Ethics and Group and Team Coaching: Five initial areas to consider

Several weeks ago I presented to coach trainers at ACTO - the Association for Coach Training

Organizations - on group and team coaching issues. One area that was raised that we were not able to dig into during the presentation was ethics and group and team coaching. I promised to address this in at least one post (and more!) at the blog.

Ethics is the foundation of any profession, and as coaches, being aware of the grey zones we may find ourselves in,  or perceived as in, is important to identify before it happens.

As I sit down to write this post I realize that we could do a whole series of posts on the topic of ethics in group and team coaching. As such, please take today's post as a starting point for discussion of a very large iceberg topic. As in icebergs, this is the tip, of a very large mass! This post is also not meant to provide any advice, but rather pose some areas for you to explore in your own work.

The first thing I want to do is point to the fantastic resources which exist already in the world of the ICF. There is an Ethics committee and a COP dedicated to the exploration of this very important issue.

In the realms of group and team coaching, there may be different ethical concerns, due to the history, relationships and dynamics of groups versus teams, as well as in the role of the coach.

At a very high level considerations five areas coaches should keep in mind include:

• Role of the coach and his or her ability to hold the grouping as a coach - there can be some significant differences here where a coach is working with a team. What does it mean to hold the focus for the entire team? More often than not  you will want to bring in additional individual coaches to coach the individual team members on a longer term basis, especially if there are agreements in place around transparency.
• In the realm of the group coach, it can be easier (but not always possible) to avoid some of the grey ethical zones by serving as the group coach, and also providing individual coaching services 
•  What confidentiality means not only for the coach and group or team, but also amongst the team and group members and keeping things "on the line" on the line, and not being fed out to others in an organization.
• The role of sponsor and coach and group or team.  Sponsors are often eager to learn more, and potentially be part of, the process of a team or group coaching session. It is critical early on in the start of contracting to clarify roles, responsibilities, reporting and confidentiality.
• Evaluation - What structures/processes do you put into place to support evaluation and sharing of results. How can you invite the sponsor to a facilitated discussion? How do you maintain confidentiality during evaluation. How do you share results?

As with any ethical issue, it is important to explore the context, players, relationships, history, power etc. Coaches will want to explore these areas carefully not only in the lead up to a coaching engagement but also throughout. This is where the role of a mentor coach or supervisor can really play a key role.

As I wrap up this week's blog post, what is important to consider in your work around ethical issues right now? Who can you reach out to for support and dialogue?

Have a great week,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, MES, PCC, CPCC, CPT
GroupCoachingEssentials.com | Potentials Realized
Author of Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2009) and From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching (Jossey-Bass, 2013)
Phone: (416)996-8326
Email me with any questions you have at info(at)potentialsrealized(dot)com

Upcoming programs include:
Learning Lab and Design Studio - Join us on Fridays in the LLDS as we not only learn, but also design and practice group and team coaching skills. We also discuss topics such as this - ethics! Join us for 6 or 12 months, or monthly at the Lab. Download a brochure here, or take a look at upcoming calls here.
Group Coaching Essentials teleseminar starts Friday February 5 at 1:30 pm Eastern (8.75 CCes) with calls held on Fridays from 1:30 - 2:45 pm ET on Feb 5,12, 19, 26 and March 4 (3 spots open)
Virtual Facilitation Skills Intensive - a 15 hour online Train-the-Trainer starts Thursday February 4th from 12 - 3 pm ET on Feb 4, 11, 18, 25 and March 3rd. Geared for those who want to gain skills, theory and practice in virtual facilitation - useful for leading webinars, group and team coaching, and other virtual meetings. (2 spots open)

Ethics, Intellectual Property and Program Design

Ethics, intellectual property and program design. What do these things have in common?

I've read other "leaders" in our profession talk and write about how their copyright was infringed through other coaches "ripping off" their program ideas. When I first heard about this I couldn't believe that others in our profession would deviate so much away from the essential ethical and professional issues we talk about so much. Unfortunately it does happen that original programs created by one service provider are being offered by others "as is".

I recently had a situation where two of my program offerings showed up being offered by another coach in a different part of the continent -- substantively similar titles, same content and marketing material which included my writing! I am pleased to note that the coach did the right thing and has removed these program offerings. The coach had hired a marketing expert to create the programs, and had not realized that the material was not original.

I am familiar with the range of perspectives on the topic of intellectual property (and teach this during a Business Law course I deliver at the College level). From there are only so many original ideas in the world, to be abundant with your ideas. In today's Information Age, the adage "Knoweldge is power" is even more true than before. Intellectual property is considered by many a currency, similar to gold.

For those who know me, I am very generous with my knowledge and information, believing in the integrity and professionalism of coaches to take the information I share and create their own unique programs. However, when course descriptions are cut and copied verbatim and put under the title of another business owners company, intellectual property and copyright is infringed.

The reality today is that in Canada and the US today copyright is granted automatically at the time of publishing (whether on paper, a website or a blog), and registration is not essential.

According to the US Copyright Office website (http://www.copyright.gov/):
"Copyright protection subsists from the time the work is created in fixed form. The copyright in the work of authorship immediately becomes the property of the author who created the work."

With the advent of the internet, even if two businesses are located on the opposite ends of the continent or even in different countries, if programs or marketing materials are substantively the same, clients and the company will find out.

Lessons here -
1. Make sure that you are producing original work and your own unique marketing materials. People will find out if material is "borrowed" or copied. This could have significant legal repercussions.
2. When hiring others to do work on behalf of your company, make sure that they are cognizant of copyright law, Code of Ethics (ICF) and that you double check their work before publishing.

What is your take on this issue of ethics, intellectual property and programs? Have you had similar experiences? I know that this is an issue that has been discussed both in the CTI Certification program, as well as within the International Coach Federation (ICF). I'd love to hear your thoughts -- please feel free to comment. I will follow up in subsequent posts with information about what steps you can take to safeguard your intellectual property.


Jennifer

Jennifer Britton
Potentials Realized ~ Group Coaching Essentials
Email: jennifer [at]potentialsrealized[dot]com
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960