At the heart of coaching within organisations lies a dilemma: can coaching be used to directly improve the performance of a team member in the way the organisation wants?
The answer, as with many things in coaching, is yes — but only if things are handled carefully.
Three perspectives on the same situation
It helps to consider this from the point of view of each person involved.
The line manager or sponsor wants to ensure the coaching is worthwhile and leads to improvement in performance. Some leaders are relaxed about the detail and how the team member improves. Others want involvement at every stage and input into the specific areas to work on.
The team member wants transparency in the process, clarity on how their line manager sees their skills, and to work with someone who will be fair, kind and supportive.
The coach wants to work directly with the coachee without any hidden agenda set by the organisation, and to engage with coachees who are committed and come to coaching willingly.
Looking across these three perspectives, there is genuine overlap: improvement in performance is something everyone can agree on as a worthwhile outcome. But there is also potential tension, with line managers sometimes expecting the coach to work on specific areas without having been transparent with the coachee about that expectation.
Two ways to approach it
In much of the coaching that takes place within organisations, confidentiality is treated as non-negotiable and the sponsor’s input is kept at a distance. The coach and coachee are free to work on whatever topics come up, chosen always by the coachee. This is a tried and tested approach that works well, and it depends to a large degree on having an organisational culture where mistakes are seen as part of learning, and where staff development is handled with genuine transparency.
There is another option: involving the sponsor in a limited and carefully managed way. The process for this is set out below.
A process for working with a sponsor
Before coaching begins, the line manager clarifies with the team member the purpose of the coaching and what level of transparency will be in place.
At the first coaching session, the line manager attends. This gives them the opportunity to tell the team member directly what they would like to see as a result of the coaching – their view of the team member’s strengths and the areas to develop. The team member can then discuss, agree, disagree or revise those comments, with the coach facilitating the conversation. By the end, all three parties should be clear on what the organisation wants the team member to focus on.
During the coaching itself, the line manager agrees to respect the confidentiality of the coaching conversations and to allow the work to proceed. There should also be an understanding that coaching does not produce instant improvement — there may even be a temporary dip in performance as the team member works through what comes up in sessions. Feedback to the line manager during this phase is limited to functional matters, such as whether the team member is engaging with the process at all.
On topics, all parties understand that the team member retains the right to choose what to work on. The areas the line manager has identified must be explored, but the team member may also bring other topics — whether areas they want to improve or strengths they want to develop further.
At the end of each phase of coaching, a review conversation takes place. This can be relatively informal or written rather than face to face. Its purposes are to update the line manager on any tangible results, to give the line manager the opportunity to share improvements they have observed, and for all parties to agree on next steps — whether that is further coaching, a break, or specific training.
The challenge of pushing back on a sponsor
If the coach is fortunate, the sponsor will be supportive and respectful of the coach and coachee relationship, with minimal expectations around reporting back and no desire to direct the coaching itself.
If the sponsor is keen on updates and input, things can become difficult. It takes a confident coach to push back in that situation. Many coaches find it hard to tell a sponsor they will not be sharing updates or taking guidance on how the coachee needs to change – this is one of the more common tensions that comes up when coaching in the workplace. This is particularly true for newer coaches – when I started out I found this aspect genuinely difficult, and looked wherever possible for coaching clients where there was no sponsor involved. In time I learned to hold my ground, and I am glad to support any coach to do the same.
It is worth remembering that as coaches we understand the process well and are entitled to set our own expectations. The hope is that sponsors will come to recognise that our position is not obstructive, but a respectful and professional way of working.
Final thoughts
If you find yourself coaching in a situation where a sponsor is involved, give yourself plenty of time to set up and get clear on your approach. The information here is intended to help you understand how it can work well. I would encourage you to see it as a rich and professional way of working rather than an obstacle to get past. And if you would like any support with it, please get in touch. Accessing coaching supervision is also a good way to think through situations like this with an experienced practitioner.
