Factors that contribute to the effectiveness of business coaching: the coachees perspective

Abstract

There is a lack of empirical research in to business coaching (Brotman, Liberi, & Wasylyshyn, 1998; Kilburg, 1996b, 2001; Lowman, 2005) and virtually no research into the effectiveness of coaching (Sue-Chan & Latham, 2004). This exploratory study explored the factors that participants believe make coaching effective and should be included in the coaching process. 114 industry professionals who had been through or were currently going through the coaching process responded to a questionnaire and their responses in regard to effective coaching are discussed in this paper. The findings focus on the main components involved in the coaching process: the coach, the coachee, the organization and the coaching process. The results suggested that the coach is the most important component and that coaches need to be trustworthy, have good communication skills and have credibility in the field they work in.