"Personal coaching assisted me through some challenging management issues, helping to focus on goals and self improvement, and deal with difficult situations and staff. Acknowledging both the personal and professional lives of his client gives meaning to Colin's coaching style and ensures the sessions are most valuable. Highly recommended!"
Senior Manager Government Department
“Coaching is a collaborative, solution-focused, result-orientated and systematic process in which the coach facilitates the enhancement of work performance, life experience, self directed learning and personal growth of individuals” (Grant, A 2003)
A 2004 training and development survey indicated that coaching is almost universally accepted as a method that delivers tangible business benefits. In addition the training and development survey findings included:
- More than three-quarters of surveyed organisations used coaching as a training method
- 90% of respondents considered that coaching was a key mechanism for transferring training skills into
the workplace
- Virtually all respondents (99%) thought that coaching delivered tangible benefits
- More than 90% of respondents believed that coaching applied appropriately could positively influence
the bottom line (Human Resources Management Guide)
A solution-focused approach to coaching is adopted in the Semann & Slattery coaching program. A solution-focused approach aims at assisting the client to finding answers and less on untangling problems. As such, there is a focus on mobilising existing experience, skills, expertise and wisdom. A solution-focused approach has proven to be successful because it works at the level of an individual ‘agent’ in the system. It is a bottom-up rather than a top-down way of working.
“Solution-focused thinking is not about ignoring problems – it is about reframing them. We do it all the time anyway, but coaching sets out to make this explicit and deliberate” (Grant, A 2003)
Coaching and mentoring are often confused. There are however some fundamental differences between the two. Mentoring is usually facilitated by an expert in a particular field with the mentor working with a junior practitioner. Coaching is about facilitating self-directed learning and development specific to the needs of the client. The benefit to be gained through coaching is that sometimes not having expertise in the same field as the client allows for greater diversity in ideas and insights into different ways of working and thinking.
Training is about the acquisition of particular skills. Although useful in some circumstances, training is a fixed process with limited ability to address the individual needs of the learner.
"Management consultants tend to work with information, processes and procedures. Coaches work wit individuals, relationships and interpersonal skills. Consultants tell - coaches ask the right questions" (Grant, A 2003)
Prior to beginning the formal coaching process, clients participate in a face-to-face meeting with the coach and complete a pre-coaching survey. This survey provides information to the coach in order to assist in preparing a tailored program. The coaching program can be over a 3, 6 or 12 month period.
Coaching sessions can be either face-to-face or via telephone. Face-to-face sessions can be at the client’s workplace or in our inner city office.
At the completion of each coaching session clients are left with tasks to complete prior to the next coaching session. These tasks provide the client with an opportunity to acquire, refine and experiment with new ways of working, thinking and achieving.