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Home > Coaching > Ethical Considerations

Ethical Considerations

A person acts rightly if his action leads him towards the fulfillment of his potential, and he acts wrongly if his action is not in accord with his nature. ~ Aristotle

Here at the Institute we seek to do the right thing, which means we must first "do no harm!" Great harm can come from bad coaching, so we take a very careful view of our work in support of our clients. Coaching is designed to improve effectiveness. Read the HBR articles listed on the right to gain insights on the dangers of executive coaching.  Coaching is not therapy. We do not engage in any form of therapy. Even the clinical psychologists on our staff do not engage in therapy as part of the coaching process. We also do not take on coaching assignments where we have determined that the coachee is likely to be uncoachable.

Many executives are under tremendous stress. A failure to channel that stress through the practice of productive endeavors can lead to harmful behaviors. Vice's victory over virtue is addiction. Addictions to drugs, alcohol, sex, gambling, etc. can destroy the life of executives, their businesses and their families. We believe that people are the authors of their own lives. Therefore, we believe that most people have the capacity to deal with the struggles and distresses in their own life. But when we encounter situations where an addiction exists, we will urge the person to seek the professional assistance of a qualified helping professional. In these situations, we also encourage our clients to seek the spiritual guidance of their rabbi, minister or priest. Many situations require judgment calls regarding referrals for professional help beyond the scope of coaching.  Priority Thinking coaching maintains confidentiality while taking appropriate action in each situation.

Executive coaching is an unregulated industry and, thus, anyone can claim to be an executive coach or personal coach without any credentials. Even then, coaching certification programs exist but these do not in any way guarantee that the executive coach is qualified or appropriate to your situation. In fact, we believe that some of these coaching certification programs promote views contrary to realist philosophy based on an Aristotelian view of human nature.