Referral is an important form of Coaching

By: Dr. B. J. Prashantham

This issue of the Coaching Digest focuses on a variety of “On the Ground” implementation issues in setting up Coaching engagements and making them work.

In this context, it is important for the sponsors and Coachees to be familiar with a key dimension in Coaching – referral.

This article attempts to answer three important questions regarding referral during Coaching of any type. 

Those three questions are:

1. What is referral 
2. To whom should those needing it be referred to
3. How referral should be done

What follows are not hard and fast recipes but helpful guidelines to be utilized always keeping in mind the Coachee’s interests and bearing in mind the premise that Coaching is Coachee-centric.

What is referral?

The following two Dictionary definitions may be a good starting point to answer this question:

a) [noun] A recommendation to consult the (professional) person referred to;
"this patient is a referral from Dr. Bones"

b) [noun] The act of referring (as forwarding an applicant for employment or referring a matter to an appropriate agency)

Referral is to refer an individual who comes to get some help to some other helper, particularly the one who is more likely to have the expertise, or the skill or the ability, or even for that matter the time. Referral is based on Coachee’s need and goals.

Referral is also an ethical obligation of any helping profession, be it psychology, be it medicine, and be it any form of consultancy. Referral is an expression of genuine concern for the needs of the Coachee and is one of the possible interventions, along the various phases of Coaching.

Referral may occur right at the beginning, or at the very first session, when it becomes clear to the Coach and/or the Coachee that the needs of the Coachee can be best met elsewhere, and it takes a certain amount of confidence and awareness on the part of the Coach to recognise this need of referral for the Coachee.

Why?

Coaching is a Coachee-centric helping process. Since human needs are many, a helper like a Coach may or may not have the time, the expertise, or the training to undertake the type of Coaching or other forms of help that the Coachee may require. Sometimes, the Coach may also use referral to augment or complement what he is doing with the Coachee.

Sometimes it can happen that even though an individual is a suitable candidate for Coaching, personal chemistry may not click. One may have a distinctive discomfort or dislike for the other, whereby working together may become difficult, for a whole variety of reasons. It could be transference; it could be counter- transference, it could be other possible reasons. Under these circumstances, as mark of respect, understanding and commitment to the welfare of the Coachee, the Coach may decide to refer.

Sometimes a Coach based on his sound judgment may realise that what the Coachee needs is not Coaching, but mentoring, or counselling or psychotherapy. You may ask what these fine distinctions are; Passmore (Passmore P. 2007, p.21) has outlined these fine distinctions between Coaching and the related fields very well using the metaphor of driving a car

1. "A therapist will explore what is stopping you driving your car.
2. A counselor will listen to your anxieties about the car.
3. A mentor will share tips from his or her own experience of driving cars.
4. A consultant will advise you on how to drive the car.
5. A Coach will encourage and support you in driving the car.”

Under such circumstances, an ethically-oriented Coach will then refer the Coachee to a person whose expertise is most needed and also available. 

Even if the need is Coaching, the Coach may realise during assessment that the Coachee will benefit from a deeper self understanding through the use of some psychometric testing in which the Coach may not have training or may not be certified to do, such as Myers Briggs Type Indicator or some other personality inventories. There again referral, while continuing to Coach, for that specific purpose will be quite appropriate. In this case, the Coach will deftly use the information gained from those tools in arriving at a greater understanding of the Coachee’s likes, needs, preferences and styles.

To whom?

Having understood what referral is, we will now look at to whom Coachees should be referred to.

Coachees may be referred to another Coach or specialist with expertise for psychometric testing. If the additional need is Business Coaching, the Coachee could be referred to those who are knowledgeable in business aspects. If it is a health problem, the person may be referred to a medical practitioner.

If it is a deeply rooted psychological problem, the person may be referred to a psychologist, who either specialises in counselling or clinical aspects of the work.

Sometimes the Coachee might need information about a particular domain or a sector of the organisation. In such cases it is appropriate to refer him to a domain specialist.

Similarly, if there are any conflicts of interest, then it may be ethical that the Coachee is referred to another Coach. One could also refer the Coachee to another Coach to obtain a second opinion on a complex issue.

It is useful here to be a bit more specific about the psychological issues that necessitate referral. Persistence of negative features or personality traits that are making the person dysfunctional would be a prime situation calling for referral. When there is a dysfunctional personality, the Coach could then refer to a psychotherapist. When it is a persisting distress, the Coach could refer to a counsellor, and when there is the desire for growth and development, it is within the primary domain of Coaching.

In some instances, if the person is very emotionally troubled and requires psychiatric help, it is wise to involve the family so that the referral may take place and that person gets the right type of benefit.

Pathological symptoms or situations like threat of self harm or harm to others is not discussed here as most Coachees tend to be in the normal range of functioning successfully and having the desire to reach the next level of excellence at this stage of their life.

Given the seriousness of these circumstances, refusal to refer when needed is not a mature way of handling one’s professional responsibilities.

For sustainability of change, it may be important to refer people to groups, communities, role models and places where appropriate.

How?

Finally, I come to the most important aspect of how to do referral. Referral is not like putting up a signboard with an arrow mark showing which direction to go! There can be many emotional reactions involved on both sides of the table, namely in the mind of the Coach and the Coachee.

In some instances, referral may take place easily and effectively while in some it might be more difficult. A good referral has two important components (a) acquaintance with the persons or agencies for different needs, their strengths and limitations and policies (b) competence in sound Coaching procedures to facilitate the referral.

In order to confidently refer to others, it’s necessary for the Coach to have some bits of personal knowledge about the people to whom she or he would be referring their Coachees. This can take many forms and shapes. One is getting acquainted with some professionals in your area, so that if the need arises you not only refer, but refer intelligently, knowing the strengths of different referees in their domain expertise, their history, their reputation, and the testimonials of others about them.

At the heart of referral is sensitivity to the Coachee’s feelings. Is he/she feeling fine, or is the Coachee carrying expressed or unexpressed feelings like “Oh you have abandoned me”, “I trusted you or I was referred to you by someone I trust, so whoever he trusts, I trust, you are rejecting me and I am hurt”. Under those circumstances, it is important to pay attention to the feelings of the Coachee by allowing them to ventilate. It is also good to clarify that you’re not actually abandoning and that you’re having the best interest of the Coachee in mind. There could be related feelings of rejection, hurt, annoyance and a skilled Coach will be able to handle them with non- defensive listening and high levels of empathy in preparing the Coachee. It’s important to prepare the Coachee properly and ensure emotional support. The other important aspect is that, the Coach who does not want to refer and who wants to cling on to his Coachee has something to cope with and may use a guide or supervisor’s help.

We want to help people with commitment and concern but not be possessive and unwilling to let go. What is important here is not who Coaches a Coachee, but is the Coachee getting the right help.

So in the matter of doing a referral, it is very clear that it be done with great concern for the Coachee, giving due regard to the feelings of the Coachee, giving due opportunities for the Coachee to express himself or herself and providing the right information.

What are the feelings the Coachee is likely to experience? He could experience a sense of rejection and hurt, he could have a degree of mistrust in the person being referred to or a debilitating sense of the fear of the unknown. Therefore till they get together, it may be good for the Coach to be open to different ways of connecting. One can always use any amount of creativity in doing this. Sometimes a phone call, a note, a meeting or a personal introduction to the Coach might be advisable; whichever the situation calls for. Despite all this, the Coachee can always reject the offer. The Coach should do his part well and respect the final choice of the Coachee.

Even after the Coachees accept the referral, it won’t be a bad idea to keep in occasional touch and learn what they are doing without fostering inappropriate dependency.

Listening, assessing the need, empathy, self-disclosure, accepting one’s limitations, preparing with care, encouraging, information sharing, resolving resistances, sometimes gently confronting, willingness to let go, and supporting the Coachee through the referral process makes referral as challenging as actual Coaching if not more.

Summary

• We can attempt to understand all
• Help some
• Refer some
• Endure the rest

Reference:

Passmore, J. (Ed.). (2007). Psychometrics in coaching: using psychological and psychometrics tools for development. London: Kogan Page.

Dr. B. J. Prashantham is Director Institute for Human Relations, Counselling & Psychotherapy, Christian Counselling Centre, Vellore. He is also an Honorary Member of CFI’s Governing Board