Internal Coaching: An Organizational Perspective
Grant Armstrong, Director, Organizational Development, Brock University
Grant Armstrong
A number of years ago, I proposed the idea to the organization I worked for that we should consider having an internal coach. There were a number of reasons why I thought this would be a good idea, not only for the organization, but also the individuals, and taxpayers (as we were public sector), and finally for me. From an organizational standpoint, we had been using external coaches for a few years and in some cases had realized some value. The problem with external coaching was that it is:
a. Expensive
b. Harder to access, and
c. External coaches in many cases did not understand our business.
There has been a substantial amount of discussion about the third point. Some external coach training organizations, and consulting companies that offer external coaches, have suggested that having specific institutional knowledge is not required. However, in my 35 years of coaching employees both from an informal (part of my managerial accountabilities) and formal (providing internal professional coaching services) capacity, it has been my experience that they want to know that you understand their business or at the very least, their industry.
Queen's IRC is pleased to announce that its new website has officially launched. It was redesigned with simplicity, ease of use, and mobile compatibility in mind. Designed and developed in house, the new website offers enhanced navigational features, as well as a fresh look and updated content.
"We are very excited to have launched our new website design after almost a full year in development," said Stephanie Noel, Business Development Manager for Queen's IRC. "I highly recommend that you take time to review the new landing pages that outline all of the programs in our certificate suite."
The new landing pages enable users to easily browse through the Labour Relations and Human Resources/Organization Development programs, and access information about the certificates. The popular map feature continues to allow users to browse for programs across Canada by general area and by city.
The new Research and Resources section makes it easier to navigate and search through the hundreds of articles on our website. Users can browse through the latest articles, or by general topic: Human Resources, Labour Relations, Change Management, Organization Development, or News & Events.
"We hope you enjoy exploring our new website, and please feel free to send us any comments or feedback you may have," said Noel.
Encouraging Collaboration in the Workplace: Lessons from the Government of Alberta
Stephanie Noel, Queen's IRC Business Development Manager
Stephanie Noel
In 2009, the Alberta government's Connie Scott was a trailblazer, a forerunner in a new learning program that would change the way she and her community would look at their work.
Scott, now a manager of HR Strategies in Enterprise and Advanced Education, was in the first cohort of Queen's IRC HR Business Partner Certificate Program, a curriculum custom-designed for the Alberta government.
Scott was one of 25 students from three pilot ministries, and she was immediately struck by the tenor of the facilitators, their expertise and ideas, and their energy in the classroom.
"The instruction was fabulous. Francoise (Morissette) and Gary (Furlong) were amazing. The knowledge and experience they had was so obvious, they were just clearly highly experienced. Francoise was so exuberant, I'll always remember that," Scott said.
"And I loved that we were part of a cohort of people. I loved that I had this brand new network, and it's a network that I still keep in touch with."
Soon after she completed the program, Scott transitioned from Manager, HR Consulting to Manager, HR Strategies. She was able to apply what she learned from the IRC right away.
"It allowed you to think more strategically. You'd ask yourself: how will this or that impact another part of the organization? If you're implementing a workforce plan or a leadership framework or coaching services, you start to think about the business and how it will be accepted and who it will really impact and what's the best way to get it out so it will cut through the clutter," she said.
Donald Carter, director of Queen's IRC from 1985-1990, and a current facilitator for the Queen's IRC Labour Relations Foundations program, has been chosen as a 2013 recipient of the Bora Laskin Award. This award, named in honour of the late Chief Justice Bora Laskin, was established by the University of Toronto to honour those who have made outstanding contributions to Canadian labour law. Bernard Adell was also chosen as a recipient of the 2013 Bora Laskin Award. Congratulations to both recipients.
