Do you want to achieve your potential at work, or do you want to get the best from those who work for you? We are ideally placed to support you, or a member of your team, to transform the way you work, to be truly effective and to achieve your ambitions for yourself and in your role. Francis leads our coaching service, with a team of professional coaches and mentors. He has put together these thoughts to help you in selecting a coach or mentor…
Coaching
The Centre for Creative Leadership describes coaching as “the process of equipping people with the tools, knowledge and opportunities they need to develop themselves and become more effective.”
In my opinion, coaching occurs best in a trusted, professional relationship between you and your coach. “Professional coaching is…a professional relationship that helps people produce extraordinary results in their lives, careers, businesses or organisations. Through the process of coaching, clients deepen their learning, improve their performance and enhance the quality of life” (The International Coach Federation definition, 2005).
Mentoring
“Mentors are people who, through their action and work, help others to achieve their potential” (G. Shea, 1992). I like simple definitions!
Mentoring is available in many ways and you may need a mentor at different stages of your life. Think about what would be the most useful next transition for you – whether in behaviour, knowledge, relationships or career. Then, give me a call and we can discuss what would work for you and where you might find a suitable mentor.
Choose someone who has the knowledge, experience and credibility to add value to you in your role. This could be by acting as a sounding board, a challenging friend or an advisor and guide.
How Can I use Coaching or Mentoring?
First decide where you want to start. What is it that you need? How would you describe your goal?
Then consider if that could be covered in a single session or if you need support over a longer period. Research by the International Coach Federation shows most coaching programmes last for 6 to 8 months as significant issues take time to work through.