Coaching & Mentoring
VNI follows a coaching methodology aimed at developing skills rather than correcting poor performance. We see coaching as a fundamental ingredient, pivotal in transforming the workplace.
Coaching & Mentoring
Coaching
VNI Consultants follows a coaching methodology aimed at developing skills rather than correcting poor performance. We see coaching as a fundamental ingredient, pivotal in transforming the workplace.
Coaching is about the coachee and not the coach. You as the coachee and the coach will together to accomplish whatever is important to you as the coachee.
Coaching is about engagement. In the first instance, it is to identify a topic on what coaching is required and then to design a practical implementable plan for it. Lastly, is then to go and practically apply the plan, make changes where needed and then try again. In essence, it is crucial that you actively participate in establishing goals, and that you as the coachee commits to:
- The application and achievement of tasks; and
- The maintenance of evidence-based records that shows your progress
VNI Coaches possess over the following core competencies:
- Adhering to strict ethical guidelines and professional standards
- Establishing a strong and mutually beneficial coaching agreement
- Establishing and maintaining a sound trust and intimate relationship with the coachee
- Establishing a strong coaching presence and report
- Being an expert and an active listener
- Being able to ask challenging and powerful questions
- Being able to direct the communication to achieve the most benefit from the coaching initiative
- Having the ability to create and unleash awareness for possibilities and opportunities
- Being able to design implementable and achievable actions
- Being experts in providing guidance with action planning and goal setting
- Assist in managing progress and accountability
Mentoring
Mentoring is defined as the process of forming and maintaining an intensive and lasting developmental relationship between a senior person (the mentor) and a junior person (the protégé, if male; protégée, if female). Mentors are usually older, successful, and respected by others. They must be willing to commit time and energy to help another person move up the corporate ladder, be able to communicate effectively, and enjoy one-on-one development of others.
In-depth interviews with pairs of senior and junior managers revealed two general functions of the mentoring process: career and psychosocial.
Career functions enhance career development. They include:
- Sponsorship - actively nominating a junior manager for promotions and desirable positions.
- Exposure and Visibility - Pairing a junior manager with key executives who can provide opportunities.
- Coaching - Providing practical tips on how to accomplish objectives and achieve recognition.
- Protection - Shielding a junior manager from potentially harmful situations or senior managers.
- Challenging Assignments - Helping a junior manager develop necessary competencies through favourable job assignments and feedback.
Psychosocial functions clarify identities and enhance feelings of competence. They include:
- Role Modelling - Giving a junior manager a pattern of values and behaviour to emulate.
- Acceptance and Confirmation - Providing mutual support and encouragement.
- Counselling - Helping a junior manager work out personal problems, thus enhancing his or her self-image.
- Friendship - Engaging in mutually satisfying social interaction.
Research also indicates phases in the mentoring process:
- Initiation
- Cultivation
- Separation
- Redefinition
These stages occur in variable (rather than fixed) time periods. The average mentoring relationship lasts five years.
There are both individual and organisational benefits of mentoring. Mentoring has a significant impact on an individual's career development. Individuals with mentors received more promotions, were more mobile, had greater career satisfaction, had greater organizational influence, and made more income than those without mentors. Organisational benefits include employee development and improved organizational communication. Specifically, mentoring increases the amount of vertical communication both up and down an organisation, and it provides a mechanism for modifying or reinforcing organisational culture. If successful, mentor relationships can help reduce the inflated expectations that newcomers often have about organisations, can relieve the stress experienced by new employees, and can improve the newcomer's chances for survival and growth in the organisation.
Research also investigated the dynamics associated with the establishment of mentoring relationships. Mentoring relationships were more likely to form when the mentor and protégé/protégée possessed similar attitudes, philosophies, personalities, interests, background, and education. Additionally, the most common cross-gender mentoring relationships included a male mentor and female protégée. This trend likely occurs due to the under-representation of women in executive-level positions; women perceived more negative drawbacks to becoming mentors than did men; and there are a number of individuals, teams, and organisational barriers that inhibit mentoring relationships for diverse employees.