The provision of one to one support of senior managers, senior executives and board members – so that through the broadening of the way they anticipate and respond to business situations, they are able to function more confidently and effectively as individuals and as leaders

Coaching is rapidly being recognised by organisations as a powerful tool for increasing the effectiveness of their senior people. Senior people can benefit from having an external confidant, facilitator and sounding board to help them deal with the demands of their roles. A coach will help them explore the demands of their roles, help them to identify solutions and to develop and implement strategies and techniques to achieve those solutions. Each coaching relationship evolves its own unique style and approach and we therefore use experienced coaches who have the skills to adapt to each individual coachee.

What are the business benefits of Coaching?

Coaching is a technique that can bring numerous benefits to a business. These benefits can include:

• New Ideas and Change initiatives are accepted more speedily as coaching facilitates improvements in business presentations, internal communications and co-operation.
• Teams become more productive as coaching enables Executives and managers to manage and motivate their people more effectively.
• Executives and managers become more productive as they discover through coaching how to achieve a better work / life balance.
• New systems are mastered more quickly as coaching develops user confidence.
• The return on investment in training is brought forward as coaching reduces the period taken for new learning to be applied in the workplace.
• Client and supplier relationships are improved as relationship managers develop, through coaching, the techniques to deal with people more sensitively.
• Sales increasing as coaching enables sales people to develop the confidence to apply their people skills and product knowledge appropriately during interactions with clients.
• Pressure on Help-Desk resources is reduced as staff coach users to learn more quickly how to use on-line help facilities and procedures manuals

Isn’t Coaching just telling people what to do in a helpful way?

No, coaching is a highly skilled two-way communication process. Being helpful is applaudable and there are of course occasions when people need to be told what to do. However, neither being helpful nor telling people what to do requires coaching skills and doing them will not generate on their own the benefits that accrue from skilled coaching. There may however be occasions during coaching when a coachee requires some instruction or some helpful advice.

So what is so special about coaching?

The essence of coaching is that the coachee discovers for themselves what action is required and takes responsibility for that action. Because they own the process, the coachee is more likely to see it through. Because they see it through, the coachee gains in confidence and becomes better able to operate effectively with a minimum of assistance from others. Coaching improves confidence, strengthens buy-in and increases motivation.