Participants on the UCD Smurfit Executive Development Diploma in Business and Executive Coaching programme quickly discover that it is about far more than simply acquiring a new skill. “That is the biggest surprise and greatest gift many of our participants get,” says faculty lead Eileen Duggan. “They see it as a skills development programme initially and they underestimate the impact of the personal and leadership development side.
“After they graduate, people often talk about the programme having been a transformational experience. Participants gain new perspectives on how they impact on others, how they relate to people and what they want to get out of life. A lot of people make big personal and career decisions while they are on the course.”
The skills element is vitally important, of course. Designed for established and aspiring coaches, the programme provides participants with the competencies to deliver coaching to senior leaders in organisations, contract appropriately with organisations, address questions of assessment and evaluation, and work effectively with the psychological dimension of coaching. Through a process of practice and feedback from tutors, peers and supervisors, they develop a range of coaching skills and an understanding of coaching cultures in organisations.
“We’ve been running the programme since 2007 and have held on to the original basic structure since then,” says Duggan. “The three main pillars are the same – the academic, psychological, and practical and experiential dimensions. But we have been continuously building and adapting the programme to enable it to remain best in class and ensure that we remain at the forefront of leadership development.”
That standing is reflected in recognition for the programme by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) at senior practitioner level. “Individuals have the opportunity to become accredited as an executive coach with EMCC after they graduate,” says Duggan.
Participants tend to share a number of traits, says her fellow faculty lead, Pam Fay: “They are interested in human relationships and how they lead their teams. They are curious about human psychology and how people get along. That’s what they have in common. In some cases, they are leaders in organisations who have done training as a coach but want to update their skills.”
The course, Fay adds, “encourages people to think about their leadership identity and effectiveness. It has a deep impact on how they interact with their teams and the people in their personal lives. It’s a highly relevant programme for anyone who is interested in leadership.”
That is crucial in the context of the evolution in thinking about the nature of leadership. “The leadership landscape is changing dramatically,” says Duggan. “The traditional heroic leadership style that was very effective in the past is changing to a more human way of relating with people. Listening with empathy is among the core skills that we practice and teach on the programme. It is hugely important for developing people and enabling them to be seen and heard.
“The ability to deal with complexity and unknowns is another core skill. The coach doesn’t have the answers. They have to sit within the complexity, uncertainty and the messiness and ask the right questions to help people find the answers.”
The emphasis is very much on practice. “We do bring in a lot of coaching theory in areas like system thinking and Gestalt theory, but we make it very practical,” Fay points out. “There is no role playing; participants coach, observe coaching and get coached. People get a lot of coaching during the programme and get to coach others. They get to know each other very well.”
Part of what they learn is to help people fulfil their potential. “The coach helps the client identify what is making them get in their own way. I often say that performance equals potential minus interference. The coach doesn’t give direction. They help people find the answers for themselves. It can take a while to bring that to the surface. We sometimes talk about slow coaches, because we don’t rush.”
The diploma programme is part of a master’s pathway, she adds. “People can choose to do the Diploma in Business and Executive Coaching first and become a fully accredited coach. They can stop there and use that skill for the next 10 or 20 years. Others may want to become full-time coaches and can go on to do a Diploma in Advanced Coaching and the Diploma in Team Coaching after that. When they bring all three together, they get a Master’s in Executive Coaching.”
Duggan returns to the leadership development aspect of the programme. “It is part of a leader’s role to develop others, to develop people coming through the organisation,” she says. “Coaching skills are very important for that and are going to be even more valuable in today’s climate. They prepare leaders to deal with a volatile, uncertain and complex world.”
