How experiencing executive coaching helps coachees feel they are independent learners and self-coaches: an interpretative phenomenological analysis

Abstract

Executive coaching is a popular leadership development intervention. Despite the popularity, our understanding of how executive coaching facilitates learning and development is under-researched. We addressed this research gap by exploring how business leaders interpreted their executive coaching experience using interpretative phenomenological analysis as the research methodology. After purposively selecting three coachees and two coaches, we conducted two semi-structured interviews with each participant. The data analysis revealed that executive coaching helped coachees to become independent learners and to coach themselves and others. These findings establish an enhanced understanding of how coaching may facilitate leadership learning and development.

Keywords

• executive coaching
• adult learning and development
• independent learning
• self-coaching