leadership training just wouldn’t cut it …

When an investment firm says help us with our leadership training idea, and we said no!

Some of the best decisions are built out of disagreement, and certainly true on this occasion. This organisation based in Canary Wharf had two members in senior leadership position go rogue. Initially the HR team believed the solution to be to send their employees on a leadership course , surely this will sort them out?

After further probing it was apparent that this needed something different. Something more personal, something more robust, and something more disciplined. After all whats stopping a powerful leader from deciding they just wont attend! As a result a tailored executive coaching programme was put into play with an aim to create greater self-awareness and find a connection which promoted the management of themselves and others more effectively in the workplace.

Far more cost efficient, coaching significantly helped the managers to disengage from their previous unhealthy behaviours, understand how they would intentionally transition, both mentally and emotionally to step up and stand out.  This process helped embed the learning, address their personal challenges, and help them to track the distance travelled in their leadership journey without denting their confidence and ego.

The solution success needed:

1.     Skilled focused executive coaching sessions including updates on actions from previous sessions

2.     At the end of each session outputs were rigorously reviewed, actions clarified, timescales and next steps executed.

3.     Periodically a review with the Sponsor (HR) to check progress whilst maintaining levels of confidentiality agreed with all parties.

4. Evaluation of the objectives from the coaching resulting into strong business outcomes.

How did we measure the success of the coaching programme?

 For each coaching session ‘Goals’ and ‘Measurements’ were agreed. After each session the measurements was assessed, confirmed and next steps agreed.

As an evaluation model we applied the Kirkpatrick’s 4 Level Model as a measurement tool.  Return on expectations were agreed following the diagnostic phase of the programme and based on:

·       Sponsor measures

·       Candidate measures

·       Business objectives

·       External recognition