In Dec 2005 I was promoted to a senior role within my company, which involved team leadership responsibilities for a team of 12 category managers. Prior to this I had only 2 years Line Management experience under my belt managing 1 direct report. Therefore I took the opportunity to get some professional coaching from Jo.
The coaching took place on a one to one basis for circa. 2 hours at a time, which meant it was very interactive and gave me the opportunity to shape the content and delivery. This was important as it really allowed Jo and I tailor the coaching to my specific needs, the role I was in and the culture of my company. Significant emphasis was placed upon my ‘Insights’ type and the behaviours and preferences I demonstrate as a result of this. This really provided an excellent learning platform for me to start from as it made me recognise how I`m perceived and how my behaviours impacts others. Once I understood this I learnt the importance of observation and how I could identify and recognise ‘Insight’ behaviours of those individuals in my team.
An element of the coaching & mentoring focussed on the differences between a leader and a manager, something which I had never considered before. Once I recognised the difference I was in a better place to start making the transition. Some of the techniques we covered included; giving and receiving feedback, motivating others and the art of delegation. In order to embed these learnings we used role plays as a means of practise and rehearsal. In addition we would re-visit any areas I was uncomfortable with, which underlined the flexibility of the coaching. The role play technique became invaluable as I was encouraged to plan and rehearse real life examples of management situations I was about to undertake with my staff. I found these exercises elevated my confidence ahead of the event and helped to allay any fears I had. Another key element of the coaching was that it encouraged me to find the answers myself. Again this significantly increased my confidence as I discovered that I already had a lot of the answers and that I just hadn’t put myself in a place to tap into them before.
I found the coaching time really allowed me to air my frustrations and fears regarding being new to a leadership role. It was only due to the relaxed yet professional nature of the trainer that made me feel comfortable to do so. I found Jo Wright to be an outstanding coach, largely due to her boundless passion and inspiring attitude. I would highly recommend her coaching services to anyone new to managing others or even those whom have several years’ experience.
Following the completion of my coaching, I know I have developed into a stronger manger and team leader. Indeed this was recognised by my company as within a year I received a recognition award for team leadership.