Coaching under the spotlight gemm Insights September 2024
Welcome to the first edition of gemm Insights, a monthly newsletter bringing you an in-depth look at a coaching topic, tips on how best to benefit from coaching, along with news of what’s happening at gemm.
We hope you enjoy this short read.
In this issue
Coaching at an individual and organisational level Tailored coaching service for organisational objectives What’s the difference between coaching, mentoring and therapy? The latest news from gemm coaching
Coaching at an individual and organisational level
There isn’t a one size fits all approach to developing senior leaders, nurturing their individual talent and helping them reach their full potential. Every one of us is different, and so while leadership development programmes definitely have their merits, a tailored approach to development through 1:1 coaching offers an opportunity to drill down to a level that speaks directly to each individual.
Working with gemm, each executive or leader is matched with an appropriate coach whose experience and knowledge is aligned with the areas they wish to discuss and develop.
At the outset, we present a shortlist of coaches based on the coachee’s profile and development needs, followed by short initial conversations to identify which of the potential coaches the coachee would work with best. This enables the coachee to feel ready to engage in the process and ensures there is positive chemistry where meaningful work can take place.
Development goals are agreed to focus the work and measure progress, and these are revisited and revised as time goes on, as topics and issues for discussion evolve.
This is achieved using the gemm coach matching service which provide organisations with outsourced coaches chosen from our highly qualified and experienced team.
Trust and understanding
As the coaching sessions progress, the level of trust and understanding builds, so that in depth, meaningful discussions take place, and honest feedback can be shared and well received. It provides a platform where the coachee can feel comfortable when challenged or stretched, allowing them to be open to new ways of thinking or new behaviours that may serve them better.
Learners often report that they feel more comfortable talking to an independent and neutral person, who is external to the organisation, about their personal and professional development. They have the freedom to speak without fear of being judged, and to consider issues that may be difficult to discuss in the workplace.
It can result in growth at a deeper level and prompt a pivotal change in levels of confidence.
The potential for personal and professional growth is huge, and we have witnessed transformations that run deep and are long lasting.
Tailored coaching service for organisational objectives
We are often asked to manage a fully tailored coaching service to meet specific strategic organisational objectives. For example, there may be a desire to support a change in company culture, to embed learning during or following a leadership development programme, or to ensure new recruits are integrated well at the start of their employment. The benefits don’t stop there, however.
In our experience, these fully managed coaching programmes are ideal for organisations and L&D and HR teams who may not have the capacity to organise and manage coaching relationships alongside their other work commitments. We take care of all the administrative aspects of offering individual and team coaching to employees and lead all the elements of the coaching relationships including the coach matching with our experienced panel of coaches, development planning, evaluation and reporting.
Deeper benefits
There are several further advantages to our managing an “end to end” coaching service on behalf of an organisation. When several coaches from one panel are working within an organisation, the quality of the coaches is guaranteed, standards are maintained through adherence to procedures and use of gemm intellectual property, and the understanding of the organisation and its people builds within the coaching panel.
It enables us to identify and share anonymised underlying themes and patterns that emerge across coaching cohorts. Both positive themes that can be further capitalised on, and areas that need to be addressed at an organisational level will surface. Work on these themes will help in the retention of talent, in identifying further areas for professional development, and other specific issues that need to be addressed for the health and success of the organisation.
For more information about the gemm tailored coaching service, please visit our web page.
A recent managed, tailored coaching service
Our panel of coaches is working with our client CreateFuture (formerly XDesign) on an ongoing project to deliver a large-scale, fully managed and tailored 1:1 coaching programme.
The organisation has just been named as one of the top UK’s Best Workplaces for Development™ in the large category. It’s gratifying to see the organisation attain recognition from a global authority on workplace culture!
You can read more about this accolade on LinkedIn.
What’s the difference between coaching, mentoring and therapy?
When you’re facing specific challenges in your role or wider life and could use some outside help, it can be a little bewildering when considering the kind of support and assistance that would be most appropriate for you. The impact of your circumstances may be affecting you on both a personal and professional level, so who should you turn to?
At gemm, we offer both coaching and mentoring to clients, however there are times when working with a counsellor would be more appropriate. Here is our short definition of each intervention to help you choose your path.
Coaching
At its simplest, coaching is a conversation, where the coach will encourage insight and reflection through asking a series of questions and sharing observations, thereby helping you to gain new perspectives. You may be challenged, in a supportive environment, on your thoughts, actions and perceptions, invited to explore fresh ideas, and to try new approaches which you may find work better for you.
A coach does not need to have experience of your industry or your profession to help you develop. They will often have a background in leadership development, they will have trained as an executive coach, and in a range of development interventions such as psychometric profiling.
Mentoring
Mentoring is typically less formal or structured than coaching, and is useful if you are going through a period of transition, developing specific skills, or want to widen your professional connections.
Sessions focus on how to take your career in your desired direction, and can be more of a long-term arrangement and period of development, gaining valuable experience and knowledge along the way.
A mentor will usually have had experience at a senior level in your industry or profession and so is able to help you with some of the technical aspects of your job. They may also help you to build your professional networks.
Therapy
Therapy focuses on healing and developing personal strength and resilience. It may be helpful if you feel troubled or repeatedly stuck in ways of thinking or ways of responding to certain situations.
A therapist will have trained over several years, allowing them to support and help you understand how your behaviour or thought processes are limiting you in some way in your life or work.
In contrast to coaching or mentoring, you will receive support on a deeper, perhaps more emotional level, in a trusting environment with your counsellor. They will listen, reflect back their understandings, and help you to understand and reframe your thought processes and behaviours, and enable new insights to come to the fore.
At gemm, we offer an initial no obligation consultation to enable you to chat through your development needs and assess the best route forward. If this is of interest to you, please get in touch to find out more.
Our coaching talent
We’re fortunate to have a team of esteemed coaches at gemm. They provide the breadth and depth of knowledge and experience to allow us to match coachees with a coach of their choosing, according to their industry sector, background and coaching objectives.
Welcoming Mark Adderley and Julie Verdon
Everyone at gemm would like to welcome new team members Mark Adderley and Julie Verdon. They bring their own distinctive knowledge and talent to our coaching team, enabling gemm to provide even more choice and capacity to our clients.
Mark Adderley
Mark’s specialities are in transformational thinking in the Utilities, Higher Education, Health and Finance sectors. He works as an executive coach and in leadership development, having worked within and for large organisations.
His recent coaching clients have included individuals such as Principal, CEO, CPO, CIO, Directors, Heads of Function and Department.
Mark’s particular research interest is in employee engagement, leadership and culture, and specifically the impact that leadership can have on organisational culture.
You can read more about Mark here.
Julie Verdon
Julie has over 20 years of experience working with leaders as a coach, a career coach, and an occupational psychologist. Her experience spans the public and private sector and her clients include central government, the third sector, education, financial services, retail and aerospace.
She often works with clients who are facing significant leadership transitions and career crossroads, or looking to bring a different dimension to their leadership, helping them find ways to tap into their potential and explore their own brand of leadership.
Find out more about Julie’s background here.
Mark and Julie are already working with some of our clients and sharing their unique brand of coaching with them. Welcome to you both!