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DR ANNETTE CLANCY
Annet te resea rches emot ion in
organ isation s. She is ass istant p rofesso r at
UCD sch ool of art hi story an d cultural p olicy.
Developing a
coaching culture
Coaching can help boost performance, but you must establish
a culture that embraces coaching to see the benefits.
BY DR ANNETTE CLANCY
One of the most important
aributes of a successful leader
is their ability and willingness to
develop others. Because of this, business
leaders are now recognising the value
and importance of coaching. If you look
at job listings, you regularly see ‘the
ability to coach and develop others’ on
the list of skills needed in managers and
leaders.
Businesses are now going one step
further and investing in ‘coaching
cultures’. Coaching cultures are about
delivering results and developmental
opportunities to help people grow.
You have a coaching culture when
leadership is clear that coaching is at
the heart of how the organisation is run.
What is coaching?
Unlike giving advice or direction
to staff, coaching is an ongoing
developmental process. Its purpose is to
help your coachee to continue to learn
and develop aer the coaching session
is completed.
Coach and coachee agree on a
development plan and work towards its
execution together. The development
plan is always created in the context
of the organisation’s strategy. This
distinguishes coaching from more
personal approaches, like life coaching.
The coach’s role is to ask questions, not
give direction, and to assist the coachee
in making their own decisions to keep
them accountable. The coach is not
the expert; the coach is a guide. Done
well, coaching can have a big impact on
performance and productivity.
Creating a coaching culture
Lead from the top
It’s important to make a coaching
project visible to all staff to show
that coaching is at the centre of the
organisation; that it is a permanent
fixture and not a once-off project. Get
an organisation leader to be a coach
and a coachee, sending a clear message
that coaching is at the heart of the
organisation. Without a champion at a
senior level, it is unlikely that a coaching
culture will become embedded.
Establish a coaching programme
for senior management
Encourage senior managers to see the
benefit of coaching for themselves.
They will bring their experience and
enthusiasm for coaching to their
own staff. Establish a company-
wide coaching training programme.
Customise the programme as managers
become coaches themselves within
the company. Once established, you
can customise the programme for the
context of your company and culture.
Align coaching culture with the
organisational performance
Coaching is not an end in and of itself.
Coaching is always in the service of
team and organisational performance.
Coaching should be undertaken
with the organisational and business
strategy in focus and so, it is important
that coaching and organisational goals
are always aligned. It is also important
that the boundaries between coach and
coachee are explicitly negotiated and
an agreement about confidentiality and
reporting structures is drawn up.
Hold yourself accountable
at an organisational level
Follow-through in a coaching culture is
as important at an organisational level
as it is on an individual level. Leaders at
the top should look for feedback from
coaches and coachees, and listen to what
people say about the coaching process. If
the coaching programme isn’t working,
then review, revise and renew.
Finally, you don’t need to work in a
large organisation to enjoy a coaching
culture. Some of the best examples of
coaching cultures I have seen have
come from small companies and
individual practitioners. For example,
a group of self-employed and solo
entrepreneurs can gather monthly to
coach each other. Reach out into your
network to look for other professionals
who want to engage in a coaching
programme. Coaching keeps each
person accountable and aligned with
business goals as you plan the next
stages of business growth.