Learning from leaders – Leisa Bowness

In our coaching café this week continue our ‘Learning from Leaders’ series’.  We are joined again by Leisa Bowness.  Leisa is the Manager – Organisational Capability, Safety & Wellbeing at Resources Safety & Health Queensland.  You can listen to our previous webinar featuring Leisa talking about characteristics of a coaching champion.

Our discussion focuses on:

  • What does it take to champion a culture of coaching within your organisation?

  • Does it have to be a top-down approach, or can you start anywhere to influence the culture of coaching?

Learning from Leaders

At Open Door we are in a privileged position to be working with people who are influencing and championing coaching in their organisation. This includes our wide Alumni who have undertaken our coaching programs.  Furthermore, blog readers like you.

In this webinar Natalie introduces us to the Coaching Culture Framework.  Most importantly you can learn from Leisa as she shares her experience.

Coaching Culture Map

The Coaching Culture Framework

Open Door’s Coaching Culture Framework is in two parts. The top half focussed on ‘strategy’.  And the lower half focussed on ‘enablers of strategy’.  You can implement one or more of these ‘enablers’ to bring a coaching culture into your workplace.  For example, implementing accredited coach training.  In addition, coaching managers to coach via Leader as Coach programs. Or doing individual and executive coaching.

Case study on Coaching Culture implementation

Leisa describes the implementation of coaching at one of Australia’s largest superannuation organisations.  To initiate coaching, Leisa focussed on one business unit. Once that business unit started to have success with coaching, other units became interested.  From here the implementation received sponsorship from the top executives.

Contrast this approach to her current implementation.  Leisa is going back to the top half of the diagram.  Importantly, to link coaching to the workforce strategy.

The Air Force case study

The Air Force implementation of coaching is very inspirational.  Furthermore, you have the chance to learn from this implementation.  In addition, see the fuller implementation of the Coaching Culture Framework.  Importantly, over a longer period of time.

‘Start somewhere’

Whether you are coaching an individual.  Alternatively, have influence over a broad agenda.  Leisa’s key message is to ‘start somewhere’.  In addition, to think about your pace.  Because sometimes you are wanting to move quickly. However, the organisation may not be ready. Yes, sometimes we need to call on our resilience and patience.  With the vision in always in mind.

In the meantime, did you know that you can also study the Coaching Culture Certification to find out more.

steps start

FREE Coaching Cafe Webinar

Every week our team of experts present “Coaching Cafe” webinar with topics for Managers, Leaders, Business Owners, and everyone who wants to be a better workplace coach, leading their teams to higher productivity, better outcomes and a happier, healthier workplace.

Join us this Friday for FREE.   Register now.

WHAT OUR CLIENTS ARE SAYING

Using the ZOOM meeting worked really well including the breakout session.  A terrific and engaging course, I enjoyed it immensely.

I loved it! It gave me everything I was hoping for (confidence, a framework and many lenses to consider) and more!

It is an excellent program that can be adapted to any area of a workplace. It will assist me with all my communications with other people, delivered by a very passionate facilitator, easy to listen to, flexible and attentive to the class.  I am thoroughly energised by what I have learnt so far.

This is the best program I have ever participated in. The Friday webinars have been great to help me embed the information I have learned. I am really appreciative of everyone that works at Open Door Coaching and the care and effort they put into helping everyone that joins the program.

My workplace skills and capabilities have taken a very positive turn. Where I would get exhausted or overwhelmed by difficult work relationships, I now am equipped and confident to manage these relationships and use some of the models I have learned to get positive outcomes in our interactions.

I thought the online format via ZOOM worked well and for people outside of capital cities, it is a much more affordable and less disruptive way of undertaking the training.

The course has really enhanced and further developed my skillset. What a phenomenal four days for the Zoom face to face part of the course and amazing, quick turnaround on assessment of online modules.

I have confidence in my ability to coach others. My skills have grown significantly and I am so much more conscious of not responding to my team with solutions with a great toolkit to support me. This coaching course has changed my behaviour significantly and positively in my life. Where once I loved solving others problems I now love seeing others solve their own problems.

Great work, this course  is amazing and definitely supports me in my goals. I have always wanted to make a difference and found coaching to be more beneficial than mentoring to support an individual to take responsibility for their own development and to move forward in their goals.

Since starting the program, my work role has not changed, but I have developed as a leader in my ability to develop myself and others. I developed an ability to detect “below the line” thinking, and to develop narrative to move above the line. My listening and questioning skills have grown, and my ability to detect opportunities for growth in self and others.

I feel I have the skills to better lead, manage and coach people in the workplace. The communication skills I have learnt have assisted me in my communications and have improved my relationships at work and home. I thought the program was great. It was challenging and a lot of work. But in the end there were real and useful learning outcomes. I really enjoyed this course and got a lot out of it. It provided me the opportunity to grow personally (the most important output) and gave me some very useful coaching skills

I have grown in confidence and started the journey of becoming a coach. The course provided me with some excellent theory and practical components which have worked together well in helping me along the journey. I now have greater confidence and much better listening skills. I’ve learnt what active listening actually means.  The higher level of confidence has allowed me to develop my coaching skills at a faster than expected rate.

My approach to all personal and professional discussions and my confidence has grown with what I have learnt from the program. I truely believe this program has changed my approach to all I do. I believe I have enhanced my communication and how to read and interact with different personalities types, listening with purpose and communicating with intent to learn and grow others.

I can see the benefits and knowledge and skills in coaching and can see its benefits in self coaching, one on one coaching and team coaching as well as in everyday conversations and conflict resolution. The face to face program and online program is excellent. I have completed various vocational and post graduate study courses and this is the best so far. Natalie Ashdown is an inspirational coach and trainer. Her teaching methods are engaging and very effective. Brigitte Calvert always completes assessment reviews speedily and the feedback was excellent and assisted in the learning process.

I am now comfortable coaching. I see lots of opportunities and I have realised that I have many skills. I have a greater awareness of serving the higher needs of all within my interactions. I am much better at posing appropriate questions to foster internal reflection. I think it is an excellent program.

I’ve learned a lot about myself and how to conduct conversations and am now confident to be able to perform a coaching session and have enjoyed a new sense of learning since commencing the course.

The program enabled me to reflect upon and identify HOW I coach. Throughout the assignment work I revisited my other training guides and has reinforced what I already knew, and also refreshed my knowledge of my coach training. I have a greater awareness of the theory and techniques that I use in my coaching practice each day . My coaching is much more effective as I am spending more time on the issues below the surface which is providing greater value and benefit to my clients.

I am now confident in holding coaching conversations with people. Not only am I able to set up a coaching business, but also my listening skills have improved immensely. This helps me in my business and my sales calls.

I have new skills to use professionally and personally, particularly regarding active listening, powerful questioning and a range of excellent materials to draw upon and reflect upon.

My attitude towards leadership coaching has changed greatly. I used to “teach” leaders how to manage people but now I use coaching to develop leaders’ skills. Whenever staff or managers come to me with a question, problem or issue, instead of giving them the answers, I coach them by asking the “who”, “how” and “what” questions. I have coached staff and managers through performance reviews, career development and employee relations issues.

Totally loving using my new coaching skills in the workplace. Staff are delighted with how I am helping them to solve their own problems. Absolutely loved the course! Would recommend it.

I’ve definitely grown personally as I’ve learnt new communication skills. I’ve started employing those skills in everyday work situations. I’m leading the way for my unit in adopting a coaching culture.

The way I view things has changed from trying to provide answers to helping people find their own answers. I have improved my listening skills and allow space for other’s answers.

Stay Up to Date