CMI Level 5 Management Coaching & Mentoring Assignment Sample

CMI Unit 5014V1 Introduction to management coaching and mentoring Assignment Example

Assignment Brief: Introduction to management coaching and mentoring.

INTRODUCTION

This unit is concerned with an evaluation of coaching and mentoring processes in the work place.

SCENARIO

Learners may use their own employment context, or that of another organisation with which they are very familiar, to base their assignment. However, in the case that they are not able to do so, please use the below scenario:-

You are a manager, leading a team of 6 staff. You have been asked to investigate the role and benefits of a coaching and mentoring system for possible introduction into your work place.

Task 1

• Describe how the differing roles of coaching and mentoring can support the development and management of
• The organisation’s human resources. You should include an evaluation of the differences between coaching and mentoring. (Guideline word count: 600 – 700 words)

A.C. 1.1 – Describe the purpose of coaching in human resources development

In organizations today, coaching has become a commonly used method of employee development to influence and improve employee performance. When effectively used, coaching can improve learning and productivity while enhancing individual and organizational success. In their research on behavioral aspects of coaching, Parsloe, Bluckert, and Gallwey present that coaches involve active listening and empathy and are non-judgmental. It helps their clients develop self-awareness, motivation, and social skills (“Coaching and Mentoring: Practical Methods to Improve Learning,” 2000). These critical components support employees in identifying areas of improvement, setting goals, and creating action plans. 

Coaching applies to various stages of the employee life cycle. During the induction process, coaching aids new employees in understanding their roles and responsibilities and makes it easy for them to marry in with the organization’s culture. In managing performance, coaching enables feedback giving, goal setting, and developing action plans for improvement. In addition, coaching provides constant guidance and support to employees when learning new skills or tasks. At the same time, employees can identify areas for improvement in promotion and development, benefit from coaching during career change due to emotional support, and guidance in transitioning and identifying new career paths. Coaching is critical in managing change at both individual and organizational levels. Using the Transtheoretical Model of Change, coaches can tailor interventions and strategies to help employees change that matches different stages of change (“Transtheoretical Model of Behavioral Change,” 2021). At the same time, the Zeus and Skiffington Model assist in coaching by developing a better understanding of individuals to create appropriate support.

A.C. 1.2 – Describe the role of mentoring in management

Mentoring in management is essential in developing employees’ skills, motivating and helping them grow professionally, as it focuses on nurturing the potential of the whole person (Blake-Beard et al., 2021). Managers make use of mentoring to support their teams in several ways. One way they achieve this is by providing guidance and support to their clients. Through mentoring, I can help my team members handle challenges related to their positions or carry out new tasks. For instance, if a junior supervisor has a challenge in leadership skills, I can connect them to a senior leader with leadership experience or individually provide guidance and support for them to succeed in that area.

In addition, mentoring can aid in nurturing a culture of learning and development. As a manager, I can establish formal mentoring programs for team members to sign up and be mentored by experienced colleagues in various areas of interest. Moreover, I can involve mentoring to build relationships and networks for my team. Such can be achieved by connecting with external experts and encouraging experienced team members to mentor others or new members in the group or organization.

A.C. 1.3 – Evaluate the difference between coaching and mentoring

In an organization, various coaching or mentoring programs are undertaken for employee development and performance improvement. Whereas the two may be thought to be similar, they are distinct and effective on different situations. Coaching is short-term and task oriented based on the intervention’s purpose. A coach, an expert in a particular area, teaches individuals (Coachees) how to develop their skills. On the hand, mentoring is a long-term development-driven relationship that takes a more holistic approach toward individuals’ (mentee) career development (Zust, 2017). The mentor, a more experienced person, guides the mentee on various personal and professional issues affecting their career. Also, the mentor shares their experiences and insights, encouraging and giving feedback.

In addition, whereas the two methods are effective in supporting and developing employees, they are used in different situations. Coaching is often targeted at skills such as leadership, communication, or other work issues to improve performance. For instance, employees struggling with public speaking can work with a coach to develop techniques to improve performance. Mentoring seek for whole-person development to grow potential and enable an individual’s career progress. For example, an employee interested in developing their career may seek guidance and support from experienced professionals for insights to build a broader perspective.

Task 2

• Evaluate the benefits of successful coaching and mentoring programmes in the performance management of teams and individuals, and the organisation as a whole. (Guideline word count: 700 – 900 words)

A.C. 2.1 – Evaluate the benefits of coaching in performance management

Coaching has become increasingly important in the workplace today; while its benefits can be felt individually, teams and organizations similarly gain a lot from successful coaching. Managers who highly regard particular employees’ ability to solve problems independently often prefer coaching. Through constant assistance, low-performing employees can know what they are doing well and what they need to do to improve. They become willing to learn concepts and ways of doing things and develop their talents. Moreover, coaching reinforces the culture of feedback whereby the coach gives guidance to employees toward a particular course or goal. With openness to feedback, coaches develop a positive attitude towards colleagues and actively engage in teamwork. For high performers, coaching bolsters responsibility and personal accountability to deal with difficulties and work-related concerns. By assuming greater responsibility, they can stay accountable, improve performance and develop creativity to make work easier and more enjoyable

In teams, coaching influences team culture; team culture works to improve performance, especially when some individuals are not performing. Coaching reaffirms direction and focus and challenges weak performers. In addition, some people lack the interaction skills that are needed to work in a group; with coaching, such members are guided to develop skills on their own rather than having them replaced, which may have short-term effects such as loss of production during the transition and unskilled workforce in the long run within an organization (Maseko et al., 2019). Besides, employees sometimes find sharing ideas, thoughts, and experiences difficult, which may hinder teams from achieving goals. Team coaching allows individuals to speak their minds, reducing communication risks and conflicts.

Coaching also has numerous advantages for an organization as a whole. It creates clear goals and personal strategies to achieve set targets and objectives in the short term. While in the long-run organizational performance is increased through the discovery of real potential by individual employees, improved problem solving, and goal setting. Moreover, there is reduced turnover due to the increased ability to deal with job pressure, develop skills, and discover talents.

A.C. 3.1 – Evaluate the benefits of mentoring in performance management

Mentoring is an effective support system in many aspects of life that extends to business environments. In business, it is a supportive framework outside the conventional manager-employee relationship where an experienced person or manager gives guidance to support the mentee’s overall development. Mentoring benefits both the mentee and the mentor, who has numerous opportunities to grow, whether during mentoring individuals or teams. Through mentorship, a mentee can learn and develop faster by exchanging information that may not exist naturally. For instance, a secretary may find ease in their work when a mentor shares experience handling temperaments clients.   Besides, mentorship develops confidence by helping mentee grow their strengths and address weaknesses. Mentoring programs enable new employees to increase institutional knowledge and understand how things are done (Ojedokun, 2011). I recall my first marketing job; at first, my communication and negotiation skills were not convincing, thanks to my supervisor, who assumed the role of mentor and played a critical role in nurturing my skills. On the other hand, mentors develop fulfillment and satisfaction from helping others and also sharpen critical competencies in areas of mentorship.

Mentoring programs in organizations that target teams have multiple benefits, with experts bringing their competencies into groups. Mentees tend to build strong bonds and networks, which fosters team spirit. In addition, diversity in the group brings together a diversity of ideas, leading to a better understanding and acceptance of diversity among members. In addition, in team mentoring programs, support comes from mentors and peers who actively engage in mentoring sessions.

For an organization, mentoring programs enable an easy absorption of new personnel into the workforce as they find it easy to form relationships and integrate into the organizational culture and environment. Mentorship also allows the growth and development of future leaders and mentors who have mastered the art of delivering high performance in their work. Moreover, the organizational values are transferred to employees and teams strengthening culture. Employees also feel valued through a supportive system that encourages inclusiveness and collaboration, enabling increased performance in the short and long-run. The organization can achieve its goals, objectives, mission, and vision by empowering employees and teams through a supportive mentorship framework.

Task 3

• Explain the contribution of both coaching and mentoring in team learning. (Guideline word count: 600 – 700 words)

A.C. 2.2 – Explain the role of coaching in team learning

Team learning entails collaborative learning among team members with a common goal within an organization. Through team learning, individuals acquire, share, and combine knowledge and coordinate behaviors to attain the set goal that leads to improved performance within the team and translates into organizational performance. Coaching can significantly aid in team learning by providing support, empowerment, and individualized feedback that enables the team to learn, practice and integrate new skills in achieving their goals.  

Witherspoon’s coaching continuum presents the various ways coaching can be applied in a team environment. The framework recognizes that team members are in different stages of their careers and varied settings; thus, it presents a continuum of roles that coaching plays (Witherspoon et al., 2021). At one end of the continuum, coaching focuses on skills development for a particular task. For instance, if a team is working on a task that demands new skills or knowledge, coaching can be centered on individualized support and feedback. At the center of the continuum is coaching for performance. When aiming at performance, coaching is focused on helping team members in their present job or roles by giving support to address and improve an individual’s performance. Coaching sessions are structured to address one or more core competencies, including assessing current competencies for the current role, planning for continuous improvement, or clarifying expectations for the current job. On the other end of the continuum is coaching for development. Coaching is focused on developing individual team members to prepare them for future positions, career moves, or leadership roles. If team learning is focused on development, coaches assess current competencies, clarify expectations for future performance and improve learning agility.

In addition, coaching supports team learning by creating a team development plan that combines a business plan and individual development plans. The plan outlines key competencies regarding skills and knowledge that team members require to achieve the expected results in twelve months, the course of action, and the role of coaching in achieving it. For instance, if the identified skill for improvement is communication skills, coaching is focused on helping members develop more effective communication strategies.

A.C. 3.2 – Explain the role of mentoring in team learning

In an organization, mentoring supports learning between individuals and groups. It enables knowledge transfer and makes teamwork a culture rather than a forced and infrequent task. Mentoring can be critical in developing the team’s skills and knowledge in a management development program team.

Mentoring can be utilized within this team for individual development. By pairing young, new, and inexperienced managers with more experienced managers, they can quickly learn and succeed in their new roles due to the guidance and support provided by more experienced managers. Through sharing experiences, advice and expertise, and feedback giving, inexperienced managers can develop their skills and knowledge. For example, suppose a new manager is struggling with leadership. In that case, an experienced manager with a background in leadership development can offer guidance on developing practical communication skills, delegation, and goal setting for success in a managerial role. In addition, new managers are helped to identify their weak areas and adopt new techniques from experienced managers who have gone through similar situations before.

Another role mentoring can play in team learning is facilitating collaboration and knowledge sharing. Managers can arrange regular meetings or learning sessions in the management development program team to share experiences and best practices. In such sessions, several topics or issues can be covered that include; leadership styles, effective communication strategies, and project-related experiences. By sharing insights, team members can acquire new knowledge and skills that help address challenges in their work (Behar-Horenstein & Prikhidko, 2017) and give a broader perspective on achieving their goals.

Task 4

• Analyse the roles of a manager firstly as a mentor and secondly as a coach in developing teams and individuals and contributing to performance management processes.
• Explain the linkages on the achievement of organisational objectives if an organisation were to adopt a culture of coaching and mentoring. (Guideline word count: 600 – 700 words)

A.C. 4.1 – Analyse the role of a manager as a coach

As a coach, managers play critical roles in developing and supporting their employees. They help employees identify improvement areas and develop strategies to enhance their performance. In achieving this, they provide constructive feedback and assist employees in goal setting and creating action plans.

The other way managers support their employees as a coach is by broadening employee engagement. Managers encourage employees to take an active role in developing solutions and their work performance by asking questions and giving guidance rather than instructions (Ibarra & Scoular, 2019). As a result, employees feel valued and supported, leading to greater job satisfaction and productivity. In addition, coaches contribute to employees’ personal growth. For instance, suppose employees are performing a project that calls for new skills; managers can support employees in developing such skills. However, coaching is considered time-consuming and demands more effort, and managers may not have enough time to coach their employees effectively.

Regarding using coaching as a leadership style, managers greatly empower their employees to make their solutions and take responsibility for their actions. Employees feel more engaged and develop their skills and satisfaction with their job. In addition, managers foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement through coaching, which benefits the organization.

A.C. 4.2 – Analyse the role of a manager as a mentor

The role of a manager as a mentor is closely linked to that of a line manager; however, there is a major difference between them. The focus of line managers is often task-oriented and emphasizes assigning tasks, monitoring progress, and providing feedback on achieving set goals or targets (Christensen et al., 2019). On the other hand, managers who play the role of a mentor are relationship-oriented and focus more on building relationships with their mentees, supporting and providing guidance per the individual employee’s needs. Some of the similarities between them include; they are interested in establishing strong communication, providing feedback and support, and investing time and effort to develop others.

A line manager can serve as a mentor; however, there are possible challenges in balancing the responsibilities of a manager and mentor. It could result in bias or lack of commitment to developing the mentoring relationship. In addition, some employees may be reluctant to share their personal information with their line manager, which may cripple the mentoring relationship. Therefore, someone outside the mentee’s immediate management chain can establish trust in a mentor-mentee relationship. Such a mentor can provide unbiased feedback and gain the mentee’s trust in sharing sensitive information.

A.C. 4.3 – Explain how coaching and mentoring is linked to organisational objectives

Coaching and mentoring are useful tools that can be used in an organization to inspire, empower, and grow talent and increase employee and organizational productivity (Serrat, 2017). They are closely linked and support achieving organizational objectives such as business, departmental, and individual development plans.

A business plan spells out what the organization intends to achieve and the means to achieve it. Utilizing coaching and mentoring, the skills and knowledge required to achieve these goals are greatly developed. For instance, if an organization focuses on innovation, essential creative thinking, and problem-solving skills can be nurtured through coaching and mentoring. On the other hand, every organizational department has individual goals it seeks to achieve through its workforce or team. When applied in team learning, coaching, and mentoring enable collaboration and development of key skills through guiding and supporting team members of varying backgrounds and experiences. In addition, coaching and mentoring support individual development. For example, mentoring can help a mentee struggling with public speaking by developing key communication techniques.

Senior management must demonstrate its commitment to achieving the various organizational objectives through mentoring and coaching. The various ways senior management can indicate support include; communication of the importance of coaching and mentoring and how they intend to help achieve organizational objectives, providing resources such as mentoring programs, and encouraging employee participation in various mentoring and coaching programs.

References

Behar-Horenstein, L. S., & Prikhidko, A. (2017, August 8). Exploring mentoring in the context of team science. Mentoring & Tutoring: Partnership in Learning, 25(4), 430–454. https://doi.org/10.1080/13611267.2017.1403579

Blake-Beard, S., Shapiro, M., & Ingols, C. (2021, June 15). A Model for Strengthening Mentors: Frames and Practices. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(12), 6465. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18126465

Christensen, M., Innstrand, S. T., Saksvik, P. Y., & Nielsen, K. (2019). The Line Manager’s Role in Implementing Successful Organizational Interventions. The Spanish Journal of Psychology, 22. https://doi.org/10.1017/sjp.2019.4

Coaching and Mentoring: Practical Methods to Improve Learning. (2000, November 1). Work Study, 49(6). https://doi.org/10.1108/ws.2000.07949fae.002

Ibarra, & Scoular. (2019, November 1). The Leader as Coach. Harvard Business Review. Retrieved March 26, 2023, from https://hbr.org/2019/11/the-leader-as-coach

Maseko, B. M., Van Wyk, R. and Odendaal, A. (2019) Team coaching in the workplace: Critical success factors for implementation, SA Journal of Human Resource Management, 17. DOI:10.4102/sajhrm.v17i0.1125.

Ojedokun, O. (2011). Mentoring: a Factor for Organisational Management. IFE PsychologIA 337–354.

Serrat, O. (2017). Proposition 101 coaching and mentoring. In Knowledge Solutions (pp. 897–902). Springer Singapore. Retrieved from http://link.springer.com/10.1007/978-981-10-0983-9_101 https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007%2F978-981-10-0983-9_101.pdf

Transtheoretical Model of Behavioural Change. (2021, February 2). International Journal of Pharmaceutical Research, 13(02). https://doi.org/10.31838/ijpr/2021.13.02.081

Witherspoon, E. B., Ferrer, N. B., Correnti, R. R., Stein, M. K., & Schunn, C. D. (2021, June 3). Coaching that supports teachers’ learning to enact ambitious instruction. Instructional Science, 49(6), 877–898. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11251-021-09536-7

Zust, C. (2017, July 5). Know the difference between coaching and mentoring. Kent State University. Retrieved March 25, 2023, from https://www.kent.edu/yourtrainingpartner/know-difference-between-coaching-and-mentoring

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