Nigel Blagg Associates

We established our business and organisational consultancy division in 1990. It is headed up by Company Director Damian Gregory an Occupational Psychologist who specialises in assessment and selection.

We have built a strong reputation for professionalism and integrity in the work we do. Our consultants are skilled communicators and facilitators who are at ease working one to one with clients as well as with groups of varying size and composition.

Typical structure of the coaching relationship

Each coaching intervention tends to be unique due to the individual nature of most development needs. However, we would typically set up a coaching arrangement for up to five sessions (each session being around 2 hours in duration).

The "start-up" process involves initial contracting, finding out what is important to the individual and exploring what they and their organisation hope to achieve through coaching. This allows the scope of the intervention to be defined. The key to this stage is effective information gathering. The organisation may be approached for feedback and appraisal data and appropriate psychometrics may also be used.

The one to one coaching approach enables the coach and the client to work on issues which are often quite specialised and idiosyncratic given the individuals role and particular nature of their development needs. It allows any development work to be pitched according to the client's preferred pace and style of learning. Having said this, the client will be encouraged to test the limits of their "comfort zones" and for the purpose of raising awareness - examples of flawed thinking or

In the intervals between coaching sessions (and indeed at the end of the programme) the client returns to the workplace and takes individual responsibility for "road testing" their learning. We see our role as one of continuing support. We offer the facility whereby clients can contact their coach to discuss areas where they are in need of confirmation, assistance and/or reassurance. Having access to this facility will hopefully maintain and/or develop levels of confidence and self-efficacy around implementing newly acquired skills, approaches and techniques.

Evaluation of Development Centres by some of NBA's clients have uncovered the following benefits/results:

• Cost savings via improved effectiveness and better targeted development initiatives
• Participants' motivation and commitment to their current position increases
• Participants' perceptions of the organisation are enhanced and their commitment to the company increased
• The initiative enables the identification and support of "high flyers" but also provides the impetus for all individuals to achieve their potential
• Skills/knowledge acquired through the Development Centre process are transferred back to the workplace
• Taking responsibility for personal development helps participants to cope more effectively with change
• Participants are keen to consider new ways of doing their current job
• The enhanced effectiveness of Development Centre participants has a positive knock-on effect with colleagues
• Participants are proactive in seeking further learning/development opportunities
• A stated commitment to on-going employee development enhances perceptions of organisation healthiness and effectiveness (on the part of staff, parent companies, shareholders etc)