Universities: Coaching, Mentoring, Leadership and Management

An encouraging trend emerging across universities—both in our region and beyond—is the increasing recognition of the value of professional services in delivering coaching, mentoring, and leadership and management training. While universities excel in academic teaching and research, many are now acknowledging a gap in internal vocational and leadership development. Addressing this shortfall is a positive and progressive step forward.

At Alternative Partnership, we have worked to support a university in West Yorkshire by providing one-to-one coaching to senior professional staff. The decision by these organisations to invest in coaching is a clear indication that they are open to change and development, and that they recognise the critical role leadership plays in shaping institutional success.

Why Coaching Matters in the University Context

Engaging with a management coach represents a conscious choice to explore new ways of thinking and working. Often, the starting point in any coaching journey is a simple, yet profound, realisation: “Things could be done differently.” Whether this insight comes from internal reflection or external pressures, it signals a readiness for growth.

Importantly, the mindset of the individual entering the coaching process, whether they are doing so voluntarily or through encouragement, can have a significant impact on the success of the programme. Coaching thrives when individuals are open, motivated, and willing to reflect honestly on their current approach.

It’s worth emphasising that seeking help or guidance is not a weakness. On the contrary, it’s increasingly recognised as a mark of emotional intelligence and professional maturity. Leadership is not just about directing others; it’s also about understanding oneself.

The Role of the 360-Degree Review

One of the most impactful tools we use in leadership coaching is the 360-Degree Review. This process provides a comprehensive, objective view of an individual’s leadership skills, based on feedback from a range of colleagues—line managers, peers, direct reports, and sometimes external stakeholders.

While self-assessment has its place, it is inevitably limited by personal bias. As poet Robert Burns famously observed, “Oh, would some Power the gift give us, to see ourselves as others see us!” The 360-Degree Review is designed to do just that. It offers a ‘multi-lens’ perspective, capturing how an individual is perceived by those around them, within the unique dynamics of organisational hierarchy and power structures.

Because people interact differently depending on perceived authority, the feedback gathered is not only honest but also revealing. It shows how leadership behaviours are received and interpreted at different levels, helping to identify strengths and areas for improvement.

Handling Feedback and Focusing on Growth

Naturally, feedback can provoke curiosity—or even discomfort. Individuals often want to know exactly who said what. However, the 360 process is confidential, and for good reason. To maintain integrity and encourage openness, only themes that appear consistently across multiple responses are fed back to the participant. This ensures the focus remains constructive and actionable, rather than personal or reactive.

The review typically assesses key leadership areas, including:

  • Communication
  • Availability and approachability
  • Emotional intelligence
  • Decision-making
  • Relationships with staff
  • Engagement with teams and external partners

Sub-themes—such as time management, meeting effectiveness, and delegation—often emerge from this analysis. Each area is scored on a scale from ‘excellent’ to ‘very low’, and trends are identified by looking for consistent ratings or strong opinions. Participants are also asked three valuable open-ended questions:

  1. What should the individual continue doing?
  2. What should they consider doing?
  3. What should they stop doing?

This combination of quantitative scoring and qualitative insight provides a well-rounded picture of current leadership behaviours. More importantly, it lays a clear foundation for targeted action and long-term development.

The Wider Benefits of Leadership and Management Training

Universities, like all complex organisations, rely heavily on the capability of their people, not only their subject matter experts but also their professional and leadership teams. By investing in leadership and management training, institutions benefit in several keyways:

  • Stronger, more confident decision-making
  • Improved staff engagement and communication
  • Healthier workplace culture and relationships
  • Better alignment between operational and strategic goals
  • Enhanced ability to lead change and foster innovation

Leadership development is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity for modern universities navigating change, complexity, and rising expectations from staff, students, and external partners.

At Alternative Partnership, we’re proud to support institutions that are making this investment. When leaders grow, organisations thrive—and the ripple effects can be transformative.

Developing Leaders

As a manager or leader, there’s always something new to learn or a skill you can improve and develop. Organisations need to support managers and leaders in this development, but you also need to invest in yourself.

Getting formal leadership and management training will not only help you build your leadership skills, but it will also help you grow in confidence and increase your chances of career progression.

Alternative Partnership delivers ILM-accredited Leadership and Management training programmes to support you and your teams in gaining formal, nationally recognised qualifications.

Find out more about our current ILM courses here or get in touch to discuss how our services could benefit you.

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Our Clients

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I am a Store Manager for a busy Retail Outlet and I decided to undertake my ILM Higher Management qualification.  I found the qualification excellent for developing my knowledge and understanding of higher management in business, especially when, part way through the course, I was promoted to a larger store and the ILM qualification was invaluable to my learning and management experience. Tina worked with me focusing on the training and development that I needed to succeed, which helped me to achieve the qualification, as well as, make business improvements to the running of my store.

I have worked with Alternative Partnership for many years now and I have achieved a number of qualifications with Tina’s help along my whole journey. She is always there for help and advice and I would definitely recommend Alternative Partnership to anyone who is wanting to complete a qualification to better their professional skills with full support and great mentoring by Tina.

Laura Baker, The Works

Working with Tina over the last few months has been extremely inspiring. Her passion and enthusiasm for business is infectious and you can tell immediately that she genuinely wants you to be a success. Tina pushed me into writing and publishing my first book. After a conversation with Tina,  I was able to build on some existing content and turn it into a useful resource for business owners. The book, A-Z of Blogging,  has had fantastic feedback and I am so proud of what I have achieved with it, none of which would have happened without Tina’s support and encouragement. I can’t recommend Tina and The Alternative Partnership highly enough to anyone wanting to move their business to the next stage.

Lisa Slater, Make Your Copy Count

Dear Tina, Thank you for the Business Coaching and guidance I have received from Alternative Partnership, especially in helping me to structure myself and Key West Pest Control. This has helped to make my business run more professionally, more structured and implementing policies and procedures whilst helping me acquire my ILM Higher Strategic Leadership and Management qualification. I would have no hesitation in recommending you or your company. A big thank you.

Sean Mclean, Key West Pest Control Ltd

I wanted to have the pleasure of working with Alternative Partnership and Tina again. Tina discussed my training needs and recommended an ILM Higher Leadership and Management qualification. I thought this might be impossible for me, but yet again, Tina’s great way of communicating to develop my understanding by putting things across, in a way that simplified the information was really helpful to me and supported what it was I needed to do to achieve success. The ILM Higher Leadership and Management Diploma Level 4 course were for 18 months and Alternative Partnership, especially Tina, ensures all students achieved great results. To that end, I successfully completed the course three months before the originally planned time. Anyone wanting to build their professional knowledge, gain confidence in the work they do and experience a great journey, I would highly recommend looking at working with Alternative Partnership and I personally look forward to making my next journey.

Richard Daniels, Morrison Utility Services

Through their excellent service and commitment, we were able to show a remarkable improvement in the quality of service we offer to all our customers. The initial training provided to all our 66 staff who was involved in the Customer Service qualification has been of great benefit to the company, in the way they interact with our customers and deal with their enquiries. Of the 66 people 8 of those progressed to a higher Customer Service qualification with Alternative Partnership.

Julie Asbury, La Redoute

I would like to thank Tina for her exceptional support and guidance whilst completing the ILM Higher Diploma in Leadership and Management Level 4. The knowledge and skills I have gained both from Tina and the course content is invaluable and has and will continue to improve my professional and personal progression. Tina was a constant support, including times when I was uncertain on how to tackle a particularly difficult unit. I couldn’t thank Tina enough and would highly recommend her to anyone who wants to improve their own knowledge and skills in the leadership and management profession.

Lisa Vickers, Total Fitness
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