Aligning organisational coaching with leadership behaviour

This case study investigated ways in which a coaching culture can improve organisational effectiveness and had six objectives: (i) explore the view that coaching in the workplace, supported by a strategic coaching framework, is an effective means of enhancing employee engagement and performance; (ii) identify key characteristics and barriers to building a management coaching capability able to deliver an improved quality of performance in the workplace; (iii) develop a model of conducive attributes, initiatives and management capabilities that enhance coaching effectiveness; (iv) understand the nature of coaching within an organisation; (v) establish the most effective ways in which coaching can achieve an improved quality of performance and (vi) evaluate the effect of a 'strategic coaching approach' on engagement and individual performance. The research study was primarily based on data obtained from a UK building society. A multiple methodological approach utilising data gathered from surveys, interviews and discussion groups was designed to reflect the organisational nature of the research, the views of the participants and to facilitate learning which may be transferable to similar organisational contexts. This research study was undertaken over a seven year period, to enable contextualisation of the research activity within a realistic corporate planning cycle. The research time span resulted in the research stance undergoing two stages of evolution/perspective; from employee/researcher with an `insider' understanding; to the position of researcher with an `ex-insider/outsider' perspective, the researcher having left the organisation before the research was completed. Many participants also contributed to the research from both perspectives since their career paths followed similar trajectories. The longitudinal nature of the study combined with the 'insider/outsider' research stance has highlighted new insights into evidence-based learning providing an enhanced understanding of culture, leadership, management skills and performance in an organisational coaching context and which evidenced that organisational coaching has the potential to increase statistically significantly both employee engagement and performance. In doing so the thesis challenges the skills driven competency paradigm (often utilised singularly in organisations with the aim of achieving immediate behavioural change) and argues that an ambietic, holistic approach encompassing a range of organisational driven interventions focused on leadership development acknowledging the importance of emotional intelligence, employee engagement, Ilk alignment, evaluation and continuous improvement is needed to achieve a sustainable coaching culture and the related performance benefits