2026 Relational Work Index
The top reason employees use coaching isn't to resolve conflict, it's to keep it from ever starting.
As AI takes over the routine, the part that actually decides team performance is the human one: reading a colleague, aligning on priorities, and closing the conversations that move work forward.
We studied nearly 30,000 real coaching conversations to see what employees reach for when they ask for help. Almost 50% named a specific person, not a skill. Read the Relational Work Index on where work really happens, and where to aim development next.
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THE RELATIONAL WORK INDEX
The hardest part of work is another person.
The Relational Work Index studies nearly 30,000 coaching conversations to reveal where employees need help.
Key takeaways in this playbook
Employees name a colleague in 50% of all coaching questions
At every level of the org chart, the thing they most want help with is a specific person, not a competency.
Employees ask to understand a colleague 2.5x more than to resolve conflict
They want to get the relationship right before it breaks, yet most development budgets fund the reverse.
Employees score low on closing hard conversations
Closing a difficult conversation with concrete next steps is the lowest skill measured.