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The relationship between coach and client is an essential factor for coaching success. Although researchers have repeatedly called for an investigation of the actual interaction between coach and client to better understand their relationship, previous research has been based primarily on questionnaire data. We analyzed the working relationship of 31 videotaped coaching dyads by means of interaction analysis and questionnaires. We coded relationship-relevant behaviors initiated by the coach or the client, focusing on indicators of the working relationship such as (a) their agreement on goals and tasks and (b) appraisal and bonding. Results showed no correlation between behavioral and questionnaire data. As expected, client-initiated agreement on goals/tasks was positively related to coaching success. Surprisingly, coach-initiated agreement on goals/tasks had the opposite effect, whereas bonding behaviors did not influence coaching success. Results underscore the importance of an active client in the coaching process, and promote interaction analyses in coaching research.

Despite growing research on coaching and its positive impact on clients' self-efficacy and goal-attainment, to date, there is hardly any empirically based knowledge on which communicative strategies cause these improvements. To address this research gap and examine the role of clients' self-efficient statements for coaching success, coach and client behavior was investigated. For each of 31 coaching dyads, 3 coaching sessions (first, middle, and last session) were videotaped. By using clients' self-efficient statements as spontaneous indicators for self-efficacy during the coaching, the link to coaching success was investigated. To analyze which coach behaviors enhance clients' self-efficacy in different sessions, sequential analysis was applied. Clients' self-efficient statements increased in the course of coaching, and the total amount of these statements was strongly related to clients' final goal progress. Coaches can use open questions, solutions, and support to trigger clients' self-efficient statements directly. Whereas directive approaches (i.e., solutions) were beneficial at the beginning of the coaching, more nondirective methods (i.e., open questions and solutions) showed their positive influence later on. These findings underpin the importance of studying interaction processes to identify successful communication strategies for coaches. Focusing on the microlevel of communication, the results contribute to the understanding of the dynamics leading to successful coach-client interactions. In detail, coaches should adapt their behavior during coaching processes to promote clients' self-efficient language, which, in turn predicts coaching success.

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