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Transcript

Welcome to this topic where we will define the coaching culture and explore different approaches to building a coaching culture within an organisation.

Developing a coaching culture

ILM Level 7 Certificate in Effective Coaching and Mentoring

START

Index

References

What is a coaching culture?

Stages of developing a coaching culture

Summary and knowledge check

04

01

03

02

Welcome to this topic where we will define the coaching culture and how to develop a coaching culture within an organisation. Let's get started!

01: What is a coaching culture?

Let's begin

What is a coaching culture?

A coaching culture exists in an organisation when coaching becomes a key aspect of how leaders, managers engage and develop their staff and create shared value with all their stakeholders.

Hawkins (2012)

Explore Hawkins three pillars to create a robust and sustainable coaching strategy and culture:

The term "coaching and mentoring culture" finds its roots in the broader concept of a "learning culture." This broader term, in turn, originates from the idea of a "learning organisation," as proposed by Senge and Garvin in the 1990s.

Internal Factors

What is a learning culture?

What is a coaching culture?

Article: Building a learning organisation (Senge & Gavin, 1993)

What is a coaching culture?

Senge and Garvin's (1993) Harvard Business Review article on Building a Learning Organisation challenges previous scholarly discussions, which were viewed as ‘reverential and utopian, filled with near mystical terminology’. Instead, they define a learning organisation as a place where individuals constantly improve their ability to achieve desired outcomes. It's where innovative thinking is encouraged, shared goals are embraced, and people learn together, fostering a culture of continuous learning.

Activity: Reflection

Let's begin

02: Stages of developing a coaching culture

This pearl of wisdom® explores how organisations can begin to create coaching cultures. After watching the video you will be able to:

  • Define what a coaching culture is
  • Describe the six critical success factors to inform a coaching strategy
  • Identify the best approach developing a coaching in your organisation

Activity: watch the "Creating Coaching Cultures" pearl of wisdom®

Stages of developing a coaching culture

In his latest book Coaching and Mentoring, Clutterbuck (2023) identifies four stages that organisations go through in creating a coaching culture. Explore each of these stages:

Nascent

Tactical

Strategic

Embedded

I've completed!

Stage one: Nascent

In the nascent stage of developing a coaching culture, there is an emerging recognition of the potential benefits of coaching within the organisation. However, coaching efforts remain sporadic and largely driven by individual managers or departments rather than being part of a cohesive organisational strategy. Activities at this stage focus on raising awareness about coaching and experimenting with pilot programmes to gauge its effectiveness in addressing specific needs or challenges.

Stages of developing a coaching culture

Stage two: Tactical

Transitioning into the tactical stage, the organisation adopts a more structured approach to incorporating coaching into its practices. Coaching initiatives are expanded beyond isolated efforts and begin to be integrated into specific areas such as leadership development, performance management, and employee engagement. Training programmes are introduced to equip managers and employees with coaching skills, and metrics are established to measure the impact of coaching interventions on organisational goals.

Stages of developing a coaching culture

Stage three: Strategic

As the organisation progresses to the strategic stage, coaching becomes recognised as a core component of its talent development and performance improvement strategy. Coaching practices are aligned with the organisation's vision, values, and business objectives, and are integrated into its overall strategic planning processes. Senior leaders play a proactive role in promoting and supporting coaching initiatives, and investment in coaching resources increases to support the organisation's strategic goals.

Stages of developing a coaching culture

Stage four: Embedded

Finally, in the embedded stage, coaching is fully integrated into the organisation's culture and ways of working. It becomes a natural and intrinsic part of everyday interactions and processes, rather than being seen as a separate activity or intervention. A coaching mindset permeates the organisation at all levels, fostering a culture of continuous learning, feedback, and growth. Leadership development and talent management practices are built around coaching principles, and coaching competencies are expected of all managers and leaders, contributing to ongoing innovation and change within the organisation.

Stages of developing a coaching culture

Research findings

04: Summary and knowledge check

Let's begin

Summary

In summary...A coaching culture embeds coaching practices into daily interactions, fostering continuous learning and development. To create it, organisations must establish strong leadership support, provide comprehensive training for coaches, integrate coaching into existing processes, and cultivate a culture of feedback, trust, and collaboration among employees at all levels.

Knowledge Check

Decide whether the following statement is true or false.

Knowledge Check

Decide whether the following statement is true or false.

Knowledge Check

Decide whether the following statement is true or false.

Knowledge Check

Decide whether the following statement is true or false.

Knowledge Check

Read the following statement and decide whether it is true or false.

References

  • Building a learning organization (2024) Harvard Business Review. Available at: https://hbr.org/1993/07/building-a-learning-organization (Accessed: 09 April 2024).
  • Clutterbuck, D. and Megginson, D. (2005) Making Coaching Work: creating a coaching culture. London: Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
  • Clutterbuck, D. (2023) Coaching and mentoring: A journey through the models, theories, frameworks and narratives of David Clutterbuck. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.
  • Hawkins, P. (2012) Creating a coaching culture: Developing a coaching strategy for your organization. Maidenhead: Open University Press.
  • Hawkins, P. and Turner, E. (2020) Systemic coaching: Delivering value beyond the individual. London: Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group.

Complete!

Well done! You have completed this topic. Head back to your course page and continue working through the further topics.

What is a learning culture?

A "learning culture" within an organisation is one that encourages and facilitates continuous learning and development among its members. It emphasises the importance of acquiring new knowledge, skills, and insights to adapt to changing circumstances and improve organisational effectiveness. In such a culture, coaching and mentoring are seen as essential tools for fostering growth, enhancing performance, and nurturing talent at all levels.

Pillar 1

The coaching strategy has to be firmly grounded in the organisation’s purpose and mission, its strategy, development plans and its people development policies. For example, talent retention and recruitment.

Coaching infrastructure comprises of three key elements: robust sponsorship from leaders, a dedicated management team to drive and coordinate coaching activities, and the establishment of a community of practice among coaches. This community fosters collaboration, ensuring coaches are aligned with the organisation's goals, thereby contributing to the creation of a coaching culture committed to organisational success.Clutterbuck & Megginson (2005) suggests that a coaching culture extends to the whole organisation. This reflects Hawkins (2020) proposal that coaching is systemic and found that many coaches said ‘they believe if the individual grows and develops, then automatically their team, organisation and organisation’s stakeholders benefit’.

Pillar 3

Pillar 2

The coaching culture aligns with the wider culture change, supporting Drucker's argument of "culture eats strategy for breakfast," which emphasises the importance of ensuring consistency, leadership support, structural integration, and employee engagement.

Article: Building a learning organisation (Senge & Gavin, 1993)

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Article: Building a learning organisation

After reviewing Senge and Garvin's (1993) article, reflect and record your thoughts on the following questions in relation to practices within your own organisation:

  • Why is a learning organisation important to organisational development?
  • How does a learning organisation influence and motivate its employees?
  • How does a learning organisation encourage and support continuous learning for all employees?
  • How are employees encouraged to share their knowledge and experiences with each other in your organisation?
  • How are employees encouraged to challenge the status quo and think creatively about problem solving?
  • How does your organisation evaluate and reflect on its practices to support continuous improvement?

Reflection

Further research findings

Clutterbuck made an intriguing observation in his research, noting that he did not encounter any organisations that had fully reached the final stage (embedded) of developing a coaching culture. However, he did identify pockets of excellence within larger company structures. Unfortunately, the specific sectors to which these organisations belonged were not specified in the research.