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

Qualification Levels

Judith Barton

British School of Coaching offers training and development programmes leading to Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) accredited qualifications. These qualifications are available at a number of levels, which are defined by the regulatory body for qualifications in England, commonly known as Ofqual. We offer qualifications at Level 2, 3, 5 and 7 which include academic learning and a requirement for practical, ‘vocational’ skills – the ability to ‘do’ things as well as to ‘understand’ them.

So, what do these ‘Levels’ mean? The essential differences are, I suggest, based on the complexity of thinking skills required to achieve each level and the organisational context within which they are applied.

Levels 2 and 3 are about understanding – e.g., what the solutions-focussed approach in coaching is, what its key features are, how it works.
Level 5 is about analysing – why it works, what the theoretical model and assumptions are which underpin the approach.
Level 7 is about critiquing – what are the strengths and weaknesses, are there flaws in the underpinning model and assumptions which might limit its usefulness, are there other models which are more effective in particular circumstances?

In more detail, there are three ways of describing levels.

1. The occupational status of the learners for whom the qualifications at each level are designed (organisational context).

Level 2 qualifications are designed primarily for team leaders and aspiring first time managers.
Level 3 qualifications are designed primarily for those in their first management role – including team leaders and first-line managers.
Level 5 qualifications are designed primarily for practicing middle managers.
Level 7 qualifications are designed primarily for those operating at senior manager/executive director level or equivalent.
Level 5 and 7 qualifications are also appropriate for those wish to start or develop their own coaching practice or business.

2. Comparison with traditional academic qualifications (complexity of thinking). There is an agreed table of comparators, which is:

Level 2 is roughly equivalent to GCSE grades A* to C;
Level 3 is roughly equivalent to A Levels/International Baccalaureate;
Level 5 is roughly equivalent to the second year of an undergraduate degree;
Level 7 is roughly equivalent to postgraduate certificates, diplomas and Master’s degrees.

     3.  Looking at the learning outcomes and assessment criteria for each level of qualifications and how these can indicate the difference between these levels (complexity of thinking). Following on from the blog on writing your assignment, I noted that the key element in the learning outcomes and assessment criteria which helps to indicate level is the assessment verb. This verb tells you what you are expected to learn and then demonstrate through your assignment. Here are some examples taken from the ILM coaching and mentoring qualifications – with suggested explanations of what the verbs mean.

Level 2:   ‘Describe the benefits of mentoring’ – what does it look like? This may involve selecting the most important features;
‘Explain the importance of agreeing goals for mentoring’ – how does it work? This involves some description of the topic and providing reasons;
Level 3:   ‘Describe the purpose of workplace coaching’ – what does it look like? This may involve selecting the most important features of workplace coaching;
‘Explain the role of an effective workplace coach’ – how does it work? This involves some description of effective workplace coaching and providing reasons what makes coaching effective;
Level 5:   ‘Analyse why coaches require effective communication skills’ – what makes this work the way it does? This involves exploring a topic in detail, breaking the topic into essential features so that you can identify possible causation and/or draw conclusions;
‘Review the responsibilities of the coach to manage relationship’ – how well does this work and what may need to be done about it? This involves making a judgement about a topic which relies on evidence which is evaluated within a theoretical model;
Level 7:   ‘Compare and contrast the application of different models, modes and methods of supervision’ – how do topics relate to each other? and, how ‘good’ is one example compared to another? Comparison requires a description of the relative features or effectiveness of each example; contrast requires an assessment of the relative features or effectiveness of each example.
‘Critically review own ethical and moral values, beliefs, attitudes and personal integrity’ – how well does this work and what may need to be done about it? This will involve more detailed, in-depth review and requires an informed judgement with reference to concepts, theories and ideas.

As well as the assessment verb itself, the complexity or the topic and the context in which the verb is applied will affect the level of the qualification. Whilst the ‘lower level’ verbs may appear in higher level assignments, the ‘higher level’ verbs will rarely, if at all, be a low level activity.
Essentially, the higher the level of qualification, the more complex the cognitive skills required to complete it successfully and the more senior the learner is (in an organisation) who will be able to successfully complete the assignments.

If you would like to see more about the qualifications offered by the British School of Coaching click here

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

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.

Coaches need to be coached – Oh and supervised!

Judith Barton, Director of Coaching and Mentoring

To me, running a coaching practice is similar to being in a legal or medical practice.  As a professional coach I am going on a journey with my clients enabling them to delve into their own resources so that they can develop a sense of their own potential and are supported to realise that potential through listening, questioning and challenging.  But in the end it is their own decision – as a coach it is not my place to provide guidance or advice but to draw out from clients their own understanding and enable them to make choices to develop their own careers and futures. 

Professional coaches are also practicing – practicing our skills, reviewing and reflecting on how each coaching session progressed and the interactions which took place.  Finally, a coach must create an accurate an accurate baseline. This sets out their strengths and areas for improvement and leads to a personal development plan to be actioned.  Once implemented, this plan is subject to review, reflection and further planning for improvement.  As part of this process, the coach must also recognise and celebrate their strengths and achievements. This leads me to four central tenets of running a coaching practice – which are: self-review supported by supervision, maintaining their skills base; keeping up to date with research and thinking about coaching practice; and ensuring that purchasers of coaching understand the concept of ‘coaching practice’. 

1: Self review supported by supervision is critical.  To be effective, review of practice should be carried out soon after each session is completed.  You will need to find your own balance between being to close to the interaction to be objective; and too far to be able to remember key points.  Self-review on its own however carries risks – that you will become overly self-critical or insufficiently self-aware.  In order to ensure some degree of distance and to avoid getting too drawn into feeling that you have to sort everything out on your own, the input of a supportive, challenging and knowledgeable coaching supervisor is an equally critical element of self-development.  You should choose a supervisor who understands your approach to coaching who is willing and able to be both supportive and challenging to question your assumptions and self-evaluation and provide a platform for continuous improvement of your practice. 

2: Coaches need to Coach – this may sound obvious but coaching is not something you can do once or twice a year whilst maintaining professional standards of competence. I feel that I need to be practicing my coaching skills at least twice per month. Coaching a number of people who have different issues to resolve, different learning styles and different interpersonal skills ensures that I can maintain a variety of coaching skills and the ability to deploy these skills in working with a range in types of client 

3: Keeping up with new thinking in coaching.   As a professional coach I can only provide a ‘state of the art’ coaching experience for clients if I spend time on a regular basis reading, evaluating and, where appropriate, working out how to use new techniques in my coaching practice.  I regularly read a number of journals – Coaching At Work, Edge, Management Today, Harvard Business Review – which keeping me up-to-date with not only coaching theory and practice but also management thinking.  As well as providing some coaching articles, the latter keep me up to date with the issues which may be facing my clients in their professional roles. In addition, I attend relevant conferences and CPD events.  For example, Association for Coaching conferences, Institute of Leadership and Management events and coaching network's can provide useful insights into developing my coaching practice and ensuring that my practice is evidence-based and leading edge. 

4: Purchasers of Coaching need to understand the concept of practice.  For those who purchase coaching, for themselves or members of their leadership or management teams, it is critical that they appreciate and seek out coaches who undertake regular supervision; who maintain their coaching practice, at the appropriate level of seniority, and who can demonstrate that they are up-to-date with the latest thinking and practical skills.  Purchasers have an in-depth understanding of what they are purchasing and what they hope to achieve for both individuals and the organisation.  I will be further sharing my thoughts on ‘Selecting the Right Coach’ in future blogs.

www.britishschoolofcoaching.com