Management coaching method

On the Skills with People course no-one sits passively listening to theoretical lectures.  We use a management coaching method based on repeated practice, feedback, and guidance.  As trainers and coaches we pay careful attention to your particular difficulties and special needs, which is why the programme includes one-to-one coaching as well as training in small groups.

The management coaching method is similar to that of a sports coach – non-academic, hands-on practice with feedback using a video camera so that you can study the action replay and analyse your own developing skills and their effect on others. This is supplemented by clarification of the principles involved so that as well as practising skills you have a chance to develop your insights about why some approaches work well and others don’t.

Special features of the management coaching method

Our management training objective is always to equip the people to achieve their business goals. Therefore the impact of good management training on the bottom line of a business is essentially indirect, but that doesn’t mean it’s insubstantial. Here are some examples how improved management skills can add value to the business:

1. You start, on the external course, with two private and confidential one-to-one coaching sessions of an hour-and-a-half each.  This not only provides an introduction to what some may find quite a personal and challenging subject, but it also enables the trainer to get to know you and your special needs and challenges. 
2. You end with a final one-to-one coaching session a few weeks after the group session so that any difficulties or obstacles preventing application of the skills at work can be identified and overcome.  This can be done on the phone if travel is difficult. 
3. We consult your manager by asking for his or her perception of your training need.  This is done twice, first before your first one-to-one session, and then again before your final session.  We encourage your manager to give you the feedback he or she has given to us.
4. Group training sessions are three days in length (on some in-company courses we reduce this to two days) so that you not only learn basic skills but also practise applying them, under close supervision, to the kinds of situations you have to handle at work.  Instead of setting fictitious role-playing exercises the trainers help you re-create the situations that are hardest for you to handle at work.
5. Group size is limited to a maximum of six so that each participant has opportunities to practice under the trainer's supervision.
6. A gap of at least a few weeks between the individual and group sessions provides an essential opportunity to practise your new skills and approaches.
7. Some people prefer to receive the entire course on a one-to-one basis instead of taking part in a group training session.
8. Confidentiality   We neither write reports about you to your manager, nor divulge anything negative about how you have performed on the course.  To do so would be incompatible with our aim of creating an atmosphere of trust and safety which is essential if you are to be receptive to this challenging learning process.