The empathy factor: An important aspect of success in every coaching session

Empathy is an important factor for coaching success. Yet there has been little research on whether it is useful at every stage of a coaching process. To explore this research question, 221 coaching sessions from 48 coach–client dyads with a focus on business- and career-related goals were analyzed, differentiating sessions both along a timeline and by coaching phases. The results show that client-perceived coach empathy positively influenced how clients viewed coaching success (i.e., the session’s success, satisfaction, and goal attainment) in every session with perceived empathy increasing over the coaching process. In addition, the results highlight how the client’s approach-related, positive affective states can contribute to a successful coaching process—particularly at the beginning of a coaching process. These results contribute to an increased awareness of the coach’s empathy at every session as well as how the client enters the coaching process.