Employee Coaching

What is coaching?

Coaching is a development activity where a trainer works on a one-to-one basis with a client to improve performance at work and is effective in the following cases:

1. The client has attended training programmes but shown no improvement in performance
2. The client works unusual or irregular hours or works abroad or off-site a lot and is unable to attend in-house training programmes
3. The issues are very specific and unlikely to be included in a generic workshop
4. The client is a manager who has had no management development and needs to catch up quickly
5. The client is in a senior position and would be embarrassed to attend training with more junior members of staff
6. There are personal issues involved

How is it done?

Individuals can book a series of sessions with the coach, perhaps regular weekly one-hour meetings, or spend a day or half-day addressing particular issues. Either way, it is important to set targets and review progress against them, with on-going support available between sessions

Organisations may wish to arrange development surgeries, when the coach is on-site for a day or half-day and clients can drop in on an ad hoc basis

What will the organisation gain?

It will have the opportunity to deal with those awkward training issues when conventional approaches have been unsuitable or have been tried and failed. Issues might include personal and professional relationships, communication and attitude problems, life-style issues including drinking, smoking, loss of confidence, stress, career counselling etc.

What will the individual gain?

The individual will have the benefit of confidential personalised developmental help, available at a convenient time and place

Case Study 1 : A newly appointed manager wanted to make major changes. He knew his staff would be resistant after years of having an old fashioned military style regime. He was unsure how to proceed without causing major upset. A team building day enabled him to get to know his staff better and feel more confident in restructuring his department.

Case Study 2 : A clinical manager of a group of care homes felt exploited by the owners, he was unable to say no to an increasing workload and couldn't delegate. When the personality issues and management styles were explained he was able to respond to the owners. He started training managers so they could undertake more work thus creating a more effective management team.