Does workplace coaching truly improve employee performance and professional outcomes? And can we identify which coaching approaches are more effective and what truly makes coaching effective?
This study sought to examine the impact of workplace coaching on a wide range of personal and professional outcomes, as well as to identify the factors that influence its effectiveness. To do so, the researchers reviewed the scientific literature published since previous meta-analyses and identified 11 studies that met the inclusion criteria. The studies included coaching interventions delivered by trained coaches and examined a broad range of outcomes, including well-being, work engagement, resilience, skills, performance, and leadership. In addition, the effects of several variables were examined, including the coaching approach, coaching delivery method, number of sessions, coaching hours, and type of outcome measures.
The findings showed that workplace coaching has a moderate positive effect on a wide range of personal and professional outcomes. However, no significant differences were found between process-oriented and goal-oriented coaching approaches, or between face-to-face and virtual coaching. In addition, neither the number of coaching sessions nor the total number of coaching hours were significant predictors of coaching outcomes.
The authors conclude that workplace coaching is an effective intervention for improving a wide range of employee outcomes. However, they emphasize that, in order to advance coaching as an evidence-based scientific field, higher-quality studies are needed that clearly define coaching approaches, their mechanisms of action, the characteristics of coaches and coachees, and outcome measures. This will make it possible to understand not only whether coaching works, but also how, for whom, and under which conditions it is most effective.
Citation:
Cannon-Bowers, Janis A., Clint A. Bowers, Catherine E. Carlson, Shannon L. Doherty, Jocelyne Evans, and Julie Hall. 2023. Workplace Coaching: A Meta-Analysis and Recommendations for Advancing the Science of Coaching. Frontiers in Psychology 14:1204166. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1204166