Despite the majority of UK employers using coaching within their organisations, new research indicates that coaching to support business goals is still in the early stages, with wide variations in practice.
As a result, learning and development practitioners can find it challenging to make judgements about how best to implement coaching within their organisations.
The joint CIPD and Ashridge Centre for Coaching report highlights that there are many different approaches to providing coaching services that are successful. However, many organisations are still finding their way through ‘trial and error’ and would like more assurance on whether or not they are on the right path. What is all too clear is that for a coaching to be successful, it must be matched to business needs.
Dr John McGurk, CIPD learning, training and development adviser, comments:
“Most practitioners believe the effectiveness of each individual coaching relationship is what matters in delivering successful outcomes in coaching. Learning and development professionals play a key role in embedding this process within their organisation. This is the overarching tension that continues to challenge organisations fundamentally in all aspects of their chosen approach to coaching – from objective setting, to structuring services and evaluation.”
A number of case studies, including The Alzheimer’s Society, BBC, Nokia, Oxford City Council and Zurich Financial Services, are profiled in the report to help highlight unique cross-sector approaches to coaching as well as helping to identify structures, processes, roles, training, quality and evaluation of coaching services.
McGurk adds: “Learning and development professionals must be in tune with their organisation, while understanding and sometimes protecting the value coaching can offer.
“The most significant challenge for businesses is to develop the appropriate level of structure to enable coaching relationships to be as effective as possible. A one-size-fits-all approach will never offer real value.”
The report, Coaching in Organisations, will be launched at the CIPD’s annual HRD conference today, 15 April 2008. The report aims to give additional guidance for HR, training and learning and development professionals as to how best to implement their coaching strategies.
