The dilemma when undertaking coaching in organisations is the need for such organisations to have some form of feedback and the need for confidentiality to be maintained with the client. During the contracting process it is important for all parties to agree the feedback and confidentiality agreement.
Feedback may not be deemed essential to all organisations. For example, if a senior person seeks performance enhancing coaching the normal feedback structure would not be relevant.
A behavioural contract provides clarity about expectations and delivery. Its strengths are in its clarity and some would say that its weakness is in its concreteness. We suspect that those who find behavioural contracting a challenge may do so more due to a lack of practice than through any fault of the process itself.
Some may argue that a client is unlikely to be explicit about all his or her objectives at the first meeting, especially in front of the sponsor. The contract has an important role to play in setting boundaries. The contract provides a minimum level of restuls. All will be even happier if more can be achieved.
