Coaching in the public sector
A coach training programme that was created to help participants speed up the modernisation agenda.
A range of coaching and mentoring initiatives had already been introduced in this public sector agency.
As a sector, it was well advanced in its understanding and adoption of coaching as a performance-enhancing tool. Indeed, it viewed coaching as a critical tool both in leadership development and as an enabler of change.
Coaching was used specifically as part of its modernisation agenda to raise performance and encourage change. The delegates were all designated ‘modernisation associates’, whose role was to coach senior managers across traditional boundaries.
A programme was created to support these modernisation associates (directors, assistant directors and managers) to equip them with the skills to coach other senior managers in the organisation.
This programme comprised a 3-module, 7-day programme that encouraged managers to develop their coaching skills. As they had previously been introduced to the basic of coaching (the GROW model) the programme spent a significant amount of time introducing them to different psychological models of coaching (especially Cognitive-Behavioural, Gestalt and Emotional Intelligence). This was based upon the belief that the coach needs to be able to work with clients in psychological and emotional areas, if they are to maximise their impact.
But how does this lead to change back in the workplace? A specific area that demonstrates the need – and subsequent benefits - for the psychological approach is in the introduction of change by the leaders (the individuals who are being coached.) Moving the culture forward and encouraging risk-taking can only be achieved if leaders themselves are prepared to embrace change, innovate and take risks. The psychological elements of the programme were designed to enable the coaches to work with their clients at these levels and to consider risk and how they approached it, both personally and professionally.