We live in an age where every difficulty at work seems to have the same solution: “get a coach.” Struggling leader? Get a coach. Team in conflict? Get a coach. Career crossroads? Get a coach. Coaching has become the workplace’s universal prescription.

But no tool is universal. Coaching can change lives, but it can also fall flat. To treat it as a cure-all is to misunderstand what it really offers and what it cannot give.

Research confirms that coaching can deliver tangible value.

In a recent COMENSA survey, the benefits were clear.

Organisational outcomes

• Improved leadership skills (91%)
• Increased productivity (84%)
• Improved quality (82%)
• Better customer service (68%)
• A culture of inquiry (55%)
• Stronger staff retention (43%)
• Improved project completion (41%)
• Fewer customer complaints (39%)
• Higher profitability (32%)

Personal outcomes

• Greater self-awareness (80%)
• Stronger communication skills (80%)
• Better workplace relationships (77%)
• Increased sense of empowerment (71%)
• Improved quality of life (66%)
• Clearer goals (66%)
• Lower stress levels (46%)

Coaching, it seems, builds both capacity and perspective.

Yet the picture is not complete without acknowledging the limits. Coaching is a developmental tool, not a universal remedy. It works best where there is readiness to grow, curiosity and the will to reflect. This is why coaching flourishes in leadership development and culture change: spaces where people want to engage.

The question of poor performance is different. Sometimes poor performance is about skills that were never taught or systems that are poorly designed. Sometimes it stems from misaligned roles or unmanaged expectations. These are management and structural issues, not coaching issues. Coaching cannot substitute for training, nor can it resolve a lack of fit between a person and their work.

Where coaching does help is when underperformance is linked to mindset, confidence or behavioural patterns. If someone has the ability but struggles with focus, self-belief or ways of relating, coaching can help them regain their footing. It can surface blind spots and create accountability without shame. But it cannot manufacture commitment where none exists.

The art, then, lies in discernment. Coaching is a powerful catalyst, but only when there is enough willingness for it to take hold. When chosen well, it improves work and lives.