COACHING & MENTORING MANAGERS
BACKGROUND
In recent years many organizations are blessed with a growing number of young senior managers. Unfortunately, many of them come to the job with a limited experience in the field of senior management. The challenges facing them are complicated and in many instances their good intentions, formal training and education and the high level of motivation to succeed in their jobs, are not enough to meet these challenges.
They are expected to please the top management who appointed them for the job; they are been closely watched by their peers, who are often looking for their failure, to say the least; they are expected to manage a large group of employees in an efficient & effective way; and are been tested by the quality of service delivery to the customers of the organization, which obviously has a vast impact on the satisfaction of their superior management. And on top of that, they constantly operate in a chronic-shortage-of-means-environment. It is sometimes an impossible vicious circle.
Often they will find themselves lonely and isolated in their working environment, let alone the pressures they carry back home to their families after hours.
THE PROCESS
This is by definition, a process; a process that begins from the point where the individuals are at, and with their perceptions of the reality around them. It is taking them through a thorough analysis of their environment at work, using their own tools, thoughts, beliefs, skills and other own-self capacities, which allow them to identify the areas that require change or attention. Change in behavior, or in priorities, or in more significant conceptual manners, aimed to improve their functionality and performance as managers.
THE METHOD
Massed learning, compares to Spaced learning, refers to concentrated training undertaken once off period, while Spaced learning refers training provided over an extended period, which makes it far more sustainable and effective.
Our program is mostly a one-to-one coaching process, where the mentor is entirely impartial, objective, professional and credible figure in the eyes of the manager. Periodical meetings – preferably weekly or by-weekly - are set up with an “agreement” between us and the individual which states mutual commitment to the process. The mentor then will create a “fully-proofed” and “safe” environment, where the trainee can express freely his/hers thoughts and wishes. Together, we unfold layer-by layer the surrounding reality, him/her – tasks, challenges, obstacles, people, expectations, capacities, problems and possible solutions – all anchored within the individual him/herself. Our role as mentors is not to write recipes, but rather look inside the individuals’ strengths and assist him/her with finding his/hers own ways.
And – we combine group learning [workshops] with this individual mentoring process.
We believe that what makes it possible for people to internalize training i.e. knowledge and skills is when training results a changed behavior that becomes a common practice.
Traditional approach has been to optimize time and money. This means training as many people in the shortest time with the least amount of money. This has resulted in Massed learning. Using this approach implies participants being flooded with information limiting the possibility for the retention of information and skills.
The other positive is that this approach can generate a lot of enthusiasm and positive energy where participants can feed from each other.
The reality, however, is that as that positive experience becomes a distant memory, participants tends to fall back into their comfort zone.
We can thus ask... what needs to happen to ensure that the training has a lasting impact?
Spaced learning could follow massed training. Advantages are that individual has time to internalize knowledge and skill. The period between training interventions allows for reflection. The follow up leads to a greater possibility for internalization
Another important consideration is the individual readiness for change. Personal readiness for change can be assessed by taking into account two variables namely importance and confidence. Training does not automatically result into behavior change. Before training is contemplated, readiness as well as follow up support through spaced learning creates an enabling environment for sustained behavior change.
THE PROGRAM
We go through three stages –
A) Building self awareness;
B) Identifying the individual’s strengths;
C) Building leadership & performance capacities.
The program is structured as a combination between group workshops and individual meetings in extend of one year as follows:
A. WORKSHOP I: [one full day]
Building Awareness - Change the way you think about yourself
The workshop is designed to reach the core of how you think and perform, empowering you to new levels of personal effectiveness.
B. COACHING & MENTORING PHASE I: 6 individual sessions.
C. WORKSHOP II: NOW DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS [One full day] -
The workshop is Aimed to discover every participant’s unique strengths; to explore how participants are currently using their strengths; and to develop action strategies to put their strengths to use in the areas of self management, family and work lives that will allow them to be better at work, better in dealing with family and be more nurturing to the self.
D. COACHING & MENTORING PHASE II: 6 individual sessions.
E. WORKSHOP III: LEADERSHIP = INFLUENCE - Change the way you think about leadership [One full day]
In this changing world, the success of your organization will depend on its ability to develop and grow leaders. This change will be reflected in the leadership behavior demonstrated by people in your organization- regardless of their position.
F. COACHING & MENTORING PHASE III: 6 individual sessions
THE DELIVERABLES
This is an intensive support, provided to individuals who have broad leverage and influence on their organizations and communities. We see improvement in self esteem & confidence, which result personal growth, which leads eventually to an improvement in performance. We work with the individuals on their strengths, utilizing their own capacities to measure themselves against quantified objectives in their jobs, so they can prove tangible improvement in their performance. One of the most fascinating and beneficial results of a mentoring process as such, is the conscious change in behavior of the senior managers towards their peers and staff, implementing with them what they experience in their own personal growth process.
In recent years many organizations are blessed with a growing number of young senior managers. Unfortunately, many of them come to the job with a limited experience in the field of senior management. The challenges facing them are complicated and in many instances their good intentions, formal training and education and the high level of motivation to succeed in their jobs, are not enough to meet these challenges.
They are expected to please the top management who appointed them for the job; they are been closely watched by their peers, who are often looking for their failure, to say the least; they are expected to manage a large group of employees in an efficient & effective way; and are been tested by the quality of service delivery to the customers of the organization, which obviously has a vast impact on the satisfaction of their superior management. And on top of that, they constantly operate in a chronic-shortage-of-means-environment. It is sometimes an impossible vicious circle.
Often they will find themselves lonely and isolated in their working environment, let alone the pressures they carry back home to their families after hours.
THE PROCESS
This is by definition, a process; a process that begins from the point where the individuals are at, and with their perceptions of the reality around them. It is taking them through a thorough analysis of their environment at work, using their own tools, thoughts, beliefs, skills and other own-self capacities, which allow them to identify the areas that require change or attention. Change in behavior, or in priorities, or in more significant conceptual manners, aimed to improve their functionality and performance as managers.
THE METHOD
Massed learning, compares to Spaced learning, refers to concentrated training undertaken once off period, while Spaced learning refers training provided over an extended period, which makes it far more sustainable and effective.
Our program is mostly a one-to-one coaching process, where the mentor is entirely impartial, objective, professional and credible figure in the eyes of the manager. Periodical meetings – preferably weekly or by-weekly - are set up with an “agreement” between us and the individual which states mutual commitment to the process. The mentor then will create a “fully-proofed” and “safe” environment, where the trainee can express freely his/hers thoughts and wishes. Together, we unfold layer-by layer the surrounding reality, him/her – tasks, challenges, obstacles, people, expectations, capacities, problems and possible solutions – all anchored within the individual him/herself. Our role as mentors is not to write recipes, but rather look inside the individuals’ strengths and assist him/her with finding his/hers own ways.
And – we combine group learning [workshops] with this individual mentoring process.
We believe that what makes it possible for people to internalize training i.e. knowledge and skills is when training results a changed behavior that becomes a common practice.
Traditional approach has been to optimize time and money. This means training as many people in the shortest time with the least amount of money. This has resulted in Massed learning. Using this approach implies participants being flooded with information limiting the possibility for the retention of information and skills.
The other positive is that this approach can generate a lot of enthusiasm and positive energy where participants can feed from each other.
The reality, however, is that as that positive experience becomes a distant memory, participants tends to fall back into their comfort zone.
We can thus ask... what needs to happen to ensure that the training has a lasting impact?
Spaced learning could follow massed training. Advantages are that individual has time to internalize knowledge and skill. The period between training interventions allows for reflection. The follow up leads to a greater possibility for internalization
Another important consideration is the individual readiness for change. Personal readiness for change can be assessed by taking into account two variables namely importance and confidence. Training does not automatically result into behavior change. Before training is contemplated, readiness as well as follow up support through spaced learning creates an enabling environment for sustained behavior change.
THE PROGRAM
We go through three stages –
A) Building self awareness;
B) Identifying the individual’s strengths;
C) Building leadership & performance capacities.
The program is structured as a combination between group workshops and individual meetings in extend of one year as follows:
A. WORKSHOP I: [one full day]
Building Awareness - Change the way you think about yourself
The workshop is designed to reach the core of how you think and perform, empowering you to new levels of personal effectiveness.
B. COACHING & MENTORING PHASE I: 6 individual sessions.
C. WORKSHOP II: NOW DISCOVER YOUR STRENGTHS [One full day] -
The workshop is Aimed to discover every participant’s unique strengths; to explore how participants are currently using their strengths; and to develop action strategies to put their strengths to use in the areas of self management, family and work lives that will allow them to be better at work, better in dealing with family and be more nurturing to the self.
D. COACHING & MENTORING PHASE II: 6 individual sessions.
E. WORKSHOP III: LEADERSHIP = INFLUENCE - Change the way you think about leadership [One full day]
In this changing world, the success of your organization will depend on its ability to develop and grow leaders. This change will be reflected in the leadership behavior demonstrated by people in your organization- regardless of their position.
F. COACHING & MENTORING PHASE III: 6 individual sessions
THE DELIVERABLES
This is an intensive support, provided to individuals who have broad leverage and influence on their organizations and communities. We see improvement in self esteem & confidence, which result personal growth, which leads eventually to an improvement in performance. We work with the individuals on their strengths, utilizing their own capacities to measure themselves against quantified objectives in their jobs, so they can prove tangible improvement in their performance. One of the most fascinating and beneficial results of a mentoring process as such, is the conscious change in behavior of the senior managers towards their peers and staff, implementing with them what they experience in their own personal growth process.
