Before starting a coaching or development programme
The aim is to answer some commonly asked questions and help you get the most out of the time and energy you invest in the programme.
Why am I participating?
This will of course depend on the programme but you do need to be clear why you have been invited and what you are expected to gain from it. You should have been sent an outline describing the aims of the programme or this may be on your intranet. If in doubt please contact your L&D team. If you are still unsure, please contact us.
How can I get the most out of the programme?
There are several things you can do before attending a development programme:
Have a quick chat with your manager or mentor: what do you both think you should get out of the programme?
Look at your last check-in or performance review and any other recent feedback: what are your strengths and areas for development and how do they link to this programme?
Think about the challenges in your role now and in the near future; where could this programme help you meet those challenges?
Most of our webinars and workshops are for small numbers of people enabling us to focus on the things most relevant to you within each topic. For example, although we will have researched case studies relevant to your firm, if you have situations of your own which you think will also be of interest to others in the group, then we will be happy to discuss them. The more the programme links to what you do on a day-to-day basis the more helpful it is likely to be.
Why are we using a personality questionnaire?
On many of our programmes we use personality questionnaires. If you have never completed one of these before it can seem daunting. Remember there are no right or wrong answers – it is about learning to make the most of your personal style. These questionnaires help you think about your current approach – where your strengths lie and where you might benefit from changing your behaviours. Often participants comment on how helpful they found this feedback and they are amazed that so much can be gained by answering a few questions. We find that personality instruments speed up development by personalising learning and enabling deeper conversations to happen more quickly. The feedback from these questionnaires is always kept confidential unless you have been told otherwise before completing it.
Why have I been asked to do some pre-course work?
If you have been asked to do some pre-course work this will not take much time- we know how busy you are – but it will help you to reflect on your current experience and the challenges you face. It also gives us useful insights into what you will want to get out of the programme – again helping us to personalise the learning and make the most of our contact time with you.
Following a development programme
First we hope you found the programme useful and enjoyable. Different people will benefit from development programmes in different ways and it is up to you to think about how you are going to take things forwards.
What did you get out of it?
You will already have been asked to think about what you have got out of the programme and to focus on some follow-up actions. Now you need to make sure that these good intentions are made real. It is very easy when back at the desk to slip back into old habits and not prioritise the things that you know you should be trying out or implementing, especially if they are not directly linked to delivering for clients.
Achieving change
The following things can help:
- Discuss with your manager or a mentor what you learned and how you plan to apply this in practice. Go through your action plan together. Discuss what you think the benefits will be to you, the team, clients, the firm – this will help to keep you focused on the importance of what you are doing.
- Agree specific opportunities to apply your learning and any support you might need from others.
- After a month or two review your progress with your manager/mentor.
- Meet up with a colleague who attended the programme and discuss these things together. As you experiment with new skills or approaches, discuss what’s working and any teething problems you encounter. In this way you can support each other’s learning and development.
- If the programme includes follow-up coaching support – make use of it!