Doing it for yourselves - creating a coaching culture

Getting the right contribution from all members of a team is the mark of a successful organisation. But how to do this has changed.

An emphasis on coaching – giving senior managers the tools to help others trust their own judgement and make their own decisions – can be invaluable in moving away from a command and control culture to one with more shared responsibility.

There is considerable academic support for the view that developing a coaching culture can yield significant organisational benefits. In a 2004 Harvard Business Review article Sherman and Freas argued the case for a coaching culture in this way: “When you create a culture of coaching, the result may not be directly measurable in dollars. But we have yet to find a company that can't benefit from more candour, less denial, richer communication, conscious development of talent, and disciplined leaders who show compassion for people.”

A coaching culture promotes more open communication. It builds trust and respect. It improves working relationships by showing how everyone can bring something to the party. In too many organisations coaching is seen as a remedial activity. By firmly embedding it in the culture of an organisation you can begin to use it as a development tool where everyone can recognise that part of their role involves facilitating the development of others. This, in turn, can bring significant operational improvements.

Our internal coaching skills programme equips your leaders to nurture and guide their own teams.