Organisations are often advised to build a “coaching culture” instead of relying on formal performance feedback processes to develop and motivate staff. But what is a coaching culture and how do you build one?

It is likely that the idea of promoting a coaching culture will be interpreted differently, depending on your experiences, industry and your role within the organisation.  For example:

• senior leaders and executives may see a coaching culture as way to drive improved performance, accountability and engagement. There could be an expectation that coaching will align with both business growth and employee growth. Depending on the organisation’s future direction, they may view coaching as the pathway to shift from directive management to  empowering their employees to achieve.
• the focus of the employee and the in-house coach is more likely to be around skill development and career opportunities. There will be rewards for both the participant and the coach by building individual capability and constructive feedback which is  psychologically safe.
• the HR/Learning specialist’s vision will be around the adoption of a coaching culture as a long term investment and not just another training program. Their attention will likely be around retention, engagement and staff satisfaction in support of the organisation’s future focus.

Are there risks around thesedifferent views of a coaching culture?

It is important that organisations clearly define what they want their coaching culture to be, in order to avoid the pitfalls of misalignment between leadership, team and individual expectations. One of the risks around a poorly described coaching culture is that inconsistency and disagreements may occur about the ‘why’.  Different views about the expected outcome of coaching can leave participants feeling that it lacks purpose, or worse still, that it is a form of micromanagement. 

Without clarity around the purpose and goals of the coaching program it can also be difficult to measure if the expected benefits are being realised. This may put an otherwise sustainable program at risk.

With a structured approach, the different views about a coaching culture can complement an organisation’s defined goals and objectives. The overarching structure is better able to support flexibility around delivery or pitch of the coaching. The focus can then turn to ensuring access to coaching and an understanding that it may be offered in different ways such as 1:1 discussions, digital tools or group coaching activities.

Taking the workforce into account

A sustainable coaching culture considers the workforce demographics, the organisation’s current and future focus, explores delivery options and provides for evaluation and review processes.

There may be perceived barriers to accessing coaching, concerns about equity, together with  the narrative of the workforce skeptics. Overcoming these obstacles requires clear communication and leadership commitment.  Ensuring that the coaching is accessible may be a balancing act to meet differing needs of employees on-site, remote workers, shift workers, part-time workers and the various roles within the organisation.

The use of digital based coaching , virtual catch-up sessions and AI generated coaching assistants, based on employee performance data, can be helpful as an extension to broadening accessibility. Offering coaching outside work hours, availability of pre-recorded sessions, chatbots or micro-coaching prompts provides flexibility and can improve the scalability or take-up rate by participants.

Develop your coaching culture commitment

A coaching culture commitment statement will provide a clear definition of what it means to your organisation, the key purpose or goals and the anticipated shared benefits. It can also demonstrate leadership support, accountability and an overarching structure to support the coaching culture.

Taking time to define your coaching culture, systematically rolling out a range of coaching opportunities and embedding coaching discussions into supervision and team interactions will support the growth of an effective coaching culture and allow your organisation to reap the benefits.

Nicole Talty is a Senior Consultant, who is highly experienced People and Culture/HR professional and leader with a rich skill set spanning from investigations and grievances, establishing systems and processes, cultural reviews, project management, injury management and a trusted partner in developing strategic organisational goals.