The CIPD conducted research into the evidence for the use of coaching as a learning intervention and returned some interesting results.

Rather than focusing on the techniques of coaching, a key recommendation is to focus on the relationship, which is exactly what I've advocated in my book Coaching Excellence. Here are some more of the CIPD's recommendations, and you can download the full report here..

  • Approach coaching critically in your organisation. How has coaching arisen? Has the question been asked about its value and effectiveness? Is coaching the best intervention available or is it a knee-jerk response? Is coaching being used as organisational aspirin, generic and routine?
  • Become familiar with the academic evidence for coaching and related areas.
  • Understand how coaching contributes towards line manager effectiveness based on key basic and advanced skills. It is important to focus less on techniques and theories of coaching and more on the ability to have productive coaching conversations about performance, goal-setting and learning.
  • Support the coaching and mentoring skills and behaviours of line managers and emphasise the consequence and impact of different approaches. Short courses and prescribed reading can be supplemented by better embedded learning of coaching skills.
  • Contribute to the evidence-informed approach. Whether you deliver coaching as a coach, help deliver it as an L&TD specialist or use it as part of your management approach, we’d like to hear about how you focus on the key evidence-informed principles and how you build the evidence for coaching and mentoring.