What Makes Coaching Effective? Let’s Ask the Research
Coaching is everywhere these days—whether in corporate leadership, personal development or team performance. But amid the buzz, one key question remains: what makes coaching effective? This blog dives into the research so you don’t have to guess. We’ll explore how “effective coaching” is defined, what studies reveal about the key ingredients, and how you can use those findings to get better results in your coaching engagements.
Defining Coaching Effectiveness
When we talk about coaching effectiveness, we’re referring to more than just “did the coachee feel good?” It means the coach helped the coachee achieve their goal, change their behaviour, learn insights, and sustain improvements over time. According to the Institute of Coaching Studies, it’s about supporting clients to “achieve their goals, create behavioural change, learn new insights, and facilitate sustainable change in their life”.
Effectiveness typically covers:
Goal attainment (did the coachee reach what they set out to?)
Behavioural change (new habits, actions, mindset shifts)
Sustained impact (benefits remain after the sessions end)
Satisfaction (the coachee values the process)
Understanding this clear definition helps avoid superficial measures like “how much the client liked the coach” and focuses instead on real outcomes.
The Evidence Base: What Research Says
What does the research tell us about coaching effectiveness? A fair amount—but also some caveats.
Meta-analyses show positive effects: for example, one review found that workplace coaching produced a large effect size for goal attainment (g = 1.29) and moderate effect size for self-efficacy (g = 0.59). Similarly, a conceptual paper introduced the “Cube of Coaching Effectiveness” model highlighting determinants, competencies and outcomes.
Yet, research also shows variation in effect sizes and notes that the mechanisms (why it works) are less well understood. In a study on “what makes a coach effective”, the authors found that while there’s no definitive “magic coach” profile, certain characteristics repeatedly show up.
Bottom line? Coaching can be effective—but its success depends heavily on specific factors. You don’t just “hire a coach and hope for the best”.
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Core Determinants of Coaching Effectiveness
Let’s dig into the specific elements that research consistently finds matter.
Coach-Coachee Relationship Quality
The quality of the relationship—often called the “working alliance”—is one of the strongest predictors of outcomes. When the coachee trusts the coach, feels safe to explore, and believes in the process, change becomes more likely. Research emphasises this as an “antecedent of desired outcomes”.
Coach Competence & Approach
What the coach brings—skills, style, adaptability—makes a difference. For example, studies show that integrative approaches (combining cognitive behavioural and positive psychology techniques) tend to yield stronger results than single-framework methods. Coaches should also be able to adapt their style to the coachee’s needs (not use a cookie-cutter approach).
Coachee Engagement & Readiness
Even a great coach can’t guarantee results if the coachee isn’t ready, motivated or willing to engage. Coachee’s self-efficacy (confidence to act), goal clarity and commitment matter a lot. For example, a randomized study found individual coaching outperformed self-coaching in goal attainment because the coach supported autonomy and motivation.
Context & Organisational Enablers
Effectiveness isn’t just about coach + coachee—it’s also about the environment. A supportive culture, clear goals, access to resources and follow-through help sustain change. One meta-analysis notes that organisational conditions must be considered to fully understand outcomes.
Coach-Coachee Relationship: Trust & Alliance
The term working alliance is borrowed from therapy research but applies strongly in coaching. It refers to the coachee’s perception of:
The emotional bond with the coach
Consensus on the goals of coaching
Agreement on the tasks and role of coaching
When this alliance is strong, the coachee is more willing to speak honestly, take risks, experiment with new behaviours and stay engaged. For example, the “What makes a coach effective?” study found that empathy, effective listening, clear communication and trustworthiness were core attributes cited by coachees and coaches alike.
In practice, coaches can bolster the alliance by:
Clarifying roles/expectations early
Demonstrating genuine curiosity and non-judgmental presence
Asking powerful open-ended questions
Checking in on the relationship itself (“How’s this working for you?”)
Coach Competence & Approach
Coaches vary widely in style, training and methodologies. Research suggests some approaches are more effective than others.
For instance, the meta-analysis by Wang et al. found that integrative coaching—those blending frameworks like cognitive-behavioural coaching (CBC) and positive psychology—produced solid outcomes (g = 0.71) compared to narrower frameworks.
Coach competencies shown to matter include:
Effective listening and questioning skills
Ability to challenge and stretch the coachee constructively
Flexibility/adaptability of approach
Ethical standards and professional boundaries
It’s also important to recognise that coach industry experience may matter less than relational and facilitative skills. The “What makes a coach effective?” study noted no definitive link between industry-specific experience and coaching outcomes.
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Coachee Engagement & Readiness
Change doesn’t happen to someone; it happens with someone. That means the coachee’s mindset matters a lot.
Key indicators of readiness:
Clear goals: They know what they want to achieve
Motivation & commitment: They’re willing to take action
Self-efficacy: They believe they can make a change
Willingness to reflect: They’re open to exploring new ways of thinking
In one randomized study, individual coaching (with a coach) was significantly more effective at reducing procrastination and enhancing goal attainment than self-coaching (without a coach). The leadership/behaviour of the coach influenced outcomes via support of autonomy and intrinsic motivation.
As a coach or client, you might ask: “Is the coachee really ready for this?” If not, even great coaching may struggle.
Context & Organisational Enablers
Often overlooked, the environment in which coaching happens can amplify or undermine its effectiveness.
For organisational coaching (e.g., leadership, executive), research shows that transfer climate (the extent to which what is learned can be applied in the workplace) and support by managers/peers matter.
Organisations can enable effective coaching by:
Embedding coaching within broader development systems
Ensuring leaders support and follow-up
Aligning coaching goals with organisational goals
Monitoring outcomes and feeding them back for improvement
Mechanisms: How Coaching Works
So how does coaching actually produce change? Research points to several mechanisms:
Self-regulation & reflection: Coaching helps coachees monitor, evaluate and adjust their behaviour.
Goal clarity & action planning: Coaching helps translate aspirations into concrete steps.
Strength-based approaches: Highlighting and building on existing strengths fosters engagement and confidence.
Cognitive shifts: Coaching can help coachees challenge limiting beliefs and adopt new mindsets.
Emotional regulation & well-being: Coaching supports wellbeing, which in turn supports performance.
By understanding these mechanisms, coaches and clients can design more effective interventions and reflect on what’s really happening behind the scenes.
What Doesn’t Guarantee Effectiveness
It’s important to recognise what doesn’t automatically ensure success:
Simply hiring a “certified coach” isn’t enough if the relationship and context aren’t right.
Using a generic or one-size-fits-all methodology without adaptation.
Focusing only on skills or performance, ignoring mindset or context.
Neglecting follow-up or sustainability—short-term change may fade without reinforcement.
Ignoring client readiness or motivation.
Practical Implications for Coaches & Organisations
For Coaches:
Prioritise building the alliance first.
Tailor your approach—assess readiness, context, motivations.
Use integrative methods (e.g., combining CBT with strength-based techniques).
Evaluate your impact (ongoing measurement).
For Organisations / Clients:
Choose coaches not just on credentials, but on relational fit and process clarity.
Set clear goals and link coaching to organisational priorities.
Provide environmental support (leaders, peer encouragement, transfer opportunities).
Build measurement into the coaching engagement (see next section).
Case Examples & Applications
Here are two hypothetical applications:
Leadership Coaching: A senior manager wants to improve team engagement. The coach uses strength-based assessments, clarifies behavioural goals (e.g., more delegate, more one-on-ones), builds a trusting relationship, and the organisational culture supports follow-through.
Personal Growth Coaching: An individual wants better work-life balance. The coach helps clarify priorities, explores limiting beliefs (“I must respond 24/7”), builds new routines, and the coachee stays accountable. Over six months, wellbeing improves and stress declines.
In both cases the key factors align: strong relationship, tailored approach, coachee readiness, supportive context.
Measuring and Evaluating Effectiveness
To ensure coaching is effective, you need measurement—not just “the coachee felt good”.
Methods include:
Pre/post assessments of goal attainment, self-efficacy, behaviour change. (Meta-analysis show these produce measurable effect sizes.)
Feedback questionnaires on the coaching relationship (working alliance) and engagement.
Longitudinal tracking (do changes sustain?).
Organisational metrics (where relevant): performance reviews, retention, engagement.
Evaluation is critical not just for proof of effectiveness but for continual improvement of the coaching process.
Future Directions in Coaching Research
The research on coaching effectiveness is growing—yet many questions remain. For example:
How coaching works in digital/virtual formats?
What role do emerging technologies (e.g., AI-augmented coaching) play?
How to better integrate organisational context and social systems in coaching studies?
Such trends will shape how we understand “what makes coaching effective” in the next decade.
FAQs
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It depends on goals, readiness and context. Research shows measurable change can occur, but sustained impact usually requires multiple sessions and follow-up support.
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Not always. One study found individual coaching was more effective than self-coaching or group training for goal attainment in one context. But the method should match the goal and context.
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Research suggests that while industry experience may help with credibility, it’s not a strong predictor of effectiveness. Skills like listening, questioning, trust and adaptability matter more.
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By aligning coaching goals with organisational strategy, providing a supportive culture, enabling transfer of learning, and tracking outcomes.
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Engagement and readiness are critical. If the coachee lacks motivation, clarity, or trust in the process, effectiveness drops. Coaches should assess readiness early and perhaps delay coaching until the coachee is primed.
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Yes. Research found coaching not only improved goal attainment and self-efficacy but also psychological well-being (e.g., reduced stress, better mood) particularly when integrative approaches were used.
Conclusion
So, what truly makes coaching effective? The research points to a combination of factors: a strong coach-coachee relationship, competent and adaptable coaching methods, motivated and ready coachees, and a supportive context. By focusing on these elements rather than simply “hiring a coach”, organisations and individuals can raise the odds of real, sustained change.
Call to Action
Ready to make your coaching truly effective? Book a free discovery call with us today to explore how to design a coaching engagement that aligns with research-backed best practices—and delivers measurable results.
Don’t leave it to chance. Let’s work together to ensure your coaching outcomes are meaningful, sustainable and aligned with your goals.
