A new coaching and mentoring programme aimed at new or inexperienced line managers has been launched by a Norfolk-based training provider, designed to deliver results and create meaningful change through other people.
The Leadership Exploration and Development (LEAD) programme is the idea of Andrew Denny of Andrew Denny Consulting, who, after talking to a number of organisations, believes that too many first-line leaders are unprepared for their role and wishing they’d had more guidance before becoming a manager. Andrew feels that there is a gap in the market for those who simply want to gain practical experience in getting the best out of their people through effective day-to-day leadership without attending time consuming and sometimes expensive one-off training courses.
“Very often supervisors, team leaders and managers are promoted to their role, but their previous role has not prepared them for management work. People have to quickly learn new skills, the most important being performance management. The LEAD programme helps bridge the gap between any formal learning and the massive amount of information available online into something meaningful and relevant to those involved. Many people don’t learn from being in a formal environment learning leadership theory. Most of us develop from having the practical experience and learning from the mistakes we make”, says Andrew.
The flexible six month coaching led programme takes business owners, individuals or groups of managers, looks at them individually, and helps them create meaningful change for themselves, their teams and the organisation. The programme combines group and/or individual coaching sessions with self-development projects and real time, on-the-job coaching to support positive change in behaviour and to help embed the learning.
The programme starts by focusing delegates on where they currently see themselves within several different management areas. An initial group workshop helps individuals to identify their own learning and leadership style. This session includes a goal setting session before the coaching begins.
Over the following weeks each individual is coached either as part of a group or individually, the aim being to challenge and keep them continuously learning and improving. The programme deals with specific topics such as self-awareness, leading through times of change, motivation and engagement, communication skills, delegation and time management, as well as with live issues yet always keeping an eye of the central goals.
The coaching sessions end with delegates summarising what they have learnt before setting out the actions they will commit to going forward. This may include self-learning or planning an activity to help apply the learning within the workplace.
The coaching ends with the group reconvening to reflect on the journey and talk about how they will continue this beyond the programme.
Further details about the programme can be found by visiting www. andrewdennyconsulting.co.uk/lead-programme/ or by calling Andrew on 07798 616237.