Client Dropout From Business Coaching

Research on client dropout in business coaching is scarce even though dropouts can have consequences for clients, coaches, organizations, and the validity of coaching research. In this article, a conceptualization and definition of client dropout are developed and justified. Client dropout is defined as the early termination of coaching by a client before all coaching sessions and goals are reached. This conceptualization has enabled the author to systematically explore this new construct in two consecutive studies. These studies focused on the prevalence and causes of client dropouts from the perspective of the coaches. Both studies showed that coaches are regularly confronted with dropouts in business coaching. Four variables seem to be especially important for client dropout: change motivation of the clients, relationship quality between coaches and clients, neuroticism of the clients, and unwanted side effects of coaching for clients that occur during the coaching process. According to the results of the studies, dropouts should receive more attention when the efficacy of coaching results are measured and communicated.