A Qualitative Study into the Coach’s Two-Client Problem

As one of the training and development tools that companies today use to pursue organizational innovation, adaptation and efficiency, coaching is suggested to be favored for its individualization and versatility. In this study, we intend to find out how coaches can link personal achievements of the coachee to the organizational performance demanded by the sponsor. Together with our 22 respondents, we identified 6 sources of problem arising from the coaching triangle, which we specifically defined as the ‘two-client problem’; and 10 strategies to cope with and further prevent those potential complications. While these findings are by no means novelty, our study can contribute to the discussion around the coaching triangle that is essential for a successful coaching in corporate context.