Heartbeat: Coaching and mentoring – supporting colleagues to develop
February 1, 2019
In today’s fast paced working environment every organisation needs a robust coaching and mentoring programme to help aspirational colleagues to develop and mature and we are no different.
In September, we embarked on a brand new programme, supporting managers to develop the skills and knowledge to have ‘coaching conversations’ with their team.
To find out more about how the coaching and mentoring programme is progressing, Heartbeat caught up with Learning and Development Manager, Nora Parsons, Trainer, Richard Burnell and coaching student Matron, Justine Irish.
Nora said: “The first stage of our coaching and mentoring programme launched in September and over the past few months we’ve already seen 17 managers join the programme which will continue until March.
“Following this, we launch stage two, which will give colleagues the opportunity to gain accredited coaching and mentoring skills which we hope will enable the knowledge we share to become available to a much larger audience.”
Richard Burnell is delivering the coaching and mentoring sessions. He added:
“Coaching is a tool that all managers need to have at their disposal in order to get the best out of their teams.
“It is all about listening to individuals and allowing them to develop their own solutions to problems, helping them to grow personally and professionally.
“Our coaching skills course gives an understanding of the coaching process and looks at practical skills that can be taken away from the classroom and implemented in the work place.”
One of the first people to embark on their coaching and mentoring journey was Community Matron, Justine Irish who shared her insight into the course.
“I joined the coaching and mentoring programme to get some support to build my resilience within a challenging environment,” explained Justine.
“Initially, I was very much led by the routine of switching my phone on and seeing where I was needed the most as opposed to feeling empowered to take responsibility for setting my own goals and them in turn becoming larger team goals.
“I’ve developed in leaps and bounds with the techniques I’ve been taught and they’re helping me develop not only in a professional capacity but also personally and I can confidently say since having coaching I am much more in control of my working week and feel I have a clear plan for achieving goals within my teams.
I also feel being able to use the skills with others has made me a much more appreciative listener, helping to set realistic goals for my colleagues and empowering them to take responsibility too.
“You have nothing to lose when it comes to coaching and mentoring, at first I was sceptical, but now I’m thankfully for taking the leap and enrolling. The course is free, but I would I would happily have paid for my coaching.”
For more information on coaching and mentoring, contact learning and development on extension 4794.