Organizational Coaching and Professional Development: A Valuable Partnership

The seventh strategy, organizational coaching, is the primary focus in this essay. I propose that two forms of organizational coaching can effectively increase both retention and transfer of learning from educational and training program. In the case of education (or a developmental emphasis on acquisition of knowledge), executive coaching is the key strategy. It focuses on decision-making processes that are inherently challenged by a successful educational program. In the case of training (or a developmental emphasis on acquisition of skills), we look to performance coaching as a strategy for enhancing retention and transfer. This strategy focuses specifically on behavior and the enactment of newly acquired or modified skill sets in real-life settings.

I will provide a more detailed portrait of these powerful coaching strategies by identifying and illustrating eight principles that point the way to effective use of organizational coaching in the enhancement of training and development initiatives. Before moving to these principles, I wish to offer a cautionary note: we don’t really know for sure that coaching helps retention and transfer of learning. However, I do have my own experiences. Furthermore, I have the experiences of other coaches with whom I have worked or with whom I have discussed this matter. Yet, this is not enough, for we might all be kidding ourselves. We might be trying to convince the choir rather than an audience of critics.

We must look to other sources if we are to make the case. Specifically, we can turn to research on the dynamics of organizational change and to research regarding adult learning to find further justification for our proposition. They each offer one or more principles regarding human behavior that suggest something about the nature and dynamics of coaching as a strategy for assisting the retention and transfer of learning following a training or education program. Obviously, there are many other principles that could be added to this list, but this is a start.