As an individual I have been working with Alison Haill to help me develop my leadership communication skills, specifically in public speaking and team management. But a good team is as much about developing its members as the leader leading it, so last month, I asked Alison to help us raise our game as a team.
Written by: Richard Rosser
Last year I attended a two-day people management workshop with other delegates, led by Alison. This opened my eyes to the techniques of managing with a coaching approach and I realised I could use these at B4 with the team. I was ashamed to admit that I had never done 1:1 appraisals and the first time I did these with my team it yielded fantastic results. One year on, team appraisals and 1:1 conversations are normal at B4. However, I wanted to do more to develop and understand my team as individuals so we could make a bigger difference to our performance.
All of us, not just at B4, have different tastes in music, food and travel. We all find different things funny. We all like different TV programmes and we certainly get on well with different people. So it’s crazy not to take the time to understand the people you work with, what they like, what they’re good at, what they find difficult to do well no matter how hard they try. A football team will play to its strengths: it won’t put a goalkeeper up front – unless it’s a desperate attempt to get a last minute equaliser or winner. Similarly, more reserved people don’t do well at sales (I struggle to get our designers to answer the phone!)
Alison is expert in using DISC Profiling to develop teamwork so she profiled the entire team before facilitating a half-day with the team as a whole. Here’s what they had to say about their experience with Alison and her Team Coaching with DISC.
Richard CEO
What’s been your overall impression of the coaching experience with Oxford Professional Consulting (OPC)?
Very positive in all aspects, both personally as CEO and from a team perspective. It’s very easy for an organisation of any size to ignore the fact that we are all different and have different trigger points, likes and dislikes. It’s important for us all to take these into consideration because it helps us to achieve more in the long run.
What specific element of the coaching did you find most useful? Please be specific.
We communicate better as a team. We don’t hide problems now but air them. Whether it is a work problem or a personal one, if colleagues understand what’s going on, I notice they work better as a team. Airing the problem helps us as individuals too – we make progress quicker.
What aspect/s of the coaching have you taken into your job?
We talk more so we establish quicker if there are niggles or concerns which might grow into problems – and nip them in the bud. We all react differently to news, rumour and information, which affects your mood and the team as a whole. So I have found it’s useful to get these niggles out in the open. Often we discover it’s a misinterpretation of facts or just mis-information so we clear it up and it doesn’t fester.
What benefits do you see for you personally/professionally?
Lots. The strength to tackle problems, find solutions and ensure everyone is on the same page. I’ve learnt I must check in and communicate more, little and often. Team members come up with solutions now instead of bringing me problems. This saves me 3-4 hours a week – about 15 hours a month. They’re suggesting ideas too – one of which might have a significant impact on our sales.
What benefits do you see for the company? Please give details
We’ve got more focus. The team is more engaged. They have more appreciation of the wider picture, that everyone is contributing to the growth of B4. They understand there’s a vision, something we can all be proud of.
Keith Senior Designer
What’s been your overall impression of the coaching experience with OPC?
I get the reason for doing it is looking at ourselves but actually it’s more beneficial than that as it makes us look at things in a lot more depth, making us look at our jobs more positively, getting the most out of it. Seeing what we are doing in a good way – it’s not just turn up, 9 to 5 and that’s it.
What specific element of the coaching did you find most useful?
Seeing things from other people’s viewpoint and taking other people’s needs into consideration.
What aspect/s of the coaching have you taken into your job?
Seeing what we are doing as part of the wider context – seeing what we are contributing to.
What benefits do you see for you personally/professionally? Please give details.
I feel like I am doing something more worthwhile than I was before – seeing the end result.
What benefits do you see for the company?
Overall more confidence in what we do and more drive to succeed in what we are doing. We all realise we are contributing to something positive.
Rob Designer/Video/Photo
What’s been your overall impression of the coaching experience with OPC?
I think it is clear that Alison knows her stuff. She is very professional – she seems to get results out of people. Even quite difficult people like myself! Alison makes it engaging and focuses your mind when you are talking about your team in the sessions.
What specific element of the coaching did you find most useful?
I now manage how I react with my team. I think a lot more about how I can engage more effectively with my colleagues and I can understand how something in my head is normal but can be regarded as an insult or negative to others. I am now thinking about this more.
What aspect/s of the coaching have you taken into your job?
I have more respect for my team and know how to act and conduct myself better. I have worked hard at improving my mannerisms – it has focused me more.
What benefits do you see for you personally/professionally? Please give details.
Makes me more professional and this is something I now take into account beyond work, and in my career.
What benefits do you see for the company?
Happier team, more productive and more consistent – not so up-and-down.
Lorna Production Manager
What’s been your overall impression of the coaching experience with OPC?
Very good. It seems like Alison has a good understanding of people, how different people interact and how to get the most out of your working colleagues without making judgements. It is all about how we can work together and learn from each other effectively.
What specific element of the coaching did you find most useful?
Definitely the team sessions – both the original and the most recent. Going through that together puts you all on the same page. Nobody feels singled out. At the end, everyone is generally in a good mood and ready to work together going forward.
What aspect/s of the coaching have you taken into your job?
All of it! If I had to pick one thing then it would be that I can be a problem-solver above everything else – don’t complain, think of a solution! Positive energy to solve a problem rather than negative energy which makes it seem worse and doesn’t make the problem go away!
What benefits do you see for you personally/professionally?
I see the benefit of coaching more – my old mindset was to think I could do certain things and that was it. Now I think I and my colleagues can be good in multiple areas. I understand the team dynamic a lot more.
What benefits do you see for the company?
I think we are all a lot more goal oriented now, we can see how our actions affect others and how making life easy for others makes the whole team happier – outward facing I should think we are a happier team.
We are more open with each other – if someone is down we will ask why, it’s no longer taboo to ask what the problem is…we are all here to help each other.
Jess Events Manager and Sales Ledger
What’s been your overall impression of the coaching experience with OPC?
It was enjoyable. A team bonding experience.
What specific element of the coaching did you find most useful?
The DISC profiling was great – I really enjoyed it and it was very accurate. Things that I think that I lack were picked up so good to know I am aware of where I need to improve!
What aspect/s of the coaching have you taken into your job?
I tend to shoot from the hip and I now focus more on detail, and question what I do.
What benefits do you see for you personally/professionally?
I gained confidence from having my strengths pointed out, things I wasn’t aware of as being strengths, so this is good to know and will give me more confidence going forward, both at and out of work.
What benefits do you see for the company?
As a team there is a massive difference between how we all are together – it is quite easily noticeable.
Emma Production Assistant & Junior Designer
What’s been your overall impression of the coaching experience with OPC?
It was very informative and eye-opening – finding out things about myself that I didn’t know.
What specific element of the coaching did you find most useful?
Alison gave me points on how to improve my confidence.
What aspect/s of the coaching have you taken into your job?
I have tried to stretch myself using the ideas Alison gave us and to not limit myself to what I think I can do but to try and better myself. For example, I was asked to take photos at our dinner at Le Manoir and really enjoyed it
What benefits do you see for you personally/professionally?
Alison talked about my future and how I can use the skills and ideas learned for the future…how I can develop my abilities to help me in more of a managerial position.
What benefits do you see for the company?
It helps us work together and use our different strengths to our mutual benefit. The team has certainly been working better together since the session.
