Coaching for support and development

This UK arm of a start-up software company recognised that they needed their staff at all levels to quickly integrate into the team, work hard and fast and be largely self-sufficient in order to succeed.

To help them achieve their company objectives and provide a supportive environment for learning and development, we provide the following services

• One-to-one coaching for Sales, Marketing and Software Development staff
• Customer service workshops for office-based staff
• Presentation skills training for customer-facing staff, particularly sales and technical sales support teams
• Psychometric profiling within one-to-one coaching programmes

These assisted the individuals in developing skills, establishing themselves in their new roles, planning for career development and focusing on achieving optimal performance. For sales people it also offers the opportunity to examine and assess sales opportunities and establish strategic, considered account development plans.

Coaching for organisational growth and change

A successful IT reseller, this company has enjoyed year-on-year growth in revenue and profit. However, it was recognised that as competition increases and profit margins are constantly eroded, it was necessary to take a new approach to the market in order to maintain growth, and, ultimately, assure the ongoing viability of the company.

To assist sales and customer service staff at all levels, one-to-one and group coaching and skills development workshops have been provided to assist staff in

• Acquiring and implementing the sales and communication skills required to support the company's changing focus
• Understanding, acknowledging and accepting change, and their role and responsibility in driving this
• Developing a strong team culture
• Gaining greater personal insight into personal strengths and weaknesses and how to harness strengths and develop skills and behaviours to minimise weaknesses.
• Creating and working on personal career development plans

In addition, coaching has provided direct and indirect support for the relatively new management team in growing and managing their own teams.

Personal, career and skills development programme

This company viewed coaching as a means of demonstrating loyalty and commitment to their staff whilst also developing the skills they needed to meet ever demanding targets. They found having an external coach 'on-hand' offered flexibility for the company and an unprecedented level of support for individual employees.

For the whole of 1998 Anna designed and delivered coaching programmes for the sales and technical teams, including Account Managers, Internal Account Managers, Systems Engineers and Product Specialists.

Key services delivered:

• One to one coaching for approximately 30 staff on the programme
• Design and co-delivery of management development training course
• Creation of job descriptions for all sales staff from Sales Director down
• 'Perception is reality' participative workshop to support culture and role changes
• Presentation skills training
• Training needs analysis and individual training plans to support the integration of ongoing development into the organisational culture following the programme

The programme assisted in maintaining a high level of motivation, low staff turnover and gave the individuals increased self-confidence to achieve the company's goals. During this financial year the company achieved 120% of target.

Implementing organisational change through coaching

In a division of a traditional electronics manufacturing firm, a coaching programme was implemented to upskill and empower the team to implement a project that would more typically be done by a team of highly paid consultants.

A Mentor Coach worked with the team, passing on key information about competency programme design and using the core competency and mentoring approach to embed change along the lines of key strategic goals.

The team identified core behaviours and developed a framework that is to be used to support significant developmental change for each member of the management team.

Coaching to support senior management succession planning

The team leader of a department in a large organisation that specialises in software development was looking to advance her career. Both the organisation and the leader felt it was important to manage her transition into another role by selecting and supporting the development of a successor.

To achieve this a one-day development centre was designed to identify needs across the whole management team as well as identifying any potential high flyers.

A combination of personality and critical thinking skills tests were used in conjunction with a series of real play activities. Real play was modeled on the actual decision making environment the successor would have to operate in. Job analysis was used in conjunction with competency profiling to reveal each individuals' strengths and weaknesses relative to the needs of the leadership role.

All team members were subsequently offered coaching to support their specific personal strengths and development needs.

Retaining high potential managers using personal career development coaching

A large software developer identified that developing and retaining their high potential managers in the '30 something' age group required an intervention that went beyond their existing company training options.

Personalised and completely confidential coaching was identified as a cost effective means of providing the high-potentials who have moved beyond classroom training options with an opportunity to direct their own learning. Retaining and developing this group is of importance to all organisations as the employment marketplace is dynamic and career options outside of the company can be very attractive.

Through a combination of detailed personal assessment using the 16PF, Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Skills and Innovation Potential Indicator along with structured discussion individuals were able to:

• Explore and understand their development needs
• Take responsibility for creating their own development opportunities
• Create realistic development plans that supported genuine personal change
• Explore creative options for career planning and development

The coaching programme has lead to significant changes in on-the-job performance as well as facilitating the retention of valued high potential employees who would otherwise have left the company.

Leveraging performance improvement in an SME through implementation of a strategic appraisal process

A medium sized IT reseller who felt they were too small to retain a specialised HR function contracted Lauriate to develop an appraisal process that could be managed easily and inexpensively in-house. As with many small to medium sized companies the MD was not interested in the paper chase normally associated with conducting an appraisal process, but in specific measurable performance outcomes.

A Company wide process was designed which included documentation of key role requirements along with the personal competencies required for exceptional performance.

This process was successful in supporting successful outcomes not only as a back up to the coaching process, but also by informing day-to-day needs including the selection of new team members as well as ongoing performance management.