Coaching for performance
Coaching helps people change their behaviour and improve their performance at work. In recent years the skills associated with coaching have played an increasingly important role at all levels of the organisation; it’s no longer simply an executive tool.
Put simply, coaching enables people to reflect on their experiences and learn from them; it’s an invaluable skill in today’s organisations.
Coaching genuinely helps people perform better. And whilst there is a time and a place for using qualified coaches, sometimes it’s simply a case of harnessing the potential within your own organisation.
So we offer:
Coaching skills training
Managers are often best placed to provide on-the-job support and development but sometimes lack the confidence and skills. We run programmes that help line managers learn the skills to coach their teams and help people perform at their peak on a day to day basis.
One to one coaching
Sometimes it is useful to provide individual coaching to address a particular need or support a development programme. Our qualified coaches build strong relationships in order to encourage genuine behavioural change that has a positive impact on the business.
Our approach
One to one coaching
Chemistry is important in the coaching relationship as well as having clear goals so the first step in any coaching work will be for the individual to meet with the coach to make sure they are comfortable and also to start work on aims. Ideally we would involve a line manager or sponsor early on in the process to make sure that the objectives set fit with the business needs and personal development needs already discussed. Sometimes individuals are unclear about how to make the most of coaching so we also discuss expectations and concerns to iron out any misunderstandings about the process and purpose.
There then follows a series of coaching meetings which will be structured according to individual needs. We might use psychometrics to provoke discussion and raise self awareness. Our style is behavioural based so we work with individuals to help them think about their behaviour, the impact it has on others and results and how to change so they can be more effective. Our approach is practical, focused and results driven.
Coaching skills training
We know from research that coaching in work is important both for employee engagement and development but also for business results. Although much talked about, coaching is often inconsistently done and highly dependent on managers’ motivation and willingness to prioritise it. Coaching takes time and so understandably managers have to make more of an effort to use this style of management. For this reason our coaching skills programmes are often not purely about skills – there is usually a need to convince managers that it is an important and valuable part of their job and to increase their motivation to do it.
To develop managers’ skills our programmes typically have at the core a practical workshop that blends coaching theory, discussion, and more importantly plenty of practice together. Pre and post work would ensure learning is tailored to the needs of the business. Follow up days and telephone coaching can help support the learning and track progress against actions.
Our extensive experience and business focus ensure we always meet our clients’ needs. What makes us different is how we:
- work in partnership with clients to identify clear goals and outcomes
- individually design solutions that meet the needs of the organisation
- use experienced, qualified coaches who foster a safe learning environment
- deliver real behavioural change by helping people learn through experience
- focus on implementing change with robust action plans and follow up.
Read some examples in our case studies or please get in touch if you would like to find out more about our coaching work.