From Procurement to Practice

We had a fantastic conversation with the HR Room Podcast, where we spoke about a critical gap in how organizations approach the implementation of executive coaching. While the business case is compelling—executive coaching delivers an 788% ROI and 87% of an ICF survey respondents agree that executive coaching has a high return on investment —most organizations fail to address the fundamental challenge: preparing leaders for the transformative, often uncomfortable conversations that effective coaching requires.

The Missing Implementation Science

Our research confirms what we've observed in practice: coaching has the highest impact on behavioral outcomes, especially cognitive behavioral activities, yet 70% of employees avoid difficult conversations at work. This creates a paradox—the very mechanism that makes coaching effective (honest, challenging dialogue) is what leaders struggle with most.

The critical insight we've uncovered through our work is that sustainable coaching programs require three coordinated elements: executive sponsorship that models vulnerability, HR leadership that facilitates the cultural foundation, and systematic preparation for the emotional labor coaching demands.

HR's Strategic Role

Too often, HR approaches coaching as a tactical intervention—identifying struggling leaders and matching them with coaches. Our experience shows HR functions most effectively as a neutral third party, checking in with both coach and executive throughout the engagement while ensuring alignment with business needs. But this misses the larger opportunity.

We've found that HR leaders who successfully scale coaching cultures do three things differently. First, they undergo coaching themselves to understand the process viscerally. HR professionals are well-positioned to become successful executive coaches due to their in-depth understanding of organizational dynamics and talent development. Second, they create psychological safety frameworks that normalize difficult conversations before coaching begins. Third, they establish measurement systems that track behavioral change, not just satisfaction scores.

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Preparing Leaders for Difficult Conversations

The implementation gap centers on emotional readiness. Effective difficult conversations require leaders to maintain composure during emotional currents and focus on solutions rather than problems. Yet most organizations thrust leaders into coaching relationships without addressing their discomfort with vulnerability.

Our approach involves three preparatory phases. First, we conduct "conversation audits" where leaders examine their current patterns—what they avoid, when they deflect, and how they respond to challenge. Frequently, coaching conversations orbit around difficult conversations that involve bringing unsaid things to the surface. Second, we practice with progressively challenging scenarios in safe environments. Nearly anyone can conduct a coaching conversation by developing skills in powerful questioning and active listening. Third, we establish explicit agreements regarding the boundaries and expectations of the coaching relationship.

Cultural Evolution Through Small-Scale Interventions

Organizations with strong coaching cultures report 51% higher revenue than similar companies, with 62% of employees rating themselves as highly engaged. This doesn't happen through dramatic announcements about "coaching cultures." Instead, it emerges through consistent, small-scale interventions that normalize feedback, curiosity, and growth-oriented conversations.

We recommend beginning with HR leadership teams. HR professionals serve as change champions, driving smooth transitions and fostering organizational agility through coaching approaches. When HR demonstrates comfort with difficult conversations and vulnerability, it creates permission for the broader organization to follow suit.

The Path Forward

Executive coaching is effective when organizations view it as a cultural architecture, rather than an individual intervention. The leaders who thrive in coaching relationships are those who've been systematically prepared for the emotional demands of honest self-examination. The HR teams that successfully scale coaching are those who've embraced their role as culture architects, not just program administrators.

Our commitment remains focused on implementation science—not just identifying what works, but creating sustainable systems for how it works in practice.

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Works Cited

Corkery, Dave, host. "Episode 240 – Executive Decision: The Value of Coaching for HR Leaders." The HR Room Podcast, with Mary Cullen and Ed Brzychcy, Insight HR, insighthr.podbean.com/e/episode-240-–-executive-decision-the-value-of-coaching-for-hr-leaders/.

Auerbach, Jeffrey E. "Transitioning to Coaching: How HR Professionals Build a Successful Coaching Practice." College of Executive Coaching, 3 Oct. 2024, www.executivecoachcollege.com/research-and-publications/transitioning-to-coaching-how-hr-professionals-build-a-successful-coaching-practice.php.

Center for Creative Leadership. "5 Steps for Tackling Difficult Conversations." CCL, 8 May 2025, www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/5-steps-for-tackling-tough-conversations/.

Center for Creative Leadership. "How to Have a Coaching Conversation." CCL, 8 May 2025, www.ccl.org/articles/leading-effectively-articles/how-to-have-a-coaching-conversation/.

"Coaching Statistics: The ROI of Coaching in 2024." International Coaching Federation, coachingfederation.org/blog/coaching-statistics-the-roi-of-coaching-in-2024/.

"4 Reasons for HR to Use Coaching as a Management Tool." CPS HR Consulting, 6 May 2024, www.cpshr.us/blog-article/4-reasons-for-hr-to-use-coaching-as-a-management-tool/.

Klahre, Beth A. "Case Study: The Role of HR in Executive Coaching." SHRM, 21 Dec. 2023, www.shrm.org/topics-tools/news/organizational-employee-development/case-study-role-hr-executive-coaching.

Landry, Lauren. "How to Have Difficult Conversations with Employees." Harvard Business School Online, 30 Aug. 2022, online.hbs.edu/blog/post/how-to-have-difficult-conversations-with-employees.

Nicolau, Andreea, et al. "The Effects of Executive Coaching on Behaviors, Attitudes, and Personal Characteristics: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Control Trial Studies." Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 14, 9 May 2023, www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1089797/full.

Norton, Ken. "Preparing to Have a Difficult Conversation." Bring the Donuts, 17 Nov. 2022, www.bringthedonuts.com/essays/preparing-to-have-a-difficult-conversation/.

Zhou, Luisa. "70+ Coaching Statistics: The ROI of Coaching in 2025." Luisa Zhou, luisazhou.com/blog/coaching-statistics/.