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

Keep calm and get a coach in 2016

Judith Barton, Director of Coaching&Mentoring

As I reflect back on the previous year I find myself thinking of things I didn’t do and now become part of my must do list for 2016. A large part of my life focuses on reflection and self development, which is just me! It can be quite easy to sit and write a long list of the things we need to get better at, but what will make the biggest impact? Where is the greatest return for my investment?

I invite clients to think of themselves as their own finance director and ask some tough questions. Remember to consider the longer term return on investment, not just the next 12 months, will it add to your skills and the service you offer clients. It is likely that whatever your work is now it will be different in ten years.

In the UK the fastest growing workforce is the over 50’s. With the removal of a compulsory retirement age and an increase in health and life expectancy, many individuals are continuing to work longer in their field or move to a new field of work which may require training and support. So being ready mentally and physically for our next career will become increasingly important. Of course not all of us will be able to continue in our chosen career, look at the work of Frey and Osborne 2013. In their study they indentified those jobs that are likely to be extinct in 10 years (2023) from now, so don’t train for extinction!

Investing in Evidence Based Development

If we are able to continue developing we are continuing the process of learning (Viall 1996). As a coach we need to invest in our CPD (continuous professional development) by firstly considering what will make the greatest difference to our clients. To do this we really need to understand our performance as a coach. Understanding our own performance will come from:

• Client feedback +
• Supervisor feedback +
• Self reflections +
• Peer coaches +
• Supervisor +
• Coaching +

= Analysis

Real understanding will come from analysing all of the above. Then identify and prioritise what will make the greatest difference.

An example could be, you are working with a client that would benefit from more focused career coaching work and you recognise this is likely to be the area of need from potential clients for the next 5 years and you feel less comfortable in this area. A second very easy example for all coaches is the return on investing in supervision. Supervision provides the essential ‘scaffolding’ to support your practice – the quality control, an assurance to your clients, or thirdly sometimes we forget, get a coach to support your development in 2016.

We then apply our learning to our activities to add value to ourselves and of course our clients. In certain countries such as the Nordic ones, lifelong learning is embedded in the culture. Learning new stuff is pleasure in itself.

In the coaching profession and other fee for service environments learning is more likely to depend on the impact it has on the services we offer and on the performance of the session. In order to make this impact we need to really understand ourselves and our performance. Coaches I work with will be well aware of my passion for indentifying how well we perform and what makes the difference in our performance. I advocate frequent self review and reflection supported through supervision and essential to this is client feedback using the following model.

Through this approach you will be able to compile your evidence and prioritise your development needs.

Analysis and Definitions
When we consider areas for development we can be quite general ‘I need to be a better listener’. ‘I want to improve my questioning’. The first step is to analyse what is listening, for example, what needs to be improved? By truly understanding this, the coach can identify the focus. For example, is the coach an effective listener but runs out of energy? So energy and stamina during the session is an issue, not listening. Once the analysis is complete and the development issues are defined move to prioritisations.

Prioritisation
How are you going to prioritise your investment in the next 12 months based on impact? A very important question to ask yourself is what does impact mean to you? An example, impact = an improvement in my coaching performance, which consequently enhances the client experience, which in turn leads to return/attracting more clients.

Using a methodology such as this will focus thinking and investment. It also offers an evidence based development approach to share with clients, sponsors and professional bodies.

Have a very successful coaching and mentoring year. Remember support yourself, to then support your clients, with a coach/supervisor in 2016.

Preparing for Supervision

Martin Hill, Senior Tutor BSC

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.” – Aristotle

“Self-observation brings man to the realization of the necessity of self-change. And in observing himself a man notices that self-observation itself brings about certain changes in his inner processes. He begins to understand that self-observation is an instrument of self-change, a means of awakening.” – George Grudjieff

The key factor in my view that distinguishes a professional and ethical coach from a “run of the mill” coach is the supervision regime of the coach. The Ridler Report and recent coaching tenders and literature all have one element in common – the importance of supervision for an ethical, professional and safe coaching practice.

Supervision can also be a key element in helping you attain your CPD requirements as a coach.
Supervision can be accessed in a variety of forms – peer supervision, group supervision and individual supervision. In relation to my own practice, I use a combination of all three elements- why? Peer supervision and group supervision have their advantages – drawing on, and sharing group knowledge and experience, but there may be time barriers, confidentiality concerns and/or confidence issues in sharing some topics in these environs. Individual supervision provides a bespoke, focused opportunity to have a detailed reflection on my coaching practice.

All well and good I hear you say, but what about the expense? I know it’s difficult to find two bankers to rub together but pause for a moment – if you are expecting clients to invest in your coaching services, what is stopping you from investing in a supervision programme that ensures that your coaching is the best it can be. It is an investment and the purpose of this blog is to provide some tips to ensure that you get value for money from that investment.

• Type of Supervision – choose the most cost effective package that fits your needs. This may involve a “pick and mix” approach- using peer supervision or group supervision may reduce the frequency required for individual supervision and thus reduce the cost.
• What does good supervision cover? The supervision should cover the following elements:

NORMATIVE – ensuring that you are working in a competent and ethical way as a coach- the quality assurance that you can provide for your marketing strategy for your practice.
FORMATIVE – helping to refresh and develop your skills, theoretical knowledge, personal attributes, self-awareness etc. so that you become increasingly competent as a coach.
SUPPORTIVE – There can be sessions that have an emotional impact on you as the coach – sometimes this presents as a conscious effect, sometimes as an unconscious impact. This is where the concept of transference comes into play. Supervision provides a health check and provides a check and challenge mechanism to ensure that the coach and coaching practice are kept healthy.

• Format for supervision – are you going to rely on a verbal summary of a session or focus on a specific session – some coaches use video/audio. Think of the impact this may have on your client’s engagement, also make sure you cover confidentiality and Data Protection Act issues re the retention and handling of any material by yourself and the supervisor. Remember to specifically contract with your client re this aspect as well.
• Make sure the “whole” of you turns up – you do not coach in isolation, to get the most from supervision be prepared to share and reflect on work, home, personal issues etc. as relevant.
• Preparation – don’t just turn up. Build on your own reflective practice skills by reviewing the sessions and identify the topics/issues/themes that you wish to focus upon.

In “On Being a Supervisee-Creating Learning Partnerships, 2^nd edition”- Michael Carroll & Maria C. Gilbert (2011) Vukani Publishing the authors suggest the following useful preparation l exercise – “let your mind drift back over your recent work. What surfaces for you immediately? Notice it and let it go (you might want to make a note of it…). Let your mind wander over the following questions:

1. What interactions/sessions/clients/interventions were you pleased with?
2. What was difficult for you?
3. What were you/are you, uncertain about?
4. What are you looking forward to in your next working session?
5. Are there any anxieties about the way you are working with a particular client/group/programme?
6. Are there any anxieties about your relationship with clients/other tutors/managers etc.?
7. Are there some doubts/anxieties/feelings just “out of view” which you would rather keep out of view? Identify the feelings as well as the items.
8. What interactions have you enjoyed most? What were the feelings?

…Immediate preparation for the supervisory session:

1. Are there any crisis/emergency issues you need to talk about?
2. Are there any themes emerging for you in your overall work that you would like to review in supervision?
3. Are there any organisational/training areas you want to talk about in supervision?
4. What do you want from this session of supervision? For yourself, your clients, your learning?
5. Are there any areas of the supervisory contract you want to review/negotiate”

I hope that this blog has provided some useful tips for supervision. The hardest step is perhaps the first, finding what it means in practice. A useful introduction could be to attend the British School of Coaching’s UK coaching network event on 16 January 2015, when you can join a group supervision session – feel free to join us. Suitable for anyone who is interested in coaching and mentoring – regardless of level of experience.

• Learn about the key elements for supervision – formative, normative and supportive
• Discover the challenges coaches face in managing a coaching session – and discover tips to assist.
• Comes with a free gift- REFLECTIVE LEARNING

For more information go to http://www.britishschoolofcoaching.com/cdp-courses/bsc-coaching-network/ or email info@britishschoolofcoaching.com

Considering becoming a coach?

Martin Hill

What is coaching?
Coaching is an increasingly popular tool for supporting an individual’s or group’s personal development. It is used within a business environment to enhance performance and encourage achievement and attainment.

The coaching relationship is a partnership – an equal relationship allowing the coachee to:
– Clarify and set the goals that they really want to achieve
– To encourage them to do more than they would have probably done on their own
– To help them to focus better so that they are able to produce results more quickly
– To provide them with the tools, support and structure to enable them to accomplish more

Coaching is not about:
– Telling them what they should or should not do
– Counselling
– Therapy for clinical issues (e.g. depression or high levels of stress/anxiety)

Coaching Definitions
Here are some definitions as to what coaching means:
“Coaching is the art of facilitating the performance, learning and development of another.” (Downey, 2003)
“Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than by teaching them (Whitmore, 2003)
“[Coaching is] developing a person’s skills and knowledge so that their job performance improves, hopefully so that organizational objectives are achieved.” (CIPD, 2008)

Why Do You Want To Be A Coach?
In “Coaching- Learning Made Simple” (2007) Butterworth-Heineman; David Pardey suggests that “it may be:
•    Something you have wanted to do for some time to pass on your knowledge and skills and see other people develop and improve.
•    A way of building or developing your career.
•    Part of your job that you need to be able to do.”

Pardey also suggests that the following key questions to ask yourself “to understand your own attitude and motivation:
– Is it your choice or somebody else’s that you should become a coach?
– Have you been coached yourself, or seen other people coaching?
– Have you already done any coaching?
– How do you feel about coaching?

….One of the most important parts of the coach’s role is to encourage people to become reflective. Reflective means that they consciously think about and analyse what they have done or are doing. But you cannot expect to encourage other people to be reflective if you aren’t reflective yourself…You can start by using these questions to reflect on (to consciously think about and analyse) your motivations, experiences and attitudes to coaching.”

Qualities of a Coach
In “Coaching & Mentoring at Work” (2nd edition) (2012) Open University Press- Mary Connor and Julia Pokora suggest the following qualities of a coach:
•    Supportive – a non-judgemental listener
•    Challenging – not afraid to disagree or question
•    Assertive – able to state wants and needs
•    Open – receptive to new ideas and ways of thinking , to ‘half-baked’ ideas
•    Transparent – communicates their values and ‘walks the talk’
•    Creative – able to think laterally and ‘outside of the box’
•    Interpersonally skilled – at influencing others
•    Strategic – able to take the long-term view
•    Kind – sensitive to others and shows care for them
•    Fair – treats people equally, not prejudiced or partial
•    Resilient – in the face of difficulties
•    Considered – rather than reactive, in making judgements

Connor & Pokora also give the following examples of possible roles of the coach:
•    Supporter – a confidential respectful listener who does not judge or evaluate
•    Challenger – helps the client to challenge themselves, and offers empathic challenge
•    Sounding Board – helps the client to explore ‘half baked’ ideas and thoughts
•    Networker – helps the client to identify key connections and develop relationships
•    Coach – helps the client to develop skills and confidence
•    Role model – has qualities or attributes to which the client aspires
•    Critical friend – offers constructive feedback
•    Strategist – helps the client to look at the broad picture and think long term
•    Catalyst – helps the client to develop new perspectives and harness their creativity

Next steps?

For more information, why not give us a call here at British School of Coaching (01744605046) – we will be delighted to provide guidance and support.


Martin Hill LL.B (Hons), FCMI, FInstLM, FISQC, MAC, EMCC Member, Coach and Coach Supervisor
Director for ILM Level 7 Executive Coaching and Mentoring Programme


www.britishschoolofcoaching.com

Coaching Blog: Language that passes all understanding?

Martin Hill, Programme Director

A recent trip to deliver a presentation at the launch of the British School of Coaching’s UAE Network proved to be an interesting source of learning on several levels, but perhaps the most interesting reflection that it prompted was the use of language in coaching.

What started this thought process of was my arrival at the airport – the choice of  “terminal” is hardly a confidence - building descriptive to use; and why when I am arriving have I got to go to departures? Despite there being a myriad of languages and cultures represented amongst the airport customers, it was surprising to observe how quickly everyone adapted and conformed - and also the various “coping strategies” that were being used. People watching led me to observe the following styles:

·         The Organiser- everything planned to the last iota - focused, determined, sometimes to the point of being oblivious to anyone else’s needs. Usually armed with a checklist or itinerary that is frequently consulted. Sometimes thrown by unexpected changes or events (unless a true organiser, in which case even if these unexpected events were anticipated and planned for).

·         The Follower- usually, but not exclusively, seen in association with The Organiser above. Interesting to reflect on whether they are a willing or “press ganged” follower. Works best when there is a clear and well communicated joint strategy between organiser and follower - often not there with family groups (main disparity often being between husband and wife).

·         The Worrier- determined to see everything from the “worst case” scenario. Worrying about possible “what if’s” from a negative perspective means that they have little chance to engage and enjoy in the “here and now”- for example, are given a flight upgrade, but are still worrying about whether will land safely etc, etc. 

·         The Optimist- calm, adaptive and flexible approach. Usually they have a general plan in mind, but are not fazed by unexpected changes, simply accepting them and quickly adapting to the new parameters.

All of the above made me reflect on how similar the airport scenario described above was with a coaching session. Both have a common goal (or destination) and the clients undertaking that journey often display some of the same behaviour types as those outlined above. That made me think about what gets in the way, and realise that sometimes what causes the issue is the language – assumptions are made by both coach and client as to the meaning of a particular word or phrase, but this is often not checked out. This is further exacerbated when we bring in the tour operator (or manager/supervisor) and discover that they have a different understanding of the same word.

Does this strike you as an artificial scenario? Well, it is probably not that uncommon.  Just think back on a coaching intervention involving a 3- way contracting scenario (coach, client and sponsor). If you can, think of a successful and an unsuccessful coaching session – what was the difference?  I would venture an informed guess that the unsuccessful session featured a difference in understanding of goal/destination and/or some other misunderstanding caused by communication. Sometimes this may have been between coach and client – often it is clear between coach and client, but differs from what the sponsor thought that they had agreed with coach and/or client. For example, in a recent group supervision session I simply put one word as the topic for discussion –“Endings”. A simple word, that everyone understands? It was interesting to note that this one word generated 6-8 different meanings from the coaches present- what made some of the difference was the perspective for each person’s definition; the client-context which they were relating it to and also the experience of each.

What can you do as a coach to ensure that the destination is safely reached and a successful and enjoyable journey for all? Even the most simple of language can have different meanings for the people involved – always check out understanding – not just of the client in the room, but also for the sponsor and anyone else potentially impacted by that particular coaching relationship. The greater clarity that there is in describing the goal/destination; the greater the chance of success.  Remember what Oscar Wilde said about assumption: “When you assume, you make an ass out of u and me”. 

Martin Hill LL.B (Hons), FInstLM, FISQC, MAC, EMCC Member, Coach &Coach Supervisor

Faculty Member

Programme Director for ILM Level 7 Executive Coaching & Mentoring Courses

 

Reflective Practice

Martin Hill

Reflective Practice – a phrase that you may have encountered numerous times as you conduct your own coaching practice, but what does it actually mean?

Take a moment to recollect the most successful coaching interventions that you have conducted - what did the client do to make the success occur. I would suggest that what the client did was reflect on the challenges and interventions in the coaching session and then implement that learning, having adapted it to suit their own style and goals.

Julie Hay in “Reflective Practice & Supervision For Coaches” (2008) Open University Press- Coaching In Practice series  states “Supervision is the process of helping you to step back from your work so that you can take a meta-perspective or broader view of your practice….Reflective Practice refers to the same concept as supervision but without the benefit of a supervisor or colleague”

I use reflective practice as a tool to make my own supervision more effective. Indeed Hay makes the point “Prior analysis of your own practice saves supervision time and enables supervisors to operate at a higher level when they support and challenge you.”

Reflective practice needs planning on your part in order to be effective and efficient. One of the key tools that I use is ensuring that I capture my own learning and reflections from a session as soon as possible after the session whilst still fresh in my mind. In this age of technology there are a myriad of options – using a smartphone voice recorder or dictaphone; making a selfie-video – personally I prefer using a notepad. I initially simply record as much as I can recall from the session in a “stream of consciousness” flow- not taking time to reflect or review what I have captured at that stage. I then leave it for 20-30 minutes or overnight and then reflect on that as I write up my own coaching journal notes. Try to focus on what you did; what you felt or what you thought rather than capturing the content of the session. Watch out for making broad statements which simply set out the outcome – drill down to examine and reflect on what happened ; what you did - how the client and how you reacted; feelings etc. What could you have done differently? What can you adapt or improve? What made that particular tool/interaction unsuccessful?  This provides a rich seam of learning to mine to continuously improve your own practice.

When you initially start off, the reality is that you will be reflecting on what you have done in the PAST- the last session and previous sessions. Hay states “The point of reflection is how to enhance capability so time spent reflecting on how to behave in FUTURE situations allows you to identify more options and to plan for increased flexibility, with specific clients, and more generally.”

Give it a try – you’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain!!

Martin Hill LL.B (Hons), FInstLM, FISQC, MAC, EMCC Member, Coach &Coach Supervisor

Faculty Member

Programme Director for ILM 7 Coaching & Mentoring Courses

Adding value through leadership coaching

Charlotte Randall

Every one of us can be perceived as a leader and will require at different phases in our lives to make this explicit. We have all had to plan, organise, execute and deploy on various levels in order to deliver an end goal. Invariably, we do not operate alone in the realms of leadership and rely on the skills of, and interactions with, other people to get the job done. It is these interactions that can create the biggest challenge for leaders and have the greatest influence on engagement and productivity. Similarly, leaders are faced with the seemingly relentless task of managing change with multifaceted interests. Responding to this requires resolve, resilience and a delicate balance of needs and energy to ensure progression in a proactive, rather than reactive, manner.

Transitional change towards leadership learning is evolving, through placing the learner at the center of their development. However, there can still be a reliance on a perceived expert delivering knowledge and I would argue that this methodology has minimal, or at worst, has no influence on practice if adopted as a stand-alone approach. There is definitely a place for engaging with leadership theories and models that are portrayed in the plethora of literature and leadership training courses, but the hard part (and the bit that often keeps leaders stuck) is how this knowledge actually relates to the context of their organisation, the personalities within their team, and how they identify their focus for change to transfer the learning into practice, achieving tangible results.

A catalyst for unlocking leadership potential, either attained through theory based learning or inherently from within the individual, is leadership coaching. How many of us actually take time out to reflect and question current practice, to identify the baseline from which to move forwards and focus on building the relationships in which we co-exist? How many of us can say we have honestly examined our influence intended and the influence felt when communicating through different media with others? How often do we say we have too much interference to perform our tasks fully, or we are avoiding difficult conversations that inhibit productivity? The key to enhancing knowledge development is personalising it to the current context of the learner, and exploring the challenges in an environment underpinned by values of confidentiality, trust, challenge and respect. Through a dialogue focused on reflection and solutions, an individual can be inspired to show up regularly as a leader in real time and, in a real live context, engage and deliver! The caveat here is that it is not a quick fix, it requires commitment by all in the relationship if it is to truly influence learning and add value.

Book Review: Coaching and Mentoring at Work

Coaching and Mentoring At Work (2nd Edition)  –Mary Connor and Julia Pokora (2012) Open University Press, McGraw-Hill Education

Martin Hill, Senior Tutor, BSC

 This book is relevant for experienced practitioners and also provides a great framework for new practitioners and students. I would also suggest that this is an essential read for purchasers of coaching and mentoring service, HR professionals and managers/leaders who are interested in developing their coaching and mentoring skills.

The book is written in an accessible, easy to understand style and is crammed full with practical examples and tips. The authors even reserve a chapter for one of the key characters in any coaching or mentoring relationship – the client. This is one of the few coaching and mentoring texts that address the position of the client and sets out the factors that clients should bear in mind when deciding whether to embark upon coaching or mentoring and suggests how best to prepare themselves to get the best out of that experience, as well as highlighting some of the standards and behaviours that they should be expecting from a coach or mentor- a useful chapter for the practitioner to reflect upon their own practice to ensure that they are meeting these expectations and standards.

The book considers the similarities between coaching and mentoring and one of the key arguments of the authors is that “a learning relationship is central to both coaching and mentoring, which are more than just a set of activities or skills.” It also highlights the differences between the two disciplines, albeit the majority of the book focuses on the common elements.

The structure of the book prompts reflection and learning opportunities for the reader- reinforcing the reflective learning discipline that is a prerequisite for the wise practitioner! I found the chapter on contracting to be a practical and comprehensive guide which addresses the key factors that one encounters in reality – a book that addresses the practitioner elements as well as the subject theory.

The main model that is advocated by the authors for both coaching and mentoring is Dr Gerard Egan’s Skilled Helper” model-once again the authors approach this with a winning combination of theory and practical application. Two chapters show how the model would apply to a coaching scenario and a mentoring scenario. The authors also highlight other models commonly encountered in coaching and mentoring.

The authors also provide a comprehensive guide to tools and techniques that will support the successful implementation of the model – twelve tools and techniques that are succinctly described and the pros and cons considered.

The second edition features a new chapter which deals with reflective practice, supervision and accreditation – this is outlined with the same hallmarks of clarity and practicality with useful checklists and prompts.
This book will be one of the “default” texts that I turn to in my coaching and mentoring practice, and also in my role as manager and leader. It will be one of the texts that I will recommend for my ILM Level 7 candidates as a good “foundation” text.

Martin is a Programme tutor for British School of Coaching's executive coaching courses.  Read more about our ILM qualifications and CPD courses here.

Developing a School Leadership Coaching Team

Charlotte Randall

Through private invitation, the Dubai English Speaking School (DESS) was asked to present at the 'What Works' Leadership event on April 16^th 2013 at the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai.  The Headteacher, Mr David Hammond, along with myself, jointly delivered a presentation that focused on the success of introducing the ILM Level 3 Award in Coaching accreditation into the professional development programme of our senior and middle leaders.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is a regulatory authority of the Government of Dubai and is responsible for the growth, direction and quality of private education and learning in Dubai.  'What Works' was established by the KHDA, as an invitation only event, to provide a forum for collaborative learning within Dubai’s private education sector. Their vision, to bring schools together to share best practice and develop professional relationships based on underlying values that put the pupils at the heart of learning.

By taking the approach of training all members of the leadership team (teaching and non-teaching) on a rolling programme due to complete in 2014, we have started to build capacity and capability across the organisation for increasing performance at all levels. This is being achieved through individual coaching sessions, performance management conversations and the integration of the coaching dialogue into the core of the organisation.

Areas that have been developed as a result of enhancing the schools professional development opportunities with an accredited leadership coaching team are:

Leadership and Management:

• Team collegiality, motivation, challenge
• Behavioural changes at leadership level to get the best from the team
• Raising the profile of leadership roles through addressing staff performance

Career/Role Development:

• Linked to the above leadership and management points but also….
• Career progression within the organisation (long term and short term goals linked to teaching and learning)
• Understand my role within the organisation

Teaching and Learning:

• Develop teaching and learning strategies
• Developing in key areas such as formative and summative assessment

Time Management:

• Using the Time Management Matrix to support colleagues through pressure points in the term
• How to deal with stress and panic

Project Management:

• Building a rationale and action plan towards implementing a project

Change Management:

• Supporting colleagues to adapt to change within the working environment
• Transition out of the organisation and succession planning

Raising the profile of a department:

• Developing skills and practical actions to raise the profile of the department/subject area

It was a privilege to have been invited to the 'What Works' event and be able to share the good practice, commitment and hard work of my colleagues at DESS to ensure that as an organisation we are always moving forward.

During the presentation, visual harvesting or graphic recording was used to collect the content of the talk in real-time, the result of which can be seen in the photo below.

Charlotte Randall

Read more about the coaching programme the British School of Coaching are implementing at Dubai English Speaking School here