supervision to explore your edge: bring not just dilemmas, but curiosities and instincts into the conversation.
Contract for ethical clarity: be explicit with clients about how you’ll hold boundaries and stretch them meaningfully.
Ethics isn’t a map; it’s a way of walking. And when coaches navigate with elegance, they build trust, depth and lasting impact.
Visit https://www.growthecoach.com/free-resources to download an at-a-glance summary of all the coaching derailers.
