Challenges evident in implementing coaching within organisations

Despite the majority of UK employers (71 per cent) currently using coaching within their organisations, results from the new joint Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Ashridge Centre for Coaching’s research report Coaching in Organisations indicates that efforts to develop coaching capability to support business goals are still in the early stages, with wide variations in practice. As a result, it can be challenging for learning and development practitioners to make judgments about how best to implement coaching within their organisation.

The report highlights that there are many successful approaches to providing coaching services, but 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 intervention to be successful, it must be matched to the 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, the 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.