The techniques learnt in the Coaching for Managers Programme will enable you to connect with your team better, encourage better conversations, decrease conflict, and empower your staff.
Michelle Poulton, a chief operating officer at AlphaCert Labs approached IMNZ for support in her new role managing a large team. The Coaching for Managers course was a perfect fit!
What were the issues you faced prior to the course?
Michelle, although a natural people-person, had been struggling to connect with her large team and found herself dealing with a lot of conflict. “We work in a very pressurised environment, so there is a lot of conflict on a day-to-day basis. I was taking it quite personally,” she explains. “I felt that the conflict was there because maybe I wasn’t do something that I should as a leader. I really needed to challenge that thinking.”
Why did you decide to study with IMNZ?
Prior to the Coaching for Managers course, Michelle was struggling with confidence. She wanted to gain new skills and insights, not only from the course facilitators but also from a supportive network of peers she could bounce ideas off.
“I specifically chose IMNZ to study with because I was looking for an organisation that had a good strong presence here in Auckland, but more importantly had more of a network because I wanted to connect with people who were like-minded and who were dealing with similar issues on a day-to-day basis.”
What has been the impact of this course?
With the support offered by IMNZ she came to realise that relationships were the key to making the move to management successfully. Michelle implemented changes immediately after completing the Coaching for Managers course, quickly applying all the skills and tools she had learnt.
“Through the Coaching for Managers course I was really able to peel back what might be going on beneath the surface. And probably my number one ‘Ah-ha moment’ was realising that I actually wasn’t connecting with my team,” says Michelle.
“So the first thing I did as soon as I got back into the office was talk to people – just talking and soliciting feedback and making it more of a two-way conversation.”
“The feedback I got from that was actually quite profound – it was powerful for my team to be acknowledged and heard,” Michelle reflects. “I was also more open, honest and transparent about some of the issues we were dealing with at the management levels as well. The feedback was fantastic.”
The course has affected Michelle’s thinking on a number of levels, not just relationships, she says. Even outside of the work environment, her approach to situations has changed. She uses the coaching techniques she has learnt to assess what is needed in any circumstance to be successful and to keep outcomes in mind.
Ready to level up with your management skills?
A big believer in learning and personal development, Michelle looks for training that results in positive change. “This course, as well as previous courses I’ve done with IMNZ, certainly created a step-change in my behaviour and my attitude to things.”
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