COACHING
Coaching at Southern Railway
A Partnership Story with Buonacorsi
On June 9th Southern Railway were thrilled to find out that they had re-won their
franchise for the next five years! This article takes you through the story of one
of the factors that Southern Executives believe contributed to this success - an
investment in a coaching style of leadership. By Gill How
I
n December 2007, Southern Railway invest in the leadership capability of senior they needed to be having with their team
in partnership with coaching provider managers, to equip them with skills and members and own managers as they moved
Buonacorsi Consulting won a National knowledge necessary to move the organisation forward. The idea developed to equip
Training Award from the UK Skills Council for forward. With Buonacorsi he then identified managers with the coaching skills themselves
their coaching programme - linking investment that coaching could help managers build the which would also enable Southern to create
in a coaching style of leadership with business bridge between the leadership training and a sustainable solution. After a number of
results. In 2008 a significant statistical link was implementation of the associated learning in training experiments and research into options,
shown between effective employee engagement their day to day work. The initial application a commitment was made to offer a coaching
and the managers who had attended the of the coaching was to help managers develop qualification to a pilot of 18 senior managers
coaching programme. In 2009 Southern is from a range of disciplines in
delivering the coaching programme using its own
The idea developed to
the organisation. The then
resources, and is developing an internal coaching Operations Director, Chris
service supported by Buonacorsi. To date this equip managers with the Burchell, was asked to be
has been a four year journey of transforming
from the historic British Rail “command and
coaching skills themselves
sponsor of the pilot, and was
a participant too. Half way
control” management style to a facilitative and
which would also enable
through he was promoted to
coaching style of leadership. How has this been Managing Director as Charles
achieved and what did Southern and Buonacorsi
Southern to create a
moved on, and his commitment
gain and learn? to the coaching programme
Let’s start at the beginning. Who are the
sustainable solution
fortunately remained intact!
players and how did this story start? Southern So what exactly is the
Railway is a train operating company a positive appreciation of their 360 degree coaching programme? It is a bespoke
employing approximately 4,200 staff and feedback, and to set goals to enable them to design, delivered over an eight month
operates train services between London and move forward with their own development. period, culminating in a Level 5 coaching
Brighton, along the Sussex coast and within What we learnt from this initial investment qualification from the Institute of Leadership
the south London metro area. Buonacorsi, in coaching was that Southern managers really and Management (ILM). This choice gave
which means “good travelling companion”, is a liked it. It helped them to take ownership of Southern and Buonacorsi the flexibility to
coaching and change management supplier, led their own development, and gave them the deliver the curriculum in line with the learning
by Gill How. Buonacorsi works in partnership confidence to tackle all the conversations style of the managers, complemented by
with client organisations to the rigour of an external
create and deliver solutions qualification. To gain their
which enable people and coaching practice, managers
transform results. Following the coached colleagues from other
start of its six year franchise areas of the business, to resist
in 2003, Southern embarked the temptation of offering
on an investment programme too much advice! For the
costing around one billion managers, the outcomes from
pounds which resulted in a new the coaching were thrilling,
fleet of trains, refurbishment a tangible example being a
of its train maintenance depots coachee gaining confidence
and stations, and substantial to apply for a promotion and
investment in customer service being successful! For the Head
training. To build on this, of Leadership and Behavioural
the then Managing Director, Development (L&BD), Zoey
Charles Horton, sponsored Hudson, there were a number
a training programme to of additional benefits, such
26 | Summer 2009 - rapport
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