Research Findings

A study at the University of Salzburg involving students who regularly procrastinate on academic tasks compared the effectiveness of:

(A) Individualised coaching,

(B) Group training,

(C) Self-coaching (i.e. where people are given self-help books for them to read on their own), and

(D) A control group (no intervention),

in managing procrastination, which is an issue that almost everyone faces.

Students were randomly assigned to the 4 groups above. Their outcomes were then compared (pre- and post-) in 4 ways.

1. Satisfaction - The highest satisfaction was reported by Group (A) (the students who went for individualised coaching).

2. Learning content (e.g. techniques on how to stop procrastinating) - This was highest for Group (B) (the students who attended group training). This isn’t surprising, as coaching doesn't teach content.

3. Achieving goals - This was highest for Group (A) (individualised coaching), but not statistically significantly higher compared to Group (B) (group training).

4. Actual behavioural change in reducing procrastination - Again, this was highest for Group (A) (individualised coaching), but not statistically significantly different compared to Group (B) (group training) and Group (C) (those who underwent self-coaching).

In what appears to be the first reported study on the effects of coaching in 1997, managers in a public sector agency underwent a conventional training programme followed by coaching. Their productivity increased by 22% after training, and 88% after training and coaching - far more than the increase from training alone. 

(Note that this was not a randomised controlled trial.)

From a study conducted among undergrads at a US university:

1.  Students who scheduled their first coaching session early had 2 more sessions, on average, than students who didn't schedule early.

2. Each coaching session yielded an effect of about 0.2-0.3 grade points and 0.8 additional credits earned.

3. The study thus recommended that coaching initiatives should encourage students to arrange their first coaching session before the 6th week of class, and take up 4-6 sessions per semester for maximum impact.

For more studies, here is a list of abstracts compiled by the Institute of Coaching, to answer the question “Does coaching make a difference?” Founded in 2009, and based at McLean Hospital at Harvard Medical School, the Institute seeks to enhance global well-being through science-based coaching, and offers professional development, research, and a vast coaching library.

You can also refer to the book below, which compiles 15 peer-reviewed chapters from leading experts, presenting coaching within contemporary theory and research, especially key presentations from the 2003 Evidence-Based Coaching Conference. The aim of the book is to develop a knowledge base and informed dialogue among coaches, emphasising scientifically grounded executive, personal, and life coaching.

Evidence-based coaching, Vol 1: Theory, research and practice from the behavioural sciences. 

Cavanagh, M., Grant, A. M., & Kemp, T. (Eds.). (2005). Australian Academic Press.

Finally, the International Coaching Federation (ICF) has a research portal where you can search for more studies based on keywords, read abstracts and download full papers.