Riina Hellström

This was the first of the whitepapers I wrote! Thanks to all the contributors who shared their experiences so openly and honestly. I hope this final paper is useful for anyone who runs an internal coaching function, is considering implementing an one or supervises or coaches in one. I found it fascinating conducting the interviews and exploring what makes supervision work within the internal coaching space - https://lnkd.in/duvWpP4U

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Cost of bad leadership Longitudinal data demonstrate that the total annual cost of a single difficult leader typically ranges from 175% to over 1000% of their compensation, with a mean multiplier of 8.7x (SD = 4.3) for mid-level leaders. Builds on Sutton's (2007) "no asshole rule" and also "abusive supervision"(Tepper, 2000), "destructive leadership" (Einarsen et al., 2007), "toxic leadership" (Lipman-Blumen, 2005), and "petty tyranny" (Ashforth, 1994), this study seeks to develop a comprehensive model for calculating the organizational costs of destructive leadership. #riskfactors #leadership https://lnkd.in/euPVvQ6j

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Lots to digest in this analysis of skills-based work by Tyler Weeks. One highlight that caught my attention: "The Next Generation: Ditch the thousands of micro-skills. Focus on higher-order competencies like Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, and Goal-Directed/Executive Skills. These clusters are psychometrically more robust and align with how value is actually created in your company." These are the competencies that humanity has relied on for innovation and value creation since the beginning of civilization, and they last.

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Interesting insight on the power of coaching in the workplace “HR leaders shouldn't think of coaching as transactional support, but as a force multiplier for retention, belonging, and purpose."

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For years, L&D has frequently cited the 70-20-10 rule. 70% of learning comes from experience. 20% from relationships. 10% from formal training. It’s been on slides. In keynotes. In strategy decks. And yet, if we look at where most budgets go, we’ve built an entire industry around the 10%. Courses. Content libraries. Certifications. Completions. We optimized what was easiest to deliver and measure, not what actually drives behavior. Experience is messy. Coaching is inconsistent. Practice under pressure is hard to design. So the 70 and the 20 became aspirational. The 10 became operational. Not because the model was wrong. But because the infrastructure to support learning in the flow of work didn’t exist at scale. Until now. AI makes it possible to support leaders during real moments, before a difficult conversation, after a missed opportunity, in the middle of pressure. At Stoic, our AI Coach doesn’t tell managers what to do.  It makes them more conscious of their choices. Is direct criticism the best choice for the upcoming conversation with an underperforming employee? How could you encourage your team after a failure? Here are some techniques you might want to try out. Are you ready to commit to testing one of them for a week? It asks the right questions, reinforces reflection, suggests techniques, and demands accountability when it matters most - when the work is done. That’s how experience becomes deliberate. That’s how relationships become developmental. For the first time, the 70 and the 20 can be intentionally designed rather than left to chance. And 70-20-10 can finally move from theory into practice. #AppliedLearning #BehaviorChange #FutureOfLearning #LeadershipDevelopment #LeadershipCoaching

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Build organisational capability maturity from the bottom up by embedding good practices in day to day work. And it's free, so what's not to like?

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For too long, Organisational Development has been treated as a support function. Something to call on after strategy is set. After the structure is decided. After performance problems show up. But the most successful organisations don’t use OD to fix issues. They use it to create advantage. Because how work is designed, how decisions are made, and how leaders show up will always outperform strategy decks and operating models. OD is where: • Strategy becomes behaviour • Culture becomes execution • Capability becomes results When OD sits close to the business, organisations move faster, adapt quicker, and build resilience before disruption hits. When it doesn’t? You see misaligned structures, change fatigue, and leaders working harder for diminishing returns. The question isn’t whether organisations can afford to invest in OD. It’s whether they can afford not to—when adaptability, speed, and talent are the real sources of competitive advantage. Is OD positioned as a strategic partner or still seen as a support function where you work? ☎️ +44 (0)7976 028132 📧 Info@learntogrow.me 🌐 www.learntogrow.me

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One of the most thought-provoking areas of my ICF PCC renewal preparation has been revisiting ethical dilemmas that coaches can face in practice. A common example arises in sponsored coaching, where an organisation funds coaching for an employee and understandably wants to see progress and outcomes. At times, this can create pressure for the coach to impose the sponsor’s agenda rather than support the client’s own thinking, growth and ownership. The dilemma often sits around two important principles: confidentiality and the service to add business value. How do we navigate it well? In these situation its so important to establish transparent agreements from the outset. Clear three-way contracting between sponsor, client and coach helps define: • the purpose of the coaching • what success looks like • what information will and will not be shared • how progress will be reviewed • the boundaries of confidentiality • the client’s responsibility for their own agenda and choices For example, themes, goals and overall progress may be shared, while personal disclosures and coaching conversations remain confidential unless explicitly agreed otherwise.The coach’s role is not to become an extension of organisational performance management, but to create a reflective space where the client can think clearly, take responsibility and grow in a way that benefits both the individual and the wider system. When handled well, transparency builds trust, protects ethics and creates stronger outcomes for everyone involved. International Coaching Federation standards continue to provide a valuable framework for navigating these real-world complexities. Good success fellow coaches - let's look after this amazing profession.

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AI-driven personalisation tailored onboarding, benefits, and learning is transforming HR. But the real impact is cultural. When employees feel practices reflect who they are, they feel valued and engaged. That's why personalisation drives retention and performance not just satisfaction. At Culture Edge, we design people strategies that make culture uniquely yours, not one size fits all. How is your business making personalisation practical? Hashtags:  #EmployeeExperience #HRTrends #Personalisation #CultureEdge Source: 11 HR Trends for 2025: Embracing Disruption - AIHR

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Business planning is often overcomplicated. Too many decks. Too many workshops. Too much delay. Not enough clarity. The 24HR Business Plan strips planning down to the powerful essentials. Four intensive 6-hour sessions. A proven, structured process. Your leadership team aligned and contributing. Facilitated by our C-suite level advisors who have led growth, run teams, and carried the accountability. You get structure, challenge, and momentum from people who have been in your chair. And the final output is not a 120-page strategy deck that only works as a doorstop. It's a plan your team can execute tomorrow. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gC43XjD

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Bad leaders cost you £350k. Well according to this article highlighted by James Bywater the measurable impact is massive. An average of 8.7 times their salary! So even if you're just paying them £40k, that bad leader is actually costing you on average £348,000. (In a despicable piece of clickbait I rounded up to £350k for the title). The article proves that their bad behaviours (aggression, manipulation, entitlement and obstruction) impact innovation, collaboration and turnover. So even more reason to be careful in who you select into roles, and to ensure you put the time and effort into developing good leaders.

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Why do so many organisational transformations fail, despite the best-laid plans? Research shows at least 70% of transformations flop. The difference between success and failure often comes down to leadership. Are leaders modelling the change they want to see? Are they designing transformation with intention, embedding culture, and holding themselves accountable at every step? This article highlights that transformation is an identity shift, not just a tactical pivot. It requires consistency, transparency, and leaders who reflect as much as they act. From fostering a “learn it all” mindset to empowering middle managers and aligning behaviours with strategy, the right approach can turn disruption into lasting success. How intentional is your leadership when it comes to driving change? Could your organisation’s culture support or hinder your next transformation? https://lnkd.in/eb4J48D3

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If Boards Are Never Assessed, What Are We Really Governing? Boards regularly demand transparency from management: 🔸 KPIs. 🔸 Dashboards. 🔸 Performance reviews. Yet many Boards remain unassessed themselves. This creates an asymmetry of accountability. Without assessment, Boards rely on: 🔸 Confidence 🔸 Reputation 🔸 Seniority 🔸 Longevity These are weak proxies for effectiveness. ❗ Board effectiveness is not static. It changes as the organisation, industry, and risk landscape evolve. A Board that was effective five years ago may be misaligned today. Self-assessment at the Board level is not about critique. It is about relevance. #relevance Good governance begins with the courage to examine itself. And this does not stop at the Board. Senior leadership teams #seniorleadershipteams, those steering the organisation day-to-day, must be held to the same standard. ‼️ Because governance without leadership effectiveness is oversight without impact. Are you assessing your leaders? #BoardAssessment #GovernanceExcellence #LeadershipAccountability #BoardEffectiveness #RiskManagement Seng Bee Keek Janet Loo Muammar Syahmi Siew Chin Kiang Sharina Hashim Sajaratudur Ambar Abdullah Ambar Nucleus Advisory

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Schema is such a vital part of the Agilexe ecosystem.   We talk a lot about the "Golden Thread", the line that connects training needs to the compliant content that's delivered. Schema is the tool that secures that connection. By automating the curriculum design and learning plans, but ensuring it still conforms to the expected standards.   It means every module exists for a clear reason. And it frees up your SMEs to make impacts elsewhere in your organisation. See the link in the comments

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Research from Oxford Brookes University by Andy Nobes provided evidence of effective coaching using an AI driven coaching chatbot, AIcoach.chat developed by Sam Isaacson, Boas Loeb and David Tee. It is an example with a small sample size but Proof comes in many forms. Evidence and personal Experience can be considered proof to a degree. Of course this is not a consensus or an established proof from a meta-study. However, I can see that this study, combined with other similar studies, the value can be more accountably measured. I regard AI tools as adjunct rather than core coaching curation approaches. 'Coaching Poverty' may very well lead to AI Coaching affordances and availability becoming the norm for those short on finances or access to suitable coaches. I'm a Humanity-Centric Coaching advocate. Humanity is not something found in AIs. That said, AI can help offset lack of human coach sourced Humanity with a preventative intelligence, that ameliorates against unattended or undiscovered potential being wasted. Tatiana Bachkirova https://lnkd.in/ex58-Fdh Andy Nobes paper: https://lnkd.in/eZb6Q2rZ

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Is EQ one of the most important leadership skills in today’s workplace?   Lisa MacDonald, Head of International HR at The Hartford, shares her insights into just how important having emotional intelligence is as a leader in today’s modern organisation.   An essential listen for today’s progressive leader.   Listen via Spotify or watch on our website: Spotify: https://lnkd.in/eqWYU_Ui Website: https://lnkd.in/ecV-UP52

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