Academic Leadership

Academic Leadership: Fundamental Building Blocks

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• Not only does the coaching process increase communication between you, the
  Academic Coordinator and your team, it is also a systematic approach to enhancing
  the performance and skill level of staff responsible for delivering a course. This in
  turn influences organisational performance (Goleman, 2000).
  Academic Coordinators who build coaching into their management style:


• Increase job clarity with peers about tasks and performance standards;


• Help to align the individual's work with course, program, faculty, and university
  priorities;


• Create a learning culture where feedback is a natural and regular part of work and
  development; and


• Enhance job satisfaction through skill development of colleagues.
  As Academic Coordinators, not only can you can elevate your coaching skills, but you
  also can model and support your peers in coaching one another.

Getting started

• In order to formally coach a peer, or another staff member, both of you must have a
  clear definition of the skill that is going to be developed so that the end stage goal
  can be specified. This goal needs to be developed collaboratively, otherwise both of
  you may have very different understandings of what the end goal represents.


• Expectations need to be clarified and it is typically the individual desiring coaching
  that should set the goal and objectives with the support of the coach. Once a
  collective understanding of what the end performance should look like is established,
  alternatives and solutions can be mapped out to assist the coach in reaching
  coachee’s target(s).


• Goleman (2000) demonstrates that empathy during the coaching process is a very
  important part of the process and influences performance positively. When people
  formally seek coaching support, they are expressing vulnerability. They are
  disclosing a learning need, an area they feel they could develop further. This takes
  courage. Academic Coordinators who possess empathy and use this skill during
  coaching sessions can end up with colleagues who demonstrate the most growth.
  Not surprisingly, empathy is one of the key skills required of emotionally intelligent
  leaders.


• It is also possible to provide informal coaching. Much of this occurs in the corridor or
  coffee shop. Whether it is formal or informal, coaching should always be non-
  directive. In other words, it will be your skilful questioning, as a coach, that will help
  your colleagues find their own solutions. In doing this, the coach establishes a
  collaborative partnership with their peer which helps the individual to achieve their
  goals.


• Therefore, coaching (formal or informal) can be seen as a process of empowering,
  developing, supporting, and removing obstacles for others seeking support.
  For the most part your role as a coach is to help your peers work through a process of
  change and development. You can do this by taking them through the four stages of
  change as outlined in Figure 5 below.