8580-500 Understanding the Skills, Principles, and Practice of Effective Management Coaching and Mentoring

Unit Overview

8580-500 Understanding the Skills, Principles, and Practice of Effective Management Coaching and Mentoring is a major unit in the ILM Level 5 qualifications in mentoring and coaching. To effectively conduct the process of mentoring and coaching, the managers must be able to understand their roles and obligations in the process. This involves understanding the skills and principles that are applicable in the process to ensure leaders are able to satisfactorily use their knowledge and skills to successfully influence others. The leaders should understand the principles of coaching and mentoring from the context of the organisation and the differences between the two as tools of performance management. They should also be able to assess personal behaviours and skills against the identified standards required for effective mentoring. This ensures they are able to conduct management mentoring and coaching effectively.

This unit seeks to improve skills, competencies and principles that are required in the process of mentoring. The main aim of this unit is to ensure that leaders are prepared to be effective coaches and mentors within their areas of responsibility by increasing awareness of the applicable models, required skill sets and competencies within the organisational context. It also helps to improve the ability to communicate effectively, which is critical in building relationships with the mentee that leads to improved performance. The unit is taught in 18 hours of guided learning and contributes 5 credit values towards the completion of ILM Level 5 qualification in coaching and mentoring.

Suitability of the unit

For a person to be an effective coach and mentor, they must first understand the skills, principles and practice of mentoring and coaching. This involves being aware of the meaning and definition of the concept of mentoring and coaching and the differences between the two approaches to performance management. This helps ensure the leader is able to address the weaknesses that could arise from personal, operational or organisational factors hindering the process of coaching and mentoring. It ensures the process achieves desired impact on individual and organisational performance.

This is an important and highly versatile unit that should be pursued by professionals involved in the process of performance management and improvement of mentees and learners within the organisation. This unit is designed to improve the understanding of leaders and managers within the organisation who oversee both formal and informal coaching and mentoring activities. However, other leaders, including junior leaders and team leaders, can pursue the unit to prepare them for mentoring and coaching responsibilities within the organisation. Employees can also pursue this unit to improve capabilities and understanding of their roles in the process of mentoring and the required skills to accomplish the roles. This makes this unit suitable for most of the stakeholders within the organisation who are in positions of mentoring and coaching others, as well as private consultants.

Learning Outcomes

Upon completion of the unit, the learners should be able to:

• Show understanding of the concepts of coaching and mentoring and the difference between the two methods of performance management

• Identify individual, operational and organisational barriers to the process of coaching and implement strategies to overcome the barriers

• Describe the significance of coaching and mentoring in improving the performance of individuals and the organisation in general

• Identify various skills and behaviours as well as the knowledge required for an effective coach or mentor

• Understand the reason why coaches and mentors need to develop effective communication skills

• Understand the roles and responsibilities of the coach or mentor in managing relationships and maintaining ethical and nonjudgmental principles

• Identify a model that should be followed when coaching or mentoring

• Analyse the rationale and characteristics of effective contracting within coaching or mentoring

• Understand the significance of exploring the expectations and boundaries of a coaching or mentoring program

• Justify the process and approaches of supervision of coaches and mentors in practice

• Identify elements required for effective and integrated coaching or mentoring

• Understand evaluation of the benefits of coaching or mentoring

Key Learning Areas

8580-500 Understanding the Skills, Principles, and Practice of Effective Management Coaching and Mentoring focuses on building an understanding of other principles, skills and behaviours required for effective mentoring. Some of the main areas of learning within this unit include:

Principles of Coaching and Mentoring

This area of learning helps to understand the basic aspects and definitions in the process of coaching and mentoring. The learner is helped to appreciate the role of the leader in setting effective coaching and mentoring programs. They are also guided to understand why mentoring and coaching are effective in different situations as compared to other means of performance management.

Perspectives of Coaching and Mentoring

This area of learning outlays critical principles of coaching that are aimed at ensuring it is effective and efficient. The learner is introduced to models of performance improvement and learning/ counselling services that they can use in the process. Additionally, the learner is guided to understand the legal and ethical aspects associated with the process of mentoring, such as health and safety or equal opportunities. The area further helps to understand the element of authority within the process of coaching and mentoring and build effective relationships that are based on ethical and non-judgmental practices.

Processes and Models of Coaching and Mentoring

This area of learning helps to understand different models and processes that can be used for pursuing an effective coaching program/ the learner is helped to understand techniques and processes of questioning as well as contracting arrangements which are important in the process of coaching and mentoring individuals. The process of goal setting, including SMART objectives, is also critical in facilitating the accomplishment of the desired goals in the process of mentoring, as well as aligning the practice to the codes of practice. Lastly, this area of learning introduces the learners to integrated coaching and mentoring. These are processes that involve ensuring that the organisational structure, culture, and practices support coaching and mentoring as an approach to improving performance within the workplace.

Evaluation

On completing the unit, the learners are taken through the evaluation process. Here they are required to complete a written assessment that evaluates the theory and practice implemented based on the content taught within this unit.