Ethical Code of Conduct

Principles

The client ultimately knows best what is good for them and, both in their private and professional life, can decide for themselves what they do or do not want based on their own considerations. Consequently, the client is also responsible for the choices they make and can be held accountable for their behavior.
The client and the coach are completely equal, in the sense that both are unique and complete individuals with many possibilities.
During coaching, the goals, means, and choices of the client take priority over those of the coach.

Declaration

Confexcel declares that it's coaches voluntarily and fully adhere to the Ethical Code of Conduct (EGC) as outlined in the following pages.

The EGC consists of four sections:

Respect
Integrity
Responsibility
Professionalism

1. Respect

Respect involves recognizing and honoring values in general and an individual’s personal and human dignity in particular. A coach demonstrates this by adhering to the following behavioral guidelines:

1.1. They treat every person as equal, do not favor or disadvantage anyone, and do not discriminate based on age, gender, race, skin color, origin, social status, political belief, marital status, or other distinctions.

1.2. They acknowledge each person’s right to make choices freely, develop themselves, and determine their own life path.

1.3. They allow clients space to make their own decisions and modify past decisions, respecting their own norms, values, priorities, and beliefs.

1.4. They advocate for the client's interests while considering the interests of others and do not contribute to activities that could harm individuals, groups, organizations, society, or other deserving entities.

1.5. They consider the client's level of development, abilities, and needs (physical, emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual) and never treat them with condescension, indifference, or undue admiration.

1.6. They recognize their responsibility to protect the rights and dignity of vulnerable or dependent clients who cannot advocate for themselves.

1.7. A coach treats not only people—especially the client—with respect but also their ideas, possessions, and living environment, serving as a role model.

2 Integrity

A coach must be capable of quickly building and maintaining a trusting relationship with a client. Trust can only be sustained if the client perceives the coach as truly honest. Additionally, the integrity of individual coaches impacts the professional coaching community, as the actions of one dishonest coach can harm the reputation of all.

A coach demonstrates integrity by adhering to the following behavioral guidelines both during and outside their professional practice:

2.1. They are honest, reliable, and sincere. They say what they do and do what they say.

2.2. They do not engage in illegal practices or those that violate generally accepted standards of decency.

2.3. They treat all information about the client confidentially, obtained directly, indirectly, or from other sources, and protect the client from misuse or unauthorized disclosure of data.

2.4. They do not exploit situations, circumstances, or knowledge where the client is dependent on them, neither to benefit themselves or others nor to disadvantage the client or their relationships.

3 Responsibility

By entering a coaching relationship, a professional coach assumes obligations that require a strong sense of responsibility and impact society and all parties involved in the coaching process. A coach demonstrates responsible coaching by adhering to the following behavioral guidelines:

3.1. They recognize the power inherent in their position and the significant influence they can have on the client and possibly others, both consciously (through directives) and unconsciously (as a role model). Therefore, they act thoughtfully and speak cautiously.

3.2. They promote the well-being of the community and all participants in the coaching process and do not cause harm.

3.3. They acknowledge both the limitations of their profession and the boundaries of their personal competencies and ensure they do not exceed either.

3.4. They are aware of their personal dignity and understand its impact on their professional conduct as a coach.

3.5. They collaborate with other coaches and professionals when necessary, particularly in team-based projects.

3.6. They always consider the client’s overall development and well-being, avoiding actions that could lead to unbalanced or disharmonious growth.

3.7. They do not base their emotional or other needs on their relationship with a client.

3.8. They do not engage in sexual or other intimate relationships with a client during a coaching relationship.

4 Professionalism

Professional coaches have made coaching their profession. Clients—whether individuals or companies—expect and are entitled to high levels of expertise and professionalism. A professional coach upholds these standards by adhering to the following behavioral guidelines:

4.1. They maintain a clear distinction between their personal and professional life, ensuring neither is negatively impacted by the other. They strive to bring out the best in both and serve as a role model.

4.2. They engage in self-reflection and self-analysis to continually develop themselves as both a person and a coach, ensuring they remain effective.

4.3. They stay informed of developments in coaching, embrace new insights, and explore new methods through reading professional literature, attending training and symposia, participating in peer review meetings, and utilizing supervision opportunities.

4.4. They maintain professional liability insurance or have other reasonable coverage for potential claims arising from their coaching practice.

4.5. Upon request, they transparently share their education, experience, qualifications, and coaching methods with clients or other relevant parties, maintaining an up-to-date curriculum vitae.

4.6. They distinguish between coaching relationships and other types of relationships, such as friendships or business relations, ensuring no conflict of interest arises. If a conflict threatens to emerge, they either end the coaching relationship or suspend the other relationship.

4.7. They act collegially towards other professional coaches and contribute to the ongoing professionalization of the field and its reputation.