SOLID Confidentiality and Boundaries Agreement

Dear Executive,

SOLID’s Confidentiality and Boundaries Agreement describes mutual expectations that form a solid foundation for your success in any trial or paid coaching relationship you (“Leader”) may have with SOLID (“Coach”). They track with SOLID’s five core values: Serve, Order, Lead, Integrate and Design.

SERVE – SOLID will serve you with a passion for excellence.

I, Leader, agree to allow you, Coach, to serve me and act in my best interests always, even when it may not feel good. I will:

  • Openly discuss issues, solicit direct, candid feedback, and ask you to hold me accountable.
  • Avoid becoming defensive or deflecting constructive criticism.
  • Try new behaviors, even if uncomfortable, awkward, or seemingly unnatural at times.

I, Coach, will serve you, Leader, to the best of my ability. I will:

  • Provide candid and direct input and observations.
  • Avoid being overly diplomatic—I will give you pure, unvarnished feedback.

ORDER – We will order and structure coaching to maximize success.

I, Leader, agree to follow the order and structure of the SOLID coaching process. I will:

  • Follow SOLID’s strategic four-phase approach (Phase 1 – Orientation: Learn how to use a coach; Phase 2 – Assessment: Gain an accurate assessment of your needs; Phase 3 – Goals: Set SMART, written goals; Phase 4 – SOLID Coaching: Gain regular coaching following SOLID’s proven model, described in the next bullet, below).
  • Follow SOLID’s tactical session management approach (Step 1: Leader develops an agenda prior to or at the beginning of each session; Step 2: Leader and Coach review Leader’s agenda; Step 3: Coach recommends changes to agenda when deemed useful; Step 4: Agenda is prioritized; Step 5: Leader drives the agenda, which is followed in order of prioritization; Step 6: Leader takes notes; Step 7: Leader captures actions).
  • Review previous coaching session notes and homework prior to each new coaching session.
  • Manage the clock; begin and end each 25- or 55-minute session on time (with a 5-minute grace period).
  • Schedule my next session at the end of every completed coaching session.
  • Maintain the coaching frequency I have agreed to with Coach.
  • Be realistic, allowing a 5-minute grace period before anyone is officially “late.”
  • Provide one (1) full working day’s notice when rescheduling a coaching session.

I, Coach, agree to follow the order and structure of the SOLID coaching process. I will:

  • Help you to understand how to best use me as your coach and get the most out of coaching.
  • Guide you through SOLID’s Four-Phase Strategic Coaching Method.
  • Guide you through each coaching session using SOLID’s Session Management Method.
  • Ensure there is a good fit between your needs and my capabilities; if there is not, I will help you find another SOLID coach who may be a better fit.
  • Return emails and phone calls within one business day unless unavailability is communicated in advance.
  • Use SOLID’s Seven Actions of a SOLID Coach: Asking, Guiding, Mentoring, Suggesting, Referring, Reflecting, and Cheerleading (see diagram at the top of this page).

LEAD – We fully support your growth as a leader by encouraging you to take the lead in coaching.

I, Leader, agree to take full responsibility for taking the lead in the coaching process. I will:

  • Challenge Coach’s advice when appropriate, and ultimately make up my own mind.
  • Choose what to work on and “own” those choices.
  • Avoid asking or permitting Coach to be overly prescriptive.
  • “Filter” all coaching through my own set of beliefs and experiences.

I, Coach, agree to follow Leader’s leadership. I will:

  • Encourage you, Leader, to challenge my advice.
  • Avoid being overly prescriptive or “armchair quarterbacking”; I will not tell Leader what to do.
  • Encourage Leader to “filter” my advice and recommendations.

INTEGRATE – We integrate our values with our actions, maintaining integrity in the relationship.

I, Leader, agree to maintain the integrity of the coaching relationship. I will:

  • Use discretion in what I repeat to others regarding what Coach says to me.
  • Maintain confidentiality of any sensitive information Coach may reveal to me.
  • Be open and transparent with Coach.

I, Coach, also agree to protect our relationship. I will:

  • Avoid conflicts of interest that compromise my integrity.
  • Maintain complete confidentiality unless otherwise discussed and agreed.
  • Serve as a positive role model; I will consciously model behavior for you.
  • Ask for performance feedback once per quarter (e.g. “How am I doing as your coach?”).

DESIGN – We will design a coaching plan that will produce transformational results.

I, Leader, agree to design a written coaching plan (“Plan”). I will:

  • Create Plan with written, specific, measurable, actionable, realistic, timed goals.
  • Review Plan on a monthly basis.

I, Coach, will help you design and prioritize your goals. I will:

  • Help you gain additional tools and resources needed to achieve the goals in Plan.
  • Help you measure progress.
  • Provide encouragement and support.
  • you accountable for reaching your full potential, pushing you when appropriate.

We agree to abide by our respective commitments contained herein, as indicated by our signatures.

Signature
Leader’s Name
Date
Signature
Coach’s Name
Date

NOTE:Review these Agreements quarterly to ensure you are getting the most from SOLID coaching.

serve order lead integrate desing

Daniel J. Mueller

Managing Director
SOLIDleaders, LLC

www.SOLIDleaders.com
Cell: 832.732.9395
Daniel@SOLIDleaders.com
www.LinkedIn.com/in/solidleaders

Executive Coaching Specializations

Executive Leadership Coaching
(Growing to the Next Level)

Executive Career Coaching
(Getting a New Executive Job)

Onboarding Coaching
(Starting a New Executive Job)

Portfolio Life Coaching
(Moving into Semi-Retirement)

High Potential Coaching
(Emerging Future Leaders)

Executive Team Coaching
(All-Hands Team Coaching)

Practice Development
(Coach-the-Coach for Internal or Professional Coaches)

Daniel Mueller is one of the earliest and most active pioneers of the executive coaching industry. As of 2019, he has provided executive coaching for more than 1,450 CEOs and executives, delivered 85,000+ hours of one-on-one executive coaching, and been privileged to witness major transformation in the lives of most clients.

Passionate about serving leaders at every level, Daniel is dedicated to helping executives become more effective in all aspects of their personal and professional lives. Prior to specializing in executive coaching, he was CEO of a management training company, a business advisory firm, and an organizational development consultancy—all three of which heavily influenced his unique approach to executive coaching. In addition to drawing on these disciplines, Daniel has extensive training in the behavioral sciences, behavioral psychology, and executive career counseling. An avid student of executive leadership, he regularly speaks and publishes on subjects critical to executive peak performance.

Since 1996, Daniel has specialized in CEO and executive coaching, working in three main areas: leadership coaching, helping executives remove blind spots, leverage strengths, and overcome weaknesses; executive career coaching, helping executives transition from one role to another; and executive onboarding coaching, helping executives start new roles. He also provides training for professional executive coaches.

Since his first executive coaching engagement in 1987, Daniel knew he had found his calling, and had a meteoric rise to the top of the emerging executive coaching profession. However, the more outwardly successful Daniel became, the greater the internal pain of feeling like an imposter grew. He chose to numb this pain with alcohol, which led him into recovery for alcoholism—his sobriety date is March 4, 1996. Humbled and broken, Daniel began diligently working to attain personal transformation. This story of amazing success, total failure, and complete redemption has led to one of his favorite sayings: “I coach from a place of weakness, not strength.” From the wreckage emerged a tried and true methodology for helping any executive grow to the next level—if they are willing to do what it takes. Daniel is a good example of, “If he can do it, anyone can.”

From 1990 to 1996, Daniel served as President and CEO of Solid Foundation International Inc., an organizational design and development consultancy. There, he led team-building initiatives, administered hundreds of interview-based 360° assessments for executive coaching clients, and created individualized leadership development plans. A prolific writer, he authored numerous curricula for corporate universities, including “Training Skills for Leaders” (how leaders learn) and “Service BUILDS Sales” (how leaders sell), and dozens of white papers on critical success factors for leaders.

From 1986 to 1990, Daniel was CEO of MAI, a management consultancy acquired in 1990 by Organizational Leadership and Development, Inc., and from 1982 to 1986, was CEO of Wellness Consultants, Inc., a management training company. He began his career in 1975 as a personal trainer and fitness coach.

Daniel started college at the State University of New York at Stony Brook and relocated to Austin to complete a degree in the Plan 2 Honors Program in Liberal Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. He is gratefully married to Patty and has three awesome daughters.