Establishing Agreement



I had an idea that some form of agreement was probably required in a coaching engagement, but I had underestimated the value of it, until the topic was covered.

Looking at the description of this core competency by ICF, “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.”, the agreement is really to enable all parties involved to have a successful partnership. It sets the ground rules for the coaching relationship so that all parties involve know their obligations.

The ICF further details 11 "reasons" an agreement is needed, I will attempt to summarise them in 4.

1. Creates clarity on expectations – An agreement provides clarity on the scope of a coaching engagement. It spells out what is expected from all parties involved, what coaching will entail and what it will not, how each session will be carried out, when would coaching be carried out, for how long, etc. When expectations are not outlined from the beginning, we run the risk of misalignment and maybe even miscommunication.

2. Provides structure to the sessions – A structure will help keep the coaching conversations on track, it provides guidelines to steer conversations in the right direction. Though this is important, I am also mindful that coaches need to remain flexible. When a conversation shifts to a new topic, having a structure allows us to check with the client if the new topic is more important than the old one. A structure helps us stay focused.

3. Helps the client recognise progress – Agreeing on measurable achievements helps us recognise when progress is made, making it easier for us to recognise when we’ve actually moved forward. Being able to recognise progress help affirm the client that they are taking a step in the right direction.

4. Helps all parties stay accountable – In all partnerships, each party have their respective role. An agreement keeps us accountable to our respective responsibility. A partnership can only be successful when everyone does their part.

A coaching agreement isn’t just there to protect the interest of the parties involved, but it is also a framework for the partnership to be successful. A well-crafted agreement should be seen as a step towards setting up a coaching partnership for success, and not a document to stifle growth.

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