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By Katie Duckworth, May 28, 2012

When’s the right time to get coaching for your third sector staff?

When David is under-performing so badly he’s about to lose his job? When Leila is totally fed up, demotivated and desperate to leave? When tensions and disagreements in the team are taking up hours of your precious time?

Certainly, organisations often bring in a coach “to sort things” out and it can be very effective. Performance improves. Disillusioned staff rediscover their purpose and energy. Calm is restored.

But the very best time to bring in a coach is before any of this happens. Early coaching can save your organisation money and help you meet organisational goals faster.

Basically, coaching helps people to be better at their jobs – to thrive, to contribute their very best to the organisation – in short, to shine. You can help them do this from Day One.

A great time to coach your people is:

- when they love their job!

- the first 90 days in a new leadership or management post

- when they have a specific deadline-driven project coming up

- when a staff member has risen to a few challenges and seems to have what it takes to do even better

- if they are performing well, but need to work on a specific area such as confidence or life balance

- as a reward for talented staff members to keep them motivated and on board.

When you see coaching as an investment (rather than a sticky plaster) you will reap massive rewards for your organisation. Instead of waiting for failure, keep your eye out for success and help your people create even more of it.

Coaching can help you and your staff meet specific goals, upgrade overall performance, develop leadership skills, increase confidence and improve communication, and more.

If you would like to talk to Katie Duckworth about investing in you or in your third sector team please contact me here for a no-obligation chat.

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By Katie Duckworth, May 17, 2012

Today is Learning at Work Day. To celebrate I’m giving away lots of free coaching to charities.

If you think your charity would benefit from one of the services below totally free of charge DM me on twitter @katieduckworth or email me at katieduckworth@mac.com (if we’re not already following each other.)

Giveaway #1

1 x one-hour ‘short burst’ Taming Time workshop for up to 20 of your staff and volunteers

Giveaway #2

2 x 50-minute telephone coaching sessions for one person in your organisation (I’ve got three of these to give away)

Giveaway #3

9 x 20-minute ‘speed coaching’ telephone sessions (one session for one person per organisation)

It’s first come first served, so get your DM message to me or email me as soon as you can.

Let me know:

- the best person to contact in your organisation

- their email address

- your first choice of giveaway #1, #2 or 3#

Take a look at the fantastic feedback to last year’s Coaching Marathon when I coached dozens of people from organisations such as Actionaid and The Back Up Trust.

I look forward to hearing from you.

Terms and conditions (dull but useful)

- open to UK charities and other UK based not-for-profit organisations

- one giveaway per successful organisation

- offer ends at 5.30pm on Friday 18 May 2012. Emails or DMs received after this will not be accepted

- sessions to be taken by 31 December 2012

- I will reply by email by 5.30pm on Monday 21 May 2012 if I am able to offer your organisation a giveaway

- If you have been successful but your first choice is no longer available your organisation will be offered your choice from remaining giveaways

- times of sessions to be mutually agreed

- sessions are non-transferable and there is no cash alternative

- I may need to charge travel expenses for the ‘short burst’ training if your organisation is outside London.

Phew!!

Comments (1)

By Katie Duckworth, May 14, 2012

I began coaching a new client this week, the Chief Executive of a youth charity, and it’s got me thinking about what makes for a great third sector leader.

Here are five qualities that, in my opinion, make a leader stand out from the crowd:

1. Agility – great leaders are able to adapt to circumstances, both internal and external; to grasp opportunities; to innovate; to give up the old when the ‘same old’ is no longer working

2. Inner confidence – it takes real self-belief to make the daily decisions (big and small) required of a leader, to rise to challenges, and to move away from fear-based responses

3. Being a passionate champion for the organisation they head up – for the people working in it and served by it, and by being a role model for behaviours and values

4. Vision – great leaders constantly ask the ‘what & why’ questions to get a clear vision of where their organisation is going, and inspire their teams to come with them

5. Authenticity – no-one wants a ‘command and control’ leader. Today’s leaders are real, not afraid to learn and grow themselves, or to own up to mistakes and areas for improvement

What do you think?

Coaching  builds great third sector leaders – both by nurturing emerging leaders, and by supporting existing ones. If you would like to find out how I can help you or your employees please contact me here or call 0208 772 7808 for a no-obligation chat.