Coaching 

Coaching is a facilitated learning process which enables individuals to achieve their goals, overcome obstacles and fulfil their true potential by growing their awareness, developing their skills and increasing their effectiveness.

Although every coaching programme is tailored around the specific needs of each individual, it is invariably characterised by a series of structured one to one sessions with a qualified and experienced coach which progresses through a sequence of initial exploration of needs, aims and objectives; goal setting and development planning; and supported progression throughout the implementation of a development plan, with an emphasis upon encouraging fresh insights regarding effective strategies and actions to achieve both the initial and later emerging aims and objectives.

Development Centres

A development centre is similar to an assessment centre in content.  Nevertheless, the focus and purpose are very different.  Instead of enhancing a selection procedure, as is the case with an assessment centre, the development centre concentrates upon identification of the strengths and development areas of participants, most frequently within the context of personal development planning and succession planning activities.

Our development centre service includes:-

• Securing a very thorough and in depth understanding of the organisation, its wider context and its requirement in terms of the qualities of effective employees and/or future leaders.
• Design of a development centre incorporating the most appropriate simulation exercises (e.g. group discussions, role plays, case studies, presentations), in addition to psychometric assessment and structured interviews, to provide detailed insight into the participant qualities relevant to job success and/or progression to senior roles. In designing development centres, we tend to adopt an integrated “day in the life” approach to ensure the process is seamless as well as highly representative of normal daily job-related experience, thus ensuring relevance to both client organisation and participants.
• Preparing all necessary development centre documentation for participant and assessor use.
• Bringing together and fully briefing those psychologist assessor team members with industry experience most relevant to the project in question.
• Delivery of the development centre.
• Preparation and submission of comprehensive, bespoke development centre reports detailing performance of each participant and offering clear recommendations.
• Provision of detailed development centre feedback to the participant.
• Collaborating with participants and appropriate line and HR management representatives to formulate tailored Personal Development Plans (PDP’s) designed to address identified skills gaps and competency shortcomings, thus providing a solid foundation for development into a highly effective employee and/or successful leader of the future.

Personal Development

A Personal Development Plan (PDP) is the fundamental part of a development process focusing upon addressing skills gaps and competency shortcomings for the benefit of the individual’s career progression as well as organisational performance and achievement of corporate strategic goals.  PDP’s ensure capability to deal with existing or future job roles.  As indicated above, PDP’s are most frequently one of the deliverables of development centres.  As and when required, we are able to extend our contributions to personal development to incorporate activities such as 360° appraisal and feedback as well as coaching programmes and career pathing and development initiatives frequently cited as enhancers of employee engagement and staff retention.

Succession Planning

A critical but frequently overlooked organisational need is the necessity of having a pipeline of individuals capable of replacing key personnel who leave the organisation for whatever reason.  Businesses must be fully prepared for such contingencies by identifying and training high-potential employees for maximum performance within those key roles to which they will advance.  This activity of succession planning is concerned with identifying and developing future corporate leaders or senior managers, as well as those individuals required to fill other business-critical positions.

In assisting organisations to develop and maintain their succession plans, our succession planning service incorporates:-

• Identification of high potential employees utilising assessment methods including:-
  • Development centres
  • Talent audits
  • 360° appraisals
  • Benchmarking of existing high performers
•  Reporting
  • Preparation and submission of comprehensive, bespoke development orientated assessment reports detailing performance of each participant and offering clear recommendations.
  • Provision of detailed development orientated feedback to the participant.
  • Collaborating with participants and appropriate line and HR management representatives to formulate tailored Personal Development Plans (PDP’s) designed to address identified skills gaps and competency shortcomings, in preparation for becoming a successful leader of the future.
• Facilitation and Support
  • An integral element of our professional succession planning service is the arrangement of follow up meetings, at agreed intervals, with participants and appropriate line and HR management representatives to review PDP progress and encourage wholehearted continuation of the initiative, along with adjustments or enhancements which may be necessary in the light of any changing circumstances.
  • Where appropriate, we are capable of contributing to PDP’s through the provision of independent, external coaching support.