Why coach young leaders?

“Why Glaxo put its money on a leader rather than a chemist.”

This was the headline of an article I found in the Business Section of the Sunday Times (25.9.2016) about the newly appointed chief of the pharmaceutical giant Glaxo.  It resonated with me on a couple of levels.

Firstly, I felt very encouraged to read that the appointee, Emma Walmsley, is a woman, always a heartening statistic in the context of the corporate world!  However, what struck me as even more important was the fact that Ms. Walmsley had been chosen because of her business background and her “outstanding” leadership skills based on a “strong track record of delivering growth and driving performance,” rather than on the basis of formal scientific qualifications.  Indeed, Ms. Walmsley’s background and experience had been in running Glaxo’s consumer goods empire which, “peddles toothpaste and branded paracetamol.”  This appears to support the growing practice of appointing chief executives who have little or no direct industry experience.  In fact, there have been instances when too much experience could be seen as having a negative impact, as in the case of Christopher Bailey at Burberry (whose unsuccessful attempts to combine the roles of chief executive and chief creative officer caused a threatened investor rebellion resulting in his removal after two years).  So, what does all this have to do with coaching, and specifically with coaching our Young Leaders?

From my observation of the British School of Coaching’s pilot Young Leaders course held in July of this year, it is clear to me that the issues of leadership and teamwork are inextricably linked.  Any leader has to be able to manage a team effectively, leaders and teams do not exist in mutual exclusivity and, in today’s business world of competition and uncertainty, and it seems to me that collaboration is vital for organisations to make the most of their employees, which means that strong, effective leadership is key.

Watching the young people negotiating the practicalities and intricacies of team building, taking on different roles within the team, including that of being a leader, made me realise how beneficial these skills are, and how deceptively difficult they are to master.  Since one can only be the leader one’s character allows one to be, then coaching, as a facilitating and reflective process, would seem to be the ideal tool in which to explore this complex issue.  What does leadership actually look like?  Does it involve knowing all about the task at hand or does it rather demand the capacity to get the best out of others to achieve that task?  How does one guide and motivate others?  What happens to a team when there is no clear leader?  What implications does this have for collaboration?  Can we collaborate effectively if there is nobody “in charge?”  It seems to me that these are the questions which need to be addressed.

More than ever, young people coming into the workplace today need to be adaptable and flexible, as well as being innovative and creative.  What I think the BSC Young Leaders course highlights is how important it is to have the former skills to enable to contribute the latter in a meaningful and constructive way.  Not every idea can simply be thrown into the mix in the hope that the best ones will somehow float to the surface, there needs to be structure and discipline and a true commitment to listening, learning and reflection.  I would argue in fact, that perhaps by not knowing the answers.  A leader can be more effective as they will have to seek to understand, unencumbered by preconceived ideas or limiting beliefs, resulting in a more creative environment in which the team can operate, with a leader who knows when to step back and when to take charge.  No amount of “operational experience” or “technical knowledge” of the business will guarantee good leadership skills.  In sport, this is called “specificity of training” (a weight lifter does not train by running marathons!) and, as in sport, so it should be in training for leadership.  This is what our young people need today to help equip them for the increasingly complex demand of today’s workplace, in the knowledge that leadership skills are potentially more relevant even than industry experience.  A well constructed coaching programme provides just such an opportunity.

Blog by Virginia Raymond

Preparing for Winter: COACH

This is the third in the series of new blogs that the British School of Coaching has started that focus on different aspects of wellbeing for both coaches and their clients. BSC already hosts an endorsed Wellbeing Coaching qualification. This course provides an opportunity to understanding wellbeing rather than being seen simply as physical health. In addition there is a one day course to increase the understanding of mindfulness as well an opportunity to try out mindfulness techniques.

This wellness blog has been developed in response to extending the dialogue with coaches, as a way to support coaches to consider their own wellness as well as that of their clients. It isn’t prescriptive, but a mechanism to keep a live debate going as well as caring for the coaching community. Please join in this dialogue through Twitter (@bsc4coaching) using the hashtag- #BSCWellbeing

Available on the British School of Coaching website, the blog is based on five tips for maintaining wellbeing, for all coaches to contribute to.  Using COACH acronym as our framework the blog will be structured in the following headings of:
1. Care
2. Opportunities
3. Action and awareness raising
4. Conversations and feedback
5. Health

Appreciating the environment around us

October is the International Walk to School Month for Primary Schools as well as International School Library Month. Over 40 countries are taking part. For further information please see here.
Perhaps you could have a competition to what you see on the way to school. Below is a flower I particularly liked and took a photo of on a recent walk. Hope you like it too!

Please tweet us your photographs and use the hashtag- #BSCWellbeing so we can re-tweet them.

1.    Care
This section will cover suggested tips for coaches to share with each other how they care for themselves and clients.

The autumn harvests provide a wealth of different vegetables that can be stored and eaten through the winter months.

For this blog the tip is about the benefits of a vegetarian diet to mark World Vegetarian Day that is celebrated annually on 1st October. World Vegetarian Day was founded in 1977 by the North American Vegetarian Society. Its purpose is to draw global attention to the health and environmental benefits of vegetarianism and on the ethics of following a vegetarian lifestyle.

A study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine looked at data from seven clinical studies and 32 other studies published between 1900 and 2013 where participants kept a vegetarian diet and found that vegetarians have lower blood pressure compared to people who eat meat. Other studies suggest a lower incidence of heart disease, diabetes and cancer.

It is also important to note that the main documented disadvantage of a vegetarian diet relate to not eating a balanced diet.

As always health and lifestyle choices are personal. This blog provides ‘food for thought’.

2.    Opportunities
Training to be a coach is a journey of increases self -awareness. For wellbeing coaches it also about increasing self-awareness about wellness and prevention. Amongst the national campaigns this month there is a focus on Breast Cancer with national campaign running a fund raising event on 14th October 2016.

3.    Action and awareness raising
October is National Home Security Month which serves as a reminder to coaches about ensuring their coaching environment is secure particularly for those of us who coach in the evenings.
National statistics show there is a 20% increase in home burglaries happening during the darker months of the year.

Don’t Forget  – The clocks Go Back in the UK on Sunday 30th October 2016.
For further information please see the national Locksmiths and business security. Stay Safe in the darker months!

4.    Conversations and feedback
This section is for coaches to provide their hints and tips for maintaining wellness as well as share experiences that may also be used in coaching network supervision session. If you have any models or thoughts you would like to share in this blog please email them to: amy@britishschoolofcoaching.com

5. Health
Spotlight on Mindfulness

World Mental Health Day (10th October) has once again highlighted the importance of building a better understanding of our mental health and wellbeing.

Mindfulness can be defined as moment-by-moment awareness of thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment, characterised mainly by “acceptance” – attention to thoughts and feelings without judging whether they are right or wrong.

The benefits of mindfulness have again been questioned in the media in recent weeks. An academic paper written by Dr Jonathan Passmore called ‘The role of mindfulness in coaching’ explores the concept of mindfulness as a tool for helping both coaches and coachees.  In this article he argues that coaching practice of the coach can be enhanced through using mindfulness as a preparation tool. He also highlights research evidence on mindfulness impact in managing stress and contributing towards improved performance, concluding with a discussion about the benefits for coachees too. Please see the full article here.

Sally Bell, Business and Wellbeing Coach

Autumn Harvest: COACH

The British School of Coaching (BSC) is launching a series of new blogs that focus on different aspects of wellbeing for both coaches and their clients. BSC already hosts an endorsed Wellbeing Coaching qualification. This course provides an opportunity to understanding wellbeing rather than being seen simply as physical health. In addition there is a one day course to increase the understanding of mindfulness as well an opportunity to try out mindfulness techniques.

This wellness blog has been developed in response to extending the dialogue with coaches, as a way to support coaches to consider their own wellness as well as that of their clients. It isn’t prescriptive, but a mechanism to keep a live debate going as well as caring for the coaching community.
Wellbeing at its simplest level is about personal happiness – feeling good and living safely and healthily. This means not allowing work to undermine our basic purposes and needs in our lives, and by extension those of our families and loved ones. In this respect, wellbeing is a hugely significant aspect of our work and careers.

A new blog will available on the BSC website every two weeks throughout the next six months. It will be based on five tips for maintaining wellbeing for all coaches to contribute to. Using COACH acronym as our framework the blog will be structured in the following headings of:
1. Care
2. Opportunities
3. Action and awareness raising
4. Conversations and feedback
5. Health

As autumn began at the start of the farmers are now well on the way with harvesting, fruit on the trees is ready for picking and the hedgerows are full of berries.  So is it time to find those recipes of what to do with your hedgerow harvest?

Back in 1943 the Ministry of Food published a leaflet to get the country doing more making and mending and thus more saving of essential resources for the war effort.  For further information see here

For coaches, autumn is the beginning of a time of year to reflect on what resources are available to them on their hedgerows, whether urban or rural around and quantify essential preparations to sustain them through winter.

1. Care

This section will cover suggested tips on how they care for themselves and clients, for coaches to share with each other.

For this blog the tip is about eye sight

It is recommended that most people should get their eyes tested every two years unless you have other underlying health conditions when the length of time between tests is shorter.

 A sight test can detect early signs of conditions like glaucoma, which can be treated if found soon enough as well as other health conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

Question:
Did you know that you could test your own eye health? Please click here so you can test yourself.

2. Opportunities

As the days shorten and temperatures begin to drop it is tempting to stop exercising and become more sedentary. The opportunity is to consider what am I going to do to keep myself on the move?

Question:
Have you considered taking up yoga or going to a dance class?
It’s important to find an enjoyable way to gently move your body

Question:
Did you know that most mobile phones now have the ability to monitor how many steps you walk a day for free!
http://www.howtogeek.com/238904/how-to-track-your-steps-with-just-an-iphone-or-android-phone/

3. Action and awareness raising

Have you thought about DIY to prepare your home for winter?

Have you checked to see when your boiler is next due for a service and it is working properly? If you have radiators it’s also a good idea to check and bleed them too.

What about your roof and gutters? Have you recently checked your gutters to ensure there are no blockages ensuring they are kept free from leaves, nests and any other debris?

Have you checked all your indoor lights are working and you have a supply of bulbs?
http://www.careandrepair-manchester.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/MCR-Service-Leaflet-WEB14.pdf

4. Conversations and feedback

This section is for coaches to provide their hints and tips for maintaining wellness as well as share experiences that may also be used in coaching network supervision session. If you have any models or thoughts you would like to share in this blog please email them to: amy@britishschoolofcoaching.com

Coaching reflection – A personal example
 The inspiration for my reflection is about what autumn means to me from when coaching myself. It’s about contracting with myself to be the best I can be. I have found Jackee Holder’s ‘Top Ten Tips for Self-Coaching a helpful way of checking in with myself. I hope you do too.

5. Health

 The health benefit of berries!

Did you know blackberries are rich in bioflavonoids and Vitamin C, but other nutritional benefits include a very low sodium count and having only 62 calories to a cup. The dark blue colour ensures blackberries have one of the highest antioxidant levels of all fruits.

Ten additional facts about blackberries that may encourage you to go out for a weekend walk. Enjoy!

Sally Bell, Business and Wellbeing Coach

How to choose the best coach for your organisation

Experts from the British School of Coaching give their advice for getting the most out of training and development

Coaching is a recognised technique in the development of individuals’ performance as skills and knowledge are deepened and goals are set. Choosing the right coach to help achieve those goals is crucial, says Judith Barton and Martin Hill from the British School of Coaching. They told People Management about their five C’s of coaching.

1 Clarity
Before you embark upon the process of selecting a coach, you need to ensure you are clear about what outcome you wish to achieve. This is frequently the main cause of disappointment, or at worst, failure. If you are not clear what the ultimate aim of the coaching is, it will be almost impossible to set any meaningful matrices to measure the success of the intervention. What is it that you are seeking to achieve? What needs to change? What aspect do you need the support of the coach for? Does the coach need to have wider skills or knowledge to draw upon to support that aim?

2 Credibility
At present, coaching is an unregulated industry and anyone can describe themselves as a coach. Recent surveys of HR professionals and other coaching buyers have highlighted that consumers are becoming even more diligent in their enquiries of prospective coaches.

There are a number of questions you could ask when hiring a coach: What is their coaching qualification? How many coaching hours have they undertaken? What are their supervision arrangements for their practice? Are they a member of a recognised professional coaching body? If a coach specialises in a particular area, how have they developed their knowledge and skills? Do they have an understanding of your industry, sector, and profession?

3 Contract
Coaching should be a relationship based on equality. The coach is not there to act as an expert or to advise – they are there to act in an objective, non-judgmental manner and to provide a challenge to the client’s thoughts and ideas and help them achieve their desired outcome.

Good coaches will include the client in the design of the contract that will regulate their contractual relationship; setting the boundaries; specifying the roles of both parties; describing the methodology to be used.

Confidentiality is a crucial aspect and all parties should be clear, prior to commencement of any coaching assignment, about what information is to be shared, with whom and for what purpose?

4 Concise
While we would argue it is impossible to predict at the outset the number of sessions necessary to make progress, there are so many variables to a successful session. From our experience, significant progress can be made in three coaching sessions. To make this progress, coaches must have the skills and experience, there must be a ‘fit’ with the client and the definition of a successful session must be identified. Refining a client’s initial desired outcome is more often than not the focus of the first session.

5 Conditions
Other variables we believe make a positive contribution to the session are environment: where will the session take place? If it’s within an organisation, is it separate to the client’s area of work? One organisation we work with in the UAE decided to convert a small building in the grounds that is separate to the main building to be their coaching suite. Clients said “the five minute walk created space to think” and “the separate facility signalled coaching, that it’s time for me.”

Originally published by CIPD, 21 September 2016

Continuing competence for solicitors: how coaching can help

What is continuing competence?
As from 1 November 2016, all solicitors will be subject to the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s new approach to continuing competence, replacing continuing professional development (CPD). Details can be found at the SRA’s website.

The statement of solicitor competence adopts the following definition:
“the ability to perform the roles and tasks required by one’s job to the expected standard” (Eraut & du Boulay, 2001).

What this means for the individual solicitor depends upon the nature of their job, the stage they are at in their career, and the task in front of them. It is not limited to acquiring or updating legal knowledge, but encompasses a range of skills and knowledge:

• Ethics, professionalism and judgment
• Technical legal practice
• Working with other people
• Managing themselves and their own work

The competences are linked to a threshold standard required at the point of qualification, with a range of indicative standards showing expectations at different career stages, both pre- and post-qualification.

The SRA provides a continuing competence toolkit to help solicitors meet the requirements of the new approach. This highlights the key tasks as:

• Reflection
• Planning
• Addressing learning and development needs
• Recording and evaluating learning and development activity

How can coaching help?
Coaching can support and enhance continuing competence for solicitors.

“This is not a soft option to learning and development: you will need to think seriously about whether the quality of your practice meets your obligation to provide a proper standard of service. To do this successfully requires you to think about your strengths, weaknesses, what you can do better, and what you need to do to keep your skills and knowledge up to date” (SRA website)

“It is important to devote an appropriate time for reflection” (SRA website)

Thinking seriously might sound easy, but even giving yourself the time and the discipline for this type of thinking can be difficult in the midst of a very busy working life. It is something that easily slips down the “to do” list, overtaken by other priorities.

An appointment for a coaching session is a lot less easy to cancel than an hour or two blocked out in the diary. But coaching brings much greater value than just a devoted time.

Coaching can help with every part of the continuing competence approach.

Reflection: Thinking about your own performance, strengths and weaknesses, and development needs, is more effective with a coach to guide and structure the conversation, offer challenge, and make you think just that little bit deeper.

Planning: Quality of planning is key. It needs to be focussed and relevant, and it will be most successful if the actions come from the individual, rather than being imposed upon them. This is a real strength of a coaching approach.

Addressing L&D needs: Coaching is identified by the SRA as a development activity in its own right. It can also help to identify a broader range of options, and address how learning can be maximised across teams and organisations.

Recording and evaluating: Coaching after an activity is the perfect opportunity to evaluate how the activity met the identified learning and development needs, cement the learning, and identify how the learning will be consolidated into practice. This will improve the quality of recording and evidence of development arising from the activity.

Development for non-qualified staff
The continuing competence toolkit can help aspiring lawyers and non-qualified staff to understand the requirements of knowledge and skills to progress towards qualifying as a solicitor.

Coaching is equally valuable in supporting and enhancing the ongoing development of those aiming for qualification, and indeed those in paralegal or non-legal roles.

Trish Hannen, ILM Level 7 qualified Leadership and Development Coach

Back to School: COACH

The British School of Coaching (BSC) is launching a series of new blogs that focus on different aspects of wellbeing for both coaches and their clients. BSC already hosts an endorsed Wellbeing Coaching qualification. This course provides an opportunity to understanding wellbeing rather than being seen simply as physical health. In addition there is a one day course to increase the understanding of mindfulness as well an opportunity to try out mindfulness techniques.

This wellness blog has been developed in response to extending the dialogue with coaches, as a way to support coaches to consider their own wellness as well as that of their clients. It isn’t prescriptive, but a mechanism to keep a live debate going as well as caring for the coaching community.
Wellbeing at its simplest level is about personal happiness – feeling good and living safely and healthily. This means not allowing work to undermine our basic purposes and needs in our lives, and by extension those of our families and loved ones. In this respect, wellbeing is a hugely significant aspect of our work and careers.

A new blog will available on the BSC website every two weeks throughout the next six months. It will be based on five tips for maintaining wellbeing for all coaches to contribute to.  Using COACH acronym as our framework the blog will be structured in the following headings of:
1.    Care
2.    Opportunities
3.    Action and awareness raising
4.    Conversations and feedback
5.    Health

As autumn begins it marks an important time of the year to both harvest fruits and vegetables as well as prepare and celebrate new beginnings. For families it’s back to school with a new routine, new classes and subjects to study whilst for others it’s the beginning of a new experience of going to college, starting an apprenticeship or new year at university.

As this photograph depicting the autumn season shows, there are always a number of different paths to follow. Coaches are no exception. The autumn brings new opportunities as well as a time to take stock in advance of the winter period.

With this in mind, the wellbeing blogs have been written to consider the wellness of coaches and their clients.

1. Care
This section will cover suggested tips for coaches to share with each other how they care for themselves and clients.

For this blog the tip is about posture.

Poor posture at work is a major cause of back pain, workplace stress and repetitive strain injury, that we all know can result in lost time, reduced productivity, poor health, and low morale.

Questions to myself? Am I able to give my best coaching experience in my current coaching environment? Are there any improvements I could make that will benefit both me, and my clients?

2. Opportunities
Autumn parts the beginning of new courses.

Questions to myself? Is there anything I’ve always wanted to study/ become involved in but haven’t had the time to do? Are there any local courses available to me? Club or enrolment evenings or is it getting involved in the local pantomime I want to do?

Learning more about local produce and harvest – this could be through the British Food Fortnight 17th – 2nd October 2016. This is the biggest annual, national celebration of British food and drink.
www.britishfoodfestival.co.uk/

3.    Action and awareness raising
Vitamin D – Making the most of a walk in the autumn sunshine.

In the UK, sunlight does not contain enough UVB radiation in winter for our skin to be able to make vitamin D. During the winter months, we need to consider how we continue to get our vitamin D from food sources (including fortified foods) and supplements. For colleagues in the Middle East it is equally important to consider I am getting enough Vitamin D. Wherever you live there are a wide variety of sun lotions, sprays and creams.  Is it protection factor 50 I need in the summer and protection factor 30 in the cooler months? Whatever your skin type, check out the labels or talk to the pharmacist if you’re not sure which is the best for you.

The last few weeks there has been a lot of media coverage on vitamin D to include the impact it can have for people who suffer with asthma.

For further information please see the NHS Choice website.

4.    Conversations and feedback
Coaching reflection – A personal example

The inspiration for my reflection is from the Olympics. Watching the athletes, whether able bodied or those competing in the Paralympics, is very inspiring – especially their self-belief that by practicing every day you will improve.  This can be directly translated into the wellness-coaching environment. Marginal gains theory is a model I have recently been read about and applying. If you have not tried it it’s worth a look. I have found it to be a very powerful tool that can be used to support clients especially if they are feeling ‘stuck’.

For further information please see: ‘This Coach Improved Every Tiny Thing by 1 Percent and Here’s What Happened’

This section is for coaches to provide their hints and tips for maintaining wellness.  If you have any models or thoughts you would like to share in this blog please email them to: amy@britishschoolofcoaching.com

The next Coaching Network event will be held on Saturday 19th November 2016 from 9.30am – 1pm.  This will be an opportunity for coaches to shape this section of the blog as well as use in coaching network supervision sessions. For more information on the network event please email amy@britishschoolofcoaching.com

5. Health
Packed Lunches – they don’t have to be boring!

A healthy, varied diet should provide all the nutrients needed.

Going back to school often means adjusting into a new routine. This may include preparing pack ups, not just for the children but all the family. There are lots of foods that can be used to make a packed lunch varied and tasty. The supermarket websites are a great source of the wide variety and choices available to us.

For further information please visit: www.bda.uk.com/foodfacts

The next wellbeing blog will be published in a few weeks time. Its focus will be: Autumn Harvest
Author: Sally Bell, September 2016

Sally Bell, Business and Wellbeing Coach

Life Long Learning

British School of Coaching launches first professional Young Leaders Award to give young people the edge.

Lancashire-based coaching and mentoring specialists, British School of Coaching (BSC), has launched the first professional qualification for young people aged 14-24 following a successful pilot test in Lancashire this year.

The ILM Level 2 Award for Young Leaders, which takes three months to complete and includes two-day workshops, aims to develop key lifelong self-development skills, and behaviours for building confidence. Participation creates a valuable launch pad for young people entering work, further education or higher education to differentiate themselves from other applicants. Delegates participate in lively and highly interactive workshops and they are supported by professional coaches from BSC.

Speaking on the first day of the new programme, BSC Director of Studies, Judith Barton said: “We’re delighted to have teamed with the ILM to produce a fantastic and long-needed programme of study for young people preparing for exams, college and the workplace. Young people face increasing demands in schools and colleges. In a rapidly changing world, students have to be self-starters. They need the tools to proactively manage their time and make judgments about which skills they must improve upon. Lifelong learning is becoming the norm.”

Barton speaks in the wake of much media commentary nationally regarding young people being prepared for the rigour of university and work. She continues: “Gaining an internationally recognised qualification accredited by the ILM is a great addition to any CV.”

Participants in the inaugural programme said they ‘learned skills for the future’ and ‘learned new skills on self-leadership and how to set goals’.

BSC Programme Co-Ordinator, Amy Southern, who is in her early 20s, helped get the course ready for the launch. She commented: “We tested the programme in June and now we have six participants on the launch programme. The turnaround from test-phase to this launch date has been a result of great teamwork, with superbly documented feedback and a determination by everyone to deliver. What makes it such a great course is that the participants do all the work during the four-day programme of workshops and complete workbooks that are then assessed – no work has to be done outside of the course days. Successful completion will provide a minimum of four credits towards further study via the international qualifications framework. I’m very pleased to be involved and to be working so closely with learners gives me added incentive.”

Judith Barton concluded: “The qualification demonstrates a can-do approach. Our programme develops skills in self-leadership, resilience, decision-making and problem solving, as well as communication and planning. All skills essential are differentiators and builders of self-esteem.”

Article published in Independent Education Today on July 28, 2016