Merthyr Tydfil Housing Association may be small but it is ambitious, we want to be successful and we want to be a place where people are happy to come to work. We recognise that work plays a significant part of people’s lives but we also want to encourage balance – work should be the means to an end, not the end in itself. These two beliefs may seem to contradict one another – is it really possible to have a successful business where staff want to come to work and are not required to work exceptionally long hours? We believe it is.
Working in partnership with Tri-Level we have delivered a coaching programme with the objective of achieving that balance. We have also used Tri-Level to deliver coaching in situations where individual members of staff are facing challenges in the workplace, giving them an opportunity to reflect and determine their course of action.
Without exception every member of staff who has participated in the coaching programme has said they have benefited from it, both personally and professionally. If we work from the premise that successful change comes from within rather than being imposed, then for Merthyr Housing to change and sustain success, our staff are crucial. Through coaching it has been possible to ‘unlock’ (for staff to identify and articulate) what needs to change and what are the critical factors that will assist or inhibit positive change within both their personal and private lives.
We are still at the beginning of a process, the initial stepping stones have been laid and we are moving forward. Tri-Level Coaching has played a key role in enabling us to do this. They have offered professional, independent, impartial support through coaching. As an employer we have received feedback about ‘threads’ running through coaching sessions, this will enable us as an organisation to respond, learn and grow.
We believe that coaching is a powerful tool for both the individual and the organisation. We are delighted to have been introduced to the Tri-Level team. It is clear from feedback from our staff that they have built trust and rapport and they are helping us to unlock the potential of our biggest asset – our staff.
Karen Dusgate Chief Executive MTHA.