Business Coaching - what is it? Research by the International Personnel Management Association in 1997 showed that while training improved staff productivity by over 22 per cent, training combined with Coaching boosted it by 88 per cent. Coaching in the workplace positively impacts the bottom line The extra 66 per cent lies in the difference between training and Coaching. Training provides the necessary skills for an employee to carry out their tasks. Coaching leads them through a process of awareness and accepting responsibility to use their existing skills more efficiently and effectively, to break through the limitations they have previously imposed on themselves that stop them reaching their full potential. Another, more recent, survey carried out by the Chartered Management Institute (2002) found that four out of five managers think that they would benefit from Coaching/more Coaching, and 93 per cent of managers believe that Coaching should be available to all employees regardless of seniority. Areas for Coaching include: Motivation Communication skills Leadership skills Corporate strategy Career development Change management Team development Organisational skills