Coaching competing clients – conflict of interest in coaching

A really interesting case was discussed in one of our free meetups and exchanges: The coach is a specialist in mindset coaching in a niche sport at a high level. As his practice was growing, he discovered that he would potentially coach athletes who would be direct competitors in this sport. The ethical person that he is, he was wondering what his obligations are at this point. Does he need to disclose that he is coaching other athletes? Is he even allowed to disclose that he is coaching other athletes? What would be the impact of one client winning against another of his clients? How should he choose whom to coach?

The definition of “Conflict of Interest” is the following:

“Conflict of Interest” – a situation in which an ICF professional is involved in multiple interests where serving one interest could work against or conflict with another. This could be financial, personal, intrinsic, professional, or a perceived conflict with a client, prospective client, or sponsor.

It looks like this is the case here. Our friend is involved in a situation where “one interest could work against or conflict with another” – if he coaches one athlete very effectively it would work against the interest of the other athlete.

The ICF code of Ethics states:

As an ICF Professional, I:

3.1  Am aware of and discuss with all involved parties the implications of having multiple agreements and relationships, and the potential for conflicts of interest.

3.2  Manage conflicts of interest and potential conflicts of interest with coaching client(s) and sponsor(s) through self-reflection, coaching agreement(s), and ongoing dialogue. This includes addressing organizational roles, responsibilities, relationships, records, confidentiality, and other reporting requirements.

3.3  Resolve any conflict of interest or potential conflict of interest by working through the issue with relevant parties, seeking professional assistance, or suspending or ending the professional relationship.

The Global Code of Ethics states:

2.12 Members will disclose any conflict of interest and act within applicable law and not in any way encourage, assist or collude with conduct that is dishonest, unlawful, unprofessional, unjust, or discriminatory.

2.22 Members will be aware of the potential for conflicts of interest of either a commercial or personal nature arising through the working relationship and address them quickly and effectively in order to ensure that there is no detriment to the client or sponsor.

2.23 Members will consider the impact of any client relationships on other client relationships and discuss any potential conflict of interest with those who might be affected.

2.24 Members will disclose any conflict of interest openly and transparently with the client and if a conflict arises that cannot be managed effectively agree to withdraw from the relationship.

Here are some reflections

Disclosure is mandatory

Both codes of ethics state that it is necessary to disclose the fact that the coach has coaching engagements with other people in the same sport who might be competing against each other. Due to confidentiality, the coach may not disclose the names of the athletes to other athletes without their permission. All involved need to feel comfortable with this arrangement.

Being aware of biases

The coach is well advised to self-reflect on potential biases. Supervision can be helpful in ensuring that all the coach’s clients receive the best service from the coach.

Being aware of information and confidentiality

As the coach is engaging in the coaching relationship, they will learn things about their clients. I personally find it difficult to manage information flow and stay mindful of who said what and which information needs to stay within which realm. In any case, it is important to stay mindful of the danger of sharing confidential information of one client with another client.

Taking care of yourself as a coach

This situation is tricky – so if the coach is becoming stressed about their engagements, considering whether such an engagement is “worth it” is also an option. If choosing which person to coach becomes necessary, taking supervision to plan whom to choose and how to communicate the choice respectfully might help as well.

Find suitable metaphors

Is coaching competitors maybe like acting like a physiotherapist, who might also have competing clients? They treat everyone to the best of their abilities and leave the results to the clients. This metaphor might be more suitable than the “fan” or “cheerleader” who can only be there for one athlete or one team.

Stay mindful of your impact

As coaches, we are not responsible for the success of our clients. Many other factors are at play here. Reminding ourselves that we are responsible for curating great conversations with our clients and not for what the client does as a result of them may also be helpful.

These reflections are the result of one of our free meetups and exchanges and I am so grateful to the person who brought the case and the other coaches who helped reflect! If you also would like to reflect together with a great bunch of people, come and join!

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