Assessing workplace coachability: a multi-study approach to design and validation

ABSTRACT

Coaches’ subjective evaluation has been relied upon to assess clients’ coachability. The validation of a coachability measure could aid in more accurately evaluating the impact of coaching, creating strategies to improve the effectiveness of coaching interventions, and guiding future research. We developed and validated a workplace coachability scale using the framework proposed by Cavanaugh and colleagues, which included: awareness, openness, vulnerability, growth orientation, and external support. We took a multi-study approach in which items were generated, administered to multiple samples, refined via exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA), and investigated for validity. The CFA resulted in a 17-item scale supporting the five proposed factors. We found evidence of convergent, divergent and predictive validity. Specifically, pre-programme self-rated coachability was positively correlated with post programme engagement in leadership training and programme impact as rated by the coach (engagement r = .26, p = .01; impact r = .23, p = .03); and, pre-programme self-rated coachability was positively correlated with post programme self-rated coaching engagement processes and outcomes (r’s = .18–.22, p = .02–.05). We propose that leveraging a validated workplace coachability assessment can help coaches and clients have open discussions to prepare for and maximise the engagement.

KEYWORDS:

• Workplace coachability
• coachability scale
• scale development
• coaching
• leadership development

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 Please note the present research renamed two constructs from the original Cavanaugh et al. (2021) paper based on terms more reflective of the concepts, i.e. security re-termed to Awareness and external resources re-termed to External Support.