The notion of goals as central to the coaching process is reflected in practice literature, popular coaching models and research, with an emphasis placed on the effectiveness of coachee-led goal-setting. In executive coaching however, the organisation may assign goals to determine outcomes for both business and individual. How this dynamic impacts on the external executive coach's experience was explored in a study using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, a qualitative method involving in-depth interviews. This article explains the methodological and analytic approaches, and describes the key findings, including the significance of coaches’ beliefs about goals, and the complex nature of multi-stakeholder contracting.