I've been doing some research into the executive coaching space recently. There is some really fascinating data out there, but there is a distinct logical disconnect.

Companies are investing six figures in executive coaching programmes - external professionals charging £600 per hour to meet with their top talent. Yet in sectors like tech, automotive and retail, they're still watching 60% of their developed talent walk out the door.

It's not that one-to-one executive coaching is not valuable. But we treat it like a luxury performance enhancement when it should be part of a precision system for measuring and developing talent.

The most revealing insight came from studying behavioural change patterns across organisations. Real transformation doesn't happen in expensive coaching sessions - it happens in the observable daily moments between them: when a leader pauses to listen instead of interrupting, when a manager asks before asserting, and when systematic stakeholder updates replace the vague promise of 'good communication.'

These micro-shifts cascade through organisations like ripples in a pond. But it takes time: it takes 18 months for these ripples to reach the shore, not the 12 weeks promised in the glossy pitch deck.

The truly sophisticated organisations aren't just buying expensive one-to-one coaching anymore - they're architecting behavioural change through real-time feedback mechanisms and cultural indices. They're measuring what matters.

When you get this right, the data shows that 94% of employees choose to stay and grow. When you get it wrong, you're just funding your competitors' talent pipeline with expertly coached leaders.

I'm putting the graft of trying to understand it more. It feels like there is a lot here to uncover and unpack.