Race matters in coaching: An empirical study of coaches’ willingness to have difficult conversations with leaders of color.

Abstract

Do executive coaches have the skill sets necessary for effective partnership with Black leaders? Such inquiry remains unexamined, yet research from similar disciplines—such as education, medicine, and counseling—casts doubt. Drawing on these findings, a between-subjects experiment sampled 105 White coaches in the United States and examined their willingness to have “difficult conversations” with Black clients. The study investigated two questions in particular: (a) Do coaches provide less critical feedback to Black clients than they do White clients? and (b) Do coaches engage in fewer diversity-based conversations with Black clients than with White clients? The study found that, as hypothesized, coaches opted to sidestep cross-racial conversations that centered on diversity and development. More specifically, Black clients received more support but less challenge, less constructive feedback, and less time devoted to areas of development than did otherwise identical White clients. Coaches were also twice as likely to provide diversity-related feedback to White leaders than they were to Black leaders. Multiple implications hold for the coaching community and its clients of color. First, findings suggest Black organizational executives may be robbed of developmental opportunities offered to White executives. And, second, results indicate U.S. coaching-certification programs may not be adequately preparing their practitioners to navigate diversity dynamics with Black clients.

Leadership coaching relationships: a qualitative examination of underlying factors

“…Knowing how these factors influence the initiation of coaching seems especially important. For example, Bernstein (2023) reported that coaches might "sidestep" cross-racial conversations or withhold feedback or criticism depending on their coachees' race or ethnicity. Yet, the present study challenges this assertion and suggests that once the rapport between the coach and coachee is established concerns related to gender and race could become less pronounced.…”

“…Scholars have considered specific coaching behaviors (Gessnitzer and Kauffeld, 2015), a given coach's skills (Baron and Morin, 2009), power dynamics (Welman and Bachkirova, 2010) and the structure of the coaching session (Sonesh et al, 2015) as important predictors of coaching outcomes. More recently, scholars have investigated whether differences in race or ethnicity influence coaching practice (Bernstein, 2023). Bernstein's (2023) study reported that coaches tend to "sidestep cross-racial conversations that centered on diversity and development" (p. 32).…”

“…More recently, scholars have investigated whether differences in race or ethnicity influence coaching practice (Bernstein, 2023). Bernstein's (2023) study reported that coaches tend to "sidestep cross-racial conversations that centered on diversity and development" (p. 32). Scholars agree that race, ethnicity and cultural differences require further explanation to understand their influence on coaching relationships (Wittmer and Hopkins, 2018).…”

“…Research suggests that effective leadership coaching relationships minimally depend on high levels of trust (Rekalde et al, 2015). Within coaching relationships, trust can be influenced by differences in the coach or coachee's gender, race, or ethnicity (Bernstein, 2023;Wittmer and Hopkins, 2018), elements of the coaches' practice or support (Hall et al, 1999) and the organizational setting where coaching takes place (Athanasopoulou and Dopson, 2018;Sonesh et al, 2015). What is not known is how these factors influence the initiation of coaching relationships nor whether…”

The state of Black leadership: What can be done to create sustainable change.

“…The BIPOC coaches' testimonies suggest that an antiracist approach oriented toward decoloniality could be much more effective in breaking down patterns of underrepresentation and exclusion at senior leadership levels across organizations. Bernstein (2023) looked at two critical questions related to coaching efficacy in cross-racial coaching relationships: (a) the provision of critical feedback and (b) engagement in diversity-based conversations. Their qualitative research found that White coaches provided more support in their coaching efforts rather than critical feedback (challenges or constructive feedback) to Black coachees compared to their White counterparts.…”