For some small and medium business equipping their staff with IT skills, isn't on the top of their agenda,especially if work is particularly busy and stressful. So why not consider the services of an IT coach and skills builder working with your staff as they need to perform their duties.

The benefits are clear:-

1. The member of staff gains IT skills as they carry out their daily/monthly IT tasks.

2. The coaching and skills building approach, works towards the National Occupational Standards, and can act as a bridge between the time the company is able to find/set up a suitable course for staff.

3. The coaching and skills building can enhance the learning potential in members of staff. Thus increasing their probability of passing an IT course and gaining an important industry qualification

4. The company is able to meet targets and deadlines, through improved worker performance.

As a coach and skills builder I work with your staff until they feel confident in the IT task(s) they need to do and can recognise how to build on these skills. Managing their own IT learning.

Q.Having someone watch while I work makes me feel nervous and I make mistakes. How will coaching and skills building help me to learn?

A.There are two points here. First of all most people feel that when they are observed doing a task, the person who is doing the observing is judging performance,and this creates pressure. You as a performer want to be seen as doing the task right.

The purpose of the coaching and skills building is not judgement. It is to gauge what knowledge you already have and demonstrate what tools and techniques are are available to you. Identifying and adding to your abilities so that you can get your task done fast and efficiently.

Secondly in my experience mistakes often happen, when a person has little knowledge about the capabilities of the tool or medium they are using to complete their task. This leaves the person tending to only rely on the method they know and reluctant to investigate further. With coaching I can show you that taking the opportunity to investigate,can save time and furnish you with new skills.

Q.Isn't a coach and skills builder just extra cost to a company's Training and Development budget?

A.As a company,what if you clinch an important contract that increases the work load of your staff. You want to meet the contract requirements so your company is able to grow. But how can your staff fulfil this if some of them lack the necessary skills to do it. Can you afford to spend your time delegating someone to sort out suitable courses? Or wouldn't it be great to pick up the phone to someone, who can come in and equip your staff with the ability to deal effectively,with the work load as it arrives?