5 Ways L&D Pros Can Use Coaching to Drive Career Growth

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As learning and development professionals, we continually consider what employees truly need to develop their skill sets and capabilities, so they can grow in their careers and leadership roles within organizations. And we all know one-off training is usually not the answer to long-term, sustainable career development needs. Helping professionals develop clarity, confidence, and accountability can provide more long-lasting results if done correctly.

As learning and development professionals, we continually consider what employees truly need to develop their skill sets and capabilities, so they can grow in their careers and leadership roles within organizations. And we all know one-off training is usually not the answer to long-term, sustainable career development needs. Helping professionals develop clarity, confidence, and accountability can provide more long-lasting results if done correctly.

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Here are five ways talent development professionals can leverage coaching conversations to strengthen career development and growth across their organizations.

Here are five ways talent development professionals can leverage coaching conversations to strengthen career development and growth across their organizations.

1. Bring Career Clarity to Employees Who Feel Stuck

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Most employees are not lacking in talent nor ambition—they’re lacking clarity. They start a role with one career in mind and then grow and evolve the longer they are in the workforce, which means they find new areas of interest and heightened engagement. The question of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” extends far beyond college.

Most employees are not lacking in talent nor ambition—they’re lacking clarity. They start a role with one career in mind and then grow and evolve the longer they are in the workforce, which means they find new areas of interest and heightened engagement. The question of “What do you want to be when you grow up?” extends far beyond college.

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As L&D pros, we can help employees gain that clarity through coaching conversations. The simplest technique to start using today is asking reflective, open-ended questions. By asking powerful, open-ended, and concise questions, you and your “client” can learn what energizes them, what drains them, the skills they need to really help them thrive, and the kind of impact they want to have in the organization.

As L&D pros, we can help employees gain that clarity through coaching conversations. The simplest technique to start using today is asking reflective, open-ended questions. By asking powerful, open-ended, and concise questions, you and your “client” can learn what energizes them, what drains them, the skills they need to really help them thrive, and the kind of impact they want to have in the organization.

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Guided self-discovery enables employees to transition from “I’m not sure what I want to do next” to “Now I understand what inspires and motivates me to do my best work.”

Guided self-discovery enables employees to transition from “I’m not sure what I want to do next” to “Now I understand what inspires and motivates me to do my best work.”

2. Build Employee Confidence in Strengths and Capabilities

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People often underestimate their own capabilities and, as you might have heard, we are our own worst critics. We all forget achievements, minimize our strengths, or assume that our work “isn’t a big deal.” By using coaching techniques like structured conversations, challenging your employees’ limiting beliefs, and deep active listening, you can help employees reconnect with their wins and the unique value they bring to the organization (aka their brand).

People often underestimate their own capabilities and, as you might have heard, we are our own worst critics. We all forget achievements, minimize our strengths, or assume that our work “isn’t a big deal.” By using coaching techniques like structured conversations, challenging your employees’ limiting beliefs, and deep active listening, you can help employees reconnect with their wins and the unique value they bring to the organization (aka their brand).

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What is a structured conversation? It is when you sit down to discuss an idea or topic with someone, such as achievements or strengths, and help them navigate a flow using a structured framework like the ATD COACH Model (Current situation, Objectives, Alternatives, and Choices). Notice any patterns of success your employee has demonstrated over the years, as well as the skills that consistently appear in their accomplishments.

What is a structured conversation? It is when you sit down to discuss an idea or topic with someone, such as achievements or strengths, and help them navigate a flow using a structured framework like the ATD COACH Model (Current situation, Objectives, Alternatives, and Choices). Notice any patterns of success your employee has demonstrated over the years, as well as the skills that consistently appear in their accomplishments.

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Listen deeply, paying attention to both their verbal and nonverbal language and energy to see when their confidence and excitement are showing up. Discern what skills seem to come naturally to them and which ones light them up. By recognizing their natural abilities and past accomplishments, you can help them connect with well-suited future opportunities within the organization.

Listen deeply, paying attention to both their verbal and nonverbal language and energy to see when their confidence and excitement are showing up. Discern what skills seem to come naturally to them and which ones light them up. By recognizing their natural abilities and past accomplishments, you can help them connect with well-suited future opportunities within the organization.

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People often undersell their accomplishments and say things like, “I really couldn’t have done it without (Insert coworker’s name here),” or “I’m ok with (insert skill here), but not as great as…” Challenge these self-critical comments when you hear them. Ask them questions that challenge their perspective on this self-limited belief. “What would this project have looked like if you hadn’t been involved?” Sometimes it just takes one or two questions for them to see they bring more value and worth to their teams than they are giving themselves credit for.

People often undersell their accomplishments and say things like, “I really couldn’t have done it without (Insert coworker’s name here),” or “I’m ok with (insert skill here), but not as great as…” Challenge these self-critical comments when you hear them. Ask them questions that challenge their perspective on this self-limited belief. “What would this project have looked like if you hadn’t been involved?” Sometimes it just takes one or two questions for them to see they bring more value and worth to their teams than they are giving themselves credit for.

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If you can help employees pinpoint their accomplishments, skills, and help them see their value to their team and organization, they can start to build career confidence. Confidence becomes a catalyst for career mobility when employees have the courage to take on stretch assignments, participate more actively in their teams, and sign up for additional professional development opportunities.

If you can help employees pinpoint their accomplishments, skills, and help them see their value to their team and organization, they can start to build career confidence. Confidence becomes a catalyst for career mobility when employees have the courage to take on stretch assignments, participate more actively in their teams, and sign up for additional professional development opportunities.

3. Become an Accountability Partner

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L&D professionals frequently see employees who attend trainings, take assessments , and develop plans—only to make minimal progress after the initial burst of enthusiasm fades. This isn’t a motivation issue. It’s an accountability issue.

L&D professionals frequently see employees who attend trainings, take assessments, and develop plans—only to make minimal progress after the initial burst of enthusiasm fades. This isn’t a motivation issue. It’s an accountability issue.

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Coaching fills that gap. Within a coaching framework like the ATD COACH Model, creating goals and an action plan for how to achieve those goals is a critical part of determining the ROI of the coaching engagement. Throughout the coaching sessions and long-term engagements, coaches follow up on goals set by the “client” to determine if the client is staying the course and on track toward achieving their objectives.

Coaching fills that gap. Within a coaching framework like the ATD COACH Model, creating goals and an action plan for how to achieve those goals is a critical part of determining the ROI of the coaching engagement. Throughout the coaching sessions and long-term engagements, coaches follow up on goals set by the “client” to determine if the client is staying the course and on track toward achieving their objectives.

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By having ongoing coaching conversations with their employees, TD professionals can help employees:

By having ongoing coaching conversations with their employees, TD professionals can help employees:

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  Break large goals into micro-goals or small steps.

  Break large goals into micro-goals or small steps.

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  Anticipate and navigate impending roadblocks.

  Anticipate and navigate impending roadblocks.

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  Identify support systems and how to tap into them.

  Identify support systems and how to tap into them.

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  Set realistic timelines.

  Set realistic timelines.

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  Stay committed through the long course.

  Stay committed through the long course.

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This kind of supportive accountability doesn’t feel punitive or like they have a micromanager. Coaching relationships feel like a partnership rather than a management one. It strengthens commitment, sharpens focus, and encourages follow-through. And because accountability is ongoing, coaching helps employees maintain momentum long after any training or performance review might end.

This kind of supportive accountability doesn’t feel punitive or like they have a micromanager. Coaching relationships feel like a partnership rather than a management one. It strengthens commitment, sharpens focus, and encourages follow-through. And because accountability is ongoing, coaching helps employees maintain momentum long after any training or performance review might end.

4. Help Employees Stay Adaptable and Future-Ready

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Have you ever seen a career path that looked like a straight line in the last 20 years? Yeah, me neither. Career paths today are a twirling tornado filled with loops, shifts, pivots, pauses, and evolutions. Employees don’t need guidance on just what the next step in their current career path is; they need a flexible plan that shows them how to develop and use their strengths, motivators, and skills within current and future market opportunities.

Have you ever seen a career path that looked like a straight line in the last 20 years? Yeah, me neither. Career paths today are a twirling tornado filled with loops, shifts, pivots, pauses, and evolutions. Employees don’t need guidance on just what the next step in their current career path is; they need a flexible plan that shows them how to develop and use their strengths, motivators, and skills within current and future market opportunities.

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Learning and development professionals can use coaching to help employees develop a flexible career vision—something that adapts as the individual grows and as the organization’s and economy’s needs evolve.

Learning and development professionals can use coaching to help employees develop a flexible career vision—something that adapts as the individual grows and as the organization’s and economy’s needs evolve.

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Like the Venn diagram approach mentioned in Teachers to Trainers , coaching encourages employees to explore what they are good at (skills); what they enjoy doing (motivators); and where those strengths align with organizational or market needs (needs).

Like the Venn diagram approach mentioned in Teachers to Trainers, coaching encourages employees to explore what they are good at (skills); what they enjoy doing (motivators); and where those strengths align with organizational or market needs (needs).

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When employees develop a vision grounded in this intersection, they become more resilient through organizational and economic changes. Career development is a journey rather than a straight line, and with the flexibility in mind of where your skills and motivators can take you, the journey can be a fun ride.

When employees develop a vision grounded in this intersection, they become more resilient through organizational and economic changes. Career development is a journey rather than a straight line, and with the flexibility in mind of where your skills and motivators can take you, the journey can be a fun ride.

5. Support Holistic Employee Development—Not Just Job Skills

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The best coaching conversations don’t stop at competencies or discussing how to deal with a bad boss. The best coaching conversations are those that bring out the full person, with all the aspects of both work and personal life. Employees bring their values, emotions, stressors, hopes, and lived experiences to work every day. Just like you can’t turn off your stress like a light switch, you can’t turn off the personal side of your life just because you cross the threshold of your office. A good coach will create space for the full person.

The best coaching conversations don’t stop at competencies or discussing how to deal with a bad boss. The best coaching conversations are those that bring out the full person, with all the aspects of both work and personal life. Employees bring their values, emotions, stressors, hopes, and lived experiences to work every day. Just like you can’t turn off your stress like a light switch, you can’t turn off the personal side of your life just because you cross the threshold of your office. A good coach will create space for the full person.

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By exploring the feelings of their employees and asking open-ended questions about different alternative perspectives, L&D pros can help to build their emotional intelligence, communication and influence skills, decision making, resilience, and help them foster stronger professional relationships.

By exploring the feelings of their employees and asking open-ended questions about different alternative perspectives, L&D pros can help to build their emotional intelligence, communication and influence skills, decision making, resilience, and help them foster stronger professional relationships.

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When employees feel supported as whole individuals, they become more engaged, more fulfilled, and more committed to their own growth—and to the organization that supports them.

When employees feel supported as whole individuals, they become more engaged, more fulfilled, and more committed to their own growth—and to the organization that supports them.

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Coaching is not a “nice-to-have” benefit; it offers a strategic advantage for organizations to help keep their employees engaged, motivated, and adaptable. By integrating coaching conversations into your development initiatives, you can help employees gain clarity about where they want to go, confidence in their abilities, and accountability to turn their plans into tangible progress. Perhaps, most importantly, you empower them to build careers that feel meaningful, aligned, and sustainable.

Coaching is not a “nice-to-have” benefit; it offers a strategic advantage for organizations to help keep their employees engaged, motivated, and adaptable. By integrating coaching conversations into your development initiatives, you can help employees gain clarity about where they want to go, confidence in their abilities, and accountability to turn their plans into tangible progress. Perhaps, most importantly, you empower them to build careers that feel meaningful, aligned, and sustainable.