"Culture is what people do when no one is looking." Culture is a way of being and engaging that aligns with the often unwritten expectations of the local community. As travelers or immigrants to a new country can tell you, adapting to a culture elevates a distinct awareness that you are now the student in a life lesson of humility. You must learn the way things are done, the language spoken, and that your experience in other cultures does not necessarily matter here. Hopefully it will enhance your ability to meld into this new way of life, but it does not guarantee it. It can be difficult to feel like you belong.

Organizational cultures are no different. Employees new to a company enter a foreign crowd of people already at home in their environment. Belonging is a right to be earned.

A well-designed coaching culture can offer a variety of benefits that effectively engage new employees into the flow of the company processes. For instance, providing a guide or a coach for new employees can help them better navigate the moments of uncertainty and loneliness in an unfamiliar crowd, offer them someone designated to answer their questions, and provide general support and information to ease their transition.

Organizations with strong coaching cultures affirm the value of new employees by providing an environment that facilitates adaptation into an already established community. In these organizations, leaders play an active role in the growth of employees and “making the numbers” is no longer most important. This culture is integrated into daily processes at all levels of leadership, many even including coaching as a line item in their budgets.

Coaching is shown to lead to “increased engagement, faster on-boarding, and faster leadership development.” Millennials, currently entering the workforce, who are offered coaching within six months of employment, are less likely to leave. Companies with active coaching cultures are also rewarded with increased productivity, higher return on investment, and retention of satisfied employees who have found a community where, when no one is looking, they feel like they belong.