The Transitional Space Provided by Coaching and Mentoring. Dr Colleen Harding Southampton University Tuesday 5 July 2016

Transcription

1 The Transitional Space Provided by Coaching and Mentoring Dr Colleen Harding Southampton University Tuesday 5 July 2016

2 Agenda Some early findings from a study on Transformational Career Progression for Academic Staff Background and Highlights from one of the findings from a Coaching and Mentoring Study: A model of the transitional space provided by coaching and mentoring

3 What is a Career in the HE Context? How do you conceptualise a career? What are the transition points? What support is provided for the transition points? Who provides it? How is coaching or mentoring used to support career transitions? A Career Intervention Tool?

4 The Transitional Space Provided by Coaching and Mentoring

5 Extract from Conceptual Map Theoretical Underpinning Challenges for People and Organisations Changes in Higher Education Coaching and Mentoring Literature Gaps in the Literature Alignment focus on structure and process (Kaplan and Norton, 2006) (Holbeche, 2009) Need to explore implications of achieving bottom line and individual identity (Montuori and Purser, 2001) OD Developers and academic dev. needs; be theoretical about own practice (Blackmore and Blackwell, 2006) Coaching and mentoring definitions are often blurred; lack of in-depth studies Alignment, Coaching and Mentoring (Clutterbuck and Megginson, 2007, p. 6) Research Questions

6 Alignment Coaching and Mentoring The process of strategic alignment ultimately leads to the alignment of individual and organisational ambitions and drives to succeed. Coaching and mentoring are two of the most powerful ways of helping people undertake the inner dialogue that brings these potentially conflicting dynamics together. Clutterbuck and Megginson, 2007, p. 6

7 Research Questions How do participants conceptualise alignment? How do participants experience coaching and mentoring? What is the role of coaching and mentoring in supporting the alignment of academic staff and organisational strategy?

8 The Findings A model for improving credibility in insider research A new understanding of the individual within an organisational context A definition of emerging academics and the need to support their development A model of the transitional space provided by coaching and mentoring

9 How Participants Conceptualised Alignment: Alignment to clear vision and direction Alignment of support - organisational level - individual level Expectations on academic staff Challenges for academic staff

10 Alignment as a Focus on a Gap Alignment was about a focus on a gap: what it means to be an academic In striving to deliver on University goals, Academics in turn developed their careers In striving to develop their careers, academics generated outputs that helped to deliver on University goals

11 The Transitional Space Provided by Coaching and Mentoring I m really interested in helping a person to develop into an academic...i m interested in transformation...i m in this middle position...to represent transitional space in which I can translate between these two worlds, between their inner world and their outer world. (M17)

12 The Coach and Mentor as Translator I can translate between these two worlds, between their inner world and their outer world, especially in a culture and context where their inner world is under-represented and they don t have a voice for that. (M17) Someone looking in, rather than someone being in (M21)

13 Outer World of the Individual Academic Career Challenges Role Challenges Coaching And Mentoring Support for Inner Focus Having the Will Support for Career Challenges: Future Focus Vision ( C ) Inspiration (M) Support for Psychological Challenges: Psychological Support Tailored Support for Individual Needs (C) Reflection (C ) Reinforcement(C ) Nurture (M) Support (M) Psychological Challenges Support for Role Challenges: Implementation Performance (C&M) Exploration (C&M) Advice (C&M) Support for Time Challenges: Forward Momentum Focus ( C ) Motivation (M) Time Challenges Coaching And Mentoring Support for Outer Focus Finding the Way Inner World of the Individual Academic Harding, C. (2013) The transitional space provided by coaching and mentoring, International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, Special Issue No 7, pp

14 Transformation Over Time? Eleven promotions Funding applications increased by 223% Successful funding applications increased by 133% Successful publications increased by 50% Most of them have forgotten their alignment with the organisation it s got more to do with personal development. (C15/27) And so they saw it as a win-win, they were getting something from it and the organisation was getting something from it. (C16/12) We ve identified a little spark in there and we ve blown on that spark and we ve ignited them and they re going to fly. (L13/31/32)

15 References Blackmore, P., Blackwell, R. (2006) Strategic leadership in academic development, Studies in Higher Education, 31(3), Clutterbuck, D., Megginson, D. (2007) Making Coaching Work, London:CIPD Harding, C. (2013) The transitional space provided by coaching and mentoring, International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, Special Issue No 7, pp Holbeche, L. (2009) Aligning Human Resources and Business Strategy, Oxford: Butterworth- Heinemann Kaplan, R. S., Norton, D. P. (2006) Alignment: Using the Balanced Scorecard to Create Corporate Synergies, Boston, Massachusetts:Harvard Business School Press Montuori, A., Purser, R. (2001) Humanistic Psychology in the Workplace in Schneider, K., Bugental, J.F.T. & Pierson, J.F. (eds) The Handbook of Humanistic Psychology, London:Sage