Navigating Faculty Coaching

Coaching is considered the next generation of professional development in academic medicine, building on the historically important roles of advisor, mentor, and sponsor. A growing number of organizations are exploring or currently utilizing coaching to support their employees and/or learners. Positive impressions of coaching have contributed to its ubiquitous use. However, to avoid confusion about the aim, approach, and outcomes of coaching, a thorough stakeholder analysis, an intentional organizational design, and a sustainable execution plan are necessary. Faculty and workforce coaching programs are distinct from learner coaching. Workplace coaching has pivoted from a disciplinary, problem-based reaction to a proactive investment in top performers. Coaching has also broadened beyond the C-suite, as a meaningful investment across all workforce layers. A coaching relationship helps high-achieving faculty elevate or sustain performance by having a thinking partner to reflect on situations, values, or vision; analyze and build awareness of needs or gaps; investigate impact factors of actions or inactions; strategize goals, priorities, and timelines; and evaluate decisions and options. Offering coaching as part of contemporary benefits packages signals career-long organizational interest in supporting talent. Coaching for faculty is a versatile and personalized approach to professional development and can be achieved through individualized, group, online, and in-person interactions. Key considerations for planning, launching, redesigning or evaluating a faculty coaching program are outlined, including expected faculty consumers, stakeholder concerns, access, benefits, goals, and outcomes of coaching within an academic medicine environment.