THE CHALLENGE:
In June 2023, we were awarded a Coaching tender with the CRU. The tender request was initially for managerial coaching services for nine of their newly appointed managers (a combination of successful external candidates and internally promoted CRU employees). Psychometric assessment was also requested in the tender. The purpose of the coaching was to provide a confidential and structured approach for people who wished to discuss specific challenges in their role, find solutions, develop new perspectives, and/or develop managerial skills. Since winning the tender and starting to work with the first 9 managers, we have since extended our panel due to requests for further managers and also experienced leaders in CRU to proceed through coaching. We are now working more extensively with managers at a range of levels at CRU.
THE SOLUTION:
The Adaptas coaching panel provided coaching sessions (six individual sessions per manager) that would assist managers in transitioning to their new role and in developing/refining their individual management styles, thereby leading to better delivery of results for the division/teams. Adaptas started with a panel of four Adaptas coaches and has since expanded the coaching panel and extended the staff coaching requirements per the request of CRU.
These sessions also worked on the individual’s personal development needs against a backdrop of public service values, the CRU strategy and the ability to work in a fast-paced dynamic environment where key important decisions are required to be made.
Our role with CRU has been to provide coaching to managers at a range of levels. We combine a directive and non-directive approach to coaching depending on the needs of the individual.
To meet the development needs of the coachees, support the managers in understanding different communication and behavioural preferences and increase resilience and emotional intelligence, the Adaptas team utilised a range of assessments/psychometrics including:
- DiSC: An exploration of communication and behavioural preferences and styles in the workplace. The individual Everything DiSC® profiles and online Catalyst system enable self-awareness. DiSC supports managers to explore the propensities of our DiSC Styles that naturally help or hinder us to work effectively with others, explore the interactions between the DiSC styles and how we lead / manage others.
- LEIPA®: A 360-degree tool that identifies an individual’s behavioural and operational strengths from the standpoint of Emotional Intelligence and in the context of 6 Leadership Styles (Commanding, Coaching, Affiliative, Democratic, Pacesetting, Visionary). LEIPA measures competence in the context of the individual’s own role, from the standpoint of all people providing feedback re. desired vs. actual behaviours. It is a powerful diagnostic tool used specifically to support a leader in identifying and developing their personal and relevant Leadership Skills by enhancing their Emotional Intelligence. Using the Emotional Intelligence (EI) profile, LEIPA® can then identify preferred leadership styles and those which are over or under employed in the individual’s context. Leaders should learn to use different styles for different circumstances. The really effective leader will have all the leadership styles in their portfolio to be used according to the circumstances and situation.
- Workplace Resilience and Wellbeing (WRAW): A psychometric measure of resilience and its impact on wellbeing for people in work. It is designed to educate and empower individuals to take ownership of their own resiliency and wellbeing and educate and enable managers and leaders to build a safe and supportive working environment. WRAW adds value as it builds self-awareness around personal resilience and how this may be impacting wellbeing. It allows for early intervention to minimise the risk of physical or mental wellbeing declining.
THE RESULTS:
Feedback received from the midway and end-of coaching engagement surveys signaled that coachees benefited immensely from the insights generated from these assessments. Also other approaches including 360 feedback were used to assist with the coaching engagements and to promote increased self-awareness and greater personal insights. We selected either DiSC/LEIPA/ WRAW (or other) in agreement with coachees and depending on which assessment would be most useful for the particular individual (e.g. number of direct reports, level of seniority, scope for the role, personal development experience to date)
In working with managers across CRU we have been in a position to collate themes arising and feed these themes back to CRU HR. As all coaching is confidential, no specifics are shared, but themes have been useful for HR to consider their next steps in implantation of other programmes.
We have completed working with the first set of nine managers. Since then, based on recommendations across the CRU from the managers who have been recently moving through the coaching, we have since coached a number of further managers and we are now coaching more senior leaders at CRU. Feedback gathered by Adaptas and also independently by the CRU from the coachees has been very positive.
We created an approach to contracting, and pre-work to enable streamlining across the panel of coaches. Each of the managers have required support with different items, including performance improvement and management, process improvement within teams, leadership development, personal effectiveness, change management, resilience , psychometric testing and much more.
Our panel of coaches with wide experience across sectors earlier in their careers has been of immense benefit to those being coached at CRU. Through sharing our coaching panel biogs with coachees, and supporting chemistry check meetings, we have been in a position to partner coaches and coachees very effectively.
FEEDBACK:
The CRU L&D Team
“The CRU have been working with Adaptas since June 2023 in terms of delivering coaching services for our newly recruited/promoted managers. We are extremely satisfied with the services provided; our staff have provided excellent feedback in terms of the professionalism and approachable nature of Adaptas coaches. Overall, a truly positive, confidence building, and career enhancing experience for our managers.”