Why Coaching?
The aim of coaching is to create a safe space, and time, to explore issues, develop skills, and to reflect on insights, in order to either resolve an issue or achieve a goal.
This is done through a non-judgemental, 1:1 conversation.
The focus will be to provide support as you reflect on your assumptions and insights, develop your own knowledge, agree on actions and make a change.
I take a holistic approach to coaching, recognising the importance of both mental and physical health when working with leaders.
The Impact of Coaching
There is a large amount of evidence and research into the positive effect coaching can have for leaders, in the work place and within the education sector. Coaching can support a leaders’ resilience, work life balance, wellbeing and self-awareness.
The Department of Education published a paper on coaching in UK schools, along with the then National College of School Leadership, Newcastle University and CfBT Education Trust in 2010.
The centre for Coaching, Mentoring and Professional Learning at Carnegie School of Education at Leeds Beckett University have been leading work on coaching in education.
An extract from ‘The Chartered College of Teaching’, published September 2021
Leadership coaching is now firmly established as an effective way to support an individual’s professional and personal development and to help leaders reflect on the complexities of their role.
Through a carefully managed process of dialogue, the coachee is helped to explore how their own identity and characteristics ‘show up’ at work and, with the coach, to co-create new ways of thinking, being and doing. The idea is that the leader can return to their role with fresh perspectives on its challenges and a willingness to change any behaviours identified as potentially problematic (Bluckert, 2006).
‘the exercise of leadership is not an individual act… the complexity, interconnectedness and transparency of today’s organisations means that no individual can get much accomplished alone’ (Soske and Conger, 2010, p. 242).
Whether helping a leader to acknowledge and accept the complexity of their organisation, or to perceive what’s happening at the boundaries in and around their system, or to understand the systemic drivers of the unconscious and irrational behaviours that result from their actions, systemic leadership coaching has a key role in school improvement.
Further Reading
There is a wide range of excellent coaching books, resources, and services available.
Sam Chrome has written excellent summaries of various coaching books which I have found invaluable.
An Introduction to Coaching Skills
Christian van Nieuwerburgh
The Leader’s Guide to Coaching in Schools
John Campbell and Christian van Nieuwerburgh
Other Resources
Viv Grant has been a leading coach in the UK education sector for over 30 years. Viv provides an excellent summary linking Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to coaching.
Growth Coaching International have been a leading body on coaching in school on the international scene.
Ready to dive in?
Finding the right coach is important, so I always start by offering a free, no-obligation chat to ensure we can work together. So get in touch and we’ll get a date in the diary.