Your executive coaching client seeks help beyond your scope. How do you navigate the boundaries effectively?

I heard her side of the story! It sounded urgent; I clearly did not have the skill to address it. I removed my Coaches hat for a moment there, we talked, shared my side of the story, our boundaries, the contract, who else can she reach out to help her. Once the logistics were out of the way, I asked her, why me? Why did you reach out to me for help? I have no-one, that I can share with. I knew I had her complete trust. Wearing my Coach's hat back on we went on to address the Coachee's real agenda, that day. We continue to work till date.

In order to avoid uncomfortable situations, it's useful to lay out some ground rules with clients up front. This is one of the reasons why having a written coaching agreement in place is considered a best practice.

Start with honesty. Close with range of solutions. In between bring in a lot of open communication, asking questions, justifying the means, narrowing down the goals for a better focus. Be clear what you provide within the scope of one's expertise and till where you can stretch. Beyond that help your client collaborate with another coach or expert who provides those specific skill sets.

The ICF provides very useful tools to discern between coaching and other modalities (therapy, mentorship, etc.) I advise coaches who may be struggling with boundaries in this area to refer to the ICF website, which details their ethical standards for all member and credentialed coaches, and videos on Youtube that are available to all. My own contract, which is adapted from an ICF template available to its members, makes these delineations very clear, and I go over them in our initial time together, so that from day one, clients and I are on the same page about this issue. Because we've established that baseline, broaching the topic of referral to another professional is a lot easier.

I start by first asking more questions to understand their need better. I then take permission to offer some suggestions. We can never assume that the client wants or is even motivated to seek outside support. I ask them how they prefer to be introduced (do they want a number, an email introduction, or something else). Once I have their permission to refer, I check with my trusted referral partners (relevant to the ask) to see that they are willing to accept an introduction (again, I don't assume - and I don't want to refer my client to someone who won't respond). During this phase, it is vital to maintain the confidentiality of the client. Finally, I make the introductions when both parties have confirmed openness.

When an executive coaching client seeks help beyond my scope, I navigate the boundaries by first acknowledging their concerns and clarifying the limits of my expertise. I emphasise the importance of specialised support for their needs and provide referrals to qualified professionals, such as therapists, financial advisors, or legal experts. Maintaining transparency and adhering to ethical guidelines ensures that the client's best interests are prioritised while preserving the integrity of the coaching relationship. This approach fosters trust and directs the client to appropriate resources for comprehensive professional support.

Ensure that scope of knowledge and experience is included in initial contracting discussions. Remind the client of this aspect of your contract during the acknowledgment phase. After acknowledging the area is beyond the scope of your knowledge and/or experience, further explore and the aspect requiring additional support. Introduce for discussion options for external support. Provide recommendations if possible to other services. If a personalised introduction is appropriate offer this as an option. Make a plan to follow up and provide a reminder of options to contact you if needed before the next session. Ensure you start with a check in at the start of your next session together.

As a coach, I try to keep a list of referrals and resources for clients who may need assistance that's outside of my own purview. Colleagues appreciate the referrals, but more importantly, it allows me to assist clients with needs even when they aren't my bailiwick. At the end of the day, the client's needs should always come first, and that can't happen if you're trying to serve needs for which you aren't adequately trained.

As wellness practitioners, boundaries in the coaching relationship play an important role for our mental and emotional health. Without clearly defined limits, we can end up allowing too much of ourselves. It is necessary to identify when a client needs therapy and not coaching.

As a coach, if a client seeks other professional support (for instance, therapy) I always offer to continue to work alongside them within the coaching sphere if that seems like the right thing for all concerned; if they'd like to take a break from our work, I offer to keep the door open so coaching can continue once they're ready again.

Being assertive is a core communication skill. Assertiveness can help you express yourself effectively and stand up for your point of view, while also respecting the rights and beliefs of others. Being assertive can also help boost your self-esteem and earn others' respect. This can help with stress management, especially if you tend to take on too many responsibilities because you have a hard time saying no

When there are areas outside the scope there can be two approaches 1. To stick to documented and agreed boundaries 2. To provide scope for redrawing boundaries Both approaches need mutual trust and partnering. If the coach and client both see value in redrawing, it could enhance the impact of the engagement.

I joke with my clients that, time and money allowing, everyone should have both a coach and a therapist. There is zero downside and tons of upside. Although I will very happily go deep with my clients, it's critical that we all know when a client should seek support from a therapist as well. Spotting dissociation, for example, is something all coaches should know how to do. Beyond that, it's important for coaches to build a network of trusted colleagues to have on tap for our clients in case they need specialized support that we can't provide. I've referred many of my clients to other coaches who specialize in career coaching, sales coaching, executive presentation/PR coaching.

As an executive coach, it's crucial to embrace challenges that stretch our capabilities while staying true to our expertise. I believe that every encounter where we encounter limitations can be viewed as a chance to deepen our understanding and evolve “Spiritually”. Holistic growth involves recognizing when to expand our knowledge and when to seek assistance from others. Spiritual Intelligence plays a key role here, guiding us to discern between personal growth and the necessity of collaboration. By integrating this awareness into our coaching practice, we can offer more profound guidance while staying grounded in our core competencies.