The BBC established an in-house executive coaching program to help leaders develop skills to lead through constant change. The program includes over 85 coaches who provide approximately 500 coaching engagements per year. Coaches are senior BBC employees who complete an accredited training program. Coaching focuses on topics like leading change and developing relationships. Evaluation shows coaching helps leaders maximize their impact and the BBC benefits from applying learning to challenges.

1. Executive Coaching in the BBC
Jane Saunders
Coaching Network Manager

2. The Need for Coaching
• The constant climate of change causing insecurity,
reduced motivation, disengagement, need for
leadership and new ways of working
• Leaders need complex skills; vision, performance
management and people skills v command and
control
• Many employees are promoted to leadership roles
for which they have little preparation
• Training alone has proved insufficient in developing
the skills and competencies necessary
• A feeling of isolation at senior level
• The need to deliver!

3. What did we need?
• Structure
• Business objectives
• Skills training
• People to deliver it who believed in it
• Quality control
• An agreed definition…

4. Definition of Coaching
“The art and science of facilitating the
performance, learning and development of
another”
__________________________________
___
Skills Performance Development Transformation

5. Climate Change!
• The competition
• Challenge to the licence fee
• The technology
• New ways of working
• The geography
• The psychological contract

6. Intention of the Coach Network
…. to provide professional executive, leadership and
management coaching to support the BBC strategy,
equal to or better than that which is available
externally
And at a fraction of the cost to the licence payers

7. BBC Coach Network
c.85 Coaches
12 trainees
Coach Network
Manager
Coordinator

8. BBC Coach Network
Providing professional Executive Coaching across the
organisation
Coaching Programmes
approx 500 pa
•Executive, Leadership and
Management Coaching
•Transitional Coaching
•Career Management Coaching
•Short Sharp – ad hoc
• Coach Training
Coach Foundation Course
• Supervision
• Coaching Skills for
Managers
Coach
Development
Coach
Supervision
Strategic
Initiatives
Coaching
Consultancy
Evaluation
Awards
•International Prism Award for best coaching practice and
standards - International Coach Federation
•Best Coaching Programme - Training Journal
•Coaching Programme of the Year - World of Learning Awards

9. Portfolio of Coaching Programmes
Programme Leadership & Management Responsibilities
Executive Coaching
Senior Leader Leading and managing significant numbers of others/resources or
complex relationships. Aligned to identified Talent
Established Leader Established managers wishing to further skills in leading teams,
managing upwards, personal impact, confidence. Aligned to identified
Talent
Transitional Coaching Established and Senior Leaders and Managers transitioning to a new
role or into the BBC
Career Coaching Established managers who are seeking to manage their own careers
and create their own futures
Ad hoc coaching
programmes
Depending on the initiative could be for a specific group (e.g. a trainee
scheme) or open to any member of BBC staff
Coaching Skills for
Managers course
Any team leader or manager

10. Most Frequently Targeted Topics
• Leading change
• Developing key relationships
• Managing upwards
• Personal Development as a leader/manager
• Personal Confidence
• Career Management

11. The Coaches
Senior and established leaders and managers
• Application process
• 4 months training and mentored field work
• Commitment to :
- a minimum of 3 clients at any one time
- quarterly supervision
- continuing professional development

12. Qualities of BBC Coaches
• Presence
• EQ
• Organisational credibility
• Readiness
• Commitment

13. Coaches by Division
March 2011
Coaches by Division
March 2011
A&M, 9, 11%
BBC North, 1, 1%
BBC Studios and Post
Production, 1, 1%
BBC Trust, 1, 1%
BBC Worldwide, 1, 1%
Finance & Business, 1, 1%
Future Media, 4, 5%
Journalism, 24, 30%
Operations Group, 34, 42%
UKTV, 1, 1%
Vision, 5, 6%

14. Coach Training
• Delivered in house and accredited by:
The European Mentoring and Coaching Council
The International Coach Federation
• Final assessment determines whether or not the trainee
has reached the necessary standard to practise as a
BBC Coach

15. Executive Coach Training
The Coach Foundation Course – accredited by the EMCC
• Pre reading
• Module 1 - three days skills training, practice, observation and
feedback
• Six weeks field work supported by coach mentor
• Pre reading
• Module 2 - three days “digging deeper”, practice, observation and
feedback
• Six weeks field work supported by coach mentor
• Pre reading
• Module 3 - two days of final assessment plus tools and techniques

16. Continuous Development
• Supervision
– network requirement - quarterly
• Shared Learning Groups
– network requirement - 3pa
• CPD
– network requirement 3pa
• Individual Accreditation
– optional

17. Continuous Professional Development
• Supervision
• Shared learning
• Workshops
• Learning breaks
• Book club
• Master classes
• Individual accreditation

18. Supervision
• Formative – to facilitate learning which comes through reviewing
the client/coach relationship and encouraging reflection and self
awareness on the part of the Coach
• Normative – to promote consistent and best practise across the
Network by adherence to protocols and non directive approach
• Restorative –to facilitate personal development and to explore the
coaches own responses to clients issues

19. Coaching Skills for Managers
• Not just for managers!
• 2 day course for 12 participants
• Skills
– Listening
– Questioning
– GROW model
• Lots of practice in trios

20. Client
Coaching
Skills for
Managers
Course
Practice
Client
Trainee
Coach
CoachCoach
Observer
Coach
Mentor
Trainer
Facilitator
Supervisor
Self Generating

21. Quality
• National and International award winning
Internal Coaching Network
• Coach training industry body accredited
• Coaches selected and meet performance and
delivery standards/targets
• Coaches are supervised and developed
• Internationally recognised within the industry for
excellence and best practice

22. Evaluation Processes
• 3-ways
• Post coaching evaluation (immediate)
• Pilot process (coaching impact)
• Pulse check (coaches perspective)
• Training and CPD events

23. Benefits to the BBC
• The impact of clients being able to address their own
leadership, performance and effectiveness
• Quicker results from new appointments coached to
maximise impact, influence and effectiveness.
• Application of learning from leadership development to
organisational life by considering course input to client
specific situations
• Inexpensive means of providing professional Executive
Coaching, accredited Coach training , supervision and
development to high numbers of staff

24. • Confidential thinking space
• Agenda free challenge and feedback
• Raised awareness and expanded boundaries of
potential
• Opportunity to create a vision and a route to achieving
it
• The glue to make training stick
• Sense of being valued by the investment of resource
• Safety and rigour of working with professionally trained
coaches
• Coaches practise in accordance with industry best
practise
Benefits to the Client

25. Benefits to the Coaches
• Develops self, EQ, and own style of leadership
• Increases job satisfaction
• Widens knowledge of the BBC
• Cross divisional networking
• Accredited senior level coach training to add to
skill set

26. Themes from internal coaches:
• Time!
• Management support/commitment
• Organisational perspective/understanding
• Coach validation/feedback/development
• Client commitment
• Gaining recognition
Coach Perception – Biggest Challenge For An
Internal Coach

27. External Executive Coaches
• Who should have one?
• Who are the external coaches?
• What criteria underpinned their selection?

28. Key Characteristics of BBC Coaching
• The intervention is a combination of exploration, challenge, support
and feedback with the Coach and Client working as equal thinking
partners
• It is confidential after the initial 3Way conversation to set objectives
and success measures with Line Manager
• The ultimate client is the organisation
• Clients are nominated through line managers and/or HR for reasons
of development. Not a remedial intervention or to replace
appropriate line management
• Applications thought more appropriate for training, therapy,
counselling or mentoring are redirected as requ’d
• All Coaches achieve a professional level of practise before being
allocated clients and attend regular supervision while working within
an established framework and protocol.
• Coaches incorporate all coaching activities within their day job
• Coaching industry ethics apply

29. Success Factors
• Aligned to business/talent strategies and objectives
• Commitment of the Coaches
• Professionalism of the portfolio
• Rigour of the training and development
• Belief in the intervention
• Continuous Review
• Continuous Evaluation

30. Questions