Issue - meetings

To receive a discussion paper on Coaching and Mentoring.

IT WAS AGREED:

(1)       That the discussion paper on Coaching and Mentoring be noted;

(2)       That the Corporate Human Resources Manager be requested to investigate whether coaching was used by one gender more than another and, if possible to identify, the reasons for that.

REASON FOR DECISION: To enable the Committee to consider the discussion paper on Coaching and Mentoring.

The Corporate Human Resources Manager presented a discussion paper entitled Coaching and Mentoring and drew attention to the following:

Coaching and mentoring were well established with NHDC and had been used for several years, often as an alternative to  more traditional methods of training.

There were currently 17 Institute of Leadership and Management accredited coaches across the Council.

The most popular reasons for using coaching were:

·                To aid leadership development;

·                To improve job performance;

·                To build on good performance;

·                To focus upon skills and capability improvement;

·                To explore career development needs.

Coaching should be considered during the RPR process.

Members discussed the paper during which they asked several questions, made observations and were given information as follows:

·                The coaching course included elements such as assignment and practice sessions.

·                There were all sorts of methods of training, including 1-1 sessions.

·                Coaching tried to get the person to take on their own problems and recognise how they could find answers to address problems themselves.

·                All coaches were volunteers, however discussions had taken place to look at whether coaches could be paid.

·                Discussions had taken place regarding the role of coaching in addressing the Gender Pay Gap

·                Coaching should be part of the RPR process and leadership planning

·                A Mentor was someone to turn to for a specific issue, whereas a coach could be used fo very specific or wide issues.

·                Need to create circumstances where more experienced coaches could be utilised.

·                Need people to see the benefits of coaching.

·                Line Managers could be used to promote the benefits of coaching.

·                It was important that care was taken in addressing the Gender Pay Gap and that this did result in undue favour being shown to women.

·                There  were a reasonable number of women in senior and professional jobs.

·                It should be noted that women may chose to work part time whereas this was not a choice generally made by men.

·                It was important to have female role models.

·                The aim was for people to each their full potential.

Members thought that it would be interesting to see if coaching was used more by one gender than another and if the reasons for that could be identified.

IT WAS AGREED:

(1)       That the discussion paper on Coaching and Mentoring be noted;

(2)       That the Corporate Human Resources Manager be requested to investigate whether coaching was used by one gender more than another and, if possible to identify, the reasons for that.

REASON FOR DECISION: To enable the Committee to consider the discussion paper on Coaching and Mentoring.