For me, coaching is a splendid way to help someone to learn. All coaching conversations are about learning even if the word isn’t explicitly used (and usually it isn’t). There’s only one problem: so many managers are reluctant coaches and have to be cajoled into doing it. I once went to a conference where a distinguished American speaker held up a tightly clenched fist with no fingers showing and said, “You can count managers who are good at coaching on the fingers of one severely maimed hand”.

Clearly there is something wrong either with 1) managers who are reluctant to coach or 2) coaching as an activity that attracts such widespread line manager apathy or 3) working environments that are not coaching-friendly. It is probably a bit of all three.

Let’s assume that coaching is a ‘good thing’ and that the world would be a better place if we had more of it. What could we do to get it to happen? I can think of three ploys.

First, we could build the requirement to coach into the measurable targets of every manager and make it a non-negotiable work practice. If managers were assessed on their coaching prowess and, if a significant part of their remuneration depended on it, well, it would happen wouldn’t it? Coaching related pay will no doubt strike you as a distasteful means to a totally laudable end - it is based on the devastatingly cynical assumption that people do what you measure, not what you treasure.

Second, we could stop expecting managers to coach (let’s side step the problem of what else they would do instead). After all, during the last hundred years or so they have had enough chances and generally failed to rise to the challenge. Alternatively, we could appoint professional coaches to fill the void. In just the same way that people who are keen on physical fitness have a personal trainer, we could move to a system where everyone was fixed up with a personal coach. This would be an expensive option and, worse, it would provide managers with the cop out they have clearly been waiting for; no need to coach, yippee!

Third, we could go in for a bit of role reversal and get coachees to rise up and insist on their right to be coached. If only we could get them to see what they are missing and feel incensed about being short-changed. Perhaps we should form a union for people who want more coaching (that’s everyone with any sense) and have a rally in Trafalgar Square. The aim would be to empower people to get the coaching they deserve.

Well, of course, I love the last option! But to be honest I have little faith. I have suggested to organisations before that their ailing appraisal system would be transformed if they concentrated on training the appraisees, not the appraisers. Just imagine the armies of confident and competent appraisees/coachees/mentees (take your pick – I have never really understood the difference between them) insisting on getting their money’s worth out of their managers.