7 Reasons Why Most Attempts To Create A Coaching Culture Fail

Emma Weber

Much has been written in the past decade on the importance of creating a coaching culture.

Forbes suggest that a coaching culture can increase engagement, retention and improve overall morale, as well as create greater self-awareness and more effective communication. All of which supports team cohesion and alignment.

The Centre for Creative Leadership reported how the introduction of coaching conversations at a banking organisation resulted in the value equivalent of 3 million euros based on the time spared, decisions made, actions taken, proposals won, and conflicts managed.

We too have seen the importance in our own research. Twice as many learning leaders are reporting their organisation’s investment in learning is far superior when leaders practice and demonstrate coaching at every level. Nearly a quarter (23%) of individuals surveyed at organisations where coaching is demonstrated assessed that their organisation’s efforts to support learners in sustaining their after-training behaviour change was highly effective, compared to only 5% from individuals at organisations where coaching is not employed.

We know that creating a coaching culture is important.

So why have many companies tried and failed?

Here are the top 7 reasons why most attempts to create a coaching culture fail –

1. No learning transfer strategy to support the initial training! Many organisations have invested in training leaders and managers in coaching skills but failed to see behaviours changed. This is often because they rolled out the initial training without a transfer strategy! Coaching vs telling is a difficult skill to change and despite knowing what to do without supporting people in transfer, the benefits will be low. Giving people training in a simple coaching tool or framework is not enough.

2. The framework is too broad. If people are taught a coaching tool that can be used in almost any situation it will leave them confused. Without some structure on how or when to use it (especially initially) it all falls flat. Enter here specifically training managers to focus first on transfer of learning – that way they learn the skill in a controlled remit which once proficient they can then transfer into other areas.

3. Coaching is one of those skills that is simple but not easy! In fact, the simplicity of many coaching tools can provide a false sense of security. Most organisations roll out using the GROW framework or a similar one. A basic coaching framework in its simplest form will only work 20-30% of the time when a manager is working with one of their team who is keen, engaged and easily coachable. And to some extent these are the people who need coaching the least! Unfortunately, a good 70% of your workforce probably don’t fall into this bracket and they are the group who need coaching the most. Most coaching programs fail to teach people how to coach the difficult people and what to do when the coaching model doesn’t go to plan… get this right and you will start to create traction.

4. The power of coaching isn’t a single conversation! The power is in the follow up conversations checking in on progress of actions agreed. This is where the real value is realised, yet most frameworks fail to recognise how essential capturing commitments and following up is.

5. When it comes to implementation, the temptation to ‘Tick the Box’ devalues the process and makes it a waste of time for everyone. Some organisations in an attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of coaching have made the measure ‘if the session happened or not’, not how effective the conversation was. Through needing a form to be checked when a conversation happens some can game the system and be applauded for having a high number of coaching conversations irrespective or quality or impact. To create real outcomes, organisations need to steer away from any temptation to make it a tick the box session.

6. People don’t really know what good coaching looks like – Many, many managers think they are coaching or they ‘do’ coach and quite frankly they aren’t. You probably see some of them in your organisations. They confuse coaching with giving advice and don’t even realise when they are doing it. Just because they sit down to have a conversation it doesn’t mean they are coaching. Many managers seem to have mastered the art of the “queggestion” – a question disguised as a suggestion! While it might feel useful, it does not encourage internal dialogue and reflection. (Thanks to Michael Stratford who coined this excellent phrase!)

7. Coaches peak too soon. Managers who are coaching often stop at the “Ah ha” moment and bask in the glory of a powerful moment of reflection! Sometimes at the “Ah ha” moment the penny drops and Managers think their job is done… however in reality it’s only just started. The next step is crucial which is helping the individual really create clarity for how they will change – what can they put in place that will reinforce the insight in the moment when it matters. Tightening up on this phase and getting really specific improves outcomes… and after all that’s what you are all looking to achieve.

At Lever, we have a hypothesis – don’t give up on creating a coaching culture just re-think how you will implement it.

Give managers enough structure that you can really wrap your arms around in terms of implementation. Give them more than a model, really equip them to excel and support them to deal with difficult coaching conversations.

Measure and track the results.

At Lever we feel so strongly that organisations of the future need leaders with exceptional coaching skills. We have broken from our norm of only supplying learning transfer services to creating a truly unique offering that will support your internal L&D team or Managers to create a coaching culture and embed learning with transfer.

Talk to us if you would like to find out if we are a good match for what we are trying to achieve or not. Our work is guaranteed to your complete satisfaction.

And we are only ever satisfied when you are.