The AC Podcast 286: The Long Game: Persistence, Resistance, and Cultural Fit in Coaching Cultures with Sandra Cullen
In episode eight of our Building Successful Coaching Cultures, host Rosie Nice, interviews Sandra Cullen, Vice President of Training and Customer Experience at Air Astana, about the airline's inspiring 15-year journey in building a coaching culture. Sandra shares her extensive international experience in shifting organizational leadership from directive approaches to empowering employees through coaching. The conversation explores the strategic, patient work required to embed coaching at every level of an organization, offering practical insights for leaders and HR professionals seeking to foster a supportive, high-performance workplace.
Sandra details the challenges of implementing cultural change, including overcoming resistance from both managers and employees. She discusses how coaching has been integrated into daily management practices and leadership development, emphasizing the importance of understanding and adapting to local and organizational cultures. Sue reveals how Air Astana has sustained its coaching practices at all levels of leadership, as the organization has grown, including a focus on "coaching on the go"—informal coaching moments embedded in everyday work interactions rather than relying solely on formal programs.
Throughout the conversation, Sandra highlights the measurable impact of coaching culture on employee engagement, performance, and retention. She emphasizes that building a coaching culture requires patience, persistence, and clear demonstration of value, while also exploring practical strategies for leaders to develop coaching competencies within their teams and scale these practices sustainably.
You will learn:
· Why cultural context is critical and successful coaching culture implementation must be adapted to local and organizational cultures.
· Why 'Coaching on the Go' is as important as formal coaching programs embedding coaching into daily management interactions creates lasting behavioural change, - making coaching feel natural and accessible to all employees.
· Patience and measurement drive long-term success – building a coaching culture is a long-term investment requiring consistency and persistence.
'I am convinced our engagement scores are the highest they've ever been because of the shift over the years in how departments work with their people through coaching.'
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