In this set of studies we explored the influence of the client's affiliation and potential competition on the coach's empathy. We expected that both competition and low affiliation would negatively affect the coach's inner empathy. In three studies we manipulated the coaching client in terms of affiliation and competition. In the first study (N 1 = 198) the participants were asked to coach either an affiliating, competing, or neutral client. In the second study (N 2 = 155) they were asked to coach either a less affiliating, competing, or neutral client. In the third study (N 3 = 52) they coached either a neutral client or a client who was both competing and less affiliating. The results of all three studies revealed that both competition and affiliation influenced the coach's affiliation feelings and inner empathy but not their expressed empathy. We further found that coaches felt less authentic in their behavior and their empathy when coaching a competing and less affiliating client than when coaching a neutral client. The set of studies provides evidence for the client's influence on a coach's empathy with a valuable degree of external validity because a mixed sample, future psychologists, and real coaches were tested. The results of these studies suggest that the coach's expressed empathy does not change dependent on the client. Thus, coaches stay in their professional role. However, staying authentic seems to be difficult when being confronted with a competing and less affiliating client.

Zusammenfassung Bisher wurden Schwierigkeiten im Coaching wenig erforscht. Dieser Beitrag berichtet daher von Forschung, die zeigt, welche Herausforderungen im Coaching von Klienten mit narzisstischen Tendenzen auftreten können. Klienten mit narzisstischen Tendenzen wurden von den Coaches der Studien nicht nur als schwierig erlebt, sondern führten bei den Coaches auch zu impliziter Angst und Disstress. Dieses Ergebnis zeigt die Notwendigkeit von erfolgreichen Coaching-Strategien im Umgang mit narzisstischen Klienten auf. Eine mögliche Strategie, um als Coach nach solch einem Klienten die entstandene Angst und Disstress zu reduzieren, ist laut ersten Studien das Praktizieren von Achtsamkeit.