Coaching for success

Expanded coaching culture drives results, Susan Mann and Sandy Smith, TD
(Talent Development), Vol 69 No 6, June 2015. pp36-41.  

This article explores how a professional peer and coaching programme at the Bill &
Melinda Gates Foundation – the world’s largest private philanthropy, based in
Seattle – has improved individual and organisational performance. In order to
cultivate relationship skills like collaboration, empathy, and giving and receiving
feedback, the foundation established a strategic development programme during
2008-09 that included boosting skills to coach teams and managers. 

Professional coaches work closely with HR business partners to deliver and evaluate
the programme, finding that investment in professional coaching is best made when
the employee is already an effective contributor, with the opportunity to grow skills in
particular areas and to help leaders transition successfully into new roles. The
coaching intervention comprises three phases:

Phase 1: Scoping, selection, contracting

 Employee and manager discuss professional development goals.

 Manager and HR business partner (HRBP) determine employee’s eligibility
and whether coaching is the right method to address goals.
 HRBP gives employee the biographies of up to three coaches from the
approved central list.
 Employee interviews coaches, makes selection, and notifies HRBP.
 HRBP and coach establish engagement parameters using a template
provided by the learning and development team.
Phase 2: Coaching engagement

 Employee, manager, and coach align on specific expectations for coaching

engagement outcomes
 Employee and coach draft development expectations and how they will be
measured: 
o typical engagement is 10 to 15 coaching sessions over a period of six
to nine months
o leverage 360-degree feedback, stakeholder interviews, and other
growth tools
o supported by the coach, the employee gains new skills and knowledge
and practices new behaviours
 o coach and employee monitor progress and refine the plan to deliver on
expectations; occasional check-ins with manager and HRBP,
honouring coach-client confidentiality
 Manager gives performance feedback and on-the-job coaching to employee
throughout coaching engagement.
Phase 3: Conclusion and evaluation

 employee and coach review results achieved (return on expectations) and

build practices to sustain growth. Employee reports back to manager on
coaching engagement outcomes and next steps
 employee evaluates coach. Manager evaluates if expectations were fulfilled.
The learning and development team uses data to evaluate and refine the
coaching programme. 
The Gates Foundation looks for three key qualities in professional coaches: high
competence (such as emotional intelligence); medium ego (with a generous spirit
and superb collaboration); and low maintenance (the coach works hard to make it
easy for others). 

Having embedded its coaching strategy, the foundation introduced ‘Gear up’ in 2012,
whereby professional coaches facilitate monthly modules of ‘cadres’ of eight to ten
strong leaders. Over ten months, participants benefit from community-building
support’, ‘courageous conversations’ and ‘global mindset’. 

What really matters, says the article, is taking action back on the job. Critical is
whether or not the employee has the desire and ability to commit to the coaching
process through self-awareness, feedback, and practice. If not, the coaching process
is likely to be frustrating and ineffective. 

The Gates Foundation is seeing the benefits of expanding its coaching culture. For
example, an evaluation of the first two cohorts shows that, compared to their peers,
Gear up participants have higher retention and promotion rates. ‘Professional and
peer coaching produces more effective managers who are better coaches, and that
leads to improved individual and organisational performance,’ concludes the article.

http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/nutshell/48/coaching-for-success.aspx