Embracing coaching skills for Impact: Leading with empathy and resilience in complex times

In a time when the international system is under increasing strain from overlapping crises, funding cuts, and shifting geopolitical realities, UN staff are being asked to deliver results in increasingly complex environments. But technical skills aren’t enough. The way we engage, communicate, and support each other matters now more than ever.

As the demand to do more with less becomes the new norm, our ability to lead with empathy, communicate with clarity, and adapt in real time is essential to navigating the challenges ahead.

This is where one of the most powerful yet underutilized skill comes in: coaching.

What coaching really means

Coaching is a practical skill that extends beyond formal sessions or being in a managerial role. At its core, it's about helping others think through challenges, find clarity, and take ownership of their decisions. It means asking better questions, listening with intent, and holding off on jumping in with advice.

Instead of rushing to solve someone’s problem, utilizing coaching skills can help people come to their own conclusions, leading to better, more lasting outcomes. These are practical, transferable skills that can be applied in almost any UN role.

Why coaching works in the UN

The UN is a uniquely complex workplace. We operate across cultures, disciplines, and time zones. Much of our work depends on influence, not authority. This makes trust, communication, and collaboration essential.

Coaching helps you navigate these dynamics more effectively. Whether you’re leading a team, facilitating a workshop, supporting a colleague, or working with external partners, coaching tools allow you to stay more present, ask more focused questions, and support others in reaching their goals.

It is also an incredibly helpful approach in high-pressure or sensitive settings, where political nuance, power imbalances, or emotional fatigue can derail a conversation. Coaching helps slow things down and keep interactions productive.

Coaching skills can equip us with the ability to tune in, not just to what is being said, but to what is not. This is particularly valuable when working in sensitive or high-stakes environments, where power dynamics and political considerations shape every interaction.

Coaching techniques are not just for managers

Leaders who adopt a coaching approach tend to foster more inclusive, empowered teams. They delegate more effectively, give feedback that builds confidence, and create psychological safety in which innovation and accountability can thrive.

However, even if you don’t manage a team, coaching skills can enhance how you communicate, collaborate, and contribute in your role. They can help you navigate complex conversations with greater clarity, build stronger relationships with colleagues and partners, and approach challenges with a more solution-focused outlook.

Whether you are working in programme implementation, policy, operations, or administrative support, coaching techniques can improve how you listen, ask questions, and create space for shared problem-solving. These techniques can also make performance conversations and change processes more constructive and supportive.

Even brief moments of curiosity, such as pausing to ask “What do you think would work best?”, can help shift dynamics and build trust.

Why it matters right now

Many of us are currently feeling apprehensive and are under an immense amount of pressure.

The UN system is going through a period of transition. Resources are tighter. Expectations are higher. Change is happening quickly.

In times of ambiguity and fatigue, a coaching approach can serve as an anchor. It offers a way to stay grounded through that change and reminds us that we do not always need to have all the answers. It can help us slow down when things get hectic, focus when things are unclear, and connect with others in a more thoughtful way. It encourages us to step back, reflect, and ask the kinds of questions that lead to action, not just reaction.

Perhaps most importantly, in a system where staff resilience and wellbeing are under increasing strain, utilizing coaching skills can offer a more human-centred way of connecting with empathy, respect, and presence. It gives us a more supportive way of working together.

The UN Coaching Catalyst Programme is designed specifically for UN staff who want to build these skills in a practical, applicable way. Whether you’re a manager, technical expert, or team member, the programme helps you integrate coaching approaches into your day-to-day work.

Through hands-on sessions, practical tools, and peer learning with colleagues from across the system, you will build your ability to ask better questions, listen more actively, and support others more effectively. The focus is on becoming a better colleague, communicator, and leader.

Changing culture, one conversation at a time

At its heart, a coaching approach is about empowerment. It is about helping others tap into their potential and recognizing that leadership is not defined by titles, but by presence, curiosity, and the ability to unlock the best in others.

In a time when the system is being tested, utilizing coaching skills reminds us of the human element at the heart of everything we do. That is where real change begins.

Interested in building your coaching skills and mindset? Learn more about the UN Coaching Catalyst Programme, and discover how increased coaching skills can enhance your impact, no matter your role.