More and more firms are turning to coaching as part of their training and staff development programmes.

Optus Managing Director, John Smedley said: "A recent study apparently found that the approximate annual worldwide revenue produced by ‘coaching’ was now around $1.5 billion.

"The research was undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers on behalf of the International Coaching Federation and it showed that this type of HR intervention was securing real commercial benefits for businesses.

"Coaching has certainly become a respected and valued service – a significant weapon in the staff development armoury. At Optus, we work alongside a number of professional partners to deliver coaching services – thereby adding further value to the support we can offer our clients."

John added: "It’s perhaps fair to say that the rise of coaching activity is a recent phenomenon but there is clear evidence to suggest that it can be a powerful tool in developing leadership and management skills.

"Succession planning is vital at all levels of a business and the managers of tomorrow need help to ensure they can step up to the task. The guidance which a good and experienced coach can provide will appreciably shorten their learning curve."