Crisp Coaching & Consultancy Ltd, 143 Waltwood Park Drive, Llanmartin, Newport, NP18 2HF Tel: 0870 042 3720 Company Registration Number 05379946
§ to work smarter and improve management skills with special regard to improved time-management through developing delegation skills
§ to buld better relationships with staff and volunteers
§ to improve communication skills.
Leading to these outcomes:
§ More time to focus on fund raising for the charity to ensure that the charity moves forward on a sound financial footing with the necessary levels of staff
§ A better work/life balance
§ Develop more of a ‘hands-off’ approach (ie reduction in necessity to micro-manage running of the centre)
§ Increase the adherence to Security and Health & Safety requirements by the staff, volunteers and users of the facility.
Looking back on the coaching process Gaynor said “What I really needed most was negotiating skills – the understanding that there is a win-win position: somewhere that will suit me as well as them [staff and volunteers], together with the confidence to make win-win outcomes my goal at all appropriate opportunities. I used to take everything on board. I couldn’t say no, didn’t have time for anything. It seemed quicker for me just to ‘do it’ rather than get someone else to do it.
Following the coaching from Dave I have no problem with this and we are now doing things in a much better way. Instead of me ‘telling’ or ‘just asking’ (often ineffectually) we work together to get the result. I talk to my staff more and get their view on how to make things better. I then encourage them to do what is agreed and to let me know how they got on - celebrating all the successes on the way!
Staff meetings used to be a bit of a battle ground, now we achieve things through discussion. The problem with security in the building just disappeared when I changed my approach. Issues are now resolved through discussion instead of me always feeling like I had to tell them what to do. It’s so much easier and they have much more satisfaction in the work that they do. I can see so many improvements and now it’s not just me trying to make things happen. By meeting with the key workers individually, I make sure everything is going ok and support them in not taking too much on board.
The working atmosphere in the centre is so much improved. And the new skills I have developed and new methods I have adopted are trickling down to the staff, who use them with the teenagers at the centre: making for a much more pleasant experience for all concerned.
Learning to delegate effectively has freed up my own time so that I can get on and actually do the fundraising that secures the future of the charity. The centre would not be able to continue if I hadn’t made the changes to the way I worked. Dave’s coaching made me look at things differently and made my working life much better.
It’s also had positive knock-on effects on my personal relationships with my daughter and granddaughter. I’m now able to discuss things with them both. Shouting and yelling has been replaced by sitting and talking as I get the solutions to problems from them instead of trying to impose my ideas all the time. Interestingly my daughter works as a Team Leader in a retail store and she is starting to use these new techniques and methods. She seems to be getting improved relationships and results in her work too.
Not only have I benefited greatly from the coaching, so have the charity, staff, volunteers and my family too.”
Leader and manager in a busy town centre charity
Gaynor Ryan has been the Chief Project Development Officer for the Chequers Youth Facility in Aberdare for 14 years. The charity helps teenagers living in and around Aberdare find productive social activities, offers relevant information and provides training and activities at the centre to help them avoid anti-social behaviour and substance abuse.
She was working way beyond capacity attempting to manage and work in the centre, manage the staff and volunteers, and raise funds for the continued existence of the centre. She was also taking work home most evenings and weekends but still not getting everything done.
After our initial meeting, Gaynor’s objectives were:
