Leadership Coaching and Mentoring

Why coaching or mentoring?

Leadership is a demanding job that sometimes does not leave you space to think. Leadership coaching and mentoring are designed to help you achieve far more in one hour of our work together than you would in several hours at school.

What can coaching and mentoring help with?

Strategy and operations: During coaching or mentoring sessions, most leaders want to work on strategic planning or operational matters.

Leadership skills: Through planning how to achieve these practical goals, clients often develop their leadership skills, such as delegating, managing upwards, or holding difficult discussions.

New knowledge: Some leaders want to learn about areas where they lack expertise, like balancing their budget, setting up new academic systems, or improving outcomes for disadvantaged students.

Wellbeing: Some clients also want to take time to explore their wellbeing or the relationship between work and their personal life.

Common concerns: You might also find some comfort in knowing that many leaders have imposter syndrome, worry that their team does not like them, or wonder whether they are in the right job. We can address all of that.

What happens in coaching or mentoring?

During coaching and mentoring I listen carefully and ask the right questions to help you achieve your goals.

Depending on your wishes, I will mostly use a coaching approach, asking questions to prompt thinking. However, I may suggest options for you to consider, e.g., if we encounter an area you know little about, which is more of a mentoring approach.

What happens in the introductory session?

Your context: We start with a free introductory session in which I will ask about your leadership journey, your context, what's going well and what you would like to develop further.

Your overall goals: I will then help you to set your overall goals and to decide what success will look like.

Your questions: I will answer any questions you have.

Setting the number of sessions: If you are happy to proceed, we will agree on the number and frequency of sessions needed to help you achieve those goals.

What happens in each coaching or mentoring session?

Setting the session goal: We will set a goal for each session. Usually this follows from your overall goals for the programme or anything else you want to discuss that week.

I ask questions and listen: I will ask questions to help you plan how to achieve that goal, overcome barriers, manage risks, consider new ideas and perspectives, develop your skills and/or look after your wellbeing.

I summarise and you decide on next steps: Throughout the session, we will frequently summarise what you have decided. Most clients find they achieve their goal by the end of the session. You might also decide what next steps you will take.

We review progress: We then start the next session by discussing your progress with any steps you decided to take and deciding whether we need to make adjustments. Every 2-3 sessions, we will also review your progress towards the overall programme goals, making adjustments as needed.

When and how do sessions happen?

Sessions are usually held over video link and can be during the working day or in the evenings.

I am always happy to review any documents, data, resources or plans outside of coaching sessions.

What can you expect from me?

Knowledgeable, supportive and thought-provoking: I am a highly experienced coach and school leader who knows how to listen carefully, ask the right questions and suggest options when needed. I will ensure you feel comfortable in our sessions and that your thinking is targeted and analytical.

Excellent testimonials: You can find testimonials which often discuss my coaching work here.

Highly qualified: I hold a Level 7 Certificate in Executive and Senior Level Coaching from the Institute of Leadership and Management and I am a Senior Associate of the Association of Education Advisers. You can read more about me here.

Can you ask questions before we meet?

Absolutely. Just contact me via jonathan@bespoke-development.com.

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