BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
LITERATURE REVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL BEST
PRACTICE IN COACHING
• Coaching has evolved from tutoring to a practice
which can deliver both individual and
organisational change
• Roots in psychology, philosophy and education
• Unlocks potential, maximises performance and
is action orientated
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Who is coaching?
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Two global surveys (ICF and Sherpa Coaching)
One UK Study (Acuity)
30,000 coaches operate globally
Highest % in the US - 50.6%
10% in UK, 9.5% in Canada, 6.5% in Australia,
4.2% in France, 2% in Sweden
• 17% in rest of the world including Ireland
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Who is coaching? (cont)
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60% aged between 46 and 65
86.4% coaching for less than 10 years
53% have advanced degrees (Masters or PHD)
88.2% have at least a Batchelor’s Degree
As it is a relatively new area, its future success
will be highly correlated with ongoing coach
specific training and development
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Areas of Coaching- emerging trends
• Significant increase in coaching as a leadership
development tool
• Coaching to address a specific problem has reduced from
37% to 32%
• Executive coaching is offered to people in transition,
promotions, transfers and new hires
• Significant increase in developing a coaching style of
leadership
• Coaching also offered to new hires, talent and maternity
cover.
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Areas of Coaching – emerging trends (cont)
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Growth of performance coaching
Involves high performers
Organisational development tool
3 most popular areas from the ICF study:
Leadership (58.1%); Executive (57.8% and
Business/Organisations (53.6%)
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Coaching Methodologies
• 49% of executive coaching is in-person
• 72% of executive coaches believe it is the most effective
methodology
• 92% of HR professionals and coaching clients believe inperson delivery is the most effective methodology
• 40% of executive coaching takes place over the phone
(many of these companies have less than 10 employees)
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Coaching Methodologies
• Use of webcam and email have not been notably effective
to date
• Move towards more regular and structured meetings
• Fixed length engagements
• Use of psychometric tools (360 degree feedback)
• Methodologies continue to evolve
• Whole brain thinking – e.g. picture drawing
• Use of drama in leadership coaching
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Executive Coaching:
Regular meetings between a business leader and a
trained facilitator, designed to produce positive
changes in business behaviour in a limited time
frame’ (Sherpa 2008)
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Executive Coaching
• Move from problem solving and stigma of ‘career
saves’
• Executive and leadership coaching now viewed
as a pro-active strategy
• Marks the grooming of an up and coming leader!
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Executive Coaching
Strong correlations between leadership
development and executive coaching (Hernez –
Broome (2004)
Outcomes:
• Managers more focused on goals
• More successful in achieving them
• New learning and behaviour was more closely
related to their roles as leaders and managers
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Executive Coaching
Outcomes (cont)
• The development of a culture of understanding, caring,
exploration, open dialogue and improved business
practices. (Turner 2004)
• Specific skill development e.g. reflective learning skills;
giving and receiving feedback; learning through action;
team building, change management and leadership
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Best Practice
‘Professional standards, coach specialities and coaching
niche areas will further evolve and change as coaching
continues to establish itself as a recognised, stand alone
profession.' Zeus and Skeffington 2002)
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
6 Areas of Effectiveness (Bush 2004)
• Client is motivated and committed to the coaching process
• They are working with a seasoned coach with whom there
is positive rapport
• The coaching engagement is supported by a structured
process and focused on development
• The profile of the coach should include the following:
background, experience, expertise, roles, personal qualities
and including others in the coaching process
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Six Areas of Effectiveness (cont)
• Results are achieved which benefit the client
• There is a recognition that effective coaching
involves sharing responsibility between the three
stakeholders; client, coach and organisation
• Stakeholder roles elaborated (pg 6)
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Best Practice in Executive Coaching (Rock 2005)
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Linking it to organisational goals and strategies
Careful choosing of an appropriate coaching model
Managing the entire process for consistency and quality
Building a team of quality, screened coaches
Preparing staff in advance and not forcing anyone to
engage in coaching
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Best Practice in Executive Coaching (Rock 2005)
(cont)
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Providing strong organisational support
Ensuring coaches are grounded in the companies culture
Allowing each coaching relationship to follow its own path
Ensuring there are documented feedback loops
Building measurement and assessment into the process
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
• Internal Coaches – employees who provide services to
colleagues
• External coaches – independent service providers
• More than two out of three organisations who responded to
the Sherpa study use a combination of internal and external
providers.
• One in ten relies exclusively on external providers
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
CIPD Study (2005)
Criteria for selecting coaches:
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The right cultural ‘fit’
Personal style
A positive track record
A structured approach
Relevant qualifications
Adherence to professional standards
Evidence of supervision
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Supervision
‘ Professional supervision as opposed to
management supervision
A time and space to reflect on ones work with either
a senior colleague, in a led group, or with a
number of peers (Bluckert 2006)
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Benefits of Internal Coaches
• When knowing the company culture, history and politics is
critical
• When easy availability is desired
• When it is necessary to build up high levels of personal
trust over a period of time
• When keeping costs under control
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Benefits of External Coaches
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Providing sensitive feedback to senior business leaders
When there are political reasons
When bringing specialised expertise
When individuals are concerned about ‘conflicts of interest’
and whether confidentiality will be preserved
• When providing a wider range of ideas and experience
• When it is important for an organisation to see external
coaches as less likely to judge and are perceived to be
more objective
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Best Practice and ROI
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Mc Govern et. al (2001)
ROI of 5.7 times initial investment from a coaching programme
Metrix Global (2001) 529% return on investment
BMW, Fortune Magazine – ROI quantified
Sherpa study, Pfeiffer (2004); Acuity Coaching (2008); Schlosser
et al. (2006) – all involved in conducting research on ROI from
coaching.
All involved in developing templates to capture ROI from coaching
Overall findings suggest there are significant opportunities to gain
a return on investment when executive coaching is delivered well.
Returns are both tangible and intangible
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Coaching Culture
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Coaching cannot be effective if conducted outside the context of a
coaching culture
A coaching culture exists ‘where coaching is the predominant
style of managing and working together, and where commitment
to grow an organisation is embedded in a parallel commitment to
grow the people in the organisation’ (Clutterbuck and Megginson
2005)
Coaching is that conversation which creates the new leadership
culture, (it should) not (be used) as a technique within the old
culture. (Everard and Selman 1989)
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Coaching Culture (cont)
How to establish a coaching culture (Clutterbuck
and Meggison 2005)
• Ensuring managers have at least the basic skills of
coaching
• Equiping all employees with the skills to be coached
effectively
• Providing an advanced coaching skills programme for
senior managers
• Providing opportunities to review good coaching practices
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
How to establish a Coaching Culture (Clutterbuck and Meggison
2005)
• Recognising and rewarding managers who demonstrate good
coaching
• Measuring and providing feedback on the quality, relevance and
accessibility of coaching
• Ensuring top management provide strong, positive role models
• Identifying cultural and systems barriers to developmental
behaviours
• HR practitioners can track how much the organisation is
pervieved to support development and coaching activity in a
variety of ways including employee attitude surveys
• Creating a coaching culture generally involves implementing a
long term strategic organisational development programme in an
organisation
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Summary
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Coaching is increasing at all levels within organisations
It has moved from ‘tutoring’ to a role which aims to transform
organisations and the individuals working within them
It is seen to be a leadership development tool
Examples of good practice have been identified
ROI has been identified
It only works well within organisations who have developed
coaching cultures
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BEST PRACTICE IN COACHING
Over to You
NEXT STEPS!!!
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