Thriving in uncertain times: The remarkable ROI of a Coaching Culture

As companies grapple with the dizzying pace of change, a collective anxiety has taken root in the workforce. As quickly as workers accept and orient toward one paradigm shift (e.g. remote work), a new one arrives (e.g. AI). Trends and subsequent transformations that once took years to evolve are happening in months, leaving workers feeling caught off guard, on edge, and burned out. This stress negatively impacts their resilience, agility, and ability to make fundamental decisions about the future. And that, in turn, impacts productivity, performance, and, ultimately, the bottom line. 

To thrive in the fast-forward future, organizations require a workforce that is empowered, inspired and driven. But how can leaders foster that when they can’t control the speed of change? 

Adaptive mindsets 

Mindsets make all the difference when it comes to embracing change. For example, individuals with a strong growth mindset are far more likely to be highly engaged and find greater meaning and purpose in their work — even, if not especially, in the face of adversity. In fact, BetterUp and Stanford’s research identified that employees with a “Pilot” mindset (marked by agency and optimism) are 3.4 times more productive and 3.1 times more likely to stay at their jobs than their peers, underscoring how mindset can drive measurable business impact.

When a challenge or failure isn’t viewed as a negative, but as an opportunity for growth, every effort can be meaningful and positive. When employees adopt the mindset, “I can learn from this, this will help me grow and improve — therefore, it has value,” their shift in perspective can be the deciding factor in whether their project is a success. 

But the question is, how does one foster this adaptive mindset in their organization? And how do they scale it? 

Coaching Culture

A coaching culture is one where value is placed on continuous learning, growth, and empowerment. It allows each person to re-calibrate as conditions change, and drives them to find solutions that allow them – and others – to reach peak performance. In a Coaching Culture, managers coach their teams, leaders coach mentees, and peers provide healthy feedback and support each other to learn faster. It also means that coaching practices are integrated into the formal and informal organizational processes and that there is a climate that supports feedback and continuous development at all levels of the organization.

A Coaching Culture is particularly important during times of transformation or change. While a top-down vision and shared information is necessary to deftly respond to emerging challenges and opportunities, organizations also need to give their workers the freedom to create solutions according to the unique context of each person, team, and situation.

By making coaching a sustainable, embedded part of the organization, it delivers dividends way beyond the day-to-day challenges they might be facing. BetterUp conducted a study of 55,000 people. Researchers took people who responded, “Yes, the organization I am in is going through significant disruption, uncertainty, or change,” and separated them into two groups: those in organizations with a strong Coaching Culture and those in organizations with weak Coaching Cultures. Based on our research, companies with a strong Coaching Culture outperformed those with weak Coaching Cultures in every measurement. 

Dividend #1: More financial success

Cultivating a Coaching Culture is not merely a technique to enable transformation or a nod to employee development; it's a holistic approach to driving organizations that directly enhances the bottom line. According to BetterUp research, organizations with strong Coaching Cultures saw:

• +131% average revenue growth over 5 years
• +59% net profit margin
• +37% year-over-year revenue growth
• +201% 5-year growth in earnings per share
• +94% return on shareholder equity
• +64% return on assets

Dividend #2: More attractive places to work

With a culture of continuous growth and learning, where support, development, and coaching are truly embedded into the flow of work (and where people can adapt and innovate through change), employees tend to be more satisfied with their work experience:

• 2.5x more likely to appear on best places to work lists
• 13x more likely to appear in the top ten on best places to work lists*
• 15X more likely to rank as a best place for Millennials to work
• 8x more likely to rank as a best place for BIPOC to work
• 6x more likely to rank as a best place for women to work

Additional research shows that managers who adopt a “Pilot” mindset can positively influence their teams. Frontline managers with a Pilot-oriented leader are 2.8x more likely to develop that mindset themselves, amplifying cultural transformation from the top down.

Dividend #3: Higher worker performance

When individual transformation is personalized, continuous, and on-demand to help employees grow and adapt with their organization, this can have a stunningly positive impact on their overall performance. 

In all 52 dimensions BetterUp measures, across different functions, roles, and job levels, members whose organization had a strong Coaching Culture experienced a significant edge versus their peers in other organizations:

• 24% increase in performance
• 20% in goal attainment
• 18% in engagement
• 13% in productivity
• 13% in focus

Not only do productivity and performance see a significant boost, but individuals are better equipped to meet new and challenging demands in the workplace thanks to associated increases in focus and engagement.

Dividend #4: Higher worker retention

In organizations with Coaching Cultures, workers are more likely to feel their employers, managers, and peers support and invest in them.This feeling of support results in a boost in employee perception of their organization. They’re more committed, more likely to stay, and have a higher job satisfaction.

• 38% employer NPS score
• 24% job satisfaction
• 23% intent to stay
• 20% organizational commitment

Dividend #5: Higher overall sense of well-being

A study by Oxford University's Saïd Business School reveals that happier employees are 13% more productive — a finding that underscores how positive emotions enhance cognitive function and efficiency. Moreover, research organization Gallup reports that organizations fostering strong well-being cultures experience higher employee engagement, which correlates directly with increased profitability. 

In our research, workers in high Coaching Culture organizations experience far more positive outcomes regarding the key drivers of individual well-being, like belonging, purpose and meaning, optimism, and work-life balance. On the flip side, negative outcomes such as stress and burnout are greatly reduced.

• 52% belonging
• 30% authenticity
• 27% work/life balance
• 25% optimism
• 22% emotional regulation
• 18% empowerment
• 16% social connection
• 16% hope
• 15% life satisfaction
• 10% resilience
• 22% stress overwhelm
• 36% burnout

These outcomes are also supported by Slack’s global research, which found that nearly 80% of workers using AI and automation tools reported productivity gains — but only when their organizations provided guidance and support, reinforcing the importance of organizational scaffolding for well-being and success.

Dividend #6: More innovation and change readiness

Research from BCG reveals that 83% of executives rank innovation as a top-three priority, yet just 3% believe their firms are set up to deliver it effectively. According to BetterUp’s research, employees are more innovative and resilient if they’re working in an organization with a strong Coaching Culture — a critical advantage at a time when many organizations struggle to turn innovation ambition into real outcomes.

• 14% problem solving
• 15% ability to cope with setbacks
• 18% team agility
• 21% team innovation
• 32% strategic planning

Dividend #7: Helps remote teams keep up

In remote teams, the absence of face-to-face supervision can lead to feelings of detachment from shared outcomes, isolation, and ambiguity, which, in turn, can lead to an erosion of engagement and productivity. However, BetterUp research shows that for remote workers in organizations with a strong Coaching Culture, those barriers are more easily overcome. That translates to stronger teams, higher performing remote individuals, and more effective managers.

• 50% perceived organizational support
• 39% job satisfaction
• 39% eNPS
• 38% intent to stay
• 22% organizational commitment 

This is a new frontier 

High levels of uncertainty and adaptation can snowball into long-term competitive disadvantages. But they also create unique opportunities for business acceleration — if people are a primary focus. Helping people, coaching people, and creating healthy environments that foster successful transformation can create definitional, chasm-crossing moments for your business. 

Now is a good time for leaders to rethink what it looks like to optimize their human resources. If we can approach this problem anew, even when disruption, change, and demands for transformation are so high, we can leverage a Coaching Culture to build high performing organizations, agile teams, and unlock the full potential of our people.

To find out what it takes to build a Coaching Culture, download our full research-backed insights report “Unlocking Performance: Transform your people and teams with a Coaching Culture.”