Exploring the use of group coaching to enhance employee soft skills in Estonia

Purpose The purpose is to explore how group coaching (GC) contributes to the enhancement of soft skills (SS) in the Estonian context. Design/methodology/approach A qualitative approach was used, using content and reflexive thematic analysis of self-reported open-ended questionnaires from 120 managers and subject matter experts, who served as coachees in the GC sessions. ChatGPT 4.0 was integrated as an innovative tool for supporting secondary coding, thereby adding analytical depth and transparency. Findings GC was found to be suitable method for SS enhancement, particularly in problem-solving, cooperation, self-confidence and active listening, while also identifying conditions when GC is not suitable. Moreover, participants reported the interrelated nature of SS enhancement, noting that improvement in one SS were often accompanied by perceived enhancement in others. Originality/value Applying the WHO (1994) life skills framework, we formulated an employee soft skills development model to categorise SS enhancement, offering human research development (HRD) practitioners a tool for monitoring employee development and providing researchers a methodological framework for further studies. The combined use of human and artificial intelligence-based coding adds methodological novelty to qualitative research.