The Question

Research on executive coaching has increasingly identified the factors associated with effective outcomes. But knowing that a coach should, for example, build a strong alliance, establish clear goals, or provide challenge and support does not tell you what specific behaviours produce those outcomes, or in what order they should occur. Calasso and colleagues (2024) conducted a systematic review aimed at specifying not just what success factors matter, but what coaches actually do, and when.

What They Found

Across 19 empirical studies assessing actual coaching behaviour in executive contexts, the authors identified and classified behaviours into common themes, then arranged them in temporal order across coaching phases informed by the well-known GROW model (Calasso et al., 2024).

The resulting temporal model identifies five categories: a contact phase, in which the coaching relationship and working alliance are established; an exploration phase, in which the coachee’s situation, goals, and context are examined; an operationalisation phase, in which goals are translated into specific actions and plans; a conclusion phase, in which progress is consolidated and next steps are identified; and a recurring behaviour category, capturing behaviours such as active listening, questioning, and reflective summarising that occur throughout the coaching process rather than in a specific phase (Calasso et al., 2024).

The key finding is that coaching behaviour differs meaningfully across phases. What effective coaches do in the exploration phase is not what they do in the operationalisation phase, and conflating these behaviours or applying them out of sequence reduces their effectiveness (Calasso et al., 2024).

Why It Matters

The specification of coaching behaviours at this level of detail has practical value for coach training, supervision, and quality assurance. Success factors described in abstract terms, such as establishing rapport or facilitating insight, provide limited guidance for developing coaches or evaluating coaching quality. Grounding those factors in observable, phase-specific behaviours creates a more actionable framework (Calasso et al., 2024).

Reference

Calasso, L., Kunzli, H., & Burtscher, M. (2024). What are executive coaches actually doing and when are they doing it? A systematic review of coaching behavior. Consulting Psychology Journal. Advance online publication. https://dx.doi.org/10.1037/cpb0000267