Coaching Policy

1. The purpose and application of Coaching

2. The roles of each stakeholder
3. The requirements and parameters

The purpose of this document is to deliver coaching principles that are shared throughout the
business and apply in most situations. This Coaching Policy is designed as a guide for
Executives and Managers who become stakeholders in a coaching process and describes key
aspects to consider when applying coaching within the business. These are generic principles
that should be adapted where appropriate to local cultural and operational conditions.

The purpose of Coaching – To bring about rapid, individual, positive change

Application:

Coaching can be used for individuals with high potential, who have changing roles, require
rapid personal development and/or performance improvement. It forms one aspect of the wider
development spectrum that includes conventional training, mentoring, career planning, 360-
degree appraisal and so on. It is useful in targeting highly specific development needs that fall
outside the normal training provision.

Coaching can be used to:

- Enhance and accelerate an individual’s business performance, in line with company

strategy
- Introduce and consolidate behaviour focused on business results
- Help individuals adjust to changing organisational environments
- Unlock barriers to realising individual potential
- Correct and improve individual behaviour in line with corporate culture, ethics and
standards
- Fulfil training needs currently unavailable elsewhere
- Manage specific issues towards rapid solutions
- Establish priorities and responsibilities – Individual, team, wider group
- Provide a sounding board for local, tactical, and strategic thinking and decisions

Stakeholders

Coaching comprises an initiative between four parties: The Client, the Coach, the Sponsor and
the HR partner.

- The Client is an Executive or Manager, who requires Coaching

- The Coach is an external provider or an internal Coach. She/he should not be the
Sponsor/line manager
- The Sponsor can be the line manager, matrix functional manager or a Mentor
- The HR partner: The internal service provider who manages the interfaces between the
stakeholders involved. The HR Partner monitors the Coaching process

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The requirements and parameters

Coaching is a professional relationship that helps the Client to improve results within their
business framework. Through coaching, the Client can deepen their understanding, realise
greater potential, improve their performance and enhance the quality of their professional life.

Coaching should concentrate on clear objectives, identified by the Client, HR and their
Sponsor. In addition, the Client should be aware that, these objectives would be met by their
own effort and/or the necessary changes in behaviour and attitude. The Coach may assist in
creating this awareness and will help to accelerate the Client’s efforts once this in place.

The Coach's duty is to:

- Help the Client clarify and achieve their objectives

- Encourage Client self-discovery
- Accelerate the implementation of Client-generated solutions and strategies
- Hold the Client responsible and accountable
- Challenge and stretch the Client to apply new perspectives.

In addition:
The Coach should obtain the express and prior consent of the person being coached before
releasing personal and/or business information to any other person. This includes feedback to
Sponsors and HR on personal issues
The Coach should avoid all conflict between their interests and the interests of the Client.
Should a conflict or potential conflict arise, the Coach should disclose this and discuss how to
resolve it in a way that best serves the Client’s needs.

The role of each stakeholder

The Coach

- The Coach ensures that the Client understands the nature of Coaching and the terms
of the Coaching agreement between them.
- The Coach will respect the strict confidentiality of the Client's information, except as
otherwise authorized by the Client or agreed at the start by all stakeholders.
- The Coach will be alert to when their Client is no longer benefiting from their
relationship and may be better served by another resource. They should guard against
the Client becoming over-dependent on coaching.
- The Coach ensures that the Client participates in setting the coaching agenda and
driving the coaching process.
- The Coach honours all agreements made in the coaching relationship. These
Agreements may include support materials, notes and information
- The Coach should connect the coaching experience to other wider development
initiatives and career goals
- The Coach should not give their Client, or any prospective Client, information or advice
they know to be misleading or beyond the competence of the recipient
- The Coach should be able to refuse to coach a future Client

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The Client

- The Client makes the decision to accept or refuse coaching and is part of the selection
process for the Coach
- The Client must take the responsibility for their development through coaching
- Coaching is a resource for personal & professional development. The Client remains
fully accountable for all the business decisions taken during coaching
- The Client ensures that coaching adds value to their personal development. If not, the
Client should take the initiative to stop or modify the coaching process
- The Client must participate fully in their coaching
- The Client is responsible to evaluate the results of coaching with their Sponsor

The duties of the Sponsor

- Before beginning the coaching, the Sponsor must ensure that the Client understands
the purpose of the coaching initiative, is in agreement with the objectives and aims and
is prepared to engage fully
- The sponsor must ensure a regular follow-up of the coaching process
- The sponsor is responsible to evaluate the results of coaching with the Client
- The sponsor ensures that the Client has the appropriate resources to engage fully with
their coaching (time, budget, venue, travel etc.)

The role of the HR partner

- The HR partner must assess individual needs as well as the readiness of the Client for
coaching
- Any coaching request requires the agreement of the HR partner responsible for the
wider development provision
- The HR partner may prescribe and recommend an internal or external coaching
resource
- The HR partner manages the Coach selection process, with the support of relevant
departments
- The HR partner gives the brief to the Coaches, and manages the contracting process.
- The HR partner captures the results and assesses the quality of the experience. The HR
partner may measure the effectiveness of the Coaching as is appropriate
- In the case of an internal coaching, the HR partner takes care to ensure the absence of
any conflict of interest between the Client and the internal Coach
- The HR partner integrates coaching with all the other HR practices and development
initiatives

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