The Ethical Coach Case Study 1 – Confidentiality & Legal Compliance
Ethical Reflective Activity
Focus: ICF Code of Ethics Section 2: Confidentiality and Legal Compliance
Brief Overview of Section 2 for Participants:
Section 2 standards require ICF professionals to:
Maintain the strictest level of confidentiality with all parties (Standard 2.1).
Establish clear agreements on what information is shared, with whom, and how (Standard 2.2).
Clarify exceptions (e.g., illegal activity, legal requirement, imminent danger) before coaching begins (Standard 2.3).
Secure and protect all records and data (Standard 2.4).
Uphold ethical and legal obligations, including technology-related privacy (Standard 2.5).
Scenario:
The Manager, HR, and the Red Flag
You are coaching Daniel, a mid-level manager in a global company. The engagement is sponsored and paid for by the company’s HR department, with an agreement that you will share periodic progress updates.
In the third session, Daniel seems unusually tense. He confides that he suspects his direct supervisor is falsifying expense reports and manipulating project budgets to secure personal bonuses. He says,
“I just needed to tell someone I trust… please don’t tell anyone else. HR will spin this to protect senior leadership, and I’ll be out of a job.”
Two weeks later, HR sends you an email:
“Can you give us a more detailed update? Particularly, any serious issues or misconduct concerns that have come up in your coaching sessions with Daniel — this is important for risk management.”
You recall that at the start of the engagement, the confidentiality clause in the coaching agreement was kept brief due to time constraints. You mentioned exceptions like harm to self or others, but you did not explicitly address financial misconduct or corporate violations.
You also know the HR contact personally from a professional network, and they’ve hinted before that “coaches should help us keep an eye out for trouble in the ranks.”
Grey Zones and Bias Potential:
Your personal relationship with the HR contact could unconsciously influence you to “help them out.”
Your own cultural or professional background might shape how you view loyalty — to the client, to the sponsor, or to the organisation.
Your personal values around integrity and whistleblowing may conflict with your professional obligation to maintain agreed confidentiality.
Discussion Questions
Using the Pause & Presence lens — what immediate reactions or emotional responses come up, and how do you set them aside to remain present?
Map the Values — Which ICF Core Values (Professionalism, Collaboration, Humanity, Equity) are most at stake here? How might personal or cultural values influence your perception?
Check the Code — Which Section 2 Standards directly apply? (e.g., 2.1 on maintaining strict confidentiality, 2.2 on clarity of agreements, 2.3 on exceptions)
Choose Courage — What would be your next step? Would you:
Decline to share details with HR?
Go back to Daniel to clarify what can be shared?
Negotiate with HR for a value-aligned way to report?
Logical flow: How do you move from identifying the issue → mapping values → aligning with Section 2 Standards → selecting an action?
Where might internal bias or cultural assumptions push you toward a less ethical choice? How would you self-check?
