An Cosantóir

22 COACHING AND MENTORING DEVELOPING LEADERS FOR A COMPLEX WORLD COACHING AND MENTORING DEVELOPING LEADERS FOR A COMPLEX WORLD The publication of the High-Level Action Plan (HLAP) on 13th July 2022, arising from the Government decision on the report of the Commission on Defence (CoDF) in February 2022, has positioned the Defence Forces (DF) on a path of change. A key element around structuring proposed change, is focusing on how we orchestrate the human infrastructure, because without the human infrastructure we cannot mount a meaningful defence of Ireland or its interests, as directed by Government. In essence, the DF can only be in a position to carry out the will of the Government if its personnel policies are consistent with the demands of the threats against it. Emerging threats will be as cognitive as they will be kinetic. Therefore, the DF must also be mindful of the competitions it is involved in, first focusing on emerging threats and countering threats to the security of Ireland and secondly, the competition for talent and the management of that talent. All organisations need leaders who invest in and emphasise the importance of talent management. How we, as members of the DF, integrate and engage with our colleagues and our resources, ensures people feel they are part of a team, especially junior members of the team. It also sets the tone for their time in the DF. The meaning behind one's work is unique to the individual and finding a sense of purpose can be difficult for some. Coaching and mentoring are military capability enablers if consistently understood and practiced. The purpose of mentoring is to enhance each individual's potential in order to achieve an intellectual edge or a capability enhancement. The lexicon around coaching and mentoring can be complex due to the different interpretation of the themes by different organisations. However, the DF is very clear on its definition: Mentoring: "A mentor is a more experienced individual willing to share knowledge with someone less experienced in a relationship of mutual trust" 1 . Coaching is defined as "unlocking people's potential to maximise their own performance. It is helping them to learn rather than teaching them." 2 Coaching aims to ask probing and challenging questions so that a person can find their own solutions to their own challenges. This process improves decision ownership and significantly increases the likelihood of sustained action, personal growth and goal achievement. Both coaching and mentoring are not new to the DF, they have been practiced for many years in an informal fashion. If we delve further back in time, the practice of coaching is mentioned by Socrates some 2000 years ago while mentoring first appears in Greek mythology further back than this. Having a coaching leadership style aims to create a culture of high performance. It focuses on the development of team members and encourages individuals to improve their skills and capabilities. Addressing their strengths and weaknesses, individuals can contribute to achieving the long-term goals of the organisation. Mentoring is a voluntary process, and the most successful mentoring will be driven by the mentee's goals and aspirations. Mentoring is a supportive, non-judgemental and constructive process. The mentor is there to provide an environment which promotes and encourages innovation, openness and honesty, which is free from consequence. A coaching style of leadership nests into the DF leadership philosophy of mission command and espouses collaboration, empowerment, fulfilment, learning and development. The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) utilises an integrated approach to leadership development noting 10% of development is as a result of formal education/courses, 20% of development is a result of developmental relationships, including coaching and mentoring, and 70% of development occurs through challenging workplace experiences. A key principle of the NZDF Leadership Development is 'leaders develop other leaders,' 3 which is also in line with our Leadership Doctrine. The DF has included a coaching approach to leadership in all career course syllabi, because the organisation believes in the efficacy of this approach. It is a behavioural expectation in their competency framework that leaders will integrate a coaching approach within their leadership style, asking questions and allowing members to reflect and think through their approach, rather than always 'telling' and 'directing'. One of the tools utilised in coaching and mentoring is John Whitmore's GROW model 4 as laid out below. The purpose of this model is to provide a framework for purposeful exploration, and it can be used in a wide range of contexts and workplace settings. Awareness, responsibility and the intention and skill to generate them through active listing and powerful questions are fundamental elements of the GROW model. By itself, GROW is not coaching, however it is a very useful tool to generate a conversation and relationship to help By BSM David O' Reilly

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