Coaching Culture is the key to tackling uncertainty in the education sector

New insights from BetterUp show that uncertainty in the education sector has nearly doubled in three years. Dr. Kristi Leimgruber, Behavioural Scientist, PhD explains how coaching culture enables workplace success.Recent research from BetterUp’s Coaching Culture Insights Report shows that uncertainty in the education sector has nearly doubled in the last three years, which should come as no surprise given news of debates and strikes over fair pay and workload dominating recent headlines.However, the impact increasing uncertainty is having on staff within the sector cannot be understated. According to the Teacher Wellbeing Index, 72% of teachers report being stressed and overworked, while 77% of teachers report negative impacts on their mental health as a direct result of their work.With poor well-being and excessive workload driving a mental health crisis within the education sector, it is no wonder that engagement and retention are suffering. In fact, recent data from the National Education Union shows that nearly half of the teacher workforce is planning a career change in the next five years.This raises the question – what can education leaders do to combat this? The solution starts with cultivating a coaching culture.Embedding a Coaching CultureCoaching Culture means setting up the foundation – the delivery system and pathways – by which any transformation or organisational needs can be addressed over time. People play an essential role in helping to fuel an organisation’s transformation – whether it be growth and expansion or technological advancement. In order to do so, however, they need to be provided with the tools to navigate change with confidence and clarity.Through consistent organisational, co-worker and managerial practices, an environment of continuous learning and development empowers employees at all levels to address business needs dynamically. However, these benefits are twofold, and while employees gain confidence professionally, an embedded Coaching Culture can also improve psychological safety and a sense of belonging. More than just benefiting business growth, this environment also encourages a renewed focus on the wellbeing and mental fitness of employees.The impact of this on the business is clear, with BetterUp’s recent report showing that an embedded Coaching Culture can drive revenue five-year growth by 21%. At a time when socio-economic uncertainty in the sector is rife, putting processes in place which can help organisations and their people to grow, transform and succeed are imperative.Cultivating Critical SkillsThere are many factors driving uncertainty throughout the education sector, with new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and automation amongst them. And, while they may not pose as much of an immediate threat to job security in the education sector, they will certainly require educators to develop new skills and mindsets to adopt and adapt to these technologies.According to the World Economic Forum, 44% of the skills that employees need to perform their roles will have changed by 2030, resulting in 9 out of 10 workers requiring some form of reskilling. When we compare this projection with the recent finding that three in five employees currently do not feel they have the skills to adapt to future technological innovation, it is blatantly clear that transforming the workforce is essential. In order to do this, organisations need to first shift mindsets and create coaching cultures that encourage personal and professional growth at all levels, from the top of the organisation to managers and teams.Employees in Coaching Cultures outpace their peers in key skills like problem-solving (+14%), self-efficacy (+13%) and future-mindedness (+18%), giving them a clear advantage in preparing for potential challenges and operating at peak performance in the face of uncertainty.Moreover, with 86% of UK workers stating that future-mindedness is not one of their strengths, having a culture of...