Coaching to embed learning &
unleash a collaborative culture
Kate Cooper MBA, BSc, MEd, FInstLM
Senior Advisor: Leadership & Management Development
Institute of Leadership & Management
1st October 2014

Who is ILM?

Our vision
Social and economic prosperity achieved
through excellence in leadership and
management
We unleash leadership and
management talent.

Background
Coaching has grown to become a
multimillion business (Western, 2012)
$1.5bn to $2bn from 2007 to 2012
(PwC) 47,500 coaches (IFC)
A professional field is emerging from
what Sherman and Freas in 2004
characterised as…
“The Wild West of Executive Coaching”

What is coaching?
“definitions of coaching vary…a collaborative
relationship formed between coach and coachee
for the purpose of attaining professional or
personal development outcomes which are valued
by the coachee..” Grant et al (2010)
“Coaching is the art of facilitating another person’s
learning, development and performance. Through
coaching, people are able to find their own
solutions, develop their own skills and change their
own behaviours and attitudes.”
(ILM, Worth Consulting, 2013. p. 2).

Why coaching?
Challenging times for the leadership and
management of organisations …

Coaching improves

Our research
ILM carried out a survey of L&D
managers at 250 large UK
organisations and found that 80%
had or were using coaching.
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80%

Does it work?
95% say coaching benefits
the organisation
96% say coaching
benefits the individual
95% 96%

How do we know it works ?
By 2003, there had
been only131 peer-reviewed
studies
published since 1937.
Of these, just 56 were
empirical, and few met
standards of reliable
methodology. (Grant,
2004)

So why do organisations use coaching?
A recent ILM survey identified the top reasons organisations used
coaching. The top listed were:
» Individual and professional progression 53%
» To improve specific areas of performance 26%
» As part of a wider management or leadership programme 21%
» To provide development for senior management 19%
» To enable progression within an organisation 12%
» To support achievement of specific objectives or aims 12%

Middle managers
hold the key to closing the
disconnect between
directors and those
managing frontline staff
CEO
Senior managers
Middle managers
First line managers
Source: Added Values: The importance of ethical leadership, ILM Report June 2013
The leadership and management talent pipeline, ILM Report, August 2012
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Important to develop first line managers
they receive the least training but have the
greatest need of support
Target development at all
levels not just at the top
Develop leaders at
all levels
Who should you coach?

Coaching
encourages
collaboration

Features of a coaching conversation
• Coach listens a lot more than talks
• Are all about the coachee, the coaches own views and opinions
are not part of a coaching conversation
• A willingness to see the world from where the coachee is looking at
it
• Convey a belief that the coachee is talented and capable
• Encourage action, ask what the coachee is going to do
• Do not disempower the coachee
• Encourage aspirations and ambitions.
• Comfortable with ambiguity, uncertainty and not knowing

Coaching embeds learning

Good coaches
need training too

Measure effectiveness

Measures
1. 2. 3. 4.
Self Assessment
• Time related
actions, fewer,
shorter
meetings,
• Feelings,
• Confidence
Colleagues
• 360 feedback
• Apprasials
• Informal
feedback
Coach
• Comparison with
agreed
outcomes
• Expert
assessment
Performance
Measures
• Meeting own
targets
• Team
performance
• HR measures

In summary…
To ensure your organisation is
equipped for the future:
» Use coaching to improve skills , flexibility
relationships and increase confidence
» Coaching supports cultural transformation
» Make every conversation a coaching conversation
» Coach at all levels
» Train your coaches
» Measure success
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Thank you
For more information visit our website
www.i-l-m.com
@ILM_UK
www.linkedin.com/company/
institute-of-leadership-and-management-ilm
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