Rethink Mental Illness
CLIENT CONTEXT
Rethink Mental Illness had a population of 12 Associate Directors who were taking on more and more responsibility as the charity grew. To support them in delivering the charity’s strategy and build on the strength across the wide and varied functions, Rethink designed a leadership programme to span over a 12-month period. The programme engaged a range of learning suppliers, all bringing different expertise. 360 feedback was a starting point but one-to-one debrief and coaching were not in the original plan nor was there budget available. Building coaching skills for the Associate Directors to cascade to their teams, was also desired but was not in the programme design.
“We wanted to give some structured development to the Associate Director population as a whole for the first time. This programme focused the below learning objectives:
To generate a collective understanding of what good leadership looks like in Rethink Mental Illness
Breakdown silos throughout Rethink Mental Illness moving the ADs from a leader of their directorate to a community of leaders that change the business.
To create opportunities for self-reflection, build self-awareness and recognising development areas.
To understand the importance of inclusive leadership and its role in creating an antiracist organisation” Adam Smith, OD Partner, Rethink Mental Illness
Individual support to compliment the Rethink Cares Leadership Programme
North-52, experts in executive coaching, leadership development and mentoring, approached Rethink to offer pro bono support. Rethink Mental Illness aligned with North-52’s interest and values as the charity makes a real-world practical difference to their service users, as well as advocacy and campaigning on mental health issues.
North-52 offered to bring coaching and coaching expertise to the charity, to provide a reflective one-to-one space for the Associate Directors to process their 360 feedback and, as the programme progressed, to have a thinking space to compliment the more structured interventions. Furthermore, they delivered a coaching skills workshop for the Associate Directors to build their coaching confidence with their own teams. This was all for no fee.
“360 feedback can be a valuable input into building a leaders’ self-awareness but equally can be a blunt instrument if not delivered sensitively and without the scaffolding to process. We were keen to offer a thinking space for the Associate Directors at this critical point on the programme. We also returned in the middle and at the end, to provide a reflective session as they springboard off the programme and continue to leverage their strongly built relationships as a cohort.” Caroline Duncan, North-52
Over a 12-month period, North-52 provided the following pro bono services:
Kickoff webinar session for coaching
Coaching skills workshop for the Associate Directors
36 x coaching sessions for the Associate Directors including 360 degree feedback debrief for each participant
14 subsequent executive coaching sessions to support the onboarding for new Associate Directors
CLIENT FEEDBACK
“The high calibre of coaches used on this programme has been evident in the glowing feedback that has been received from our Associate Directors (ADs). This intervention has been the glue that has allowed our ADs to make sense of their learning, experiences and challenges that have come up over this year, turning them in to concrete actions or changes. If someone had forced me to choose only one learning intervention for our leaders it would have been this one! Also, working with them has been an absolute pleasure, they have been so generous with her time, and it felt like our programme was in safe hands.”
Adam Smith, OD Partner, Rethink Mental Illness
THE OUTCOME
Following the leadership coaching and subsequent onboarding coaching the Associate Directors, with permission, shared their feedback.
The best coaching sessions I've had in my career.
I have made great progress, I understand a little better who I am, in terms of what motivates and excites me, the values that I hold dear to me and will not compromise on. Overall, I have a clearer understanding of my strengths, areas of development and what I bring to the organisation. I have started a process of self-discovery.
The coaching was excellent. It helped me to explore my own leadership style and approach in this new role and to be clearer on what is required of me as a leader in the Charity Sector.
I was able to better process my thoughts, and became more at peace with the challenges I faced, what I could do to approach them and what was and is beyond my control.
I was able to explore in confidence, with no fear of judgement, the areas where I feel I need to develop. My coach acted as a sense check but also challenged me at points, and made me conscious of the language I use towards myself.
I thoroughly enjoyed the sessions. You have given me lots to reflect on and I'm clear on the actions I need to take to develop my leadership.
It was quite hard!
I found the sessions quite challenging - in that exploring issues was draining. But that the benefit was clear and obvious, over the days and weeks that passed once the session had passed. My coach was able to offer insight, where I had previously gone round in circles a few times!
That I came to answers myself simply by having the space and time to talk things through and reflect with an independent, external person.
