Garden Centre Boss Breaks Ground with Prestigious Qualification

The Operations Director of an award-winning Perthshire garden centre has broken new ground in achieving a prestigious staff coaching qualification.

Heather Borderie, who has worked for Glendoick Garden Centre for eight years, is Rowan Consultancy’s first student to graduate with the Institute of Leadership and Management’s Level 3 Award in Coaching. 

Perth-based Rowan Consultancy, an ILM approved centre, is the only organisation in Tayside offering the qualification, which enables first-line managers to learn coaching skills to empower their staff.  Coaching is a style of management which involves asking questions of staff and supporting them to find their own solutions, as opposed to the more traditional command-and-control style or the complete abdication of responsibility by the manager, leaving staff to sort things out on their own.

To achieve the qualification, Heather was required to take part in three days of face-to-face training in coaching skills, complete coaching practice and produce three written assignments demonstrating understanding of workplace coaching and her reflection on coaching in the workplace.

Heather said, “The assignments really stretch you – you really have to put the reading and practice in! It’s a big commitment and quite rightly so given the nature of the coaching relationship. I had a fabulous workplace coachee and it has been so satisfying seeing the development of the coachee and the team. I firmly believe that coaching is the way forward to develop employees in organisations. I also feel I have developed as a person – I was able to look in-depth at issues and situations that emerged and now feel fully competent should these arise in my coaching practice. I would like to thank my employers for their support in enabling me to achieve this qualification.”

Jane Cox, Director, Glendoick Garden Centre added, “I have watched Heather put her heart and soul into what has been a lengthy commitment and Glendoick is reaping the benefits. Her contribution to the company and, in particular, to staff development can be seen in greater productivity, loyalty and self-esteem. I’m truly delighted for her and for the staff.”

Rowan, which celebrates its 20^th anniversary in the Autumn, offers a range of ILM Coaching Qualifications including ILM Level 3 Award in Coaching, ILM Level 3 Certificate in Coaching, ILM Level 5 Certificate in Coaching and ILM Level 5 Diploma in Coaching.  These qualifications are all useful for managers who want to use workplace coaching skills to improve their team’s performance, and those wishing to train as freelance coaches.

Rachel Weiss, Senior Partner said, “Coaching skills are increasingly recognised as essential skills for managers as workplaces become leaner and work smarter. Coaching skills help managers to inspire and empower their team to solve problem themselves and access their creativity and initiative.  It is a cost-effective way to manage staff, freeing the manager’s time up for strategic matters, since staff can now handle operational issues more independently.”

As one of Scotland’s leading providers of personal and organisational growth and development services, Rowan works with a range of clients from pupils and teachers to employees and private individuals, offering coaching, workplace mediation, training and counselling.

In 20 years, Rowan has seen over 3,000 counselling clients and delivered training to a similar number within businesses across Perthshire, Dundee, Angus and Fife, and beyond. In addition to a core team of six, Rowan has 66 associate counsellors, trainers and coaches, working from London to Inverness.

For more information, telephone 01738 562005, email rowan@rowan-consultancy.co.uk or visit www.rowan-consultancy.co.uk.