Taking up the role of Relationship Manager for the Social Innovation Pioneers programme has been one of the most inspirational and developmental activities I have ever undertaken at Deloitte.
In this role, my goal was to support my Pioneer to go to scale. This involved working closely for a year with The Brightside Trust, a social enterprise which provides a unique e-mentoring portal to universities, businesses and other charities, helping young people achieve their full potential through education, employment and self-employment.
I am an experienced management consultant and a certified Executive Coach. Executive coaching is a facilitative one-to-one, mutually designed relationship between a professional coach and a key contributor who has a powerful position in an organisation. My skills and knowledge came together perfectly and over the course of the year, I was able to provide sustained guidance, support and challenge that allowed Brightside to put in place strategies to develop and grow their business. On reflection, I believe the role empowered me to become a Business Coach to my Pioneer.
In my view, like a consultant, a good business coach should have the acumen to diagnose specific areas for development or change in a business but added to this, they should have the strength to support that business to deliver on the solution rather than jumping in and doing it for them. As their business coach I became a trusted advisor to key individuals as well as the business as a whole and as their Relationship Manager I provided access to a unique package of structured support offered by Deloitte. It has been a real privilege to become an extended member of the Brightside team and to share their journey to success.
Find out more about Deloitte Social Innovation Pioneers, which has now launched year two of the programme.
Janet McGuigan
Janet is a Senior Manager in Deloitte's Public Sector
Consulting Practice. She is a Chartered Marketer and
Associate of the International Coaching Federation.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
