Building a Coaching Led, Values Driven Leadership Culture at Sigma Components

Context and Challenge

Sigma Components, a key supplier within the aerospace sector, recognised that sustaining performance required more than technical capability. The organisation needed a more empowered, engaged, and aligned workforce—one where leaders communicated clearly, coached effectively, and lived the company’s values consistently.

Employee feedback in 2023 highlighted several challenges:

• Variability in leadership behaviours across teams
• Limited clarity around expectations, vision, and Ways of Working
• Inconsistent communication and feedback from managers
• A desire from employees for more coaching style leadership

To address this, Sigma partnered with Phil Stockbridge of PS Coaching Matters to design and deliver a leadership development programme focused on building a values driven, coaching led management culture.

Programme Design

The programme centred on three strategic pillars:

• Empowerment and Engagement — enabling leaders to create ownership, accountability, and confidence within their teams.
• Values Driven Leadership — embedding Sigma’s values into everyday behaviours and decision making.
• Coaching Capability — equipping leaders with the mindset and tools to coach, not simply instruct.

Delivery included leadership workshops, 1:1 coaching, reflective practice, peer learning groups, and structured follow through to ensure behavioural change translated into daily operations.
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Cultural and Leadership Impact

Employee survey data from 2023 to 2025 shows significant improvements across all core leadership and engagement indicators.

Clarity and Alignment

• Understanding what is expected of them:
Increased from 81% to 92% agreement.
Leaders are now communicating expectations with greater consistency and clarity.

•Understanding of the company’s vision and mission:

Increased from 40% to 69% agreement.

Leaders are connecting daily work to strategic purpose more effectively.

• Understanding their impact on Ways of Working:

Increased from 40% to 60% agreement.

Employees now see how their behaviours influence team and organisational performance.

Manager Communication

Manager communication—described by Sigma as “the beating heart of every organisation”—was a major focus of the programme. The results show a dramatic improvement:

• Overall agreement that managers communicate expectations and provide clear, professional feedback:
Increased from 48% in 2023 to 69% in 2025.

• Employees strongly agreeing with this statement:
Doubled from 16% to 32%.

This reflects a shift toward more confident, structured, and values aligned communication from leaders.

Quality and Frequency of Manager Feedback

• Employee agreement that managers provide regular, helpful feedback:
Increased from 26% to 53%.
While this shows there is still room to grow, the doubling of positive responses demonstrates that employees are noticing and valuing the increased effort from their leaders.

Coaching Behaviours

One of the programme’s core aims was to develop Sigma’s leaders as coaches. Employees confirm that this shift is happening:
• Employee agreement that managers are coaching more:
Increased by forty percentage points.

This is one of the most significant indicators of cultural transformation, showing that coaching is becoming embedded as a leadership norm rather than an occasional tool.
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What Enabled the Transformation?

Five factors contributed to the programme’s success:

• Leadership role modelling — senior leaders demonstrated the behaviours expected of others.

• Values embedded into daily practice — leaders used values as a guide for decisions, conversations, and feedback.

• Coaching as a leadership identity — managers shifted from directing to enabling, creating psychological safety and trust.

• Consistent follow through — coaching sessions, peer support, and reflective practice ensured learning translated into behaviour.

• Employee voice — survey insights and feedback loops shaped the programme and reinforced transparency.
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Organisational Outcomes

The leadership development programme has delivered benefits beyond engagement scores:

• Stronger alignment between strategy, leadership behaviour, and frontline execution

• Improved communication flow, reducing misunderstandings and rework.

• Higher levels of ownership and accountability across teams

• More consistent application of Ways of Working

• Increased trust in leadership and confidence in the organisation’s direction

• A more resilient culture capable of sustaining performance in a demanding industry

 
What the leaders had to say

Phils training completely transformed the way I manage my team. The practical tools on communication, accountability, and strategic thinking have significantly improved our team performance and morale.

Real tools. Real growth. Real results (Customer Planning Manager)

The leadership training was a real game changer for me, I went from feeling slightly overwhelmed at times in my role to leading with genuine confidence. The programme didn’t just offer theory; it provided practical tools and frameworks that I could implement immediately to improve my team’s performance and communication. (Ops Lead).

I have definitely felt myself being more aware of my communication style and thinking about how to speak to different people in different ways. Phil’s presentation style was engaging, fun, and professional which is a massive help when people don’t like being open in a group of people. Would highly recommend this training! (Operations Manager)

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Conclusion

The partnership between Sigma Components and Phil Stockbridge of PS Coaching Matters has delivered a measurable shift in leadership capability, communication quality, and cultural alignment. Through a values driven, coaching led approach, Sigma has built a more empowered and engaged workforce—one that understands expectations, connects with the company’s purpose, and feels supported by leaders who communicate clearly and coach effectively.

The data shows not just improvement, but transformation. And with leaders now equipped to sustain and deepen these behaviours, Sigma is well positioned for continued cultural and operational success.
 
Case Study Spotlight

Building a Coaching Led, Values Driven Leadership Culture at Sigma Components

The Challenge

As a key supplier in the aerospace sector, Sigma Components recognised that sustaining high performance required more than technical excellence. Employee feedback highlighted inconsistent leadership behaviours, unclear expectations, and a strong desire for a more coaching style approach to management.

The Partnership

Sigma partnered with Phil Stockbridge of PS Coaching Matters to design and deliver a leadership development programme focused on building a consistent, values driven, coaching led culture across the organisation.

The Approach

The programme was built around three strategic pillars:

• Empowerment & Engagement – creating ownership, accountability, and confidence
• Values Driven Leadership – embedding company values into everyday behaviours
• Coaching Capability – equipping leaders to coach, not just instruct
Delivery combined leadership workshops, 1:1 coaching, peer learning, reflective practice, and structured follow through to ensure lasting behavioural change.

The Impact (2023–2025)

Employee survey data shows significant and measurable improvement:

Clarity & Alignment

• Understanding what’s expected: 81% → 92%
• Understanding company vision and mission: 40% → 69%
• Understanding impact on Ways of Working: 40% → 60%

Manager Communication

• Clear, professional communication and feedback: 48% → 69%
• Strong agreement doubled: 16% → 32%

Feedback & Coaching

• Regular, helpful feedback: 26% → 53%
• Perception that managers are coaching more: +40 percentage points

Organisational Outcomes

Beyond engagement scores, Sigma achieved:

• Stronger alignment between strategy and day to day execution
• Clearer communication and reduced rework
• Greater ownership and accountability
• Increased trust in leadership
• A more resilient culture capable of sustaining performance in a demanding industry

The Result

Through a values driven, coaching led approach, Sigma has delivered a measurable cultural and leadership transformation. Leaders now communicate with clarity, coach with confidence, and consistently live the organisation’s values—positioning Sigma for continued success.