BUSINESS RESEARCH

The Benefits of a Coaching Culture

Top-down leadership is giving way to dynamic, coaching-led cultures where feedback, reflection, and shared growth are the norm. A coaching culture shifts leadership from command to conversation - enhancing engagement, performance, and adaptability. This Hot Topic explores the measurable benefits, the behaviours that define coaching-led teams, and how leaders at all levels can build and champion a coaching culture.

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The Benefits of a Coaching Culture

Old leadership styles prioritised direction and control, a model fit for stable, predictable environments. But today’s leaders need to respond to fast-moving challenges, emotional nuances, and diverse team dynamics. A coaching culture helps them do just that, fostering development through dialogue rather than directives. The shift includes:

     
  • From telling to asking
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  • From correcting to developing
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  • From performance management to performance growth

According to Kapoutzis et al. (2023), organisations with coaching cultures consistently report:

     
  • Higher employee engagement and retention
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  • Stronger team performance
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  • More innovation and creative problem-solving
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  • Faster adaptation to change
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  • Improved trust and collaboration across functions

Coaching Culture in Action:
Without Coaching Culture vs With Coaching Culture:

     
  • Top-down leadership / Collaborative leadership
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  • Rare or one-sided feedback / Continuous two-way feedback
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  • Fear of mistakes / Mistakes seen as learning tools
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  • Reactive development / Ongoing, proactive learning
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  • Managers solve problems / Leaders empower ownership

5 Steps to Build a Coaching Culture:

  1. Model the Way - Leaders must walk the talk: listen actively, ask powerful questions, and support self-discovery.
  2. Train at All Levels - Coaching isn’t just for managers. Equip everyone with coaching skills to boost everyday conversation.
  3. Normalise Coaching Conversations - Embed coaching language in performance reviews, onboarding, meetings, and informal chats.
  4. Celebrate Growth, Not Just Results - Reward curiosity, reflection, and progress; not just outcomes.
  5. Create Safe Spaces - Build psychological safety so people can reflect, share, and grow without fear (Harvard Business Review, 2020).

Referenced techniques

Technique

GROW Coaching Model

Sir John Whitmore is considered one of the founding fathers of modern performance coaching. The model he devised (the GROW model) is used worldwide by coaches and leaders as an aid to personal development.

Technique

Coaching

Coaching is a method of personal and professional development that focuses on achieving set goals. A balance of Vision, Support and Challenge is used to help clients identify areas for improvement, with the conversation also helping to plan the route to success.

Technique

Contracting and Re-contracting

Contracting is vital to all coaches; it sets the parameters of the relationship and helps to build trust between coach and coachee. Without a contract, a coach may find it difficult to ensure their coachee is on track and following the plan they have laid out together.

Technique

Visualisation

Visualisation is a powerful tool that coaches can use to help clients achieve their goals. Visualisation involves creating a mental image of a desired outcome or state and using this image to inspire and motivate action. There are several visualisation techniques that coaches can use, each with its own strengths and weaknesses.

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