Embedding a coaching culture at IKEA with coaching training
IKEA embarked on a journey to harness its unique corporate culture and management style to drive business performance. To do this they needed to equip their managers with performance management coaching skills to complement the existing management style and expand the portfolio of management and leadership skills.

“Having been involved in many aspects of training within IKEA at all levels over the past 10 years, the coaching program facilitated by Performance Consultants was miles ahead of any in-house program relating to coaching that I have been involved with and the business results speak for themselves.”

The Client
As the world’s largest furniture retailer, IKEA is a multinational company developing solutions that influence the lives and future of millions. The IKEA culture and values reflect the entrepreneurial spirit of its founder Ingvar Kamprad and are essential to its global success.
The 8 IKEA key values are togetherness, caring for people and planet, cost-consciousness, simplicity, renew and improve, different with a meaning, give and take responsibility, lead by example.
Davines Group mission is: “Do our best for the world, creating good life for all, through Beauty, Ethics and Sustainability.”

The Challenge
IKEA wanted to drive business performance by strengthening management and leadership skills.
They were looking to:
– Up-skill and establish a solid management and leadership style
– Improve performance
– Complement the IKEA culture and values
– They needed a performance management coaching course that would embed a coaching culture based on IKEA’s values and improve on the previously low take-up and effectiveness of their in-house management and leadership development trainings.
We believe that every individual has something valuable to offer and we strive to have the same values in the way we work.”
Our Approach
Performance Consultants designed and delivered an accredited train-the-trainer performance management coaching program to 750 managers and supervisors in the UK.
Interactive foundation seminar:
To inspire the team and to share the vision of what could be created by adopting a values-based performance management and leadership approach.
This really lit the imagination of the top team and created the optimal momentum and placement for the rest of the project. Simultaneously, IKEA’s training to date and HR material were revized and updated.
Developing coaching skills:
The train the trainer coaching programme included modules from our existing Coaching for Performance training program which aligned with the International Coaching Federation (ICF) – the industry gold standard for people who want to lead and manage in a coaching style.
These modules were customized to suit IKEA’s business and training needs.
Certification:
Internal pool of managers and supervisors accredited to deliver the training.
Sustaining the learning
- Internal coaching champions were identified to keep the training momentum and practical application going.
- After the success of a pilot study for 80 managers and supervisors, we delivered an in-house roll-out to 750 managers in the UK.
Coaching is the enabler and a coaching culture creates the conditions for high performance.”
The Results
All participants passed their assessment (some requiring additional support and training) and became accredited. They are now delivering 2-day Performance Management Coaching courses in branches all over the country and training new in-house trainers.
Departments whose managers attended performance management coaching training:
- Saw a 5% KPI increase (4% is considered significant)
- Went from 60% scores in management ability to 90% scores across the board
- One department went from 3rd worst performer to top performer
As a result of the program, Performance Consultants have:
- Generated extremely high internal motivation and enthusiasm for the coaching training among participants and their teams
- Received consistently great feedback praising the approach and coaching training delivered
- Collected great stories of how the coaching training has impacted the business, reduced costs and improved creativity
