Leadership and Coaching

The 70:20:10 model for learning and development¹ posits that 70% of learning is role-based, and occurs on the job; 20% of learning is network-based, and occurs through coaching and mentoring; and 10% of learning is achieved through formal training.

2.   Knowing, Doing, Being

According to the Australian Public Service Commission, "being an effective leader in the APS is a combination of Knowing, Doing and Being".² The best leaders are those who are able to excel in these three domains. LINK Learning's leadership programs are specifically designed to improve participants' knowledge and skills in these areas.  

3.   The Whole Brain Model^TM 

The Whole Brain Model provides a simple yet effective framework for leaders to develop their own self-awareness, and to improve their understanding of others. This consistently leads to improvements in key leadership domains such as:

• communication
• time and people management
• strategic planning
• problem solving
• developing a vision
• implementing initiatives.

4.   Coaching and Mentoring

LINK Learning places a high importance on coaching and mentoring in the workplace. LINK therefore not only provides coaching and mentoring support as part of every leadership program; we also teach leaders how to be effective coaches and mentors to their staff. Leaders gain the necessary skills and knowledge to be able to assist their own subordinates to achieve their individual personal and professional development objectives.

LINK personnel have significant experience in coaching both individuals and teams in a wide variety of situations. Although this is often within the parameters of a broader capability development initiative, such as a Leadership program, LINK is also able to offer personalised executive coaching packages to APS staff from the EL1 to SES Band 2 level.

Track Record

LINK has designed and delivered leadership capability development programs for a number of clients:

• Executive Development And Coaching program for the Australian Bureau of Statistics
• Branch leadership coaching within the Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Services
• Branch leadership coaching within the Department of Finance and Deregulation
• Manager As Coach workshops for the Australian National Audit Office
• Review and development of materials for the Fundamentals of Supervision program within the Department of Immigration and Citizenship
• Design and development of an upwards feedback process for team leaders in the Department of Finance and Deregulation
• Design and delivery of a Situational Leadership program for KAZ.

Case Study: The Australian Bureau of Statistics Executive Development and Coaching program

LINK has delivered Executive Development and Coaching (EDAC) programs to the ABS since 2005. We typically work with cohorts of 20 EL2s over a 3-6 month period; however this has occasionally been modified for smaller State Office leadership teams, as well as to larger work areas within the organisation.

Our EDAC leadership model works on three levels for both Input and Support. Input is received in the following ways:

• Individual: leaders identify the key capabilities that they require development in, through diagnostic tools such as HBDI

• Team/Peer: leaders develop these capabilities in a team and/or peer context, where they can receive constructive feedback, facilitated by LINK consultants

• Collegiate: leaders meet together on a regular basis for capability development workshops, which are focused on common key areas that require development (e.g. Strategic Relationships).

Support is received in the following ways:

• Individual: leaders are coached on a one-to-one basis by qualified LINK consultants

• Team/Peer: the small peer groups help to build important bonds of friendship

• Collegiate: leaders work together on real case studies that they are each facing; they begin to collectively own each other’s development.

_{2  http://www.apsc.gov.au/strategiccentre/leadershipdevelopmentstrategy.pdf}