This article entitled ‘Get Shifting’ and featuring Sian Bryant of Spring was published in Coaching at Work Magazine.
Below is a 2 minute video by Luke Thomas of Spring, giving an overview of the value you can gain from the case study. Download your free copy of the article as a PDF below.
If you would like further related material that is also free, then please email Luke Thomas on info@springccr.co.uk and he will send you more. Or download the ‘Get Shifting’ Asset Pack here.
Click here to download your FREE copy of the Coaching at Work article – Get Shifting (PDF)
View the full Coaching At Work ‘Get Shifting’ article below:
Take away Luke’s key points from the video:
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Thanks for this interesting article that resonates with me. I’m happy to shift between all I have that I’m comfortable with to get a good result. I’ve used TLT with three coaching clients and sorted stuff in 20 minutes that would have otherwise stifled progress with everything else for the other 5 sessions. I just asked them to not talk about it as I wasn’t confident that their HR department would have been happy. They all had good results.
I know some folk don’t like this idea and can get uppity about not staying true to the protocols they were taught. But life’s full of choices and I like to think people buy solutions rather than coaching or consultancy or whatever. If you can provide a solution, does it really matter how if the client is delighted?
Thanks Ian. So good to hear that, thanks for sharing – it really disappoints me the number of coaches I meet who become hamstrung by protocols learnt with ‘one’ qualification provider on what ‘coaching’ HAS to consist of, and what it mustn’t include. I’m with you on delivering a result in whichever means is best and that calls for being creative, innovative and experimental at times… not just following scripts and models that don’t fit! Thankfully I’ve generally found that whether it’s HR, Finance, Ops, Sales or another dept that hired us… clients are refreshed to have this approach taken and are receptive because they feel and notice the value. I have found more push back in earlier stages though, when putting together a brief – which is where the level of rapport is so crucial in building the trust needed.
Good to kick ideas around with you – thanks for sharing your experience. Luke
When I think of mentoring and coaching. I think about how the end user needs to know the difference, waaaay before a professional gets involved. If anything it’s the job of a professional to either ‘do it all’ and forget the terminology (as in Ian’s point about a solution is the only thing which matters) or to educate the public on which they need.
I have the same issue with social media communication and digital marketing. The difference is a mindset, very often the end result is the same. The perspective defines the journey.
What’s really on everyone’s lips though is the question can you charge more if you have grey hair?
Hi,
Interesting article and video.
I completely agree that in an unregulated industry ethics and values must be a priority for both parties. They should also be explicitly stated at the outset in my view.
I disagree entirely that it’s all about the outcome. That’s in direct conflict with an ethical stance to start with, and consideration must be given at all stages as to how the client is handling the journey – back to your point about recontracting.
What I’d like to see is something that actually helps people who want/need coaching to make an informed choice about it. Something like a “buyer’s guide for coaching” might do the trick. Let me know if you want to team up on writing it. I’d be quite interested in having a go at that.
Also, the Handbook of Coaching Psychology is a good read for anyone who thinks they’re a good coach and have only learned one model or approach.
Good luck with it all.
Mark
@Mark Mapstone
I’m sure plenty of people think they can or should charge more for grey hair or number of years experience. My unsurprising answer to that one is… it’s about the mix of quality, delivery, results, client satisfaction etc that should determine pricing; which crosses over into a degree of supply and demand, not to mention industry, the service being provided and other terms involved. One things for sure – businesses will never be short of options for choosing average suppliers who have low pricing. Lots of people told me that I’d never have a successful business when I started it at age 30 in a poor economic climate… lots said I should be at least 40+… but then most of those saying this had less experience under their belt at 45 than I had already accumulated by then. (at the risk of sounding arrogant!)
I’ve met coaches/mentors/clients who have been a big fish in a small pond, in one company, who in 20+ years have less quality judgment, experience and expertise than others who have many less years under their belt but who have been out there working internationally, in a variety of roles, businesses and have been relentlessly developing themselves and stepping up to challenges that far outweigh grey hairs or years.
By the way, it costs me an arm and a leg to maintain the colour of my hair each month!!!
My rule of thumb = if you’re worth it, charge it because ultimately it’s about value, more than price.
@Mark Seabright
Thanks for your post Mark. Value it. Would be good to talk some more offline. Can’t get my head around how a focus on the outcome throughout with contracting, can be in direct conflict with ethics? Maybe it’s the words ‘all about’ that you’re referring to specifically?
I’m always keen to collaborate. The buyer’s guide sounds interesting. I’ll drop you a line to meet for a coffee sometime.
Best regards, Luke
Thanks for your response Luke.
The issue about “focus on outcome” is a big subject. In my view, many coaches and consultants have a Western management theory based view of the world which makes unitary and linear assumptions about how it works. ie There’s one best way of doing things (it’s all about the outcome) and once you find it, then the more you follow that path (ie chase the outcome) the better things will get .
Unfortunately, as we know the world doesn’t work in a unitary or linear way; there are always choices as to how we go about things, and it is possible to have too much of a good thing.
A plurarlist, non-linear approach is therefore a more appropriate perspective for dealing with real world problems.
Chasing the outcome is a blinkered approach that can very easily blind you to better possibilities that you encounter en route.
Also, whether we like it or not, coaching is a behavioural intervention, like therapy. And therapy comes from the ancient Greek “theraps” meaning attendant. The idea is that we help people on their journey – it’s about process, not outcome.
To use a non-work analogy; life is a process, death is the outcome. Which do you want to spend your time concerned with?
Let’s grab that coffee sometime.
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