Coaching & Mentoring: From telling to thriving: How coaching is transforming a university culture

Embedding a coaching culture from the ground up: the stumbling blocks, the breakthroughs, and looking forward.

When the University of Gloucestershire set out to build a coaching culture, colleagues leading their coaching programme helped shape a more strategic approach, recognising that while workshops played an important role, lasting change would require a broader, more integrated effort. The organisation had a well-established “telling” culture, where managers were expected to provide answers and staff were used to seeking direction rather than exploring solutions themselves.

Although coaching existed in theory, it wasn’t widely understood or embedded in day-to-day practice. It was easy to overlook and had limited visibility across the organisation. At the same time, the university was managing significant change, including restructures and leadership shifts, which made it harder for new ways of working to take hold.

Early efforts, including workshops and engagement with the Public Sector Coaching and Mentoring Pool, generated interest but had limited lasting impact, with staff often returning to established ways of working.

A key insight emerged: without visible senior leadership buy-in and a more intentional, phased approach, coaching would remain an add-on rather than becoming part of the organisational culture.

Colleagues at the university recognised that embedding coaching required a thoughtful, long-term approach; one that balanced ambition with organisational readiness. They used this learning to strengthen the offer, building in greater structure, visibility and senior leadership support.

The value of the approach lay in the collaborative working relationship between the university and West Midlands Employers coaching and mentoring colleagues; combining internal ownership with the guidance, structure and support needed to move coaching from a development offer into a wider organisational culture shift.

Rather than attempting to do everything at once, the university worked with WME to build the approach step by step, with a strong focus on visibility, accessibility, and integration into everyday practice.

The journey began with the university rejoining the Public Sector Coaching and Mentoring Pool in 2022, giving access to coaching support, development opportunities and guidance from WME. In 2023, coaching workshops were launched and quickly filled, signalling a growing appetite across the organisation.

In 2024, the University of Gloucestershire’s Coaching Lead established a Coaching and Mentoring Hub to enhance the visibility and accessibility of coaching across the institution, drawing on broader sector insights, including conversations with WME colleagues around embedding coaching into everyday organisational practice.

Momentum continued to build with the launch of the Level 5 Coaching Apprenticeship in 2026, which attracted more applicants than available places. Alongside this, the university introduced quarterly internal coach meetings and coaching cafes to support a reflective and sustainable internal community.

Coaching was also woven into key touchpoints such as inductions, manager communications, and people partner conversations, helping it move from concept to everyday practice.

In October 2025, a dedicated coaching session for senior leaders, attended by the Vice Chancellor, provided a visible endorsement of coaching and contributed to its growing recognition as a strategic priority.