When looking to developing a Coaching Culture, ask - ‘What is already in place that we can build on?’

I work with lots of (school) leaders. Many are curious about (and some are fully committed towards) building better conversations in their organisations by taking more of a coaching approach.

Peter Drucker’s famous quote highlights just how influential organisational culture can be. It makes sense then to become intentional about the kind of culture we want our schools to live out. A coaching culture is one worth working toward.

And when considering existing organisational culture, we are effectively taking a strengths-based approach by asking ‘what is already in place’ that can serve as a platform for any development.

The Antecedents

So, what might be helpful catalysts for building a coaching culture in schools?

In my work with several schools, including when I was a Principal, I have found a number of characteristics helpful:

Integration and synergy: This is when Coaching is seen as a ‘fit’ within, and complementary to, existing priorities. There are synergies where a coaching approach enhances existing development priorities. Coaching is not seen as an additional initiative.

Additionally, a coaching culture is regarded as an amplifier of strengths, rather than a way to ‘fix’ things.

Questions:
Q: In our stage of development, where do we see your team/ school?
Q: What level of common understanding is there as to what coaching is and how it aligns to your
development priorities?

Students / Staff: Consider the extent to which student and staff success and wellbeing is at the heart of conversations and interactions.

Evident by the range of opportunities students and staff have to talk openly about feelings, thoughts, aspirations, and concerns.

Teacher-student relationships are characterised by partnership and co-construction.

Questions:
Q: What are the opportunities for staff and students to discuss areas of success, and wellbeing?
Q: In what ways do partnership principles (equity, voice, choice, reflection, dialogue, reciprocity, and praxis) characterise our interactions?

Leaders: Leadership and learning conversations are impactful and commonplace, embedded in formal and less formal interactions.

Senior leaders regularly reflect on their leadership practices and learning.

Leadership is distributive (rather than delegative) and interactions are more facilitative than directive in nature. Leaders co-construct goals with colleagues and model a coaching approach in their interactions.

Questions:
Q: What opportunities and processes are established in our school that allow reflective practice (both around learning and leadership)?
Q: How do leaders support colleagues, and each other, in determining and achieving goals?
Q: To what extent is leadership distributive?

Professional learning: This is prioritised to support the building of capacity.

There are frequent opportunities for all staff to reflect on their professional practice.

Joint practice development is part of professional learning to embed effective practices.

Questions:
Q: What are the opportunities for our staff to engage in joint practice development?
Q: How does professional learning focus on building practise and leadership capacity?

Structures and processes: These are highly collaborative in nature, with co-construction, collective accountability, and partnership as definition characteristics.

Focal point for coaching practice development might include

First followers: A core team of coaches are trained that coach and train others in coaching approaches

One-to-one interactions are shaped by a coaching approach eg in line management meetings, in feedback processes

Joint practice development can focus on coaching practice development

Pastoral structure: student wellbeing is supported through pastoral leaders using coaching approaches

Of course, there will be other areas to consider.

Questions:
Q: What projects, systems or processes can we readily integrate coaching approach into?
Q: Where do we want to intentionally adopt a coaching approach (initially)?

The above offer a lens through which to consider ‘where are we now?’ in relation to ‘where we want to be’.

Using the above can shape an assessment of your school’s ‘state of readiness’.

It can also be a helpful approach in addressing ‘How does our current culture shape our emerging strategy?’