Leadership coaching

What coaching is

Leadership coaching is a confidential one-on-one service for BC Public Service leaders seeking support to work through challenges, accelerate their development, build relationships and maximize business results through high performing teams.

How coaching works

In a coaching relationship, your success is driven by your own commitment and actions. You are accountable for making your own decisions and creating the results you desire. The level of energy and effort you invest in your goals directly influences what you gain from coaching. Much of the work and progress occurs between sessions by determining what you want to achieve before you do something, taking action, reflecting on your experiences afterward, embracing feedback and fully valuing your coaching time. The more intentional and engaged you are, the more transformative your coaching experience will be.

Leadership coaching sessions are virtual. The duration and frequency of your coaching sessions are customized by you and your coach based on your goals, desired outcomes and operational needs.

Who coaching is for

If you are experiencing leadership or business challenges or wish to advance in your career and master leadership at the next level, coaching is for you. All existing and emerging leaders can benefit from receiving coaching and adopting a coaching approach to their work with others. Leadership coaching is available to people leaders, including frontline supervisors and managers (included and excluded, Band 1 to3) and senior leaders and emerging executives (Band 4 to 6).

What to expect from coaching

Leadership coaching provides confidential one-on-one support with your day-to-day leadership challenges and development needs. Each session increases your self-awareness and confidence and translates constructive feedback into improved leadership behaviours. A leadership coach can help establish the customized support you'll need to meet your goals.

Senior leaders and emerging executives (Band 4 to 6) will work closely with our most experienced leadership coaches. These coaches  support you to overcome challenges, accelerate progress towards organizational priorities and determine innovative ways to deliver services and engage your senior leadership teams. They can also guide you in achieving your aspiration to becoming an executive in the BC Public Service.

Coaching benefits

Coaching supports the development of important leadership qualities. Common areas of focus include:

• Leadership impact: Projecting confidence, humility and clear communication in ways that inspire trust and increase positive impact and influence.
• Strategic orientation: Focusing on strategy, building relationships and trust in negotiations, leading teams and change, managing upwards and balancing interested party and organizational needs. Assessing and understanding business challenges and development needs.
• Reconciliation, equity, diversity and inclusion (REDI): Understanding, embracing, and leading REDI initiatives within the organization. Increasing comfort with conversations and situations surrounding identities and differences.
• Self-reflection: Increasing awareness of impact and influence. Challenging current limitations and unleashing potential.
• Goal attainment: Alignment of goals with values and increased structure and accountability. Increasing success in achieving goals.
• Clarity and confidence: Making important decisions and taking action, which impacts team productivity, engagement and business results.
• Adaptability to change: Behavioural change through shifts in mindset and greater perspective.
• Career transition: Supporting successful transition into new or more senior leadership roles, including transition to executive roles.
• Communication and collaboration: Developing clearer communication and better collaboration within teams to enhance team success.  
• Coaching others: Ability to support others in setting clear and measurable goals. Ensuring action, accountability, and measuring progress to achieve goals. Enhanced critical thinking and real-time problem-solving and building relationships.

Feedback from others

"These coaching sessions have really allowed me to make a shift in my outlook in my current position. In past positions, I was always able to rely on my technical background… In my current role, I now realize that 'leadership' is the basis of the job and that I can learn how to improve my leadership skills.”

“I now see myself as an innovative leader with new ideas and perspectives to share and this inspiration continues to enhance my productivity as I explore opportunities to make even greater contributions to the public service."

“I’ve had experience with contracted executive coaches outside the public service but wasn’t sure what to expect with this internal offering… it has exceeded every expectation I had, and my work with my internal coach has been the best coaching experience in my career. It has helped me improve as a leader and a person.”