Coaching and Mentoring

What is Coaching?

Coaching is one of the key approaches through which leadership within organisations can be developed. Coaching is a method of developing an individual’s capabilities in order to facilitate the achievement of organisational success.

Coaching is a series of purposeful conversations that unlock a person’s potential to maximise their own performance.  It helps individuals learn and grow through a collaborative, solution-focused, result-orientated process.

A coaching relationship is likely to be short-term with a focus on a specific development area, issue or goal. The meetings will be for a set duration with structured and regular meetings. Due to the focus of these conversations, your coach does not need direct experience or to be an expert in your area of work.

Why access coaching?

Research shows that there are huge personal benefits to accessing coaching, particularly at times of change. At its purest, coaching is the art of truly listening and asking questions that help the coachee generate insights and new perspectives to help empower them and move forward in a positive way. This can be achieved in a short space of time in a confidential environment where it feels safe to share vulnerabilities and issues that might otherwise inhibit progress.

A Coach:

– Can inspire individuals to maximise their personal and professional potential

– Can help improve personal performance (closing the gap between potential and performance)

– Can help increase morale, motivation and enthusiasm and reduce levels of stress

– Can improve self-confidence at all levels

– Can help encourage a more proactive approach to addressing issues and making decisions

Access is particularly encouraged from those attending personal, leadership or management development programmes in the South West and will be used as a way to make sense of, enact and embed the learnt leadership behaviours and practice.


What topics can I bring to coaching?

Every coachee has their own unique challenges so people using this service will do so for a whole host of reasons, which might include the following:

– Stress, overwhelm and exhaustion

– Tensions with colleagues, stakeholders, their seniors or people they lead

– A new role, a new team or additional responsibilities

– Increasing pressure, complexity and ambiguity

– Juggling competing workloads

– Impending difficult conversations

– Uncertainty about what to do next

– Issues with confidence, impostor syndrome or managing boundaries

– Simply wanting to feel heard and understood in a non-judgemental way.



How will the coaching session take place?

Your session dates and times will be agreed upon between you and your coach. Generally coaches offer up to six sessions. Please can we ask that you find a private space where you feel comfortable and won’t be overheard during your session.



How to apply for coaching?

To apply for coaching, please follow the link below:

Coaching and Mentoring – South West Leadership Academy

Here you will complete a brief form to set up your profile. Then you can search to find a coach you would like to request to work with. Our coaches are ILM5 or equivalent qualified coaches. Once you request a coach, they will receive notification and contact you directly.