Conditions for a Successful coaching relationship

Every successful relationship has, as part of its foundation, a set of agreements, or understanding, which are understood, shared and shape the day-to-day interactions. The same is true for the relationship between and executive and his or her coach. The best executive coaching relationships are partnerships. They are collaborations with a level of authenticity, mutual respect, and shared commitments that is rare in corporate life.

Mostly in our relationships understandings and agreements are implicit - we have just come to know the other person over time, and they know us - it just works.

Before a coaching relationship starts there needs to be some explicit understandings. Here are a few:

1. The executive being coached is committed to an outcome, which appears to be beyond his or her grasp, given historical performance.
   
2. The executive considering a coaching relationship is authentically open to being coached, and not because it is the ‘thing to do’ or because someone else thinks it is needed or a good idea.
3. The executive to be coached has a choice of coach such that they can say to a coach, “I am open to be coached, and coached by you”.
4. The coach is committed to the executive he or she is coaching and can relate to their commitments like they are his or her own.
5. The coach is competent in the area where coaching is requested.
6. The coach wants to coach this particular executive.
   

When the executive and coach are clear they want to work with each other - when they are clear there are the conditions in place for a successful working relationship, the next step is to develop a set of operating agreements.