Unlocking the Value of Everyday Conversations: AstraZeneca's Path to Cultivating an Impactful and Inclusive Coaching Culture
In May 2020, AstraZeneca, a leading biopharmaceutical company, identified a critical gap in its performance management approach. A survey of more than 80,000 employees revealed that many desired a more future-focused strategy for professional development aligned with the ever-changing industry needs. Recognizing coaching as the key to personal impact and collective success, AstraZeneca leaders initiated a formalized coaching program to facilitate professional development, drive business growth, and create value for its employees.
Maintaining a robust coaching culture is increasingly significant in today’s evolving business landscape, especially with the rise of remote and hybrid work models, as well as the broader necessity for effective communication, skill optimization, well-being, and employee career development. In fact, research from ICF and the Human Capital Institute (HCI) shows that coaching cultures promote organizational strength and adaptability, even amidst uncertainty or challenging conditions.
Companies like AstraZeneca that emphasize and invest in a strong coaching culture are well-positioned to unlock the full potential of their workforce, drive sustainable growth, and achieve long-term success in a dynamic world. By shifting from an ad-hoc approach to a more formalized effort, AstraZeneca’s award-winning coaching program has achieved:
Organization-Wide Standardization that Aligns with Goals
Recognizing the need to maximize individual contributions and collective success, AstraZeneca’s leaders made coaching a business priority. The unified, integrated strategy promotes professional development and lifelong learning reflecting its innovative and high-performing company culture.
AstraZeneca is dedicated to supporting patients worldwide by delivering life-changing medicines through collaborative teamwork. Instilling a culture that empowers this mission is of utmost importance. The coaching program has strategically aligned itself with the organization’s purpose – to “unlock the potential of people, partners, and patients.” To accomplish this, AstraZeneca exclusively partners with ICF-credentialed coaches. Through coaching, employees seamlessly integrate the ICF Core Competencies into their work and purpose, creating a culture that empowers people to reach their full potential in a dynamic, inclusive, and high-performing environment.
Clearer Objectives and Outcomes
By aligning with organizational goals and purpose, AstraZeneca’s coaching culture has enabled clearer objectives and transformative outcomes for its people. Surveyed employees overwhelmingly reported improved skills (89%) and opportunities for personal development (83%).
Managers have demonstrated increased confidence in holding meaningful coaching conversations and providing “feedforward,” aptly named due to AstraZeneca’s forward-looking approach through capability-building engagements. In fact, self-reported coaching and feedforward behaviors increased 100%. Coaching has not only accelerated leadership development, but has also improved communication skills, fostering a positive mindset and a sense of trust and safety within teams.
Greater Accessibility and Inclusivity
As a purpose-driven organization, AstraZeneca envisions a coaching culture that champions inclusion and diversity so that the company can unleash the company’s global talent for the greater good. Its aim is for all employees to perform as an enterprise team, participating in lifelong development, and steadfastly supporting inclusion and diversity initiatives.
Supported by senior leaders and a compelling global narrative, AstraZeneca’s cultural transformation is evident in the widespread adoption of a coaching mindset. This shift has permeated all aspects of the organization, from performance development experiences to leader development programs. Opportunities are available for all career levels and throughout an employee’s working life cycle.
Thousands of employees now benefit from coaching and adopt a coaching approach in various work aspects, facilitated through various offerings such as workshops, peer forums, AI simulations, masterclasses, and professional coaching engagements.
Coaches utilize interactive workshops, experiential learning, and digital resources to develop coaching competencies. In addition, the Manager as Coach and Leader as Coach programs enable leaders to access one-to-one professional coaching and learn how to integrate coaching skills into their everyday workflow. This has enabled the coaching mindset to spread from participants in the program to their teams and throughout the organization.
AstraZeneca exemplifies the positive outcomes organizations can achieve through a strategic, formalized coaching initiative. Organizations can foster growth and professional development across their workforces — resulting in enhanced leadership, engagement, and commitment — which drives organizational purpose and success.
Stephanie Norris
Stephanie Norris, who has been with ICF since 2011, became the ICF awards director in 2021. In this role, she has restructured the ICF global awards system to better align with the whole organization and industry. The ICF Coaching Impact Awards had a great reception during its inaugural year! Stephanie is a strong promoter of the positive impact that coaching has on the world! She brings together all groups of people to work and celebrates the best of coaching! Stephanie is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and can also speak French. She is a systems analyst and studied for a master's degree in literature. She resides in Buenos Aires, Argentina (World Cup champions!).
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