Coaching and Mentoring

Here you will find further information about the Coaching and Mentoring Hub, as well as other useful resources on the topic.

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.

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 is Mentoring?

Mentoring is a developmental relationship in which one person (the Mentor) – usually someone more knowledgeable (though ‘peer’ mentoring can be as successful) helps another (the Mentee) to discover more about themselves, and develop their potential capability.

This is achieved through a professional friendship designed to support career progression, widen an individual’s networks, develop leadership capability and improve performance.

These improvements can lead to increased job satisfaction, while they also help to support the link between an individual’s role and their impact on patient care, benefiting the organisation and the NHS as a whole.

Why access mentoring?

Mentoring can support an individual by encouraging independence and self-development whilst helping to identify opportunities for future development.

A mentor:

– Can share their experiences

– Relationships can be ongoing and last for a longer period of time

– Can provide the mentee with space and time to think whilst offering guidance and support

– Can focus on longer-term career and personal development goals

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.

Want to learn more about how mentoring has supported others or how becoming a mentor could be the next step in your career? Why not browse our Mentoring Booklet to read real-life stories from mentees and mentors: