Coaching Masterclass - what works?

Last week, I co-facilitated a Women in FM session, which allowed the audience to experience for themselves the power of coaching.

Using several fast, focused tools, we quickly identified what's going well and how to do more of it - and areas for focus during 2011, along with small, manageable steps to achieve our goals in those areas.

Here's some feedback from the event:

What our organisations gain from coaching
- the ability to listen to each other across structures (horizontal and vertical)
- it will help to ensure everyone is “playing the same game” – it will become 2nd nature
- improved negotiating skills
- use coaching to mentor and coach each other
- help management to understand staff strengths and helps organizations achieve their strategy
- coaching is part of any good organization and is a contribution to success
- coaching provides us all with a “mirror” – enables us to see and understand who we really are
- coaching is the key to talent management
- coaching is positive, it helps everyone develop for the right reasons

What we found useful and interesting from the activities
positive attitude – building on it
- recognition
- found parity with each other
- motivating when we get a “thank you”
- share your sparkling moment – it’s infectious
- pass it on
- a lot of honesty

Find out more about our one-day Coaching Masterclass for FMs by contacting Liz Kentish the FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk or call us on 01778 561326 - 07717 787077

A bit of fun - got your thinking hat on?

Last week I was facilitating the Professional Facilities Manager 2, on behalf of BIFM Training, and the topic came up - 'what do you call a group of FMs?'

So the search is on for a suitable collective noun. Here's what the delegates came up with:

A...

Cluster
Worry
Whinge
Solution
Challenge
Frustration
Rush
Madness
Faculty
Stress

...of FMs.

What do you think? Please take a moment to comment on this blog and add your own ideas.

Liz Kentish The FM Coach coach@lizkentishcoaching.co.uk

The Professional FM

BIFM Training asked me to facilitate this three-day course recently in London. As I already run their Resolving Communication Problems course, I already know of the high quality training that BIFM Training provides, and was delighted to take on this role. This programme is intended for public and private sector staff with a minimum of two years’ management experience, who want to focus on improving their performance through developing more effective relationships.

Over the three days seven other experts from the FM sector shared their knowledge and expertise in these areas:
• Techniques for Performance Improvement in FM
• Key issues of Commercial Awareness
• How to optimise and develop staff and skills
• How to develop effective relationships with Suppliers & Specialists
• The essentials of Relationship Management
• Information & Knowledge Management using IT and Technology
• How to improve Personal Effectiveness in FM
• How critical Communication is to the role of FM

One of the key areas for me was the session on Getting Clarity and Work/Life Balance: an exercise which is probably one of the biggest ways to increase the amount of time you have, by comparing everything you are doing to the to the clarity statement and to begin taking control. We also looked at Understanding Task Prioritisation: a matrix tool to reduce the common symptoms associated with poor time management and Managing Distractions: to assist in dealing with the external influences that may impact efficiency.

The 21 delegates benefited not just from the quality training, but also be working together and creating a new peer group. They agreed to keep in touch as a group, to support each other as they move through their careers in FM.

If you are looking for support and training to help your career progression, call Liz Kentish The FM Coach on 01778 561326 for a free consultation by 'phone.

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