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Coaching vs Classroom learning - the pros and cons

Sadly, for many, professional development reviews fail to meet expectations.

How many times have you handed out your business card at a networking event but not followed up any connections with an email? Alternatively, have you engaged with someone during an online forum but not linked up on social media to further cement the relationship? What about attending a national association meeting but omitting to contact the person you met who is a member of your local industry branch? Well don’t worry you are not alone. Very few of us follow up business connections made when networking which begs the question, why do people join organisations or attend the events in the first place? What is networking? Networking is defined as “individuals attempts to develop and maintain relationships with others who have the potential to assist them in their work or career. To consciously engage in this type of interaction is unnatural for most, which is why many of us feel awkward about it. However, avoiding networking is not the answer if you want to get ahead in the workplace. According to research, networking is invaluable to career growth. Some estimates suggest that up to 85% of all jobs are filled via networking. Although all the evidence proves that networking is good for your career, it’s a skill that doesn’t come naturally to most people. In fact, starting a conversation with a stranger at a conference or asking a question during an online event incites outright dread for many! And surprisingly, HR professionals can be some of the worst offenders. According to Barbra Carlisle, a leadership coach with extensive business experience, many people professionals are so busy helping others to get ahead in the workplace they often neglect their own careers. Whether this is due to low confidence or a lack of engagement in their own development, Barbra believes that HR practitioners are not grabbing the many opportunities for networking that exist, particularly when organisations are going through a transition. A skill anyone can learn If the age-old adage: ‘it’s not what you know but who you know’ has never been more accurate, how can we foster those genuine connections which will be invaluable to our HR or L&D career? The good news is that networking is a skill that anyone can learn. You don’t need to be a smooth operator or an extrovert to be successful, you just need to use the right strategies . Barbra recommends dividing networking into internal and external opportunities. Internal networking, she explains, has become more difficult since the pandemic as increasing numbers of professionals work remotely, but there are still ways to develop those important networks. “In many progressive businesses, there is not a clear route for advancement. Much depends on being in the right place at the right time. I always encourage people professionals to speak up and not to be afraid of talking about their ambitions or what they are looking for in a future role,” Promote your capabilities “Think outside of HR and challenge yourself to make a new connection or look out for internal mentoring programmes. Don’t be afraid to get in touch with the chief finance officer or whoever inspires you in your organisation and make that connection. “Be proud of what you are good at and promote your capabilities. Take on a stretch role for a few months. It might mean that you work slightly longer hours, but it will be great for your CV,” Barbra adds. While creating professional relationships internally might be more challenging now compared to pre-2019, there is a plethora of external networking opportunities. “There are so many events from formal sit downs to informal freebies at local or national level, virtual or face-to-face meetings, evening or morning get togethers, open to all or gender specific,” Barbra says. “I would advise people professionals to start with the CIPD which offers events at local and national level. Join your local branch and simply get involved. Coming up, the CIPD has a national Festival of Work conference for two days in June. It’s free to go and you can network at workshops or with exhibitors,” she adds. 5 key ways to be an effective networker Whether we like it or not, networking is important which means we need to know how to do it well. There are lots of different angles to consider, so to help you on your way, we have put together a five- step plan to building and maintaining professional relationships. Step 1: Have a plan At the beginning of any new learning journey, it’s always important to have a plan on who, what, where, why, when and how. Start by asking yourself:  What are your career dreams and how can they be achieved?  What are your expectations of networking?  Do you want your networking efforts to lead to a different role, a promotion or even a new career?  Do you want to expand your knowledge by linking with industry experts?  Do you want a mix of both? Use this list before signing-up for any online or face-to-face networking opportunity so you know exactly why you are going and what you want to get out of each event. Step 2: Be kind to yourself We know that many of us don’t enjoy networking so try and choose an occasion where you will feel comfortable for your first event.  Start with a small group of like-minded professionals from the same sector, a lunchtime workshop, for example.  Do your homework and try to get a list of attendees before going to an event so you can research the people you would most like to meet.  Challenge yourself and know why you are going but don’t attend thinking you have to talk to everyone. Experts suggest that three productive conversations in a two-hour networking period is a good result.  Think about what you’ll say and listen to the responses.  Know how to end a conversation by exchanging business cards to signal the discussion is coming to a close and add that you are looking forward to keeping in touch. Step 3: Add value to your contacts Remember successful networking is a two-way street so you need to add value to the relationship…  Share materials that you have found useful with others and try to stimulate a debate.  Offer to collaborate where there is a common interest. Could you run a lunchtime learning session with others from your local CIPD branch, for example?  Celebrate your success and the achievements of others. If you have led a great workshop, post about it on LinkedIn. Congratulate your contacts when they promote their good news.  Share and like announcements that your contacts post when it is of interest to your audiences.  Lay the groundwork for developing continued professional relationships by meeting for a coffee or lunch to prove that you are serious about staying in touch.  If asked, put in a good word about one of your connections to other professionals. They will hopefully do this for you and who knows where this could lead.\ Step 4: Always follow up if you want to maintain good relationships Whatever you do, wherever you go and however you meet your professional contacts, one of the key recommendations to successful networking is to follow up and be authentic.  Don’t procrastinate but be proactive and follow up your contacts as soon as possible with an email.  Be organised - keep a brief note of your networking conversations so you can refer to them when you are making contact.  Connect with the people you meet on LinkedIn and Twitter. Check out their profiles, tweets and websites for useful background information about their work and views.  Look out for any new posts from your contacts that you can share with your network.  Make it easy for new connections to follow you. Pop your contact details in a chat box when attending an online event and say you would like to connect with others. Step 5: Be creative and curious Be curious about those you meet. The good news is most people love to talk about themselves so if you ask your new connections lots of questions, they will enjoy the interaction. If you know who you want to meet before an event, do some research about their professional background. Expressing genuine curiosity will allow the conversation to flow more smoothly than stilted small talk. Be creative about seeking out new opportunities at work to increase your networks. Be immersed as an integral part of your organisation. Become involved in company-wide projects. Ian Nicholas , Global Managing Director at Reed advises: “Think wider when considering your general development. Gaining wider operational and commercial experience is going to help any future career within HR, as will any role involving people management. Undertaking such options will help, rather than hinder your longer-term career in HR.” The most successful networkers are those who have gained greater visibility in their profession by discussing and sharing their ideas over time with a whole range of people including old acquaintances. Could you make more of the connections you already have both inside and outside of work? Be reflective. Networking takes time to get right so it is important to consider what went well or what you could do differently at a future event whether it’s online or in person. Reed Learning offers a wide range of in-company training courses, professional qualifications and learning solutions for businesses and individuals. For further information call us on 020 7932 2760.

Will the phrase ‘There are just not enough hours in the day’ every go away for busy and ambitious business owners and leaders? Too many tasks, decisions, people to manage and unexpected issues that arise throughout the day: a leader’s work is never done. If you feel like this is you - you are not alone many of my executive coaching clients mention battling with time. And it feels like a battle. One that is tiring, draining, not energizing and stopping a sense of real progress. Clients feel that they are not in control, they can’t change what is happening, and that they would if they could. Guess what? Jim Rohn is right Either you run the day, or the day runs you Is it easy? No, particularly for some with particular personality types that thrive (to a point) on overload and ambition. There are lists galore on how to manage your time better. My advice is just do one thing that is in your control, and do it. Don’t try to do it all as you will simply fail long term. Do one thing. Do it intentionally. Hold yourself accountable to that action. Celebrate when you achieve it. Do it again and again. Over time it becomes a habit. Potential things that could work for you: 1. Do something for yourself at lunchtime that isn’t on your task to do list. It may seem counter intuitive if you are busy busy busy but the benefits are renewed focus for the job in hand on your return 2. Work in short blocks and have breaks in between 3. Set goals that are achievable and measurable 4. Keep a picture of your younger self by your computer and look at it to remind yourself that you are human and deserve to be kind to yourself 5. Use technology to help you prioritise tasks based on importance and urgency. So what are some of tasks that leaders could do less of? 1. Meetings with no purpose 2. Micromanaging 3. A do-it-yourself attitude 4. Working late hours 5. Nice long lie-ins (just checking you are still reading! This one is a joke) Go and conquer time and run your day, not letting your day run you. The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot. Anonymous

Are you guilty, like me, of covering up, pushing down, masking, pretending that all is well in work? You know that things could be better but make excuses, blame yourself, blame others, blame the system. Anything but deal with the underlying issue head on. When you are leading your business and you recognise that something isn’t right you have the power to deal with it. You are the leader after all! However, depending on your personality type, your communication preferences and the person you are dealing with denial can appear easier than tackling the issue. If the person you are having an issue with is a strategic partner, a co-founder, a senior hire whose role is critical to success it can feel easier to avoid the reality. This ultimately leads to miscommunication, frustration, stress and anxiety and built-up anger. It can affect your business in the short and potentially long term. Being in denial happens when you are facing something really uncomfortable that you would prefer not to deal with. Denial is a defense mechanism that helps people cope with distressing or overwhelming situations by ignoring or rejecting the facts or consequences of the situation. Why might you bury your head in the sand? Personality Some people have louder voices, less worried about what people think of them, assertive and from a combination of nature, nurture and choice enjoy problem solving, tackling problems head on. We are not all like that, especially when it comes to conflict with a cofounder, partner or senior leader as the stakes can feel high. Consistency People want to appear consistent with their beliefs, values, and self-image. They may deny anything that contradicts or challenges their existing views or identity. For example, a person who values honesty may deny that they are being lied to by someone Bias . People want to confirm their expectations and preferences. They may deny anything that goes against their wishes or desires. Uncertainty . People want to reduce their doubt and confusion. They may deny anything that is unclear, complex, or ambiguous. Identity . People want to protect their sense of self and belonging. They may deny anything that threatens their self-esteem or social status. Ways to manage denial Ultimately problems have to be faced and dealt with. Think of a time when you have faced problems before, and how you came out of it. Talk to someone you trust about what you are thinking and experiencing Work with a coach who can help you navigate how to manage difficult situations and come out feeling whole and motivated for the future. Face your fears and address the elephant in the room, it may be uncomfortable but you will feel empowered by having raised the issue Prioritise looking after yourself, in the way you eat, sleep and play. Make time to enjoy the things you can enjoy in the moment. Working on your communication will help you build a future for yourself and others that thrives. Glee coaching provides a safe space for conversation, thought and formulation of actions to overcome barriers you are facing in work. Connect with us on Linked In, Instagram or email barbra@gleecoaching.com . We are always happy to have a no obligation call with you to explore what would best meet your needs.

The unspoken It is right and fair that business leaders look after the people they hire….but who looks after the leaders? Business leaders, and particularly those in small and growing businesses often feel overwhelmed because they’re used to putting business first and themselves last. Where leaders are part of a partnership, have shareholders, or team members to think about, stress and overwhelm can be hard to manage at times. What is overwhelm? To be overwhelmed is to be buried or drowning beneath a huge mass of something. It can mean to defeat completely. Like a strong wave on a beach, you may not see it coming, or else you see it coming but stand still in its wake and become overwhelmed, thinking at first that you can stand your ground. Or you may have your back to the wave and not notice it advancing towards you. However leaders become overwhelmed, and with what, it tends to be something many leaders don't like to admit to, and many plough on till on the brink of burnout before they seek support. In setting up Glee last year I experienced overwhelm. I only had myself to manage and I was in control of the pace of developing my business - there was just so much to do, and I wasn't an expert in business start ups. I reflected on a 2019 HBR article to think about overwhelm as well as draw on coaching myself and talked to others to overload. Common reasons why leaders experience overwhelm As the name suggest, you are a business owner, a business leader, an executive. You are expected to carry the can, be the figure head, know how stuff works, and be the one driving the business to success. And you are. It is just sometimes not that easy to do. Reasons why leaders become overwhelmed include: Trying to be everything to everyone (inside and outside work) Trying to focus on too many things at once Being too optimistic about how much time it takes to do a task Always saying ‘yes’, including to non essential tasks Adding too many appointments and projects to their weekly calendar Not fully trusting the people around you so carrying the burden on yourself Ways to manage overwhelm Think about what you love doing, what you enjoy doing and what you have to do to move your company forward. Simply becoming aware of this can help you see the bigger picture and help you reframe what you need to do to help yourself feel less overwhelmed Map out your projects and tasks and prioritise – and keep checking back to see if you are working on the prioritised items not just the items you ‘enjoy’. Map out your day and week to get structure. Focus on one task at a time. Take time out daily to think about how you are sitting, what is your body posture telling you? How are you breathing? If you are feeling tense, walk away and take a breather. If you do have people around you who can help you, let them help! This could include delegating (but avoid micromanaging because this can be as stressful as overwhelm) Celebrate and give gratitude to what you are achieving on a daily basis not just what you haven’t achieved. And recognize and give gratitude to yourself for delegating Talk about how you are feeling. Talk to your loved ones, a trusted friend or a coach who can provide the space, listen without judgement and help you navigate what would work for you Don't get caught up in thinking that you have to action all of the points above as this will simply add to you feeling overwhelmed!  A word about delegation It is in your gift if you have people working for you, or if you are in a partnership. You can share the workload. You win no prizes for doing all the work yourself. The skill is in identifying what you love doing and do that, and surround yourself with people who can help who love doing the things you don't get any energy from. When delegating one way to avoid stress and slipping back into overwhelm is not to fall into the trap of micro-managing. Ways to delegate without slipping into micro managing tendencies Choose the right person for the job. This requires you to know your team and their strengths (and job roles!) Talk to them about the issue you have and explain what you need from them Provide guidance, and clarify their understanding of the requirement of them Provide resources and training when necessary. Confirm at time of delegating standards expected and timeline for delivery and how you intend to check in with them on how the work is going Follow up as agreed and verbalise your thanks on the progress made Coaching and Peer Support We over 121 coaching and peer group support for busy leaders who are experiencing overwhelm and stress. Get in touch with Barbra@gleecoaching.com to explore how coaching can support your business and personal health and wellbeing. Follow me on Linked In for more insight on leading with impact and purpose

In the years I have been working on employee engagement and retention - the 'sticky middle' have often been called out by senior leaders as the reason why the business vision isn't being lived by the workforce, and why turnover is high. What I have seen less of is support for new managers when they need it most - when they accept a role of managing and looking after people. Research suggests that 70% of new managers fail in the first year - that is huge! New managers can fail for a variety of reasons, but some common reasons include: Lack of experience New managers may not have the necessary experience to effectively manage a team. They may struggle with delegating tasks, providing feedback, and making decisions. Poor communication skills Effective communication is essential for successful management. New managers may struggle with communicating expectations, providing feedback, and resolving conflicts. Inadequate training New managers may not receive adequate training or support from their organisation. They may not have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities, or they may not have the necessary skills to succeed. Resistance to change New managers may face resistance from team members who are resistant to change. They may struggle to implement new policies or procedures, or they may struggle to gain the trust and respect of their team. Lack of support New managers may not receive the necessary support from their organization, such as access to resources or guidance from senior leaders. This can make it difficult for them to succeed in their role. Supporting new managers Lets cut new managers some slack and actually effectively support them in the first year (and beyond). What to do? Provide bespoke training and support that meets the individual manager's needs and not the usual catch all leadership training as this doesn't stick - Leadership Success do a great basic competency training programme that is bespoke to each individual manager Take the manager and their team through experiential training that focuses on working as a team. Such as GiANT OS high performing team training Set clear expectations and goals, and meet with the manager regularly and LISTEN to what they tell you - let it be a meeting where they own the agenda not you Create psychological safety that enables managers to tell you honestly how they feel Encourage managers to seek mentors within the business, or within the sector Provide managers with a professional coach to support their self awareness, confidence and ability to be the best manager possible! For more information on supporting people as they transition into new management roles do email me barbra@gleecoaching.com or visit www.gleecoaching.co.uk

If you are curious about... How to collaborate while getting what you want What motivates Mid-Lifers How you harness the power of People Developers Discovering what your key communication voice is and how it affects your leadership ... read on 😊 Subscribe here for future editions and news about Glee Coaching.

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