Coaching
Comment on coaching undertaken by Edwin Gale, Professor of Diabetic Medicine, Clinical Science at North Bristol:
"My experience as Head of Division is that senior academics soak up a lot of stress and anxiety from their juniors, but have no means of airing their own problems and anxieties. My [coaching meetings] were a breath of fresh air and helped me both to re-orientate myself professionally and to achieve better integration of my home and work life."
Why undertake coaching?
One of the primary needs identified by leaders and managers in the University is for individual support, focusing on the specific issues faced within the working environment. All Heads of Departments, Divisional Heads and Faculty Managers have access to an external and confidential coaching service that is recommended by Staff Development.
The aim of coaching is to support individuals in dealing with difficult situations and developing new skills and ways of working to meet the needs of the role. The service has proved to be very popular, with many individuals reporting how the service helped them to focus on important issues, find practical solutions to problems, or simply survive the pressures that come with running a department.
Coaches that have been identified have a good understanding of the University, but remain external and impartial. Between them, they encompass a range of experiences and approaches to coaching.
Depending on fees, Staff Development will fund up to four and a half hours with an external coach, after which you are of course welcome to continue meeting, funding sessions from your departmental budget or an alternative source. Additional telephone and email support is offered free of charge to those using the service. Staff Development appreciates the complex nature of leadership and management within the University, and we are therefore flexible in deciding on an individual's entitlement to coaching funded by Staff Development.
I am interested in coaching, what is my next step?
If you would like to use this service, or wish to check whether or not you are entitled to Staff Development-funded coaching, please contact lmd-help@bristol.ac.uk Your name will be encoded on all of our records to ensure privacy. The list of available coaches below act as links to further information on each individual: