Gavin Sharpe has spent the last 30 years working in the legal community, initially as a lawyer and as the CEO of a major legal recruitment company. Today he works as a Forbes business coach and therapist to help others unlock their full potential.
Have you ever wondered about any of the following?
- Why do some of the best lawyers make the least competent managers?
- Why do so many lawyers struggle with business development and the concept of “selling” their services?
- Why are rainmakers often the most difficult personalities?
- What are the behaviours/skills that will transform a great lawyer into a great leader?
- How can today’s generation of lawyers meet tomorrow’s leadership challenges?
If only we could get out of our own way and overcome the obstacles that block us, we could all become more productive. It is no different for lawyers. Lawyers can be cynical about coaching. Some fear it will be an exercise in fluffy naval gazing.
Coaching is about change. Our ethos is that change is measurable. There must be a return on investment for coaching to be successful. This lies at the heart of what we stand for.
Group Coaching
Groups create an opportunity for transformational change. When we see ourselves in others, we become vulnerable and open to change, even lawyers! This is where growth can flourish. There is nothing more powerful than working with a small group of people as they unlock their potential.
Coaching is a thought-provoking and creative partnership that inspires the client to maximise their potential.
Group coaching is based on the premise that all our learning, from the earliest moments of life occurs in a relational context. (Thornton, C. 2016). Grounded in core coaching competencies, group coaching brings the coaching conversation into a small group context. It’s an intimate conversation space, focused on goal setting, deepening awareness around key issues, taking action, and accountability. (Britton, J.2020.
Groups provide economies of scale. The investment in coaching a group of lawyers is less than coaching the same number on a one-to-one basis. The results are typically more transformational.
Group Coaching Programme For Lawyers
We design our programmes to suit an organisation’s needs.
Our six-month leadership & development programme is often the model we start with when planning a group coaching programme. We incorporate the global goals of the organisation together with the goals of each lawyer and aim to deliver measurable results for both parties. Those goals are clearly defined at the outset and reviewed and measured throughout the group coaching programme.
Over a six-month period, we offer a mix of individual coaching sessions which are placed around a set number of core group coaching days. Participants meet in between the monthly sessions to review and implement their experiences.
At the end of the period, we review the goals set at the outse and measure the change that has occurred.
Who Should Attend?
Group coaching sessions are typically for lawyers at the same level in their development. For example, group coaching might be suitable for a cohort of senior associates, salaried partners or senior equity partners.
Themes
The idea of group coaching is to meet the individual needs of all participants, hence there is a homogeneity to each group. Typical themes include:-
- Developing A Leadership Brand
- Excel At Business Development
- Effective Communication and EQ
- What Does It Take To Be A Rainmaker?
Why Do Training and Corporate Offsites Often Fail?
Many offsite company retreats fail. There is a short-term boost to morale after some fluffy offsite activity but everyone soon returns to doing what they did before. Nothing changes if nothing changes.
The aim here is to unlock the leadership potential of each individual within a group context. A process of self-discovery creates a substantive shift in self-awareness which once seen is hard to unsee. In group coaching, each participant is held accountable for their personal development and also takes responsibility for the group which further enhances the internal growth.
Group coaching brings people together with a shared focus with the intention of individual development. Unlike most training, success is measured.
In summary, coaching is about removing the roadblocks that we often self-impose between ourselves and our potential success. This is not training where an expert looks to impart their knowledge to others. It is a fluid, dynamic process where transformational change can and does occur.
Please contact us for more information on all our coaching programmes.
