Could the coaching relationship be coaching’s superpower?

Coaching relationships have long been recognised as one of the most important contributors to successful coaching outcomes. Whether we are talking about executive coaching, health coaching, workplace coaching, or life coaching, the quality of the relationship between coach and client consistently emerges as a key factor in determining whether coaching is effective.

The coaching relationship has become even more relevant with the rise of AI coaching. As technology increasingly takes on aspects of the coaching process, questions about what is uniquely human in coaching are becoming more important. If the coaching relationship is one of coaching’s most valuable ingredients, what do we actually know about it? Indeed, there is no agreed definition of what the coaching relationship actually is, and while we know it matters, we are far less clear on what it consists of.

This issue of Coaching Research in Practice explores the substantial body of research from coaching, psychotherapy, counselling, health, and other helping professions to shed further light on the factors that influence the coaching relationship. Rather than requiring coaches to navigate hundreds of individual studies, it brings together the current knowledge in a practical and accessible way, highlighting not only the factors coaches can intentionally develop through their skills, behaviours, and attributes, but also those that may be beyond our direct control and therefore call for greater awareness, curiosity, and discernment.