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.

The program includes six 60-minute coaching sessions, generally scheduled every two weeks and normally completed within 12 to 16 weeks. Participants should also expect to complete brief, practical actions between sessions.

The program materials identify virtual, in-person, and hybrid participation options. Employees may indicate their preferred format during intake.

The coaching experience generally progresses through the following areas:

1. Strategic goal setting and the coaching working relationship
2. Values, strengths, and leadership identity
3. Navigating challenges and Howard’s organizational environment
4. Feedback, communication, and influence
5. Execution, accountability, and sustainable performance
6. Integration, reflection, and sustainment

At closeout, participants reflect on their progress and finalize a 30-, 60-, and 90-day sustainment plan.

Yes. Participants are expected to attend prepared, complete participant-owned practical actions, communicate scheduling changes, and raise any concerns about program fit or boundaries.

Yes. The optional Reflection and Action Planner may be used to prepare for sessions, reflect, plan actions, and build your sustainment roadmap. It belongs to the participant and is not collected as an official program record.

Participants are asked to provide at least one business day’s notice when cancellation or rescheduling is reasonably possible. Two missed sessions without timely notice may result in a participation review, pause, or closeout.

Yes. A participant may withdraw by notifying the Workplace Coach. The program may also pause, redirect, or close an engagement if program fit changes, attendance becomes insufficient, another resource becomes more appropriate, or a workplace process affects the engagement.

Manager alignment is required by default and is intended to support, not evaluate, the participant. Before outreach occurs, the participant approves the high-level goal or theme that may be discussed. A documented exception may be considered when manager involvement is unnecessary, impractical, or creates a legitimate sensitivity concern.

Manager communication is limited to the participant-approved high-level goal, relevant role priorities, practical support, scheduling or workload considerations, and observable indicators of progress. Managers do not receive confidential session details, personal reflections, transcripts, or coaching notes.

Reasonable participation time and workload considerations are addressed through manager alignment. Employees who anticipate scheduling or workload challenges may identify that concern during intake.

Coaching conversations are treated as confidential within applicable law, University policy, safety obligations, reporting requirements, and the Coaching Agreement. The coach does not routinely share session content with managers, HR partners, colleagues, or program stakeholders.

Yes. Coaching does not provide absolute secrecy or legal privilege. The coach may need to pause, consult, refer, or share limited information when a situation involves safety, an emergency concern, a legal or University reporting obligation, a formal workplace process, or a concern involving boundaries, fairness, or service quality. Only information reasonably necessary for that purpose is shared, and the participant is informed when permitted.

No. Sessions will not be recorded, transcribed, or processed through an AI notetaker. Participants also acknowledge that they will not record or transcribe coaching sessions.

Yes. Participants complete starting self-ratings as part of intake, a brief midpoint pulse after the third session, and a final evaluation after the sixth session. 

Aggregate or de-identified themes may be used to assess program quality and value. Identifiable examples or quotations require separate permission and review.

For questions about the program, eligibility, scheduling, coaching, or forms, contact Herbertia Gilmore.