8581-700 Understanding the Context of Coaching and Mentoring in a Strategic Business Environment

Unit Overview

8581-700 Understanding the Context of Coaching and Mentoring in a Strategic Business Environment is a unit within the ILM Level 7 module that focuses on improving the ability of executive managers and leaders in the organisation. Executive and senior leaders contribute significantly in setting coaching and mentoring approaches within the workplace. Executive leaders are critical in creating approaches that improve the ability to effectively mentor and coach within the organisation context. Mentoring and coaching should play a business within a strategic business environment.

It ensures that the activities and approaches that are implemented within the workplace contribute towards sustaining the leaders must understand their roles and the impact of the business environment to push the mentoring or coaching activities within the workplace hence improving the performance of the subjects of the employees in different areas of responsibility. 8581-700 Understanding the Context of Coaching and Mentoring in a Strategic Business

Environment is a unit that focuses on understanding the context of coaching and mentoring in a strategic business environment. The main purpose and aim of the unit are to enable the learners to review the role and contribution of coaching and mentoring at a senior level to individuals and organisations. This unit is taught in 14 hours of guided learning and contributes 5 credit values towards the completion of the ILM Level 7 module.

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 to ensure that the leader is able to address the weaknesses that could arise from personal, operational or organisational factors hindering the process of coaching and mentoring and ensuring that the process achieves the desired impact on individual and organisational performance.

8581-700 Understanding the Context of Coaching and Mentoring in a Strategic Business Environment is, therefore an important and highly versatile unit that should be pursued by professionals seeking to be involved in the process of performance management and improvement of mentees and learners within the organisation. The unit is designed to improve the performance of the senior and executive managers within the organisational context. It helps these stakeholders to understand the active role that they should play in creating an enabling work environment.

It boosts 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 in positions of improving others 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 learner should be able to:

• Understand the difference between various focus, roles, processes and environment of coaching and mentoring

• Review the organisational context strategies, characteristics, culture and conditions of effective coaching and mentoring

• Evaluate organisational strategies that can be used as alternatives to coaching and mentoring

• Identify factors that impact the application o coaching or mentoring at a senior, strategic and organisational level

• Understand the distinctions between different methods of coaching or mentoring, including executive, eldership, professional and business coaching or mentoring

• Review the skills and behaviours required in the ethical practice of coaching or mentoring

• Understand the role of codes of practice, contracting and supervision at the senior/ strategic level of coaching

• Assess the contribution of coaching or mentoring to improving both the individual and organisational strategic performance

• Understand the application of coaching or mentoring within a specific organisational environment.

Key Learning Areas

8581-700 Understanding the Context of Coaching and Mentoring in a Strategic Business Environment focuses on aligning the coaching or mentoring strategies and approaches to organisational context and environment. Some of the key areas of learning include:

Coaching or Mentoring

This area of learning helps the learners to understand the differences between the concepts of coaching and mentoring. The learners are guided to understand the context within which each approach is applied. It includes understanding the focus, functions and processes involved in each concept as well as understanding the approaches that are utilised in each approach that is selected within the organisational setting. This area of learning also helps to understand the various approaches that can be effectively implemented within the organisational setting. It improves the understanding of the characteristics of the coaching or mentoring relationship.

Ethical Coaching Practice

This area of learning contributes to understanding the standards that individuals pursuing coaching or mentoring from the senior level must exhibit. The learners are guided to understand the required skills, behaviours, knowledge and attitudes that effective coaches and mentors should develop. They are also guided to understand the various codes of practice and behaviour that are applicable in the process of coaching, including in contracting and supervision of mentees or individuals pursuing the coaching practices.

In this area, the learners are introduced to different models of coaching, mentoring and learning, as well as identifying the alternatives that they can apply in their organisational context and environment to achieve the desired levels of performance management and influence. The area of learning also helps to develop OD, strategic and organisational objectives and focus on business planning strategies that contribute towards achieving these goals and objectives. This helps the mentors and coaches to effectively meet the preset learning goals and objectives.

Evaluation

Upon completion of the unit, the learners are put through the evaluation process, which involves being able to effectively handle the coaching process, including establishing effective relationships and contracting approaches that are applicable within the organisational setting. The evaluation includes a supervised practice simulated exercises and a written assessment. The learners must meet the assessment criteria to ensure they pass in the unit.