The higher education landscape is complex and pressured. Resources are tight, expectations continue to grow, and change is constant. In this environment, leadership effectiveness increasingly depends on how well we enable others to think critically, contribute meaningfully, and take ownership. A coaching culture offers a practical way to support this shift.
This was the focus of a recent Coaching SIG workshop led by Gemma Carter-Morris, a consultant and coach with Next Steps Consulting, delivered in partnership with HEaTED and NTDC.
What a Coaching Culture Looks Like in Practice
A coaching culture is not a standalone initiative. It is built through everyday conversations and leadership behaviours. It represents a shift:
- from telling to guiding
- from control to curiosity
- from dependency to ownership
Many institutions are already moving in this direction through:
- coaching pilots within schools or departments
- development conversations becoming more coaching-orientated
- internal coaching networks and pools
- communities of practice
- coaching embedded into PDR processes
- managers using coaching approaches in one-to-ones
- internal coaching apprenticeships
The real challenge is not understanding coaching. It is embedding it into daily leadership behaviour so it becomes a mindset rather than an intervention.
Why Coaching Cultures Matter in HE
Evidence shared in the session highlighted that strong coaching cultures contribute to:
- higher employee engagement
- improved retention
- increased confidence and communication skills
- better work–life balance
- stronger organisational performance
Teams accustomed to reflection and shared problem-solving also adapt more quickly to change, an essential capability in the current HE environment.
Core Skills that Build Conversations
Active listening: Moving beyond transactional listening to understand meaning, emotion and nuance helps individuals feel heard and builds trust.
Powerful questions: Open, reflective questions encourage ownership and deeper thinking. Small shifts in language can significantly influence capability and confidence.
Psychological safety: Psychological safety underpins effective coaching conversations and develops through stages:
- inclusion — feeling accepted
- learner safety — being able to ask questions and make mistakes
- contributor safety — feeling able to make a difference
- challenger safety — feeling able to question the status quo
Without safety, conversations remain surface-level.
The power of silence: Silence creates space for reflection and insight. Although it can feel uncomfortable, it often enables deeper thinking and ownership.
Embedding Coaching into Everyday Practice
Coaching cultures grow through repeated behaviours in daily interactions:
- One-to-ones: Move beyond updates. Create space for reflection and ownership.
- Team meetings: Ensure all voices are heard and encourage multiple perspectives.
- Performance conversations: Encourage self-assessment and focus on learning, not just evaluation.
- Change conversations: Explore meaning, impact and areas of control to strengthen resilience and engagement.
Participants also highlighted the importance of:
- protecting time for meaningful conversations
- giving managers confidence not to have all the answers
- exploring options rather than jumping to solutions
- using action learning sets
- adapting approaches for neurodivergent colleagues
Building a Sustainable Coaching Culture
Developing individual coaching skills is only part of the picture. Sustainable change requires aligned interventions, including:
- peer coaching and action learning sets
- group coaching to reduce isolation and support reflection
- coaching embedded into leadership development
- internal coaching pools accessible across the organisation
- communities of coaching practice
- coaching integrated into performance, talent and succession processes
- senior leaders modelling curiosity and reflection
Visible leadership role modelling is critical for cultural change to take hold.
Challenges to Anticipate
Building a coaching culture is not straightforward. Common challenges include:
- lack of clarity about what coaching is (and confusion with mentoring)
- siloed activity across departments
- vulnerability of development work when budgets tighten
- inconsistent leadership role modelling
- perceptions of coaching as remedial rather than developmental
Final Reflection
A coaching culture is not about having more coaches. It is about improving the quality of everyday conversations.
It enables leaders to ask before they tell, make thinking visible, and create environments where people feel safe to contribute and challenge.
In a sector navigating continuous change, this may be one of the most strategic investments learning and development teams can support.
Written by Dr Rossana Gent, based on the session led by Gemma Carter-Morris, a consultant and coach with Next Steps Consulting, delivered in partnership with HEaTED and NTDC.