The Value & Impact of Coaching within TLG

I’m Cian Donnelly, or Coach Cian to my colleagues.

I’ve been working at TLG for over two years, initially as a senior trainer, and for the last year as a performance coach.

Performance Coach…what does that mean?

Well, in a nutshell, it means I’m a professional coach, having completed ILM Level 5 Coaching and Mentoring in the Workplace training.

That means I am fully trained in the theory and practice of coaching, from practical coaching skills, like intuitive listening, insightful questioning, and reframing, to understanding how coaching programs can be implemented within organizations. 

At TLG, I act as a resource offering one-to-one coaching programs for my colleagues.

These coaching programs have successfully addressed many issues, from enhancing communication and decision-making skills, increasing confidence, energy, and motivation, to working with clients in developing fresh perspectives on personal challenges. 

How does coaching work within TLG?

Often the path to a coaching program begins with a stirring motivation, then a question:

• I want to improve my position within this company. How am I going to do that?
• Last year I was so confident, I want that confidence back. But how?
• I know I can absolutely smash this job, but lately, my head has been scrambled. How do I begin to unscramble things?

My colleague with the stirring motivation then drops Coach Cian a line.

We have a chat. I ask questions that will help clarify if coaching is the appropriate response.

I listen carefully to their answers.

If we decide coaching would be appropriate, I develop a formal coaching program tailored to their agenda, and then we get to work.

What happens next?

In our initial session, I clarify that coaching is not advice-giving, nor is it mentoring, counseling, or therapy.

Coaching is different.

Coaching is about the coachee (the person being coached) discovering their own answers to their own specific agenda. Their needs and desired vision are very much their own.

I can’t offer a simple fix. But I can offer a safe, confidential, non-judgmental space for self-reflection.

In this space I’ll listen deeply, asking powerful questions, and trusting in the coaching process I’ve been trained in. 

This can be a deeply transformative experience, within which the coachee can find meaningful answers that create a way forward in their work and in their life.

Some of the positive effects of coaching in benefitting individual and organizational performance include, but are not limited to:

• The creation of a tailor-made action plan outlining clear objectives, current blocks/barriers, realistic options, and the commitment to meaningful action steps towards aspirational goals.
• Coaching dramatically improves leadership performance, enhancing communication skills and public speaking by empowering employees with renewed confidence.
• Coaching greatly assists employees in navigating organizational politics; building trust, improving listening skills, mending morale, and engendering meaningful and mindful feedback that is offered and received with care.
• The safe, non-judgemental, and confidential space of coaching allows coachees to explore any sensitive, stressful, or challenging work-related issue, separate from, and not influenced by, any unconscious bias a manager or colleague may attach to an issue.

Where did your interest in coaching come from?

To be honest, I didn’t know I wanted to be a coach until I started working at TLG.

The organizational culture within TLG is founded on a holistic approach to staff and student relations. The emphasis is on trust, care, and collaboration. For both our staff and students, the learning is collective and continual, communication and feedback are authentic and supportive.

These principles and values awakened something in me. I expressed this interest to my MD, who invested in me, offering full professional coaching training through a course in London. To say I was delighted is an understatement.

Why do you do this?

Coaching is a learning process I believe in very deeply, and one which aligns beautifully with the holistic approach to growth and development, of both students and staff, within TLG.

I think it is vital for companies to create safe spaces, in which employees are listened to in confidence, and non-judgmentally, fundamentally supporting both personal and professional growth.

The coaching programs within TLG have offered my colleagues the space and time for reflection and support, which has allowed them to flourish and thrive in their respective roles.

It’s been an absolute pleasure for me to have had the privilege of working with them as a coach and to have been part of their journey.

If you’re a native English speaker with a business background and an interest in pursuing a career with TLG, check out our website where you can find out more about what we offer to employees.

Cian Donnelly, Certified Coach at The Language Grid