From Science to Practice

Does coaching work? A meta-analysis on the effects of coaching on individual level outcomes in an organizational context By Tim Theebom, Bianca Beersma, and Annelies E.M. van Vianen The Journal of Positive Psychology, 2014, Vol 9 Issue 1

Special Thanks to Brodie Gregory, PhD for reviewing this research and translating the key points to use in your coaching practice.

Does coaching actually work? Sure, we all have great anecdotal evidence of the positive effects of coaching for our clients and the organizations in which they work. But one problem in the coaching literature in recent years has been a notable lack of data-based evidence that coaching really works.

In their recent research, Theebom, Beersma, and van Vianen conducted a meta-analysis on studies that have examined coaching outcomes. This research is a meaningful milestone for the coaching literature. In order to conduct a meta-analysis, you need to have a sufficient number of existing studies to draw from. In this case, the authors began by identifying 107 studies with potential, but after applying a series of criteria, based their findings off 18 studies.

The authors focused on five critical outcomes for coaching from these 18 studies: performance and skills, well-being, coping, work attitudes, and goaldirected self-regulation. They found that coaching interventions had a positive effect on each and every one of these five outcomes. In other words, this meta-analysis shows that coaching consistently helps to improve work performance and skills, a client’s well-being and coping skills, their work attitudes, and their ability to effectively self-regulate their behavior and use meaningful goals.

Theembom, Beersma, and van Vianen’s research provides solid data that can be used to make a business case for coaching. And the best part is, this conclusion is not based on just one study, but on strong, consistent findings from 18 unique studies. How can you use these findings in your practice? How will this data-based evidence of coaching’s impact help you make the business case for your work?