Posted By Clore Social Leadership,
30 November 2020
Updated: 07 December 2020
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As our Leading Beyond Lockdown programme draws to a close, we want to celebrate the participants who have inspired us with their dedication to their development and the causes they work for.
As part of the programme, we have had the pleasure to collaborate with Dr. Jeremy Hinks, Director and Leadership & Development Coach with Alpamayo Coaching Ltd. Inspired by the commitment and diversity of the programme participants, Jeremy writes about his experience with coaching on the programme.
“It was inspirational to speak with these activists and influencers, so committed to their respective causes. Hearing them name their challenges and then being witness as they chose to face them down has been a learning experience for me too.” Dr. Jeremy Hinks
Over the last few months, I have had the privilege to work in partnership with a group of leaders from the social sector, whose diversity, dedication, and commitment to their respective causes was a big inspiration. From the range of social issues they worked for, to their own life experiences and job titles, each participant brought a unique perspective to the table.
Whether they were new to coaching or had experienced it before, they were all excited about what the opportunity might offer to them, particularly aligned with the leadership training, group work, and networking opportunities that collectively made up the Leading Beyond Lockdown programme.
While the participants’ coaching objectives were uniquely individual, they shared a common interest - exploring how they could best fulfil their leadership role at a time when the sustainability of their organisations is threatened by the COVID19 pandemic.
Seeing the bigger picture
Some of our coaching conversations revolved around self-awareness and confidence-building for those who found themselves in new positions, or in old positions made to feel new by the change in relationship dynamics caused by the home working enforced on the majority by COVID19. Others related to more effective communication, decision making, and relationship building that harnessed difference effectively.
The ability to see the bigger picture was central to a lot of conversations. There was a sense that the ability to do so was often drowned out by the volume of work involved in the day-to-day running of the organisation. The importance of self-care was also often lost beneath wave upon wave of ‘doing this, supporting that, and delivering the other’. Bringing the importance of self-care back to the surface and drawing oxygen back into its lungs was a particularly satisfying part of these coaching partnerships.
"Bringing the importance of self-care back to the surface and drawing oxygen back into its lungs was a particularly satisfying part." Dr. Jeremy Hinks
All the coaching partnerships had a ‘whole of life’ aspect which was experienced in two different ways. Firstly, many conversations explored past experiences and reflected on how they were influencing current behaviour. Coachees saw a lot of value in becoming more conscious of their behaviours and feelings and to think about those that were no longer serving them well. Secondly, our conversations often explored how to achieve the balance between their work and out-of-work roles. Of course, this has become more challenging as COVID19 has required us to co-locate all these roles, challenging our ability to maintain the boundaries between them that are so important to our wellbeing.
Building trust and connections online
Forming a relationship built on trust via an online connection proved to be as possible as it is in face to face coaching. After all, we have all grown in our capability to manage the strengths and weaknesses of virtual communication.
It was also interesting how the relationship was influenced by coaching someone in their workspace at home. For example, the occasional presence of children, dogs, cats, deliveries, and unscheduled interruptions from a forgetful partner might have been a distraction. Instead, each interruption afforded an opportunity to learn more about each other and somehow this fostered a helpful level of intimacy not easy to achieve when coaching in an office environment.
Adapting to new uncertainties
As I write this, we have just entered a second period of lockdown in the UK, perhaps ironic given the title of the programme. However, the need to adapt to new uncertainties is a certain part of our future, whether it’s COVID19 lockdowns or an as yet unforeseen challenge.
As I reflect on the value of the coaching in the Leadership Beyond Lockdown I am in no doubt of the general benefits. Simply being on hand to help coachees face their challenges in a supported space where they are not judged, yet feel open to challenge, is of great value to them. It is the coaching equivalent of the ‘Hands. Face. Space.’ narrative which is used to remind us of our individual responsibility in containing the spread of the COVID19 virus.
I already know that each of them leave the coaching partnership with a greater sense of agency and clarity. Past experience suggests that there will be benefits from the coaching that will arise as time passes, benefits that will influence both their personal and professional life.
For me, one of the great aspects of Leading Beyond Lockdown has been the greater reach of the benefits of coaching into social sector organisations. These benefits can only be realised if its availability increases to meet the needs of an ever more diverse community of potential beneficiaries. To sum up, I’ll end with a great comment from one of my coachees on the accessibility of coaching and with thanks to all my coachees for having me work alongside them.
"I have to admit that I've viewed coaching as something similar to regular yoga practice or getting a personal trainer - probably really good for you, but reserved for those with certain privilege that working class me would find inaccessible, and I'm glad to have been proven wrong!" Programme Participant
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Posted By Clore Social Leadership,
26 August 2016
Updated: 14 October 2020
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Do you run a charity or social enterprise? Are you a senior manager in the social sector wishing to take your next step as a leader? If so, and you are also committed to creating lasting social change, you should consider applying to our 2017 Fellowship programme.
The aim of our leadership programme is to find the next generation of leaders who have an appetite to develop their skills and bring back their learnings to their organisations to ultimately transform the wider community. We recognise that undertaking our 12-month programme requires a big commitment, so potential applicants need to understand how it will be of benefit to them, both personally and professionally.
Building networks
All of our 125 Fellows have told us that building their professional networks is one of the most important benefits of the programme. Our Fellows are from a mixture of organisations, so being on the programme gives people the opportunity to mix with peers who have a range of backgrounds and expertise, where they can gain operational insights, share contacts and potentially collaborate on new initiatives. This not only opens up networks for Fellows in their localities, but in the rest of the UK too.
Ideas sharing
Fellows are given the opportunity to share, debate and develop ideas. When attending programme residentials participants benefit from discussing some of the new innovations that are sweeping the sector, such as new technology and social investment. Despite huge advances, the uptake of new technology is still relatively low in the sector yet we’ve seen Fellows collaborating on projects in this technical space, often bringing these ideas to their respective organisations.
Get to know yourself a little bit better, warts and all.
We ask applicants to be as honest as they can when they complete their application forms. We want them to be open about the parts of themselves they are proud of and the aspects they feel might need further development. Without exception, all Fellows have told us that they recognise their self-awareness has dramatically grown as a result of being on the programme, and this in turn benefits them in the workplace and in their personal lives. This focus on self-awareness is enhanced by various aspects of the programme that asks Fellows to look at their working styles and those of their colleagues.
Broaden your skillset
The demands on today’s social leaders are complex and varied, with individuals required to not only run their organisations successfully, but to have multi-disciplined skills at their fingertips. Social leaders need to understand areas like governance, fundraising regulation and change management, in addition to mastering the more practical skills that come with running a charity or social enterprise. The programme gives Fellows the space to reflect on their skills and understand the areas they need to develop; they receive coaching and training to fill their skills gaps.
Experiential learning
Throughout the programme everyone has numerous opportunities to practically implement their new learnings, both with their cohort of Fellows and within their organisations. During the application process we ask people to demonstrate the social change they would like to make as a result of their time on the Fellowship, and to illustrate how they will make this a reality in their organisations. This gives participants a clear aim for their Fellowship, and hopefully as leaders once they finish the programme.
Applications to the programme are open until midday 5 September 2016, visit here to learn more and apply.
This blog from Shaks Ghosh originally appeared on Third Force News.
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