131496 Hours ago And The Future

We've been engaged by a valued client to support a complicated change process that involves relocation, reorganisation and realignment, Apart from that, it's pretty straight forward.

When we looked for an approach that was developmental and sustainable we agreed that the processes and philosophy of Appreciative Inquiry would be a strong candidate to engage the management team and to enable them to deliver the process to their teams. I wouldn't want to add to the volumes, production numbers, quotes and conferences that have been conceived, born and flourished around the concept of change: I'd just like to state the obvious, that no matter how we wrap it up-you know "challenging," "exciting opportunities,"-and so on, change is for a number of people both threatening and tough. It's also inevitable as a number of organisations are required to make sense of and adapt to a rapidly shifting context in which one of the certainties is that there is likely to be more uncertainty.

An important component of Appreciative Inquiry is the capacity to understand and celebrate who we were, what we did and what happens on are "best days" and as a coach/facilitator I guess I need to be pretty attentive to conversational pearls that help me to help the client recognises their "best days".

Something turned up in a conversation exploring those occasions where we feel lifted and encouraged by an event or interaction. My client referred to an occasion where his help had been requested by a student (Service User). Unsure of how to approach the challenge my client and the student worked through it together, arrived at the solution and had each learned a lot from the other as they were required to get to grips with the technology and its application from two  very different perspectives.

My client talked about this with real pride and stated that it sets out what he values most: to teach and to learn as a transactional rather than an instructional process. Where was this energy accessed from? It was an event that took place

• 15 Years ago
• Or 180 months ago
• Or 780 weeks ago
• Or 5479 Days ago
• Or 131496  Hours ago.

And it steers the future.

Why Do People Delay Before They Report Child Abuse?

The NSPCC’s review of its Helpline Service “Helping Highlight: a Year in Review” http://bit.ly.Hn6qTh produces some interesting and worrying information. In 2011 nearly 45,000 people contacted the NSPCC, worried about a child. For those watching the Manchester derby tonight, it’s about that many-a ground full.

This is a 29% rise on last year’s figures-good, more people are getting in touch with their concerns. Here’s the worrying bit: 56% of those whose call produced a referral said they’d delayed getting in touch for over a  month-thus leaving the child at risk for a longer period. Here’s the breakdown:

• 12,000 (almost) calls-Neglect
• 8,000 (over) calls-Physical Abuse
• 6,000 (almost) calls Emotional Abuse
• 5000 (over) calls Sexual Abuse

The amount of calls to the NSPCC has, over the past 5  years, doubled. The NSPCC now has a facility to contact them by text message. (  88858 ) they aim to make contact within 3 hours of receiving the message. In 2011, 40% of those who contacted the NSPCC by text said they would not have made contact without the texting facility

Without ever under-estimating the difficulty in making a contact, we need to work hard to deliver the message that we all share a Common Law and an Ethical Duty of Care towards Children, Young People and Vulnerable Adults. The abuser’s power grows in the assumption of silence.

Premise:

The August riots-a tragedy in their own right-have presented a golden opportunity to an ever-present mob of reactionary voices that all too easily fall into a time-worn, clichéd dialogue containing the following key words and phrases:

• Back to basics
• Respect
• Discipline
• Punishment
• Do gooders
• Trendy Teaching

I’m pretty sure you catch my drift!

Here’s some information gleaned from the Pimlico Academy-a transformed school that did a a few pretty straight forward things.

1. They decided what they were there for and told everybody in six straight forward sentences.
2. They set up a great pastoral system-a house system that worked well because it emphasised the importance of learning and behaviour and did something about it when things started to slip
3. A strong tutorial system and after school support-access to specialist teachers and boosters
4. A strong sense of corporate identity with a uniform-grants for families who were struggling to afford one.
5. A Firm, Fair and Followed disciplinary system
6. A rewards system that acknowledges an celebrates progress in behaviour.

Outcome :

The number of pupils achieving five A*-C grades at GCSE (including maths and English) was 60 per cent in 2010/11, up from 36 per cent in 2007/08.

At the end of the 2010/11 school year, attendance was 94.3 per cent for years 7 to 11, compared to 78.3 per cent in 2009/10.

Staff absenteeism has halved since the introduction of the new measures thanks to reduced stress and pressure on teachers.

In the first year that the rewards system was introduced, there were no permanent exclusions. The following year there was only one.

Prior to the rewards system, 50 to 60 pupils were sent out of lessons each day. Now it is fewer than 10 and they are normally sent out for less serious reasons than was previously the case. Overall there has been a huge change in the atmosphere in the school, maintains Holt: “The staff are happier, the students are happier and the school is basically a much nicer place to be.”

The above takes a little more thinking through the simplistic rantings of “Put the teacher back in charge” and it sits comfortably with my view-if you want respect you need to earn it-power and authority are given and received, not enforced and tolerated and, without consensus we’re nowhere.

This doesn’t mean that we “hand over control to the kids”-it means for me that life is far more subtle and nuanced than  ”Do as I say or else,” and the sooner we establish learning cultures that transmit those values, the better it will be for kids, their families and teachers and wider society.

We have, as part of our professional portfolio a considerable depth of experience working in schools and colleges on behaviour related issues. Our experience would bear out the key elements of the above and we are happy to discuss this here or by contacting us directly at enquiries@coadyconsultants.co.uk

Listen To Your Workforce!

Workforce Voices-The Value and Benefits of Listening

October 5, 2011 by coady1

Premise


Can listening to and engaging with a workforce make a positive contribution-we believe it can as long as it is honest, authentic and can show that a “difference for the better” has emerged. We also believe that this will work in any organisation-large or small-providing the process is well managed.


Here are 3 areas for consideration

1. Principles
2. Benefits
3. Challenges

Principles of Listening to Workforce Voices:


o Mutual respect given and received between and within the workforce 
o All adults have equal worth in the workplace
o Communication is open, honest, valued and provides an exchange of ideas and views between workforce
o Investment in the future – accepting that all members of workforce are entitled to express their views about things which will affect and determine their future
o Meaningful active involvement where any decisions about workforce are made with them
o Working relationships are sustainable, effective and responsive
o Equal opportunities exist for workforce to be involved in a range of activities/development processes
o Workforce participation, involvement and voice are continually evaluated and reviewed.


Benefits of Listening to Workforce Voices:


o Gives additional information and insight into what the workforce thinks of structures/management etc
o Helps to strengthen partnerships between workforce and management
o Helps workforce members work out what is best for themselves and their colleagues
o Enables the workforce to gain better understanding of the things that really matter to colleagues
o Helps to create a listening environment
o All workforce members feel valued, respected and treated like equals
o Helps to develop reflective thinking 
o Increased confidence, self esteem and aspirations
o Enables the workforce to become more motivated to get involved in their jobs 
o Strengthens the feeling of community
o Develops teamwork
o Promotes more creative thinking
o Increases effective communication between workforce 


Challenges of Listening to Workforce Voices 


o Some of the workforce may be anxious about criticism of their work/leadership/communication skills
o Some of the workforce may be wary of the unpredictability of comments and views
o Some of the workforce may have reservations about voicing their opinions/blame culture
o Some of the workforce may worry about the loss of authority in their department
o Some of the workforce will not be prepared to accept the opinions of others
o Some of the workforce may use the opportunity to “take over” or dominate discussion areas
o Managing the initiative will call for careful planning/time constraints etc

Listening and Acting On Workforce Voices

Premise


Can listening to and engaging with a workforce make a positive contribution-we believe it can as long as it is honest, authentic and can show that a "difference for the better" has emerged. We also believe that this will work in any organisation-large or small-providing the process is well managed.


Here are 3 areas for consideration

1. Principles
2. Benefits
3. Challenges

Principles of Listening to Workforce Voices:


o Mutual respect given and received between and within the workforce 
o All adults have equal worth in the workplace
o Communication is open, honest, valued and provides an exchange of ideas and views between workforce
o Investment in the future – accepting that all members of workforce are entitled to express their views about things which will affect and determine their future
o Meaningful active involvement where any decisions about workforce are made with them
o Working relationships are sustainable, effective and responsive
o Equal opportunities exist for workforce to be involved in a range of activities/development processes
o Workforce participation, involvement and voice are continually evaluated and reviewed.


Benefits of Listening to Workforce Voices:


o Gives additional information and insight into what the workforce thinks of structures/management etc
o Helps to strengthen partnerships between workforce and management
o Helps workforce members work out what is best for themselves and their colleagues
o Enables the workforce to gain better understanding of the things that really matter to colleagues
o Helps to create a listening environment
o All workforce members feel valued, respected and treated like equals
o Helps to develop reflective thinking 
o Increased confidence, self esteem and aspirations
o Enables the workforce to become more motivated to get involved in their jobs 
o Strengthens the feeling of community
o Develops teamwork
o Promotes more creative thinking
o Increases effective communication between workforce 


Challenges of Listening to Workforce Voices 


o Some of the workforce may be anxious about criticism of their work/leadership/communication skills
o Some of the workforce may be wary of the unpredictability of comments and views
o Some of the workforce may have reservations about voicing their opinions/blame culture
o Some of the workforce may worry about the loss of authority in their department
o Some of the workforce will not be prepared to accept the opinions of others
o Some of the workforce may use the opportunity to “take over” or dominate discussion areas
o Managing the initiative will call for careful planning/time constraints etc

A NEW DEVELOPMENT TO MEET OUR PARTNERS’ NEEDS

We now have access to a highly experienced and qualified Children’s Support Worker/Children’s Bereavement Counsellor who brings an extensive background of first-hand experience in supporting Children and Young People traumatic and challenging periods in their lives including:

• Bereavement
• Loss through separation/divorce
• Working with terminally ill Children & Young People
• Working with anger issues

We anticipate that the major benefit to Children, Young People and their Families will be option to access a skilled professional in partnership with their school.
For schools, colleges, academies and training organisations we feel confident that access to this development will enable them to enhance their existing support to young people in distressing circumstances.-we have developed training packages that can be modified to meet your organisation’s needs

Domestic Violence: Child, Young Person or Adult.

Domestic Violence: Child, Young Person or Adult.

Background:

We are about to embark on a launch of our development programme which can be adapted for the all employers, training organisations, schools, academies and colleges and training establishments.

If you would like to find out more about how we could work with you, here are our contact details:

enquiries@coadyconsultants.co.uk 

Telephone 0121-602-7191 (UK)

Mobile 07984409937

or of course, use the comment section on our Blog.

Domestic Violence-Awareness Raising.

Premise

In 2001 women represented 44% of the working age labour force. This figure is set to rise to 48% by 2012. In some specific areas, women will form the majority of the workforce.  It is estimated that 1:4 women will experience domestic violence from men known to them and between 1:8-1:10 will have experienced it within the last year. A woman is at her most vulnerable at the point of leaving a violent relationship.

The Programme

Our programme is drawn from a nationally recognised (Home Office Approved) format providing practical approaches and in doing so establishes:

• Domestic Violence accounts for almost 25% of violent crime
• It crosses social and cultural boundaries
• There are critical events when the targets of domestic violence are at their most vulnerable
• Teachers, Mentors and other colleagues in the Education Workforce may be confided in by parents, carers or co-workers who have been the target of Domestic Violence and are at a point where they need informed assistance
• The targets of Domestic Violence , their colleagues and managers need access to recent information, including signposting to support networks and practical steps for employers
• Misinformed actions or suggestions may exacerbate an already dangerous situation

Members of the Education Workforce are ideally placed to recognise patterns of behaviour that may suggest a child, a parent/carer or an employee is under duress. We believe that we all place worker safety, safeguarding and security at the heart of our Duty of Care to their learners, parents and employees and would wish to develop a positive approach to supporting those who are/have been the targets of domestic violence. We also recognise the impact of Domestic Violence on Learner Achievement, Parental engagement and the investment lost to organisations in terms of skills and expertise when experienced colleagues leave their jobs at short-notice either as a direct or indirect outcome of domestic violence. Our programme will enable participants to

• Acquire a working understanding of the processes targets are subjected to
• Develop overview of perpetrator behaviour
• Understand to support colleagues at the point of disclosure.

Learning Styles

• Participative.
• Presentation & Video Materials (Please note-video materials are “acted” and free from “Shock Tactics”)

Our Domestic Violence Awareness Raising Programme: Evaluations

What we have here is combined evaluation of the above, taking the results from the Customer's Evaluation and a slightly different approach, where participants are asked to write a couple of lines on a post card, detailing what the event meant to them: Thanks to Matt for your help in getting all of this together!

A West Midlands University February 2011: Human Resource Officers – Violence against Women by Men They Know – Domestic Violence and associated factors.

We were asked to run a development session regarding the implications of domestic violence and how it affects people in the workplace. It was an important session because statistics suggest that at least one in four people suffer domestic abuse at some point in their lives – which, for the participants, means that it is statistically probable that victims of domestic violence include people they know, and people they work with. The greater majority of the participants of the event wished to obtain a greater understanding of the issues that relate to domestic violence, not least of which the signs of what to look out for from somebody who may be suffering from it. From this; they would like to be able to listen to and offer guidance and advice to the relevant people. This in turn would help them in their job role as Human Resource Officers, though it was suggested by one participant that disclosures are not common.

Most of the participants agree that almost all of the objectives – both the objectives of the event and their personal learning objectives – had been achieved, one of which commented that the course “has covered all of the areas of domestic violence.” The constructive criticism that we received suggested that there wasn’t enough time to cover every aspect of such a large topic, particularly where it relates to recognising the signals that would point to signs of abuse. It was also specifically suggested that it would be useful to spend some time discussing how, as Human Resource Officers, domestic violence issues should be discussed when a member of staff discloses them. This comment will be taken into account when planning future presentations on this domestic violence; however it is recognised that it relates to the work objectives of this particular group.

We also use evaluations to monitor the quality of the materials used for the event. In this situation, there were some comments made about the case examples that we used, but the statistics that highlight the number of cases and the extent of the problem were seen as the more significant factor in increasing and improving the understanding of domestic violence amongst the participants. We received many comments describing the events and statistics as “eye opening,” expressing their surprise of how common and widespread the situation is. They also recognised the quality of John Dooner as the facilitator for this event, who was described as “Informative, tactful, sensitive to DV issues and [the] group,” and generated an active interest amongst the participants to this difficult topic.

We have some interesting and fair responses from the human resource officers. We have improved the understanding of issues of domestic violence with the people in the organisation who are in a position to act should it arise in the course of their duty. While we had very little control over the time constraints of the event, we ultimately feel that the content was arranged and delivered in the best interests of the people involved, and we hope to see the results of the impact we have made on their perceptions and conduct in issues of domestic violence.

"ONE LINE RESPONSES"

• Having access to the information delivered in this programme can only make me more supportive and effective in my role.
• A thought provoking session for all HR professionals (anon)
• An eye opener for those who think life is perfect
• I think that this course is definitely an eye opener as to what is going on in the real world. I found this course very helpful and informative.
• Very useful and informative
• Very informative, was surprised at the numbers involved.
• Eye opening
• A very eye-opening session! I didn’t realise how common this topic was until I saw the statistics.
• Course provided an excellent overview of the subject and increased awareness of the feelings of the target and why they may behave in certain ways.
• The course increased my understanding of the prevalence and “symptoms” of domestic violence, and how it can impact on ‘target.’
• The percentage of women affected by domestic violence is a real eye-opener. It makes you realise that a large percentage of the workforce are affected. This training helps to give you a greater understanding of how you could support staff who are seeking help from someone.
• It was an eye opener to find out how many women are abused/part of domestic violence and the behaviours of the perpetrators.
• Very thought-provoking and challenging stuff, but a very valuable course.
• A good comprehensive overview into the key issues of this thought-provoking area.
• Very difficult topic – sadly more prevalent than you would anticipate. Thank you.

Bear Trap Avoidance # 1 "Can I Just Have A Minute?"

My recent work with Middle Managers has been hugely enjoyable. Challenging, practical and pragmatic they hold high aspirations for themselves, their teams and the organisation, with a firm grip on the difficult times and challenges we all face (a substantial proportion of my work is delivered in the public sector.
One of the more common areas of discussion is centred around how to deal with challenging individuals who might be on their way to becoming Toxic Employees. Another concerns the words and phrases we can use to maintain dialogue at difficult times and how to signal “No” in a manner that is acceptable to those concerned.
Here are some of the common themes I’ve worked around over the recent past-some of what follows is tongue in cheek enough, underpinned by some serious messages.
There are some avoidable Bear Traps and the first one I’d like to raise is the balance between an “open door” policy and having your day systematically hi-jacked so that your activities become compressed into a claustrophobically small space. Open door policies are great and I think they send out clear messages of accessibility, inclusivity, respect, worth and value. I’m of the view though that they are at their most productive when everyone understands that access should no be abused-an open door is not an invitation to hi-jack precious time with trivia.
“Can I just have a couple of minutes of your time?” How often is that seemingly innocent question a coded way of asking “Any objections of I just screw up the next 45 minutes of your working day and put you off your concentration for the following hour, make you late for an appointment and miss returning a phone call?” However, because we’re generally decent people, we sometimes have a tendency to freely give our time away, giving the intruder a method of obtaining what they want; namely a legitimate reason for being away from where they need to be and doing what they should have been doing. Ironically, the desire of the “open door manager” to be accessible in order to raise performance actually complies with the undesirable intentions of others to develop a deceptively subtle work-avoidance strategy that costs them nothing.
So, at the time the question is asked, maybe an enquiry along the lines of “Is it really just a couple of minutes or do we need to book a slot” would increase our control. “I’ve got to be at X by Y, so I can give you 5 minutes” should mean just that. The temptation often exists to give of yourself without considering the messages transmitted. “I was talking to John about this and he agrees,” might not be what John was saying at all-he may well have been delivering a series of “I’m listening” messages that have been interpreted-perhaps opportunistically-as tacit approval with unwanted consequences.
Oh by the way, look out for the power of words like "just"-they're another Bear Trap for later!

Emotional Intelligence, Football Managers, the Sack and the Press

Not a combination you’d probably expect to find!
Gianfranco Zola was sacked as manager of West Ham United at the beginning of this week, 10th May 2010.
A change of owners at his club would suggest that he was more rather than less likely to exit, given that the club had underperformed. Injuries to key players, others not performing to expectations and financial uncertainty in the background: factors I’m sure we’re either used to or about to become more familiar than we’d like.
“Relieved of duties”, “We thank him and wish him well”. There are no easy platitudes or euphemisms that disguise the brutal fact-sacked.
The press took themselves off to his house in Kent, and as almost always is the case, Zola emerged smiling to meet the press core. He told them that he could say nothing about his sacking –legal proceedings to follow and proceeded to pour some coffee he had made for them. “I can’t talk to you about the sack, but I can offer you some coffee”.
The press are an understandably hard nosed bunch, yet on that day at that moment all present seemed to be disarmed and charmed by a generous man who, though he could not give them what they wanted, was able to show concern and care for, not “the press core” but for other human beings with a job to do.
This investment in the well-being of others will see him in good stead, the lasting reminder of a smiling, polite and open man who, when at the bottom of a pretty deep pit, was still able to engage with others in a manner that further underpins their collective respect towards him.
We all have our bad days, sometimes we can lock ourselves away, sometimes we have to go out and put on the bravest of faces and share what is good and worthwhile whilst acknowledging that right now and at this time, we’re not in the best of places.

From The Heart

We very recently carried out a day's development and training delivering our "Conflict to Confidence" programme to a training organisation that engages with disaffected 14-16 year olds and delivers Entry to Employment and Apprenticeship training to groups with high risk and vulnerability factors.
Part of the programme asks participants to develop a "Two of Us In a Lift" conversation; the premise of which is to as participants to think of someone who they admire, would like to meet and to imagine that you are in a lift with this person-they ask you "What do you do for a living, what makes it the right job for you?" You have 60 seconds to reply and get your message across. When I've delivered this before I've had some really interesting, comical and sometime raunchy characters make their way into the lift-all great fun. This time was made different by 3 participants, two of who chose their deceased fathers as the person they would most want to tell how well they'd done and what they'd achieved. A third chose his grandfather, a stroke victim whose speech has been affected-he wanted the chance to have a "real" conversation with him.
Presenting programmes is great-it's one of the very best parts of our work. This occasion was a powerful reminder of the worth of "Good Work" in contributing to our awareness of who we are and what we stand for in an often difficult and challenging world.

Coaching In Workplace-Enabling Interventions

Coaching In Workplace-Enabling Interventions

Coady Consultants understand the challenges Leaders and Managers face in recruiting and retaining their workforce. We know that substantial investments of finance, time and emotional energy are made in training and developing individuals and teams. We fully understand the cost, both in human and financial terms, when valued colleagues encounter challenges either at work or in their personal lives. We have been approached by Senior Mangers to work with colleagues who it is felt may need to look at their approaches to their work role. When we are asked to do this, we understand the massive investment of trust made in us by managers and those we work with. We understand that each individual is unique and we respond to their specific circumstances accordingly.
We understand too the need for employers to deliver their duty of care to their workforce. Here are some examples of how we can assist.

§ We have been approached by Leaders and Managers and worked with team-members where it is felt that an individual tem-member may benefit from increasing the inter-personal options and communication strategies they have available to them that in turn enable them to work more effectively with others.

§ We have worked with long standing and valued employees who may be experiencing a difficult time in their lives and whose performance is becoming a cause for concern.

§ We have enabled individuals to begin to resolve sometimes complex areas of life/work balance, increasing their sense of well-being and achievement on doing so.

§ We have helped individuals come to terms with aspects of their personal-life that are having an unwanted impact on their work-based performance

§ We have enabled individuals to, on occasions, re-align their goals and ambitions. In a minority of cases this has resulted in the individual making choices that ensure a “dignified exit” for all concerned-enabling them to move on with a sense of resolution, closure and purpose.

§ We have enable individual to accept mediation as a means of resolving inter-personal difficulties in the work place.

Every intervention is supported by a Coaching Plan, this included a confidentiality agreement and stresses that our work is not advice, therapy or counselling may address specific personal projects or general conditions in the client’s life or profession. We are able, where agreed, to support our interventions by “e-coaching” and telephone coaching.

Choose To Change

Teams fascinate me! The presence and sometime absence of interaction, where the real power lies and how the team talks about itself add up to an exciting series of questions, the answers to which can be a little disturbing. Like icebergs, the visible bit isn’t what we need to be concerned about, it’s what goes on underneath that sets the real climate.

We have been invited to work with a number of teams and I want to out together an outline of what we do. Some of this will have been discussed in other blogs-some elements will be new-however that is very much the way of working in an exciting and developmental role. Some time ago, at a particularly intransigent period in my professional life, I was advised that “If the only tool in your box in a hammer, you will treat every problem as if it were a nail!” Since that day I resolved to carry a comprehensive box of tools around with me and to use them!
I like to start with a few questions well in advance of the event-I need participants to understand that this is a great opportunity to move things forward and that they should take their individual roles seriously by committing themselves to some pre-work. This is always feed back in anonymity as a “Team Overview”.

There are some important core areas to work through. No matter whom we are and what we are doing, we would be very unwise to reject the notion that in these challenging and insecure times your job is an asset. I don’t want to frighten people but it is sometimes worth spending a few minutes getting them to think what life would be like without it. I ask participants to accept that, whatever we’re doing it can be done cheaper by someone else and to accept what we all know: most expensive isn’t always best, cheapest isn’t always worst. I want the answers to these questions:

§ Who are we and what are we like?
§ What values and beliefs do we stand for?
§ How do we know?
§ What impression do we give to our customers?
§ Do we know who they are and what they want from us?
§ What are the impacts of our behaviour on others: our co-workers, our managers, our customers, our competitors?
§ Who would miss us if we weren’t there?
§ Why?

It’s a challenging session. I’m deliberately taking participants beyond what a valued colleague described as “nodding dog syndrome” (sorry to all our nodding dog readers!) and into asking some tough questions about their professional identity. I’m saying to them: the way you present yourself, talk about your job, your boss, your colleagues, the language you use and the conversations you have are your very own “designer label”. Let’s be very careful about the association we want others to make because of the labels we wear and present to the outside world. Like a bumper sticker, they’re with us all the time and whereas we may have forgotten that the sticker was still there, everyone else can see it and will assume something about us because it’s there. If that sounds a tad harsh I make no apologies: live with it. We can choose to change our personal labels and stickers sometimes we just have to take a hard look to see if there are any that are visible to others only because we’ve forgotten about them-things have moved on since we first put them there!

There’s a real conflict between our need to change and our need to retain stability. We’re biologically set up to retain “sameness”. When we’re too hot we need to cool down and vice-versa: we want to reach a point of sameness most of the time. We accept inevitable change, the seasons, life, death, joy and grief and in doing so try to hang on to those things that we think should stay the same yet change at an accelerated pace: our jobs, our roles and relationships and the expectations of others.

Some stability is desirable, some change is inevitable-it is we that choose how we deal with change-led challenges. Teams grow, contract and adapt-the way the team is led, the vales transmitted within spread leadership, the type of dialogue developed enable us to better understand what it we need to do to deliver our roles in a shifting context.

Our programmes encourage participants to take an honest audit of what it is they believe in and what they can do at an individual level to contribute to the well being of the whole. We can not wish away the pressure for change in a rapidly changing context-at the end of one of our Team Development Days it is our belief that participants will have a greater understanding of what they need to do, to change and to “be” to deliver their role with a degree of integrity.

It is with more than a nod to Steven Covey’s excellent work that I state that adapting your personality is easy enough, delivering on your character is a different thing altogether our work gives an opportunity (without over-doing the navel gazing!) to help and challenge people to better understand their characters in the context of the work place as an aspect of their day-to day being: we give participants the tools with which to Choose to Change

Implementing Organisational Coaching and Mentoring

Introduction

This is an "active piece of work": we'll update as things develop!

Coady Consultants has delivered a Coaching and Mentoring Skills Based Programme to Middle Managers with the following intended outcomes:

To up-skill Managers
To introduce a range of materials to support the processes
To rehearse and practice skills and approaches
To agree on developing a professional support group
To further develop and extend the skills gained within the context.
Is significantly different in its approach to existing structures:
1:1 Meetings
Key Performance Indicators
Appraisal
To work within the contexts of Ethical Behaviour and Human Dignity

The programme has combined the key elements of coaching and mentoring in order to produce an intervention and support strategy that is specific, flexible accessible and replicable. It enables participants to establish goals that are in kilter with organisational needs and requirements whilst retaining a high degree of personal ownership.

Participants have explored the ethical context of the intervention; have acquired an overview of the importance of clarity, rapport and feedback. An established coaching model (The GROW model) has been deployed within the context of the programme. Feedback was positive: participants established support networks (4 above) prior to leaving the event with the intention of engaging with each other on specific areas of work. Whereas it was felt important to allow a period of time for participants to engage with each other and to practice the approaches discussed during the Development Day, it is noted that participants felt that they would need a period of ongoing support as they implemented the processes and incorporated them into their practice.

Securing the Development

We are in a position to offer participants access to further support from the programme facilitator using the following model.
Our client purchases an initial allocation of on-going support from the facilitator. Participants are then able to contact Coady Consultants to “book” a specific telephone support, enabling both parties to:

Set aside a specific amount of time
Reduce the likelihood of interruptions
Be focussed on the issues for discussion

Telephone calls can be further underpinned by access to e-mail support from Coady Consultants on matters related either to emergent issues from the development day or those which are related to practice. It is envisaged that this would be delivered on a “purchased entitlement” basis.

Spreading Good Practice

The initial cohort of 10 has been asked to engage with other Managers to model and deliver the Coach/Mentor processes. It is clear from individual and collective responses to the programme that the group will deploy the techniques used with their own teams.

Coaching led approaches within organisations can make a significant impact on morale, motivation and matching personal and organisational goals. Whereas the programme delivered combines specific elements of Coaching and Mentoring, it emphasises that a coaching relationship should be a consensual one. Furthermore, our development programme acknowledges that there will (hopefully infrequently) be occasions when the relationship between the Coach/Mentor and their “Client” is no longer sustainable and an alternative Coach/Mentor may be better suited to the process.

We would therefore seek to increase the number of the Company’s Workforce who have had access to the development in order to:

Increase the workforces’ awareness of coaching/mentoring processes
Increase the workforces’ capacity to deliver coaching/mentoring processes
Increase the workforces’ capacity to receive coaching/mentoring processes

We are therefore proposing that consideration is given to extending the Coach/Mentor delivery programme to a wider cohort of the Workforce over a phased and agreed period and that the Telephone/e-mail support strategy discussed earlier be incorporated as part of the process.

Coaching & Mentoring-Bringing It Together

We were approached by an existing customer organisation to explore the use of a combination of coaching and mentoring approaches to increase the confidence and competence of mid managers in order to develop teams and individuals across the company. Our remit was to create something different to appraisals and 1:1 supervision. There’s a difference between Coaching and Mentoring-so to start with a couple of definitions


Coaching

“Coaching is a one-to-one interactive relationship that helps people identify and accomplish their personal and professional goals faster than they could do on their own.”

Mentoring

“A slightly less formal arrangement that allows participants to access support as and when they feel it to be necessary.”

Our client wanted to develop the supportive aspects of mentoring together with some of the more specifically targeted features of coaching”


The programme was designed and delivered to embrace three areas: Mentor, Professional Friend and Facilitator.

Fabulous results-high quality evaluations, follow-up work and a satisfied client.
The drive from the North West of England to the Midlands, is on one of the busiest motorways in the country. The M6 was a joy that night,
We’re going to underpin our programme with a support strategy that involves telephone and e-mail contacts with those who attended the event. They have, with minimum prompting, arranged a mutual support work. It’s a National organisation and where geography is in the way, video-conferencing has been organised.

Fantastic!!

Lunch Time Supervisors-An Authority Approached Us....

Lunch Time Supervisors: Beginning The Journey

February for the shortest month of the year, February can seem to last forever; the buzz of Christmas and New Year has long since past and this year was a cold, snow and slush laden affair that made Summer seem a long way off.
It’s always great to get a telephone call asking if we’d be interested in some work-it lifts the spirits and refocuses our energies and puts some energy into thinking and planning for the future.
A local authority contact had found us through the Web Site (www.coadyconsultants.co.uk )and was very interested in our Lunch Time Supervisor Development Programme: could we deliver it, to a series of Local Authority Secondary Schools in April, with a catch-up session in May? Our resources created a really favourable impression and the contract was agreed.
One of our Associate Consultants delivered the package-the feedback has been hugely encouraging: for the vast majority of those attending this was the first exposure they had received to training that acknowledged the huge contribution their role makes to the health, safety and well being of learners during the lunch period.
There is something very powerful about dignity achieved through recognition. Participants want to develop their skills and understanding of how they can better contribute to outcomes for learners and to work with Senior Managers and Duty Teams to improve the lunch-time experience for all concerned.
We have a strong set of evaluations that continue to point us in the direction the consultancy has followed since its inception, namely that to obtain the very best from people, there has to be a strong inner compass that points in the direction of mutual respect and dignity for all of the workforce.