Coaching skills are essential for managing people in roles that demand creativity, initiative and outstanding performance. They are also used by professional coaches to facilitate change, learning and excellence in their clients.
This series is a practical introduction to business coaching, for managers and aspiring professional coaches. It is based on my experience of working as a coach since 1996 and helping hundreds of managers to get the best out of their teams.
The series compares coaching to other disciplines, such as training and mentoring, and situates it as one of six basic styles of leadership. It covers essential skills, such as goal-setting, active listening, questioning and feedback. I also examine the complementary roles of managers and external coaches.
The series also highlights the business benefits of coaching, and explains why it is particularly important for companies that gain their competitive advantage from creativity and innovation. It concludes with recommended books for further reading.
The series is available to download as a free e-book.
You can download the entire series as a free e-book: Creative Management for Creative Teams.
The e-book is licensed for free distribution so you are welcome to share it with your colleagues and contacts (as long as you keep it intact in its original format, credit me as the author, and do not exploit it commercially).
If you – or your managers – would like some help refining your skills, you are welcome to contact me to discuss your needs in confidence.
Mark McGuinness has extensive experience of coaching and training managers to develop their coaching skills and facilitate outstanding performance from their teams, at organisations including Transport for London, Vodafone, BT and The Institute of Practitioners in Advertising.
Mark originally qualified as a psychotherapist, and has been working as a coach since 1996. He holds an MA in Creative and Media Enterprises (with distinction) from the University of Warwick. Mark’s MA research dissertation was on coaching in the UK creative industries.