In the high-pressure world of
facilities management, it is all
too easy to place more emphasis
on traditional training methods
rather than taking a more creative
approach. Usually when there are
large numbers of support sta to
train as well as high sta turnover it
seems easier to resort to training en
masse and a sheep dip approach.
Why? Because for most of us our
experience of learning from an early
age has been just that. We have been
processed through a rigid academic
structure attending subject-specific
sessions. I’m not sure all of us enjoyed
it but it’s what we became accustomed
to and it’s largely how we still define
people development today. No
wonder then, that when we become
business leaders and our sta need
development, the knee-jerk reaction is
to send them all on a course.
COULD YOU MAKE BETTER USE OF
YOUR TRAINING BUDGET?
OK so it can be quick and get high
numbers processed, but how much
of that training actually sticks? Think
about the last course you went on –
how much of it did you remember?
How much of it did you apply back
at work? What was the first thing you
did when placed under pressure? You
guessed it - you reverted to what you
originally did in the first place. It can
also be very expensive and if sta leave,
you have to do it all over again. But
what if there was a way to make sure
the learning was remembered, applied
and created lasting change? And most
importantly, what if that learning could
be passed on to others – for free?
COACH-MENTORING IS THE
KEY TO SUCCESS
Where once, hardened industry
professionals had a preference for
structured courses in process-driven
environments and cultures, they
are now turning to coaching and
mentoring solutions as the best way
to secure tangible results. It is e ective
in these environments because it
directly impacts upon the day-today
business and creates the lasting
changes required in the way people
behave and perform. It’s far more
e ective, for example, if everyone in the
organisation adopts Health & Safety
as a “behaviour” rather than simply
complying with regulations because
they have to. That way you win both
hearts and minds.
Another fundamental issue is that
people’s definitions of what Coaching
and Mentoring are can be very di erent
and then the lines become blurred. So,
let’s take a look at the key di erences...
COACHING & MENTORING –
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
There are more similarities than
di erences between coaching and
mentoring. The skills of listening,
asking questions and giving feedback
are essentially the same and both are
conversations with a purpose.
As a mentor, you might be drawing
on and sharing your own experiences/
expertise when appropriate, with the
focus usually on longer-term areas such
as career progression and personal
development. O en a mentoring
relationship lasts for some considerable
time with less frequent meetups than
for coaching.
Coaching is more likely to be open
and non-directive and tends to take
up a shorter period of time, with more
regular meetings. The focus is usually
on specific development areas or
issues at work, with the emphasis on
the coachee having the answers and
achieving their more immediate goals.
So, it’s really the roles and the context
that are di erent, the skills required are
the same.
COACH-MENTORING IN PRACTICE
FM CAREERS - TRAINING
We are currently working with a
global facilities organisation in their
UK & Ireland businesses to develop
their coaching capabilities to drive
engagement and high performance.
The organisation, with approximately
34,000 employees, wanted to achieve
Silver level Investors in People status;
increase their levels of employee
engagement; and retain the best
talent. Alongside this, they wanted to
create and establish a coaching culture
throughout the business. This was
seen as a way of demonstrating the
company values of delivering quality of
life to clients and employees alike.
The first steps on the journey were to
work in partnership with the client to
develop a comprehensive programme
to develop internal coaches. We
trained a pool of coaches of both
senior operational & HR professionals
to provide developmental coaching
to middle and first-line managers,
identified through the appraisal
process or transitioning to a more
senior role. The success of this led to
the development of further in-house
training in ‘coaching as a leadership
style’.
The results were extremely positive:
90 per cent of coaches agreed that
“The coaching has made a positive
di erence” and “The coach-mentoring
has directly resulted in business/
organisational benefits”. Sta
engagement increased by six per cent
and the organisation achieved its
coveted IIP Silver status.
There is now an increased demand
for coaching and mentoring
throughout the organisation and
we are currently working intensively
with another cohort. The company
is looking to develop and roll-out
coaching and learning mentor
apprenticeships in the future, as it
looks to further embed its “coaching
culture”.
NOT ALL ACADEMIC
Carl Gregory, Sales Manager for the OCM Group and Charlotte
Bruce-Foulds, Managing Director of OCM’s Coach-Mentoring,
Training and Qualifi cations, explains why coaching can play a
more eff ective role in people development than training
5 STEPS TO SUCCESS
Set clear objectives / KPI’s for what you want to achieve.
OCTOBER 2019 57
Professionally train & develop your coaches/mentors.
Monitor the coaching and obtain regular feedback from the coaches and
coachees alike.
Review the impact and ROI of your coach-mentoring strategy.
Create a Coaching Culture.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS?
It’s less expensive than traditional training in the long run.
People learn continuously in the workplace, not just when they go on a
course.
Learning is applied straightaway and sticks, rather than being forgotten
when the pressure is on.
Can help reduce staff turnover, increase engagement and improve
productivity.
Client satisfaction can improve as a result.