Coaching Enhances Employee Skills, Performance and Potential

More and more, healthcare organizations are embracing coaching as a valuable tool for caregiver and leadership development. By inspiring growth, coaching helps people develop or enhance their skills, performance and potential. It also encourages cultures of accountability, adaptability and innovation — creating stronger, more resilient workforces, boosting engagement and retention and strengthening succession pipelines.

“Coaching unlocks potential for individuals and organizations,” says Logan Rife, PhD, Senior Director of Talent Development at Cleveland Clinic. “Those who engage in coaching set examples for continuous improvement, they foster environments of growth and more.”

Connecting individual aspirations with organizational priorities is key to coaching programs. Cleveland Clinic’s coaching services are designed to empower leaders and caregivers to guide their teams through intricate and evolving situations, while exemplifying the organization’s leader behaviors and core values.

“Coaching programs should align with an organization’s needs to deliver relevant, high-value outcomes,” advises Ryan Kanaley, an organizational development consultant for Cleveland Clinic’s coaching services. “When coaching is directly connected to organizational objectives, programs demonstrate impact, secure ongoing support and sustain engagement.”

At Cleveland Clinic, leader behaviors such as accountability, emotional intelligence and others, give a common reference point for conversations, goal setting and progress measurement. From them, coaches create context and clarity — ensuring that development work is tailored to individual growth and supports organizational expectations. Doing so helps translate the organization’s values into daily actions to create stronger, more unified leadership.

Shaping a path forward

Any caregiver can elect to receive Cleveland Clinic’s coaching services, which are voluntary engagements. Caregivers typically seek a coach when they want to increase self-awareness, address recurring behaviors, transition into new leadership roles, or navigate significant changes within their teams or work areas.

“The essence of coaching is that the agenda is set by the coachee,” says Chris Nagel, Vice President Leadership & Learning, Cleveland Clinic Global Leadership & Learning Institute (GLLI). GLLI is housed within Cleveland Clinic’s Chief Caregiver Office.

Through structured conversations and activities, coaches offer one-on-one connections that focus on personal growth and career advancement. “Coaching has the belief that the answers are already within the coachee,” Nagel adds. “Coaches are simply there to help uncover what is already present for them by creating awareness through questions and approach.”

Importantly, all coaching activities are confidential. “Participants need to know that the conversations are confidential and will not be shared with anyone,” he stresses. “Unless there is potential for harm, privacy is critical, or people won’t be open to sharing.”

In 2024, 60 Cleveland Clinic coaches spent 826 hours coaching caregivers across the global health system virtually and in-person. They utilize a proprietary model that is derived from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) and provided through Cleveland Clinic's Center for Excellence in Coaching & Mentoring (CECM). Self-awareness and self-reflection are among the model’s key components, which are necessary in helping someone define their priorities, uncover undiscovered potential and shape their path forward.

“There are many definitions of coaching but having an organized and standard methodology creates credibility for our program and consistency in the organization,” says Nagel.

Expertly trained

At Cleveland Clinic, coaches are health system caregivers who are nominated for the role by a member of the leadership team, or who work as professional development specialists within GLLI. They are professionally trained in asset-based, relationship-centered coaching — meaning they learn how to recognize and build on someone’s strengths and ensure every experience fosters growth, resilience and positive outcomes.

“High-quality coaching requires expertise, consistency and a shared commitment to the program’s purpose,” Kanaley explains. “Those who excel at this are active listeners who can demonstrate empathy and use empowering language to create understanding and build trust. These skills provide the framework for coaches to be strategic thinking partners who can get curious, expand options and create accountability.”

Monthly and quarterly education sessions provide coaches ongoing skill refinement and best practice learning opportunities. Many coaches also pursue credentials from organizations like ICF, the Gestalt Institute, or the Center for Credentialing and Education’s BCC (Board-Certified Coach) designation. Cleveland Clinic recently increased its total number of coaches by 5%, helping to ensure both capability and capacity to meet demand.

Meaningful results

Participants in Cleveland Clinic’s coaching services often provide positive feedback about their experience. One person commented, “My coach allowed me to truly reframe what I saw as my problem and identify the paths and new ways of thinking to move forward more positively and proactively. ”Another noted, “My coach was very good at bringing me out of my comfort zone and challenging me to think.”

To effectively measure and evaluate the impact of coaching, it’s important to combine quantitative data such as surveys with qualitative insights from participants, managers and coaches. “To assess sustained impact, track progress, conduct follow up and gather and evaluate data that reflects the full scope of the program,” Rife suggests.

It’s also beneficial to share results with stakeholders, use insights to refine and improve over time, and adapt to evolving needs to ensure programs remain relevant, impactful and aligned with an organization’s strategic direction.

“We all know that healthcare has been facing significant challenges that will continue,” says Nagel. “Offering a space where caregivers can explore how those challenges are impacting them and speak in a safe environment to someone that can be on the journey with them will be a differentiator for organizations in the future.”

Calling external participants

This year, Cleveland Clinic is opening its highly regarded leadership coaching program to those outside the organization. Services are fee-based and provide external organizations and individuals the same proven coaching support that has helped strengthen Cleveland Clinic leaders. Following guidance from trained Cleveland Clinic coaches, participants benefit from personalized experiences designed to accelerate leadership growth, enhance executive presence, and drive long-term organizational impact. To learn more about the coaching program, email GLLICoaching@ccf.org.