Put simply, coaching is a process that aims to improve performance and focuses on the ‘here and now’ rather than on the distant past or future. While that may be true, it takes a very specific skill to actually be a good coach – not everyone can or wants to do it.

Many believe that there are three generally accepted styles of coaching in sports: autocratic, democratic and holistic. But does this naturally transfer to the business world? One thing is for certain – each style has its benefits and drawbacks and needs to be delivered in the right way to maximise impact.  Remember, for many, coaching and being coached is one of the most effective ways to improve and maintain performance.

The internet is awash with tips, cheats, techniques and methods to help someone become a coach, but we firmly believe that it’s the matching of the coach and coachee that is critical to the success of the process.  Get it wrong and it has the potential to damage relationships and negatively impact the department/business.

Here at Futureproof, we believe the process for matching a coach with a coachee should start with defining the reasons for engaging a coach – why is it needed? How will it add benefit and what would happen if it didn’t happen?  Once the reason has been identified, the search for a coach can begin.  The next step would be to provide the coachee with a few options – no need to bombard them, 2 or 3 is fine.  The coachee then meets the coaches and chooses the one that works for them – not the other way around, it’s not about what the coach gets out of it – here, the coachee is king.

Go through this process and most businesses will reap the rewards of introducing coaches and a coaching mentality throughout their business.  There are lots of ways it can benefit, but the key areas include – better management skills, improved productivity, increased confidence, heightened self-awareness and greater wellbeing.

Futureproof have a variety of courses and workshops on this subject but we believe our ILM Effective Coaching Programme – Level 3 Award offers an excellent foundation in the knowledge and practical application on workplace coaching. Contact one of our Programme Managers to learn more about it.  

Tel:  01623 409 824 Email:  Info@futureproof-training.co.uk

Anyone can present with varying levels of confidence, clarity and impact but high impact presenting is a specific skill. It’s not about being able to read a shiny, well animated slide deck – it’s about being able to get your message across in a way that engages your audience and keeps them hooked.

Whether you’re pitching to a new client, managing an existing one or simply trying to persuade your colleagues to buy into your idea, the key is impact and the steps below will help.

1. Tell your story

No matter what industry you work in, you want your audience to leave understanding and supporting the ideas you’ve just delivered.  The art of storytelling will do just that and like any great book, it has a beginning, a middle and an end and more importantly, takes the audience on a journey.  A good story will enable you to present in a compelling way and bring the audience with you on that journey.

• Become your audience

There’s a reason why you’ve been asked to present, it’s likely because of your knowledge, expertise and/or experience and the best way to convey that is to think about what you’d like to see and take away from someone presenting to you.  So, put yourself in your audience’s shoes.  A little research here goes a long way – think about how much knowledge they have (and don’t have in some cases) and what they will find the most interesting and useful.

• Keep it simple

Yes, the content of what you are presenting is important and shouldn’t be ignored, but don’t forget, the audience (regardless of size) wants to listen to you and what you have to say.  Keep your slide deck punchy with bullet points and try not to overload the audience with pages of text.

• Practice, Practice, Practice

A presentation that tells a story but is to the point, well thought through and rehearsed will have them hanging on your every word.  Don’t underestimate rehearsing your presentation and if you think you have it nailed, practice it again!

Here at Futureproof, we know how important this skill is and have lots of useful content in our courses on the subject.  Please talk to us about:

• New Business Presentations – Pitching with Confidence
• Presenting your Products & Services – Demonstrating Value-Based Propositions
• Key Account Review Presentations 
• Presenting to Key Stakeholders / Senior Colleagues – with Purpose & Poise
• Effective Team Briefings & Project Reviews
• Public Speaking Skills – Engaging an Audience

High Impact Presentation Skills – Example Course Outline

The Oxford English dictionary defines resilience as “the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties” and as we enter into yet another period of uncertainty and anxiety due to the pandemic, that definition must ring true for many of us when we think about how we will try to move forward through these trying times. 

Many believe that it’s our resilience and capacity to recover that will be the key to living with the virus and provide a coping mechanism to get over the personal loss that many have faced, particularly throughout the festive period.

But we must not forget that being resilient at work will also play a huge role in managing our mental health.  Teams may be smaller than before, roles may have changed, communication styles will have shifted and we have all had to become adept at using different tech.  If we’re not resilient to change then we’re going to find ourselves in trouble when the next big change comes around.

Resilience at work looks different for us all.  For some, it might be changing the ways we speak to our colleagues or how we lead our teams.  For others, it could be the way we create a better working environment or looking at ways to change the businesses culture for the better.

Whatever it looks like to you, building your resilience is going to be key.  Building it might come in the form of working outside of your comfort zone, taking on a new project or simply challenging things when they don’t feel right.  One thing’s for sure, respect, honesty and the ability to communicate to those around us will help us adapt, flex and bounce-back during this time of adversity.

To help support you and your teams, please take a look at our full range of workshops which focus on employee well-being by clicking on the link below.

Employee Well-Being & Personal Development

Why is People Management one of the most important leadership skills? – it’s no secret that it influences productivity and has a significant impact on employee motivation and morale.  

‘People’ are the foundation of any organisation and too many businesses underestimate the power of managing people in driving forward company objectives. It is so important for organisations to always be assessing and improving their people management and leadership skills so that they can grow the business and increase productivity whilst also boosting their employees’ careers.

What effect does good people management have?  If employees are engaged, they are more likely to contribute to the organisation’s success and be more willing to go above and beyond to help the Company achieve its goals.

A good manager empowers their employees and creates an environment whereby staff are kept informed of business objectives, they should treat each person as unique and keep asking what they personally want from the organisation.  Use their ideas, keep communication open and invest in training for them to reassure them they have a promising future with the company.

Employees who are satisfied with their manager are much more likely to stay for the long haul and have confidence in the company’s future.

If you are looking to develop people managers in your business, we have various options available for:

• New Managers
• Team Leaders
• First Line Managers
• Department Managers
• Senior Manager

Using a blend of different learning methodologies, our bespoke, structured development pathways are having real impact in the businesses we have partnered with. Follow the link below to see some of our example programmes.

People Management Development Pathways

To discuss your requirements in more detail with one of our programme managers please get in touch and we can explore the full range of options available.

01623 409824 or info@futureproof-training.co.uk

Do your negative feelings stop you from achieving your dream!

Millions of successful people across the world have fears of inadequacy despite achieving great things. The negative psychological thoughts that run through peoples’ minds make it often impossible for people to internalise their achievements and even though some people battle through this syndrome, others are not quite so lucky. It is self-doubt around one’s own success, it is a feeling that you are not as competent as other people seem to think you are.

Everyone has always thought that ‘Imposter Syndrome’ was unique to women, however it has been determined that a lot of men also feel that way too, and increasingly so.  Smart, skilled and capable professionals suffer form this syndrome and feel like frauds.

So why do people suffer from Imposter Syndrome?  There are lots of different reasons why people suffer from Imposter Syndrome. Self-generated self-doubt, criticism from others, having to ask for help, comparing self to others.  Feelings such as ‘I just got lucky’ or ‘I don’t belong here’ are all part of Imposter Syndrome.  Professionals dealing with these feelings tend to already be top achievers who set their standards far too high and strive to be perfectionists and be over workers.  Rather than celebrating accomplishments, they worry that they are not good enough and live-in fear of being exposed. 

So, how can we learn to cope with Imposter Syndrome?

• Realise that ‘you’re not alone’
• Recognise the signs
• Feel worthiness rather than feeling a fraud
• Let go of our inner perfectionist – perfection is not realistic
• Be kind to ourselves
• Measure and track our successes
• Take on more opportunities
• Embrace the feeling

Turn Imposter Syndrome around, allow Futureproof to work with you on these skills to learn how to cope with those feelings.  You may want to attend our 90-minute virtual public open course on ‘Imposter Syndrome’ which is scheduled for the 15^th September or you may be interested in running this in house for your managers / employees.

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome workshop agenda

‘Imposter Syndrome’ is only one of our self-development workshops, we have many others on offer, please get in touch or have a browse through our website.