Coaching At The Top For SMEs

22/06/09

An innovative programme in the North East has highlighted the value of management development for the SME community, with the aim of developing leadership capacity within the region.

More than half of the UK workforce is employed in SME organisations (55 per cent), and these companies are responsible for 45 per cent of the country's turnover. However, often they are the organisations where talent management and staff development are on the 'wish list', not an integral part of the company's structure. This happens for a number of reasons:

- The company has grown from a family business or 'one man band'
- No one...

...within the organisation has experience of talent management strategies
- Businesses are focussed on surviving day to day, rather than considering long term development
- No advice or support has been available to help them develop a workable policy.

Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University has developed a strategic commitment to engage with regional employers to enhance leadership and drive regional growth. As part of this and with funding from the regional development agency One North East, it has offered fully-funded Executive Coaching to 25 senior leaders in SMEs in the North East.

The coaching programme involved five, two-hour, one-to-one confidential coaching sessions during which the coachee undertook self diagnostics, identified personal and business goals, developed their reflective and cognitive processes and worked on being a leader.

Jane Turner, Associate Dean of the Executive Development Centre, Newcastle Business School, Northumbria University, says: [i]"The focus of an executive coaching process is determined by the coachee, however at the senior level, the nature of coaching conversations primarily focuses on enhancing/improving the leaders' performance, determining strategic priorities and working out strategies to enhance the contribution to the senior team.

"The process enables the individual space and time to work on personal and business issues, resulting in the identification of clearly defined... continued on page two >

 

 

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