As organisations lean more heavily on coaching to navigate change and build capability, clarity and good design matter more than ever. In this piece, BPP’s Paula Eddy and the Ministry of Justice’s Jodie Morris share practical insights on the foundations of coaching that genuinely shifts behaviour.
Coaching has become an essential way to build capability, retain talent and support their people through change. But while many leaders recognise its value, fewer feel confident about how to introduce it effectively. When coaching is thoughtfully designed and aligned to business priorities, it becomes a powerful driver of performance and engagement. When it isn’t, it risks becoming a disconnected initiative that fails to take hold.
More than a decade of coaching design and refinement at Grant Thornton has offered a real-world view of what works in practice. That experience has been strengthened by insights from experts such as Paula Eddy, Coaching Professional Programme Lead at BPP, and by observing the progress made by our partners across government, where leaders like Jodie Morris, Senior Legal Manager at the Ministry of Justice – HM Courts and Tribunal Service, have taken bold steps to democratise coaching.
Organisations begin their coaching journey in different ways. Some have a big ambition for a coaching culture and work backwards from that vision. Others start small: a handful of people benefit from coaching, momentum builds, and leaders decide to scale what’s already working.
Wherever you begin, Paula is clear that purpose must come first.
A clear “why” helps you position coaching effectively, whether you’re using it to strengthen leadership capability, support transitions, improve confidence or embed cultural change.
At the Ministry of Justice, Jodie notes that coaching was introduced because access had been inconsistent - availability depended on where people worked or who they knew. Introducing a consistent, equitable offer helped ensure people could access support at the moment they needed it, not months later.
Being intentional about your aims early on creates the foundations for long‑term impact and credibility.
Successful coaching doesn’t happen by chance. It requires deliberate design, strong governance and continuous feedback. The leaders we spoke to highlighted several areas that matter most.
A safe coaching system protects everyone involved. Clear boundaries, confidentiality and robust governance give people confidence to speak openly.
Before launching, review what already exists, what matters most and where coaching fits. Training, operational design, communication and supervision all play a role in creating a coherent system that supports quality. BPP take a similar systems-led view: training, awareness building and operational design all matter.
Chemistry matters. Thoughtful matching between coach and coachee can make or break the experience.
Clear expectations around roles, goals and progress reviews help the process stay focused while maintaining confidentiality.
Not every coaching relationship will work first time. Establishing escalation routes, trained supervisor structures and safe spaces allows coaches to explore what they're noticing and maintain quality.
Regular, structured supervision is one of the strongest enablers of effective coaching within organisations. It helps coaches build ethical maturity, grow in their practice and stay aligned with organisational expectations, whilst managing the tension between those and the coachees needs. This principle is also central to BPP’s approach.
Jodie highlights another critical enabler: involving the business early. Their coaching offer was shaped through conversations across the organisation to ensure it met real needs, not perceived ones. Involving existing coaches in designing their coaching hub created early buy‑in and ensured the model felt relevant rather than imposed.
These steps may feel operational, but they create the reliability and safety needed for coaching to flourish.
Organisations understandably want to see evidence that coaching makes a difference.
Paula recalls a powerful example from a global pharmaceutical organisation where coaching was integrated into leadership development. The organisation found that coaching enabled new learning and behaviours to embed and sustain over time:
Grant Thornton’s own research shows similar patterns:
This is supported by the personal stories we hear from our coachees - from increased confidence and career progression to greater clarity during life transitions such as returning from parental leave or navigating international moves.
At the Ministry of Justice, impact showed up not just in metrics but in how people talk about their development - with greater reflection, confidence and openness to challenge. Notably, 91% of MoJ coachees reported a positive impact on their self‑awareness, demonstrating the depth of personal insight coaching can unlock.
Measuring impact doesn’t need to be complicated. It simply needs to be tied back to the original “why”.
Coaching becomes a cultural norm when it’s understood, accessible and aligned with everyday leadership behaviours. Culture grows through consistency of approach and strong sponsorship from senior leaders. Great coaching experiences often encourage individuals to become coaches themselves, creating a natural, self-reinforcing cycle.
At BPP, this meant defining a clear vision, educating senior leaders and building capability through online learning and tools
Expanded access through online coach development programmes based on EMCC competencies, short learning refreshers and bite-sized development opportunities can be tailored to meet people’s needs.
At the Ministry of Justice, coaching stuck because people at all levels talked about it. Leaders championed it openly, coaches and coachees advocated for it, and coaching became part of everyday conversations and leadership programmes - reinforcing that coaching was for everyone, not just senior leaders or high-potential groups.
Embedding coaching into culture is deliberate work - but it leads to more open, confident and empowered organisations.
Know exactly how coaching fits into your organisational strategy before you begin.
Top-down, bottom-up and across teams - alignment makes implementation smoother and more credible.
Pilot in the right places, learn fast and build momentum through early wins.
When people understand the purpose and what’s coming, they engage more confidently.
Before investing in anything new, look for the coaching capability you already have. Many organisations have trained coaches they’re not aware of, and supporting coaching apprenticeships and CPD can build a sustainable internal coaching culture from within.
Want to hear more about how coaching can be embedded into culture and leadership?
Join our upcoming webinar to explore real-world examples, practical insights and lessons learned from Grant Thornton, BPP and the Ministry of Justice.
