The 4 stages of coaching culture in organisations

what stage is your organisation at?

According to Megginson and Clusterbuck, in the article "Creating a coaching culture", published in the scientific journal "Industrial and Commercial Training", in 2006, there are 4 stages of coaching culture in organisations:

1st Stage - nascent: organisations where there are already some forms of coaching without a specific structure or strategy. At this stage there is still little knowledge and experience about what to expect from coaching processes and there is still a certain insecurity on the part of the beneficiaries who are involved in these processes.

2nd Stage - Tactical: the organisation recognises some value of coaching processes, but it will be an exclusive task of the Human Resources department, who will identify some needs for using coaching processes. The beneficiaries of the processes already feel some safety in sharing coaching, but ideally they prefer external coaching services to feel in a totally confidential environment.

Stage 3 - Strategic: considerable effort has been made to get everyone in the organisation to see the value of coaching, and to be aware of the proficient use of coaching skills to be used in various situations. Managers are rewarded for the use of coaching in formal situations, such as at performance talks. There is already integration of coaching into HR systems, which works in a mechanical way. And there are models to ensure security and confidentiality in sharing during coaching processes.

Stage 4 - Embedded: employees are all involved in coaching, formally and informally, and at 360º. And most of this coaching applies even at an informal level. Coaching is an integral competence part of HR systems, applying automatically and without being felt as an obligation. Coaching skills are fully widespread, so anyone can share their ethical and behavioural challenges, knowing that their motivations will be respected and that their colleagues will not make judgements, but perceive these difficult conversations as opportunities for personal and professional development.