There are many definitions of coaching but for me coaching is about holding the mirror up against an individual so they get an accurate and unbiased view of themselves, their style, attitudes and values and balance that against their ambition, aspirations and goals and identify whether they are aligned. Then it’s a case of helping the individual understand what actions may be required and what changes in mindset will help ensure the behaviors and actions work together to deliver success.
Having spent many years in leadership positions I have seen managers and leaders with amazing technical skills achieve good results. I have also seen great people managers create a culture of success that seem to surpass the skills that they have. I have also seen people with high levels of technical specialism have blind spots with how they communicate and lead their people to the point where success can feel hollow, and I have seen the opposite where the pendulum swings too far where a disproportionate focus on employee happiness and a culture of non confrontation means that interventions are missed and personal responsibility not taken for issues resulting in poorer outcomes for all.
The ultimate aim for me and this company is to strike the right balance, hold the mirror up to people, let them see what we all see, balance that with their view of themselves and build a mindset and an associated to-do list that enables them to strive for the best possible results for themselves, their customers, their teams and the organisation as a whole and ultimately to be role models inspiring the next generation of leaders.
I have a fundamental belief that the relationships between people make the world go around and that people ‘buy’ people at the end of the day, and when combined with technical skills and a unapologetic curious mentality there is no limit to what someone can achieve.
If your own thoughts reflect some of what I have said then I would welcome a conversation to see how we could work together.
Darren Spriggs