Coaching - does it work?

The Science of Coaching

Coaching is not a therapy but is based on evidence-based scientific principles. These include active listening, feedback, self awareness, emotional intelligence, behavioural change, neuroscientific theory and goal setting models. On an individual basis Coaching enables the client to understand their goals, determine the pathway needed to achieve them and to plan positively for the future. On an organisational basis Coaching promotes inclusivity, attraction, engagement and retention of staff. On both a personal and organisational level Coaching seeks to encourages meaningful careers, build sustainable workforces and identify hidden talent. 

Coaching and Culture

Roger Kline in an important and timely paper looked at the effectiveness of current NHS approaches to improving organisational culture – specifically bullying, whistleblowing, discipline, recruitment and career progression, concluding that ‘In the NHS, an effective theory of change will require a narrative emphasising improvement as well as compliance, and an approach that recognises the need to change staff behaviours alongside board - led interventions ... A primary reliance on policies, procedures and training will not, in isolation, reduce bullying, improve the effectiveness or safety of whistleblowing, create a disciplinary environment focused on learning, or recruitment and career progression underpinned by fairness. An alternative approach, rooted in accountability theory and an understanding of how to mitigate bias, is significantly more likely to both improve these indicators and help create a culture of inclusion and psychological safety that evidence suggests is effective and appropriate in healthcare’.

Promoting wellbeing and development

A meta-analysis of the impact of coaching on physician wellness  concluded ‘There were 1099 participants across all included studies. ... All quantitative studies reported effectiveness of coaching for at least one outcome assessed. The included qualitative study reported a perceived positive impact of coaching by participants. Evidence from available RCTs suggests coaching for physicians can improve well-being and reduce distress/burnout’. 

Fiona Day in a recent BMJ Leader Article demonstrated  a statistically significant improvement in wellbeing scores of 80 UK based Doctors and Medical and Public Health Leaders following coaching. 

In 2023 a study of 115 Medical students acrross the UK demonstrated the benefits of on-line coaching in improving psychological resilience, depression, burnout and confidence in their ability to cope with stress.

The Institute of Coaching outlined the personal benefits of coaching indicated that ‘80% of people who undergo coaching report a boost in self-confidence and over 70% benefit from improved work performance… Coaching provides an invaluable space for personal development’. 

The existing research on the effectiveness of Workplace Coaching was analysed with the authors concluding that 

• Our meta-analysis supports the positive effects of workplace coaching as an approach to employee learning and development in organisations, with a variety of criteria.

• Workplace coaching was effective whether conducted face-to-face or using blended techniques (i.e., blending face-to-face with e-coaching).

   A study by the Institute for Employment Studies of 100 Coachees found:

• Statistically significant rises in employee perceptions of their well‐being at work  

• Increased overall wellbeing scores in relaxation, usefulness and clear thinking. 

• Improved ability to deal with problems and cope with the unexpected

• Employee engagement was marginally improved but not to a statistically significant degree in the study

Enhancing Leadership

A review of Coaching practice in Nursing looked at 18 published articles concluding that ‘Coaching provides capabilities to enhance nursing leadership, performance improvement and to provide support to staff … The benefits of coaching in nursing extend beyond the leadership level and there is opportunity to extend the operationalisation of coaching practice and coaching training within the discipline of nursing. This integrative review explains how coaching has been utilised in nursing to be a valuable tool in developing nurse leaders and clinical staff’.

Improving performance

The effectiveness of workplace coaching was also reviewed in a large-scale meta-analysis. ‘The results confirm that psychologically informed coaching approaches facilitated effective work-related outcomes, particularly on goal attainment (g = 1.29) and self-efficacy (g = 0.59). Besides, these identified coaching frameworks generated a greater impact on objective work performance rated by others (e.g. 360 feedback) than on Coachees' self-reported performance. Moreover, a cognitive behavioural-oriented coaching process stimulated individuals' internal self-regulation and awareness to promote work satisfaction and facilitated sustainable changes. Yet, there was no statistically significant difference between popular and commonly used coaching approaches. Instead, an integrative coaching approach that combines different frameworks facilitated better outcomes including coachees' psychological well-being’.

A British Psychological Society report found that ‘Coaching helped to increase the participants’ confidence. Improved confidence led to other benefits including improved job performance and assertiveness, and was also associated with benefits outside work.’ 

The International Coach Federation (ICF) in a global study of coaching clients showed that 73% of  reported a better working relationship, 72% reported improved communication skills, 71% reported improved interpersonal skills, 70% reported improved work performance, and 67% reported a better work/life balance 

Improving Resilience

Resilience based interventions in trainees were assessed at undergraduate and postgraduate level; the article concludes that ‘Findings suggest that resilience curricula may be of benefit to medical trainees. Resilience training is an emerging area of medical education that merits further investigation’. 

A randomised clinical trial of Coaching involving 1017 female trainee physicians found that ‘participants randomly assigned to a 4-month group-coaching program had a statistically significant reduction in all scales of burnout, moral injury, and impostor syndrome, as well as improved self-compassion and flourishing, compared with the control group… These findings suggest that an online, multimodal, group coaching program is an effective intervention to decrease distress and improve well-being for women physician trainees.