Senior managers can often feel lonely. For a variety of reasons it might not be easy to turn to someone in the organisation, to governors or to the local authority for help. Also, of course, it is often of great benefit to work with a fresh mind - someone who is not involved with the organisation or its culture. Coaching can help in many ways, for example:
Relationships with governors
Working effectively with your SIP and LA consultants
Strategic planning
How to get the best from colleagues
Time management and work/life balance
Conflict resolution
Organisational change
Personal issues
How is coaching different from mentoring?
Coaching is not counselling or therapy, nor is it mentoring from a colleague with similar managerial experience. Neil McClelland says:
"Unlike a mentor with headship experience I don't give advice, but I support clients dispassionately to help them work out their own answers or the way forward. This I'm able to do from a background of substantial managerial, leadership and coaching experience and a deep understanding of the context for successful headship."
We believe that for many aspects of leadership and management support, coaching is far more powerful than mentoring from an experienced headteacher colleague, as there is in such a relationship a natural tendency to seek short-cutting advice which can, on occasions, be unhelpful.
Better to be enabled to develop the awareness, confidence and self-responsibility to take your own unencumbered decisions.
