Coaching for better results: key practices of high performance leaders

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the issue of workplace coaching and offers insight into the various coaching practices that are necessary to produce better employee performance and results. Design/methodology/approach – The paper reports on a survey of 219 experienced managers who were asked to respond to a series of questions on the subject of coaching on a four point strongly agree to strongly disagree scale and references previous research in the discussion. Findings – Key findings include that participant managers consider: coaching to be critical to their success and the success of their employees; coaching requires individualized strategies based on the employee's ability and motivation; employees do not always receive the coaching they want and need; and managers believe that they have considerable room for development in this critical leadership practice. Research limitations/implications – The primary limitation of this descriptive study is the use of a targeted convenience sample which might restrict the generalizability of these findings. Practical implications – Implications of this research include: organizations placing greater effort in assisting managers to develop their coaching talents; managers tailor‐making coaching strategies for individual employees; and creating a better understanding of the factors that drive employee performance and what managers can and should do to impact these factors. Originality/value – This paper moves away from the concept of “generic” coaching and makes a very strong case for “individualized approaches” to employee coaching and for managers to give coaching greater time and priority on a daily basis as leaders.