The Institute of Leadership & Management recognises the importance and role of coaching within organisations. Furthermore, we have specifically identified coaching as a component of Achievement, one of our Five Dimensions of Leadership. For these reasons, we have carried out a series of research projects into coaching and how organisations use coaching to influence company culture, dating back to 2011.
As well as looking at the impact of coaching approaches on management success, we have explored what makes a great coach and what happens when high-achieving leaders have coaching conversations. In our 2017 research, Successful Coaching: Demonstrating its value, we focused on how the effectiveness of coaching can be measured. This is extremely important given the large-scale investment that both individuals and organisations make in coaching interventions, in terms of both time and money.
In this report, we publish the results of our latest research into the impact of coaching on organisational culture. Specifically, we are looking at the issue of whether managers are using coaching approaches to develop and motivate their staff? And if they are using these approaches, do their teams perceive that this is what their managers are doing?
Research Highlights
More than 1,000 line managers and staff who are managed were surveyed for our research. The message that emerged is that there was a clear difference of opinion between managers and managed staff as to whether managers use coaching approaches.
When asked, managers either agreed or strongly agreed that they:
- Assist individuals in setting their goals
- Encourage individuals to find their own solutions to problems
- Listen to their staff more than they speak to their staff
- Take responsibility for continued staff development
Managed staff, on the other hand, did not share their managers’ perceptions that they are taking a coaching approach. For example, while managers agreed or strongly agreed that they assist individuals in setting their goals and finding their own solutions, managed staff only slightly agreed with these statements. Similarly, while managers agreed that they listen to their staff more than they speak to their staff, managed staff only slightly agreed with this statement as well.