Cathy Liska Part 2: A Curious Coaching Student by Brandi Alvarez
As my classes continue I still draw so many comparisons between coaching skills and my mediation skill set. Today’s lesson was on coaching ethics; a simple concept right? In an unregulated industry the lines could become blurry. I find myself asking the question, are my own personal ethics enough or should I extend with a code of ethics that goes further? How do you know how far to go? How do you know how to protect yourself? There are many associations out there and they all present a code of ethics that say something a little different. When I produce my own set of ethics will I allow culture to play a role? Will it be written differently for face-to-face versus virtual clients? All of these scenarios are running through my head after today.
Basically ethics are ethics no matter your profession. It is important to establish trust, honesty, and confidentiality, and be open with a client so in return you will receive the same. Even though you are not legally bound to a code, be a moral upstanding member of your community because your livelihood will depend on your reputation. The one thing that sticks out for me over and over no matter the profession is that we are all made up of our own values and beliefs, just like our clients. It is our responsibility to leave our biases at the door in order to be an objective and effective coach. A good motto to prescribe to is to know thy self in order to know thy client. With this I can listen, reaffirm, be objective, and support my client choosing a path they want to be on.
