The role of neuroticism and supervision in the relationship between negative effects for clients and novice coaches

Abstract

ABSTRACTThe majority of coaches experience negative effects from coaching, but little is known of what determines their occurrence. This study investigates the relationship between negative effects for clients and for coaches from both clients’ and coaches’ perspectives. It also analyses the role of coaches’ neuroticism and the use of supervision in this relationship. A randomised controlled field experiment with a student sample was used, where half group of the coaches received supervision during coaching and the other half received supervision after coaching was completed. Results show a strong positive relationship between negative effects for coaches and clients, but only from the coaches’ perspective. This relationship was stronger when coaches’ neuroticism was high, but only when coaches did not use supervision during coaching. These findings support the impact of negative effects for clients on negative effects for coaches from the coaches’ perspective and discuss supervision as an intervention to mitigate this relationship.