Business coaching is a unique and special relationship between a coach and their client. It is essential for coaches to stay within their scope of practice and adhere to industry standards and regulations. The WABC Professional Standards for Business Coaches provide a model coaching agreement that includes information on the coaching relationship, services, fees, procedures, and confidentiality. In addition, coaches should never diagnose, prescribe, or treat mental or physical ailments without the proper medical license or accreditation.
The WABC members and program providers accredited by WABC have come together to consider the following professional standards to be mandatory practices for business coaches to be effective in providing training services. Establishing a comprehensive and realistic set of professional standards for business coaches is an immense and specialized task. The ICF offers a model coaching agreement that includes information on the coaching relationship, services, fees, procedures and confidentiality, as a reminder that clients are responsible for their choices and actions as a result of the training. Since every client is different, an effective business coach must tailor each coaching contract to meet the needs of the client and the organization, rather than taking a “one size fits all” approach.
We believe that the WABC Professional Standards for Business Coaches are the beginning of a collaborative conversation. But this couldn't be further from the truth, because we believe that there are ethical standards that every life coach must meet when providing services to clients. Since health and wellness counseling is closely related to the fields of medicine, health and wellness coaches must take extra caution. Some are external trainers who serve a variety of clients; others are in-house trainers who work for an organization. Their valuable comments were key to ensuring that the standards accurately reflect the international practice of business coaching today. In conclusion, it is essential for business coaches to adhere to industry standards and regulations in order to provide effective training services.
The WABC Professional Standards for Business Coaches provide a model coaching agreement that includes information on the coaching relationship, services, fees, procedures and confidentiality. Coaches should also never diagnose, prescribe, or treat mental or physical ailments without the proper medical license or accreditation.
