How coaching improves team performance

"The stronger your teams, the stronger your business."

In today’s competitive business environment, the strength of teams often defines the success of an organisation. Yet many businesses still underestimate the impact coaching can have on team collaboration, productivity, and well-being. 

Coaching is no longer simply a personal development tool. It is a strategic investment that enables groups to perform at their best – together.

The challenge facing modern teams

Teams today face growing pressures: 

• Rising performance expectations.
• Tight deadlines.
• Cross-functional collaboration.
• Remote and hybrid working models.
• Constant KPIs.

According to the CIPD’s 2023 Good Work Index, more than one-third of UK employees reported that poor team dynamics directly harmed their productivity and engagement at work. 

When communication falters or trust is low, projects stall, conflict rises, and innovation is stifled.

A 2022 study by Gallup also found that only two in ten UK employees strongly agreed that their organisation promoted strong teamwork. This highlights a significant gap between business ambitions and employees’ daily experiences.

A personal perspective: From training days to coaching

Earlier in my career, like many others, I took part in traditional sales training, negotiation workshops and numerous team-building away days.

At the time, they provided useful skills and offered a short-term morale boost.

However, the modern working environment demands more. The challenges faced by teams today are more complex and constant. Sales scripts and role-play exercises do little to build the deep resilience, communication and adaptability now required.

Coaching, by contrast, addresses root causes rather than surface behaviours. It empowers teams to think differently, manage stress more effectively, prevent burnout and foster true collaboration.

It is no longer about ticking a training box. It is about embedding lasting change that drives performance and supports wellbeing.

What is the purpose of organisations promoting well-being through traditional training that primarily aligns with the organisation's vision rather than focusing on the staff's well-being?

How coaching helps teams to thrive

Group coaching provides structured support to improve the way teams think, communicate, and collaborate. It moves beyond individual skill-building to enhance the collective intelligence of the group.

Key benefits include:

1. Building trust and psychological safety

Research from Google’s "Project Aristotle" found psychological safety to be the single most crucial factor behind successful teams. 

Coaching offers a safe environment where team members can speak openly, take risks and learn from mistakes without fear of blame.

In a coaching setting, teams learn to listen carefully, provide constructive feedback, and build mutual respect – critical ingredients for trust.

2. Improving communication

Miscommunication remains one of the greatest barriers to team success. 

Coaching teaches teams how to express ideas clearly, ask better questions and genuinely understand different viewpoints.

A 2021 survey by the Chartered Management Institute found that poor communication costs UK businesses an estimated £8 billion each year in lost productivity. 

Coaching helps address this by making conversations more focused, intentional and effective.

3. Clarifying roles and responsibilities

When responsibilities are unclear, inefficiency and frustration grow.

Group coaching enables teams to align on shared goals, define roles and set clear expectations. 

This clarity reduces duplication of effort, strengthens accountability and speeds up decision-making.

4. Building resilience and adaptability

Adaptability is increasingly a key skill in today’s fast-changing workplace.

Coaching helps teams reflect on challenges, draw out lessons and adapt swiftly without losing momentum.

The World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs Report (2023) highlights resilience, flexibility and problem-solving as among the most important skills for the future workforce – all of which are naturally developed through coaching.

5. Reducing burnout and supporting well-being

Burnout and work-related stress present serious risks to performance. 

The World Health Organization now recognises burnout as an occupational phenomenon, not merely a personal issue. 

Coaching equips teams to manage workloads better, build emotional resilience and maintain healthier working habits.

Reducing stress leads not only to greater team morale but also to fewer sickness absences. 

The Office for National Statistics reported that stress, depression, and anxiety accounted for nearly half of all work-related ill health cases in the UK in 2023.

Coaching offers an initiative-taking approach to safeguarding mental health, rather than responding after problems arise.

6. Boosting engagement and morale

When people feel heard, valued and connected to a shared purpose, they are more motivated and committed.

Group coaching strengthens engagement and fosters a greater sense of ownership of both individual and team success.

Research by Engage for Success found that highly engaged teams are 21% more productive and experience 45% less staff turnover than disengaged teams.

Coaching not only lifts day-to-day performance but also helps businesses protect against the high costs associated with staff dissatisfaction and attrition.

“Coaching is increasingly viewed as essential for long-term performance.”

Coaching vs traditional training

Traditional training can provide useful knowledge, but it is often top-down, one-size-fits-all, and focused on theory.

Coaching, on the other hand, is interactive, experiential, and tailored to the challenges faced by teams.

It helps teams internalise skills, adjust behaviours and build stronger connections through genuine experience, not just through instruction. 

Crucially, coaching offers continued support, helping embed new habits into everyday ways of working.

The long-term impact of team coaching

The benefits of team coaching extend far beyond immediate productivity gains.

It strengthens organisational culture, improves leadership pipelines and enhances overall business agility.

According to the International Coaching Federation’s UK survey (2022), 86% of organisations that invested in coaching saw a positive return – measured not only in financial terms but also in employee wellbeing, innovation, and reputation.

Teams that grow through coaching are more than just high-performing. They are resilient, self-managing and ready to thrive in an unpredictable future.

Coaching is a strategic investment

In today’s uncertain world, building strong, connected teams is no longer a luxury – it is a necessity.

Coaching is now a strategic advantage for businesses that wish to outperform competitors, foster innovation and retain top talent.

By investing in coaching, you are investing in your people, your culture and your future success.

The stronger your teams, the stronger your business.