HU Workplace Coaching FAQs

No. Coaching is a participant-centered, developmental partnership focused on your workplace goals, choices, behaviors, and actions. It is not training, therapy, corrective action, discipline, an investigation, formal mediation, legal advice, crisis support, or a hidden performance-management process. It also does not replace your manager, HR Business Partner, Employee Relations, EAP, Ombuds, or another formal University resource.

The initial program is intended for current, full-time Howard University staff employees who:

• Have a defined workplace-development goal
• Choose to participate voluntarily
• Are open to reflection, feedback, practical action, and accountability
• Can attend six coaching sessions and complete brief activities between sessions
• Have a need that can be appropriately addressed through coaching

The initial launch is limited to eligible full-time staff employees and does not include faculty, group coaching, or broad open enrollment.

Yes. Participation is voluntary and developmental. Coaching cannot be mandated or used as punishment, corrective action, or a concealed performance-management strategy.

No. Each request is reviewed for eligibility, developmental fit, readiness, program capacity, and any potential overlap with another formal process. A request may be accepted, conditionally accepted, waitlisted, deferred, redirected, or determined to be outside the program’s current scope.

Appropriate goals may include:

• Increasing self-awareness or strengthening leadership identity
• Improving communication or feedback
• Preparing for difficult conversations
• Navigating conflict, change, or ambiguity
• Influencing, managing up, or working across teams
• Strengthening delegation or developing others
• Improving priorities, execution, or accountability
• Building confidence or professional presence
• Establishing boundaries and supporting sustainable performance

Coaching may not be the appropriate primary resource when an individual needs emergency or crisis support, clinical care, legal advice, an investigation, formal mediation, accommodation or leave assistance, grievance support, or another formal University process. In those situations, the program may pause, defer, or redirect the request to a more appropriate resource.

Select Request Workplace Coaching on the program webpage and complete the short request form. You will provide basic contact information and briefly describe the workplace-development goal or constructive outcome you would like coaching to support. Do not include detailed medical, legal, disciplinary, complaint, or investigation information.

Yes. Eligible staff employees may submit a self-referral and request consideration for the program.

Yes. A supervisor, manager, senior leader, HR Business Partner, or Organizational Effectiveness & Learning representative may submit a request after discussing the opportunity with you and confirming that you are aware of and interested in coaching. Surprise or concealed corrective referrals are not accepted.

The program reviews the request for basic eligibility, voluntary participation, developmental fit, possible overlap with another process, readiness, and capacity. If the request is appropriate to move forward, the employee is invited to complete the Participant Intake and Baseline Form. Completion of the intake does not, by itself, guarantee enrollment.

The intake form asks about your role, preferred coaching format, scheduling availability, workplace-development goal, signs of progress, development interests, coaching preferences, and the support that may help you participate successfully. The form also includes starting self-ratings that will be revisited at the end of the program.