Marketing in the UK may produce many talented individuals, but worryingly few are destined for senior levels. Enter The Marketing Academy, a charity set up by Sherilyn Shackell to turn ‘the marketing talent of today, into the leaders of tomorrow’. And she persuaded a team of coaches to help her do it
Back in 2009, Sherilyn Shackell, a well-known figure in the world of talent management and executive search, had a vision to set up an academy to address what many saw as a worrying void of senior leadership capability coming through from marketing in the UK.
By any number of accounts, Shackell’s enthusiasm is highly infectious, and she soon got others on board. One of them was Katherine Tulpa, co-founder of Wisdom8 and CEO of Association for Coaching (AC) Global.
Tulpa agreed to work pro bono to design, source and lead the Coaching Faculty for Shackell’s charity, the Marketing Academy (or the Marketing Hall of Legends, as it is also known.). The aim of the Academy is to turn “the marketing talent of today, into the leaders of tomorrow”.
Tulpa also persuaded a team of coaches from Wisdom8 and the AC to offer their services pro bono too, coaching a cohort of 25 scholars – marketing graduates with three to nine years’ experience, working in the UK within organisations ranging from large global brands including Google, Unilever and Saatchi & Saatchi, to small agencies.
The third coaching cohort of scholars went live in June, with 24 out of the original 30 coaches committing to taking part. The Academy recently graduated its 2012 scholars at a glitzy gala event at the O2 Arena, London.
Thirty scholars were selected for each of the second and third cohorts. Recent feedback confirms that coaching has proven to be one of the favourite elements of the scholars’ learning and development programmes.
Also on their agenda is mentoring from expert leaders and some of the UK’s largest brands; CEO ‘lunch and learns’; learning faculty days on themes including design and strategy, and a personal leadership workshop.
To ensure there was a consistent thread for the coaches to work to, with key measures and outcomes, Tulpa designed a generic ‘coaching journey and framework’ (with individual flexibility). She ran a series of briefings with coaches, mentors, and then the scholars.
The role of the coach has been defined as a “partner in helping (scholars) to navigate through their learning experiences and deliverables. The coach will also play the role of challenger, facilitator and sounding board – to enable the scholar to achieve their higher ‘stretch’ goals and grow as a leader”.
In the second year, strengths consultancy CAPP came on board and scholars had access to CAPP’s Realise2 Strengths Tool, which they were positive about.
During the course of the year, the team of coaches came together in learning days, and in group supervision calls, to discuss key learning.
The coaches included Adrian Goodall, Adrienne Candy, Alison Down, Anna Inama, Barbara Watkinson, Darren Robson, Jane Adshead-Grant, Lindsay Wittenberg, Gail MacIndoe and Boris Prigmore.
The coach: Lindsay Wittenberg
For me as a coach the experience has been inspiring as these young people have an energy and an openness to learning that is infectious. I’ve also encountered challenges that don’t arise with the age group that I’m used to coaching (mid 40s upwards, who are established in their careers and who at least have a notion of the kind of leaders they’d like to be). In particular, I’ve needed to be on the lookout for finding myself in the role of ‘Wise Adviser’, ‘Nurturer’, ‘Solution Provider’ or ‘Expert’… I need to be alert to the appropriateness of their finding the value in their own way of doing things, however inexperienced they may feel.
The scholar
I have implemented many lessons, which has improved my delegation skills, presentation ability and the way I interact and communicate with colleagues.
Frankly, a key reason for staying in my current organisation has been the coaching I have received… I have also transformed the way I interact with people. [What I am going to do differently] is: show my passion and energy; stand up for my views [and have a view!]; reject mediocrity… I’ve gained greater self-confidence, I’m more efficient with my time, I know the type of leader I want to be and thus I’m clear on how to nurture those around me without waiting for management [to initiate action].
I feel empowered to make a difference.
The coach: Gail MacIndoe
The scholar: Bryn Snelson (eHarmony)
The key enlightening moment was realising that I had strengths and a strong value set in my personal life that I wasn’t bringing into my work life, such as creating strong personal bonds, openness and loyalty within my friendship groups… Developing a greater sense of who I am and what I stand for has made me a more authentic leader. This has resulted in finding my own style and giving my stakeholders greater direction and building stronger connection.
That I was promoted to marketing director half way through the coaching is testimony to the mark of my successful development.
The coach: Anna Inama
The scholar: Selena Sykes (Unilever)
This year I have received so much brilliant advice, insight and stimulus about leadership. Coaching has been the glue that has made this come together and actually stuck with me.
My sessions with Anna have helped me process this information and how it makes sense for me. It has also developed my own self-awareness so I can actually understand myself better before applying my learnings…
My key learning is the importance of authentic leadership and what that looks like for me. I now have more clarity and confidence to be the best leader I can be and how doing this can fulfil my own personal and professional goals…
I am [now] more thoughtful in my approach to business relationship and especially my direct reports. I understand what can strengthen and make those relationships more productive.
The Coach: Adrian Goodall
I must confess that, dressed in my suit from a client meeting in the City, I felt a little uncomfortable when I arrived at the Marketing Academy’s launch party – so much vodka, so much fun and energy, so little grey hair. Not at all like my usual client ‘chemistry’ sessions.
But it was impossible not to be drawn into the enthusiasm, the buzz and the passionate, flame-haired swirl that is Sherilyn Shackell of the Marketing Hall of Legends.
It has been a pleasure to witness [the scholar] take on the challenges of management, expand his horizons and grow in confidence.
He is now beginning to believe in himself as a marketing executive, intelligent leader and change-maker – one with passion for how business can be different and better, and one with commitment for his role in making that happen.
The scholar: Mark Chamberlain (Millward Brown)
I wasn’t expecting to meet my coach at the party. I didn’t even really know what a coach was!
Fast forward to our last hour and a half coaching session eleven months later… I couldn’t believe the huge amount of learning I had been exposed to.
Significant progress in areas I had told Adrian I wanted to develop… The person Adrian was recounting from the first session was the not the same person who was listening to him now… Adrian listened far more than he talked and gently guided me to my
own conclusions.
If he thought my thinking needed exposure to a different perspective he would point it out and leave me to decide whether I needed to reconsider.
Coaching at Work, Volume 7 , issue 5