by EmiratesCommunityAdmin | Jan 31, 2019 | Coaching
What is
the difference between open accredited/unaccredited management and leadership
programmes versus closed bespoke in-house accredited/unaccredited management and
leadership programmes?
It’s an absolute minefield…what is the correct option for myself
or for my managers when it comes to management and leadership development?
So let’s take each option in turn…
OPTION ONE – OPEN ACCREDITED ILM / CMI MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAMMES
The
benefits of an open-accredited programme means that you will be mixing with
other like-minded delegates from different organisations and other sectors
which is critical if you want to understand how other managers and leaders
manage and lead their teams in their respective sectors.
Another advantage is that you can develop your managers on an
ongoing basis and send them individually on programmes.
The power of networking should never be underestimated where the
cross pollination of knowledge is fundamental if you want to understand how the
world of leadership and management works across the wider economic/business
environment.
Having the opportunity to work with like-minded people from other organisations is brilliant to observe because when there is just you from your company – you can really be yourself…the authenticity in you should never be underestimated…!
OPTION TWO – CLOSED/BESPOKE ACCREDITED ILM / CMI MANAGEMENT AND LEADERSHIP PROGRAMMES
This is
where the programme is tailored according to your exact needs
regarding programme content/length/delivery strategy linked into performance
change through developing positive management/leadership behaviours which then
drive enhanced performance thus delivering a positive return on investment or
return on expectation on the programme.
If you need consistency across the whole of the management and
leadership populace in the company then these programmes will achieve that.
The networking aspects of these programmes is amazing if
delegates are coming from different company sites and if it is delivered as a
residential.
The benefits of accreditation are that they apply rigor to the
learning process as delegates have to use the knowledge, skills and tools which
we give them on the programme back in the workplace before they can complete
their assignments post course.
The downside is that not everyone has the time to complete the
assignments because of busy work/personal lives…
by EmiratesCommunityAdmin | Jan 27, 2019 | Coaching
Aliya Rajah – Confidence Coach for Women
During a recent coaching session with one of
my clients, we were developing a strategy to help her feel more confident
before delivering presentations at short notice.
She asked me “Aliya, what would you do if
someone gave you 5 minutes to prepare an important speech?” (By the way this
question was hypothetical, her colleagues give her more a lot more than 5
minutes to prepare for a presentation!)
I said “I would most likely prepare the speech
for 4 minutes, and then take 1 minute out for myself to feel calm and get in
the zone.”
‘Really? Even with only 5 minutes to prepare?”
“Definitely, it’s so important for me to
approach challenging situations in a calm and relaxed way.”
Let’s say you have a job interview coming up,
or you need to give a presentation at work. We often focus fully on preparing
the content for what we need to deliver, and place less emphasis on how we need
to feel in order to deliver at a higher standard.
If you’re someone who freaks out at the thought of any of the above events, or if you regularly imagine everything going wrong, I’d recommend creating a routine for yourself to prepare yourself for what you need to do. I am a huge believer of not just ‘rocking up’ to an event. Spending as little as 10 minutes doing this beforehand can make all the difference to your performance. In this article, I’d like to share with you a few things I do to mentally prepare me for challenging events, in hope that they will inspire you to create a motivating routine that works for you.
Start the day off well:
Firstly, how you start your day will impact how the rest of the day goes. I always like to ensure that I wake up early enough to start the day off in a relaxed and calm way. Before you leave the house in the morning, close your eyes and picture the event going really well with ideal outcomes. If you only imagine the worst case scenario, chances are you’ll feel a lot more nervous and your performance will be affected. Allow yourself to dream big and picture the event going really well!
Visualise:
Before you leave the house in the morning, close your eyes and picture the event going really well with ideal outcomes. If you only imagine the worst case scenario, chances are you’ll feel a lot more nervous and your performance will be affected. Allow yourself to dream big and picture the event going really well!
Have some empowering ‘me time.’
Before the big event, take some time out and go to a quiet space (either a meeting room or even in the bathroom). Spending a few minutes here beforehand can make all the difference to your performance. There are 3 things I love to do during this time, as they massively boost my confidence.
- Firstly, I love to power pose. For me, this is putting my hands on my hips and standing with my legs shoulder width apart. Studies have shown that power posing increases testosterone, causing you to feel more confident, and reduces cortisol levels, therefore reducing stress.
- Secondly, take some time to breathe. Numerous studies show that doing some deep breathing can greatly reduce anxiety and stress.
- Thirdly, give yourself a powerful pep talk.This one might sound a bit crazy, but it 100% works. Tell yourself everything you need to hear to get you into a positive state for the event. Statements I often use are “You’ve got this, you’re going to be great!” “You are so confident!” Say it like you mean it and give yourself a big smile, whilst you walk out the door on your way to impress.
Now the outcome of the interview/meeting will
depend on a number of factors, but by having a routine in place beforehand,
you’ll feel a lot calmer and more prepared for the event itself. And by feeling
more relaxed, it’s likely that you’ll perform much better under pressure.
I’d love to know how you get on. Feel free to
drop me an email on info@aliyarajah.com
Good luck!
Contact Information & Social Media links:
Email: info@aliyarajah.com
Website: http://www.aliyarajah.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coach_aliya
Facebook: www.facebook.com/aliya.rajah
by EmiratesCommunityAdmin | Jan 22, 2019 | Coaching
It’s another one of those questions that often stumps us when thinking about our future development in Coaching!!
So we will look at two different qualification routes – the two most popular in Coaching; the ILM and the CMI
THE INSTITUTE OF LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT
The ILM Coaching qualifications are deemed as being more prestigious with more Internal and Professional Coaches favouring these over the CMI qualifications, the ILM qualifications are the most popular/recognised in the UK and have over 80% market share.
THE CHARTERED MANAGEMENT INSTITUTE
The CMI comes into its own for developing managers and leaders in coaching as the assignments are not as academic, so these qualifications are perfect for putting your managers and leaders through; who need to use coaching as part of the day job to establish a culture of developmental leadership.
CMI Coaching Qualifications
Each qualification has 3 levels – Level 3, 5 and 7
Level 3 is aimed at those coaching at a First Line Manager level and below, both the CMI and ILM Level 3 Qualifications in Coaching are aimed at the Team Leaders/First Line Manager populace for people coaching on the Job in a Line Management role, at Level 3 you have two levels of Qualification, the Level 3 Award and Level 3 Certificate.
Level 5 is aimed at a Middle Manager level and below, with the ILM having two levels with the Certificate and Diploma and the CMI also having an Award at this level as well, the CMI Level 5 is aimed at Managers/Leaders whereas the ILM is more for Internal/External Coaches, the ILM assignments are much harder at the Certificate and Diploma level as you have to compile a Coaching Log as part of the assignments 12 hours for the ILM Level 5 Certificate and 60 hours coaching for the ILM Level 5 Diploma.
Level 7 is aimed at Senior Managers/Leaders and below, with the ILM having two levels with the Certificate and Diploma and the CMI also having an Award at this level as well, the CMI Level 7 is aimed at Managers/Leaders whereas the ILM is more for Internal/External Coaches, the ILM assignments are much harder at the Certificate and Diploma level as you have to compile a Coaching Log as part of the assignments 20 hours for the ILM Level 7 Certificate and 60 hours coaching for the ILM Level 7 Diploma.
The ILM Level 7 Certificate and Diploma are seen as the top coaching qualifications in the market place, and are especially valued amongst the HR/L&D/OD communities.
WHAT NEXT?
Further progression would then be to undertake the ILM Level 7 Certificate or Diploma in Coaching Supervision.
“Coaching supervision is a formal and protected time for facilitating in-depth reflection for coaches to discuss their work with someone who is experienced as a Coach”
by EmiratesCommunityAdmin | Jan 20, 2019 | HR & Finance
“Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn”
Benjamin Franklin
Whether you want to identify your high potential staff or
prepare the future leaders within your organisation, your commitment and
investment in them and the programs you put them on is key.
Hiring a training provider to deliver programs can be the
simplest part of the process. When leaders are involved on such programs, the
real value and the growth of the people can be further enhanced, made richer
and more lasting.
When staff feel they are being invested in, they believe
their employers trust them enough to build their skills, experience and future
within the company.
To develop such an initiative requires an investment of time, effort and finances from everyone involved. Whether a senior manager decides to partake in a group discussion, sit on a judging panel or even lead a mock scenario, a well-designed, planned and organised program is key. Here are some ways in which staff development programs can be conceptualised, designed and implemented:
1. Knowing “why” you are doing this
“Great leaders and great organizations are good at seeing what most of us can’t see. They are good at giving us things we would never think of asking for.”
Simon Sinek
A company will benefit from asking itself why is wishes to implement such a program. This allows the decision makers to review their decision-making process and gather enough data-points and evidence to support their approach and strategy. Examples of why companies invest in their talent can include: succession planning, reward and recognise talent, prepare the workforce for the future, skill-set gaps, change in company strategy and anything thing else topical for the organisation.
2. Selecting the right people
“Great companies don’t hire skilled people and motivate them, they hire already motivated people and inspire them.”
Simon Sinek
Not everyone is prepared for the commitment, extra time and
the challenges of talent development programs and initiatives. It is important
to know and understand what motivates your staff and how they will cope when undergoing
a program on top of their day job.
A great way to identify the right group of people is to undertake a selection process based on assessments, interviews and presentations. During this process, the motivation and commitments of the staff members can be ascertained. This step in the process will require time and input from senior management.
3. Communicating the program with passion and positivity
The way initiatives and programs are communicated, branded and packaged is as important as the initiative itself. The delivery of messages and the way staff are informed matters as this demonstrates the commitment being made by the bosses within the company. The communication can happen on a one to one basis or to the selected group in scope. Regardless of what approach is taken, the messaging should be motivating, uplifting and emphasise the importance of the investment being made by the company.
4. Choose a vendor you trust and have a rapport with
Working with a supplier to design and deliver a program to
your expectations will contribute to the success. Initiatives of this nature
are unique, and the cultural setting must be understood and appreciated by the
supplier. Every organisation is unique, this means long terms programs cannot
be off-the-shelf, there needs to be tailoring.
Identify a vendor based on the following:
- Recommendations
- Meet the people who will deliver the program
- Assess how bespoke the program will be for your
company
- Meet the suppliers on multiple occasions
- Ask them to provide you with their ideas and
examples
- Be prepared to pick and choose what works for
your company and staff
Ask for different cost options and choose one which is most suitable. It is important to remember that the low-cost options are not always the best.
5. Design a program which can be delivered and will create the impact you desire
Upon selecting the vendor, discuss the ideas, themes and
main objectives you wish to achieve. A project plan will be a valuable tool to
help structure and inform all parties of when things will happen and
responsibilities. Identify Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) which the program
will be subject to as it is a valuable way to track progress of suppliers and
the staff.
As you can see, developing your people is an involved process
which requires company sponsorship and endorsement. When these are in place,
the actual program will be geared up for growth, development, fun and successes
for the individual and the wider organisation.
Monica Mahi Mathijs is the CEO and Found of Our Stillness
and Firefly Today – a corporate development organisation based in the UAE.
by EmiratesCommunityAdmin | Jan 17, 2019 | Contributors
Aliya Rajah – Confidence Coach for Women
Aliya Rajah supports professional women in building their self-confidence to help them to achieve their goals, feel happier in themselves and develop more meaningful relationships. She is a life coach and NLP Practitioner and has a degree in Biomedical Science and a Masters in Public Health. Aliya works with women on a one to one basis and runs confidence building workshops. She is from London and is now living and expanding her business in the UAE.
Contact Information & Social Media links:
Email: info@aliyarajah.com
Website: http://www.aliyarajah.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coach_aliya
Facebook: www.facebook.com/aliya.rajah
