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Developing coaching capability How to design effective coaching systems in organisations
This toolkit is designed to help HR professionals at all levels to assess the coaching capability within their organisation. Its content is modular but we advise you to review the first section before deciding which stage you’re at. So if you are at the start of your coaching journey, go to the first two sections:
If coaching is more advanced, or if you simply want to get motoring on your coaching capability, use the toolkit sections on:
In the later modules you will find help on evaluation and designing your coaching offer. Overall this toolkit will make you more capable in developing your coaching capability.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
the web
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Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
achieving, and address any gaps
their organisations.
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Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
This tool has been compiled following the CIPD’s recent research, undertaken in conjunction with the Ashridge Centre for Coaching, into how coaching can be effectively delivered in organisations: Developing Coaching Capability in Organisations.
The tool combines diagnostic instruments which help you to better understand some important
other organisations deliver coaching. There is also a structured template to help you pull together the conclusions and actions you generate from the instruments and case studies.
One of the key findings of the research is that finding a structure for coaching that matches the organisational context is a key factor for success.
The first instrument, the , sets out seven key contextual areas that organisations need to take account of when delivering coaching. For each factor, you will be able to respond to a set of questions that will help you to describe the context for coaching in your organisation.
You can then use the to help you capture the important implications of context for your coaching offer. You can return to this template again as you use the other tools to further develop your coaching design or redesign.
Whatever context organisations find themselves in, there are some common dilemmas or taxing choices which shape the coaching offer. The sets these out. It helps you to plot your current position and ideal future position in respect of these choices, and to consider the implications of your choices.
The research also highlighted the key roles in coaching in organisations played by the HR team and by line managers. The HR function, often in the form of learning and development or an equivalent team, has a critical role to play in shaping and delivering the coaching service. The second instrument, the lists the key activities that need to be undertaken by HR or learning and development to support coaching delivery in organisations. You can use this instrument to review the role that HR or learning and development currently carries out in your organisation or to think about their role in shaping and delivering a new coaching offer. Do you have all the bases covered? If not, what do you need to add to your activities?
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
The looks at key roles that line managers play in supporting and delivering coaching and provides examples from the research about how other organisations manage these roles. The section also includes which provide further examples from the case study organisations of development processes for coaches.
Finally, the will support you in defining your priorities for evaluating coaching in your organisation.
As you use the tools which you are interested in, you can return to the to record the important actions you discover for your own organisation.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
Coaching is contextual, so it is important to take this into account when setting up a coaching system, and to be responsive to changes.
We found seven key contextual factors that strongly affect the coaching system (Figure 1). They influence, and are influenced by, each other. Ask yourself about each one and how it might impact coaching in your organisation.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
The most effective coaching offers always consider the priorities of the organisation and are responsive to changes in these priorities.
What are your organisation’s
imperatives.)
How might coaching support an effective response to these priorities?
Case examples Coaching in the Metropolitan Police Service takes place in the context of an imperative to
build a more relational approach to policing in the capital. The BBC’s coaching offer is delivered in the context of significant shifts in the organisation’s
strategy as broadcasting broadens into the multimedia environment.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
The purpose of coaching is influenced by business priorities. The purpose will have a significant impact on the coaching offer.
What is the overarching purpose of coaching in your organisation?
Is coaching primarily for personal development or for organisational benefit?
What is the role of coaching as opposed to other interventions?
What is the definition of coaching in your organisation at this time?
Case examples Coaching within the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) is positioned as ‘performance coaching’. The stated aim of ‘performance coaching’ is to ‘enable leaders to maximise their potential and, in accordance, optimise their personal and professional performance in the workplace’. In addition to a clear, consistent definition of coaching, the MPS has also clarified how it supports the overarching learning and development strategy. Bill Griffiths, MPS’s Director of the Leadership Academy, says that
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
The coaching offer needs to be sufficiently compatible with the current organisational culture that it is not rejected, and at the same time distinct enough to make a difference.
While models can be useful to make sense of organisational culture, in practice many professionals rely on an implicit sense of what is and isn’t acceptable in their organisation, together with a readiness to experiment at the boundaries.
How would you describe the culture in your organisation?
What works well in this culture and what doesn’t?
What difference do you want coaching to make to the culture?
What types of structures, systems and processes are likely to work well and model the changes in culture you wish to support?
Case examples Within the Metropolitan Police Service, one of the purposes of developing coaching capability is to support a cultural change from a command and control environment to one that is compatible with a more relational approach to policing. Therefore, coaching has required substantial senior support to be accepted by a culture that has traditionally seen coaching as ‘soft’ or remedial.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
The ease with which a coaching offer is accepted and can be implemented depends on how sceptical or enthusiastic people are towards learning and development, the reputation of the learning and development function, and the perceived success of previous interventions.
How do people tend to respond to learning and development interventions within your organisation?
How is the HR or learning and development function perceived in your organisation?
Example In organisations where the profile of learning and development is low, coaching is often offered as
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
The perception of coaching is often based on prior experience, or simply on a set of (often false) assumptions about what coaching is (soft, remedial, psychotherapy and so on). There may be a need for a conscious effort to reposition coaching in the face of strongly held assumptions.
What experience do people in your organisation have of coaching?
Are these experiences positive or negative?
What assumptions do people hold about the purpose of coaching?
What assumptions do they hold about the form that coaching might take?
Case example Essex County Council development team has found that more people are inclined to opt for mentoring than coaching because there is a widespread belief that coaching is a remedial activity. The council is therefore actively engaged with changing this perception so that more staff access the service.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
A key consideration for many organisations is the availability of resources such as people, funding and, in some cases, time. Not having skilled internal coaches may be a significant factor in the decision to offer external coaches. Conversely, it can be a driver to develop internal coaching capability.
What are the constraints within your organisation in terms of resources?
Are there any time limits in respect of the coaching offer (for example, objectives with a set time? frame that coaching needs to support).
Case example When Oxford City Council considered its drive to offer coaching widely in light of its limited
internal specialist coaches. So far the council has developed 20 internal coaches, who have offered coaching to more than 100 individuals.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
way coaching is offered. For example, where there is visible, enthusiastic support from senior management, it is easier for coaching to be high profile and explicitly linked into wider organisational strategies and processes. Conversely, where the senior team is less aware and supportive of coaching, or reluctant to offer coaching widely across the organisation, coaching offers tend to be more experimental and low key, and are often successfully launched via a bottom–up process.
How supportive is the senior team of coaching?
Who are the key leaders and influencers within different parts of the organisation?
What role are they willing to play in supporting coaching?
Case examples The director of HR at the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and his colleagues on the MPS board are
When internal coaching was launched within the BBC it was originally offered informally via an invitation on the intranet to participate in a pilot. The coaching team was soon inundated with willing participants and some five years later, the BBC has developed a formal internal coaching offer, which last year touched over 500 people per year.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
Having worked your way through the coaching context navigator you will have an idea of the context for coaching in your organisation. You will also have begun to think about how this context affects the choices you make about designing and implementing a successful coaching system. You may now like to complete the part of the coaching design template that helps you articulate your choices about how to structure coaching.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
If you have worked through the coaching context navigator you will be aware of the wider organisational context within which coaching sits. You will also recognise the importance of this context in designing and implementing a successful coaching offer.
The coaching decisions activity sets out some of the common dilemmas or taxing choices facing those deciding how to structure and manage coaching in organisations. For example, will coaching be fully
independent intervention? There are nine questions, some of which you can revisit in more depth in other sections of the tool.
For each question, use the sliding scale to select the response which best suits your organisation. Where are you now? Where would you like to be in the future?
At the end of this process you can reflect on the implications for coaching in your organisation and record these in the coaching design template.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
This choice is concerned with the extent to which coaching is integrated into the wider learning and development strategy.
Coaching is explicitly linked with wider HR and Coaching operates outside the HR and learning and learning and development activities such as development system as a separate activity. performance management and development programmes. Coaching is written into the learning and development strategy.
When coaching is woven into other Greater independence from other processes gives activities it is reinforced and can reinforce greater opportunity for flexibility and allows ad hoc the learning from those activities. coaching to spring up in the organisation.
Coaching can often gain credibility from Coaching which is fully independent might be being linked with formal approaches difficult to monitor and evaluate. and strategies which are accepted in the organisation.
Coaching is relational and responsive and may be constrained if it needs to ‘fit’ into other programmes or strategies.
There is likely to be more supporting material, for example in the form of guidelines and protocols.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
Most organisations assert that their coaching offer is in service of both organisational and personal development. However there is usually a primary focus and it is helpful to be clear on whether this is towards the organisation or the individual. This has particular implications for positioning coaching, the type of resource required to deliver coaching and, most critically, evaluating the coaching offer.
The focus is on achieving organisational outcomes by working with the individual. For example, organisation change.
Evaluation should be at the organisational level, even if other factors may also influence the outcome.
Individual objectives will be set with organisational issues at the forefront.
The focus is to develop individuals. This might be a particular step up that an individual needs to make (for example, first 100 days coaching). This is based on the assumption that this will improve their ways of working and further down the line will deliver benefits for the organisation.
Evaluation might effectively be centred on the
manager), coupled with anecdotal evidence of wider organisational benefits.
Objectives will focus on personal development needs.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
This choice is about identifying the target group for coaching. It is closely linked to the purpose for coaching and is impacted by other contextual factors, such as resource availability and organisation culture.
Coaching is available to everyone in the Coaching is made available to select groups within organisation. The form of coaching may vary. the organisation only. For example, as part of specific There is often a drive to create a coaching development programmes or team development processes. culture.
Heavy resource requirement and likely Groups must be selected appropriately and based on need to develop coaching capability an explicit and clear rationale. internally.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
This choice is about sourcing coaches and exploring the implications of building internal capability or buying in external support.
Coaching is outsourced to independent coaches Coaching is delivered by dedicated internal specialists or or an organisation that offers coaching services. line managers.
The cost per hour will be high, but if There will be training and support requirements for numbers being coached are small, this coaches and a need to recognise and legitimise time
spent coaching. manage. Confidentiality must be treated with the utmost
respect so that coachees feel confident holding frank conversations.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
While linked to the process for managing coaching (standardised versus bespoke), this choice is about where ownership of coaching rests in the organisation.
Ownership of both strategic and tactical Ownership of strategic and tactical decisions and the decisions about coaching rests with a central budget for coaching activities rests with individual line group, usually the learning and development managers in different parts of the business. function. The budget is held centrally.
The challenge is to ensure that processes Central HR or learning and development will need are responsive enough to the potentially to relinquish their need to control or know about diverse needs within the organisation. coaching.
Learning and development needs to Ownership of coaching is held close to the critical enjoy a high level of connection with the relationship between coach, coachee and line business. manager.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
HR or learning and development has a crucial role to play in supporting coaching. This role depends on factors such as the L&D climate and organisational culture. In most organisations HR displays an element of both manager and enabler. Sometimes HR’s role is skewed towards one or the other. Use the tool below to assess where your organisation fits.
HR retains control of the coaching system HR creates the conditions for effective coaching to happen and manages the process. HR is involved and ownership rests with the line. The HR team does not in matching, setting objectives and making make tactical decisions about coaching and the budget for decisions about which individuals receive coaching may sit in the line. The focus of HR’s activities is coaching. HR is likely to hold the budget for in providing enabling frameworks, developing capability coaching activities. and taking an organisational overview.
Close management of coaching processes If there is too little structure or support coaching may may stifle creativity in the coaching fizzle out or the quality may be very variable across relationships and creative use of coaching the organisation. in the line.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
This choice concerns the degree to which coaching services are standard and consistent across the organisation.
People across different parts of the organisation The coaching offered is entirely dependent on individual needs.
centrally.
People throughout the organisation can A bespoke offer is by definition highly responsive to have a similar experience of coaching, so individual requirements and this can cause challenges that there is no internal ’postcode lottery’ for monitoring and evaluating coaching activity. in terms of who gets access to what coaching.
It is a challenge to ensure that the standard approach meets the needs of everyone in the organisation and that it does not become bogged down by bureaucratic processes.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
Is there a stronger need to show results in the short term or in the longer term? Organisations are likely
perspective than another.
Timescale of six months and upwards. Timescale of between zero and six months.
appropriate when coaching is in the service of visible within the first six months of the intervention. a gradual culture shift, a change in the strategic This focus is appropriate where coaching is offered to focus of the organisation or an ongoing respond to immediate individual development needs requirement for development. or when coaching is offered to respond to acute
organisational challenges.
Opportunity to adapt and improve the coaching offer is reduced if evaluation is determined if timescale is too short. too distant from coaching delivery.
The longer the time frame for evaluation and the further from the individual coaching relationship, the more variables
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
It is important that evaluation is aligned with the objectives of the coaching offer. If coaching is primarily for personal development, then the evaluation design should reflect this, and vice versa.
Evaluation processes and techniques help Evaluation processes and techniques help determine how determine what has changed in the wider individual coachees have changed as a result of coaching. organisation as a result of coaching. This includes evaluating the effectiveness of individual
coaching relationships.
Evaluation at the organisational level The line manager will play a critical role in evaluation
at the individual level. evaluation is often used instead. However, if coaching objectives are primarily individual, then this sort of evaluation is of limited value and may not end up providing relevant data.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
Where there is a difference between how coaching is currently structured and managed, and how you would like to see it in the future, what can you do to bridge the gap? Answer with respect to each of the choices outlined above.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
The HR function, learning and development department, or equivalent, has a critical role to play in supporting the coaching offer.
HR or learning and development (L&D) can undertake a range of activities. The nature of these activities is different depending on whether a managing role (taking ownership of coaching and retaining management of the supporting processes) or an enabling role (encouraging ownership of coaching in the business and supporting good management of the supporting processes within the business) is taken.
Tick the box which seems most appropriate for your HR or learning and development function for each activity listed below, and rate how well this activity is delivered.
Holding a clear sense of purpose and role of coaching.
Take an expert role in defining objectives on behalf of the organisation. Ensure that coaching activities are aligned with this purpose.
Work with others to inquire into the role of coaching in supporting organisational objectives. State intentions for coaching in this context.
Poor Excellent
Weaving coaching into relevant activities, such as wider development programmes and performance management.
Provide guidelines about how coaching links with other processes. Design processes that incorporate coaching.
Foster connections between coaching and other activities.
Poor Excellent
Developing the organisation’s understanding of coaching: what it is; what is available; what is the environment that supports it.
Create a clear definition of coaching and communicate this to the organisation. Publish a set of guidelines or list of resources for coaching.
Support the development of a shared understanding of coaching. Signpost useful resources. Support knowledge – sharing and convene groups to learn from each other.
Poor Excellent
Providing enabling frameworks and structures that are compatible with the chosen approach to coaching and the organisation culture.
Create structures, frameworks and processes for coaching that are managed and sit within the HR function.
Create frameworks that may be dispersed around the organisation for use by others.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
Identifying external Set up and manage Support the Poor Excellent coaches and paying attention to the quality
a list of external coaches and match them to
development of criteria for selecting suppliers of
of their practice. coaches. external coaching. Run assessment and Connect internal requests review processes to for coaching with potential monitor quality. coaches for line manager
Set overall objectives
or coachee to select.
Provide frameworks Poor Excellentsetting and evaluation for the coaching offer. of the coaching Evaluate individual and evaluation. relationship. coaching processes
with line manager and coachee.
Set up key coaching sessions, such as review sessions.
Manage organisational
Help communication and connectivity within coaching relationships.
Inquire with others
Poor Excellent
Poor Excellent
Managing relationships within and beyond the
Understanding and communicating the evaluation processes. into coaching activities impact of coaching in the Provide communications and foster sharing of
organisation. materials and present results to senior people.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
Line managers play a critical and active role in coaching in organisations. The 2008 CIPD Learning and Development survey report showed that line managers are the group most heavily involved in delivering coaching in a number of different capacities. At their best, line managers can combine an understanding of the priorities of the business and the team, with an understanding of the development needs of the individual. This allows them to act as both the voice of the individual and as the individual’s sponsor, thus setting development objectives rooted in the business context.
The line manager role review will help you to review the role that line managers take or might take in your organisation.
The review template highlights four key roles that line managers can play in delivering or supporting coaching in organisations. Review each role description and use the template to identify how important this role is in your organisation, and how effectively it is undertaken.
You can then click on the link next to each role to read more about how line managers in other organisations undertake these roles.
Use the action planning section at the end to record any actions that arise from your analysis.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
Support formal coaching offer by:
identifying coaching needs of direct reports
helping to define objectives
helping to evaluate coaching.
How Nokia line managers support a formal coaching offer
Use a coaching style of management with own staff.
How Bombardier line managers use a coaching style of management
Act as internal coaches as part of internal coaching programmes.
How the BBC trains line managers as coaches
Act as internal coaches in informal ad hoc arrangements.
How M&G line managers establish coaching arrangements
Act as sponsors or advocates for coaching in the organisation.
How M&G line managers support and promote coaching
As a result of describing the role of line managers in your organisation, is there anything that needs to be done? For example, to close gaps between areas of high importance and low effectiveness.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
The three case studies linked to in this section provide examples of training and support processes put in place to develop internal coaching capability in three different organisations. There may be valuable insights to help you consider coach development for your own organisation.
Click on the title to read more about any of the examples that are of interest:
Developing internal coaching capability at the BBC.
Ten steps in building coaching capability in the Metropolitan Police Service.
Training line managers to be coaches at Orange.
You may now like to complete the section of the coaching design template concerned with roles and relationships.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
Evaluation is an important component of any coaching system. However, it frequently fails to deliver to its full potential because there is confusion over what is being measured and the data collected is not used appropriately or effectively. When done well, evaluation can be used to:
make sure coaching is serving its intended purpose justify coaching to maintain or gain resources monitor quality monitor the effectiveness of individual coaching relationships support the learning and development of those involved help shape future coaching programmes.
We have developed a framework to help you determine what to evaluate and when, by mapping evaluation along two continua: individual to organisational and immediate to long term. It is not intended to capture all possible evaluation questions, but to stimulate and structure your thinking about what information is required.
We suggest you use the framework and table of methods provided to determine what to collect data on, and how to collect it. The final step is to try it out and adapt it in light of what works best.
There are a number of key questions to consider when you think about what to evaluate before you enter into any deeper analysis. You will need to be clear about who the audience is for any evaluation data and what the data will be used for.
You can then reflect on: the focus for evaluation (individual or organisation).
Then click on the questions in the quadrants that are most relevant to you to discover suggested data collection methods. The full table is provided for reference.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
How well is the coaching relationship working?
conversation or review form.
Highly individual/Immediate
How well are processes and people supporting the coaching relationship?
conversation or review form.
Moderately organisational/ Immediate
What is changing in the organisation as coaching is happening?
Observation, anecdotal data, focus groups and interviews with a range of stakeholders.
Highly organisational/Immediate
What changes are there in individual behaviour and/or performance?
Review individual objectives in coaching contract using a coach and coachee review process. Use 360 and other review processes involving colleagues and stakeholders
months after intervention begins)
What is the impact of changes in individual behaviour on team performance and behaviour?
Review individual objectives. Use 360 and other review processes involving
Refer to records of team performance.
What is the impact of changes in individual behaviour and performance in the business?
Questionnaires, interviews and focus groups involving staff and other stakeholders (including staff satisfaction and organisational culture surveys). Use records of organisational performance and review achievement of specific goals.
Highly organisational/Mid–long term
What changes in individual behaviour and/or performance can be seen over time?
Review individual objectives and personal learning journals. Use 360 and other review processes involving
What changes are there in the organisation that might be attributable to coaching?
Questionnaires, interviews and focus groups involving staff and other stakeholders. Use records of organisational performance. Review achievement of specific goals.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
There are a number of key activities and processes which shape and support the coaching offer. These elements effectively form the design of your coaching offer (or coaching system) and include: goals, roles and relationships, processes, development activities and evaluation approaches.
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
As you have worked through one or more of the instruments or activities in this tool, you should be able to start developing ideas and drawing conclusions about the appropriate design of the coaching system in your organisation. You can use this template to record these ideas.
What is the role and purpose of coaching? How will you set objectives? At what level will you set objectives (organisation, division, team, individual)?
What are the key roles to make coaching successful in your organisation? Consider sponsorship,
learning and development play? Who will deliver coaching?
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
What capability do coaches need in your organisation to deliver on your goals? How will you develop coaches? How will you ensure the quality of coaching?
What types of structures and support are most relevant for your coaching offer?
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
How will you evaluate your coaching service? What is the audience for your evaluation data? What are your evaluation questions? What are your planned data collection methods?
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
In this section you can discover how other organisations have designed and managed their coaching systems. There are 13 case studies in total, which you can select by category, or from the alphabetical list below.
Bombardier Transportation The Cega Group M&G Nokia Orange Yell Zurich Financial Services
NHS Fife Salisbury NHS
Oxford City Council Redbridge Borough Council Essex County Council
Developing coaching capability A CIPD online practical tool
Alzheimer’s Society – UK Charity The BBC – global broadcasting organisation Bombardier Transportation – global manufacturer of transportation products The Cega Group – global medical risk and emergency assistance business The Children’s Society – UK charity Essex County Council – local authority M&G – financial services organisation The Metropolitan Police Service – London’s police service NHS Fife – NHS trust Nokia – global telecommunications organisation Orange – telecommunications provider Oxford City Council – local authority Redbridge Borough Council – local authority Salisbury NHS – NHS trust Yell – international directories business Zurich Financial Services – Swiss based international financial services business