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silver-lily-louise · 5 years ago

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A Whole New World - a Shadowhunters fanfic

Chapter 2 - A New (Fantastic) Point of View

Summary: In which Magnus - with the help of Disney's 'Aladdin' - clears up some discrepancies, and Alec most definitely does NOT get flustered. Credit goes to Disney’s ‘Aladdin’ for all titles so far. A/N: Towards the end of this chapter, when they're discussing how the genie in 'Aladdin' is a prisoner, there's some talk of past slavery practices regarding genies. I believe I've handled it sensitively, but please let me know if anything needs adjusting.

Chapter 1: AO3 / Tumblr Chapter 2: AO3 / or read it below!

~oOo~

When he wakes up, a part of him thinks that he must have dreamed it all. A genie? A magic lamp? It feels absurd to even consider it. This kind of thing just doesn’t happen, and certainly not to people like him.

But as he stretches, blinking the sleep from his heavy eyes and yawning cool awareness into his brain, the memories clarify, and he knows that they feel too real to be anything but. Still, after he slides on his slippers and shrugs into a hoodie to stave off the chill, he wanders into the living room, and his stomach flips when he catches sight of the lamp on the mantelpiece.

He turns to the kitchen, and Magnus is there, looking just as decadent in teal as he did in scarlet the day before. He’s leaning back in one chair, his legs propped up on a second, a heavy book in one hand and what appears to be a mimosa in the other. When Alec enters the kitchen, his eyes flick over, and a wide smile spreads across his face as he puts the book down. ‘Ah, good morning, Alexander. Hungry?’ ‘Yeah, starving,’ Alec says, feeling the beginnings of an instinctive, wondering smile on his own face.

Magnus swings himself around until he’s sitting up properly in his chair, and waves a hand across the table. Two plates of Belgian waffles, a jug of maple syrup, a bowl of chopped strawberries, and a cup of coffee appear on the table. ‘Your coffee – cream or sugar?’ Alec manages to collect himself enough to answer, though he can’t quite bring his eyebrows down from his hairline. ‘Uh, no – black’s good.’ He takes a seat opposite Magnus, helping himself to strawberries. ‘Wait, is this one of my wishes?’ he asks, mostly as a joke. He doesn’t think it would be, but what does he know about how all this works? Magnus snorts. ‘Please. As if I’d let you waste a wish on something so trivial.’ He looks at Alec, tilting his head in that same assessing way he did the night before. ‘So, you’re convinced that all of this is real now, hm?’ ‘I’m… seventy percent convinced,’ Alec allows, drizzling a thin hatching of syrup over his breakfast. Magnus beams at him. ‘My, my, a thirty percent jump in a single night? You flatter me, Alexander.’ He elbows his book gently to one side as he nabs the bowl of strawberries, and Alec glances at the cover. ‘Les Mis?’ he says. Magnus hmms an affirmative around his first mouthful of waffle. ‘I must admit, I avoided it for a long time – I tend to get a little bored when a story drags on past three volumes. But, you know. When I got stuck, and it became apparent I was in for something of an extended stay, I took the opportunity to catch up on some of the lengthier works I’d yet to read. It’s quite good – though I must say, it’s a lot… bleaker, without the rousing musical numbers to liven things up.’

They eat in a strangely comfortable silence for a while, before Alec’s curiosity gets the better of him. ‘So these… wishes,’ he says. ‘I’m a little lost. How does it all work?’ ‘Fairly much as you’d expect,’ Magnus says with a shrug. ‘You ask for something, and if it’s reasonable, I give it to you.’ ‘Reasonable like… possible? Or reasonable like ‘a good idea’?’ ‘A combination of the two – I can do many things that you may have previously considered impossible, but I have both my limits and my standards. I rarely deny wishes, but when I do, there’s always good cause for it.’

Alec mulls that over. He didn’t even know that genies could refuse wishes. Or travel. Or… well, the point is, every time he thinks he understands the situation here – ridiculous as it is – Magnus reveals something that highlights just how clueless he is. An idea forms in his head, and he clears his throat to voice it before he can chicken out. ‘You know,’ he says, ‘I think I’d feel more – prepared, for the responsibility of these wishes, if I knew more about… all of this.’ He gestures to the breakfast, to Magnus, behind him towards the lamp, before forging ahead. ‘So. With that in mind, it’s occurred to me that the only point of reference I really have is Aladdin.’ Magnus’ nose wrinkles at the mere mention of the film. ‘So I have an idea. It’s my day off, so why don’t we hang out for a while, and you can tell me everything they got wrong? Then I’ll know where I stand.’ He smiles, hoping it doesn’t come across as nervous as he feels.

Magnus frowns a little, humming in consideration as he finishes his drink. The silence stretches long enough that Alec starts to internally berate himself – you idiot, he’s a powerful magical being, he doesn’t want to ‘hang out’ with you and talk about a movie he hates – but by the time he puts down his glass, Magnus’ frown has cleared, a small smile in its place. ‘Sounds like fun,’ he says. He waves a hand, instantly clearing the table, and begins moving into the living room, where he snaps his fingers and an instantly recognisable title menu appears on the T.V.. ‘Oh – we don’t have to actually watch it,’ Alec says, back-pedalling. ‘Nonsense,’ Magnus counters, ‘it’ll be much easier to explain the mistakes as we go along.’ He settles into a corner of the couch which faces the T.V., shifting a couple of pillows behind him to get comfortable. ‘Besides, I may dislike the inaccuracies, but as I mentioned earlier, I do enjoy a rousing musical number.’ His eyes shine, almost hypnotic, as he gestures for Alec to take a seat beside him, and Alec finds himself doing so, finding that he’s suddenly incredibly thoughtful about the exact meaning of the phrase respectable distance.

The movie begins to play, and Alec tries to relax into the familiarity of it, but he’s hyper-aware of the sheer weirdness of his situation. He’s sitting there, watching Aladdin – a movie he and Jace must have seen hundreds of times as children – as a grown man in his own apartment, sitting next to an actual, dazzling, real-life, eight-hundred-year-old genie.

Jace would never fucking believe this, he thinks.

***

The first few scenes of the movie pass without much comment – apparently, Magnus’ issues with the movie don’t concern the worldbuilding. Alec’s first query comes when Aladdin starts to explore the Cave of Wonders. ‘So, question – magic carpets? Is that a thing?’ ‘They used to be,’ Magnus says. ‘They still exist, but they’re not a popular travel option these days. Too many cameras about. Before, if someone outside of the magical world spotted you, they’d likely be called crazy. Nowadays, a shot of a flying carpet would go viral in seconds, and it’s such a pain trying to keep the whole thing invisible while you’re trying to steer, too. I tried it around a decade ago, and I nearly crashed into the Eiffel Tower.’

The lamp comes into shot, and Magnus snorts. ‘Ugh. As if any self-respecting genie would reside in such a plain lamp. What’s the point of immortality if you don’t live a little?’ He waves towards his own lamp; Alec swears that it glows for a moment, and he grins. Show-off. ‘Now that,’ Magnus continues proudly, ‘is a lamp. Tasteful, not gaudy – but still decorative, still interesting to look at.’ ‘Minimalism hasn’t caught on in the magical world, then?’ Alec asks teasingly. ‘Not among genies, at least. By and large, we have excellent taste.’

Aladdin rubs the lamp, and Alec asks, ‘Another mistake?’ Magnus tilts his hand back and forth, in a gesture that says eh, sort of. ‘Technically, that would work. Sort of like how if an earthquake hit, you’d likely jump out of bed. It’s a little annoying for those of us on the other side, though.’ He turns to Alec, raising an eyebrow. ‘As you can probably guess, from how I tried to shake you off last night.’ It takes Alec a moment to remember what he means. ‘Oh, with the – oh.’ His hand moves unconsciously to the nape of his neck, and he feels sheepish. It seems so obvious now. ‘Of course. That was you. I thought it was just some weird, vibrational echo or something. Actually, I thought it might be some sort of damage to the lamp.’ Magnus chuckles. ‘Yeah, I can understand how that would make more sense to you. For future reference, though – if I’m in the lamp and you need me, asking politely works just as well as shaking my whole house.’ ‘Noted.’

Onscreen, the genie gives the rules for wish-making. ‘Two of those are accurate,’ Magnus confirms. ‘Necromancy isn’t possible without dark, dark magic, far beyond even the most powerful genies. And wishing for more wishes isn’t something any genie will grant – we’re not beholden to some sort of magical contract, wish-wise. We make an offer we think is fair, and we stick to our word.’ He rolls his eyes. ‘Most of us, anyway. There are a few rotten apples in every bushel, right?’ Alec nods. ‘Makes sense. So wishes are more like… gifts?’ ‘Exactly. It’s just a way we repay favours, or choose to make life more interesting. It’s nice using one’s powers to give someone else what they want for a change. Try it, next time you’re bored.’ Alec smiles. ‘Huh. Cool idea.’ He pauses, remembering how they got onto this topic. ‘Wait, so you can make people fall in love?’ ‘Of course. It’s honestly not that difficult – a bit of brain chemistry here, a dash of soul-shifting there, et voila. But personally, I’ve only done it once.’ ‘Why?’ Magnus shrugs. ‘It doesn’t feel right to me, usually. I wouldn’t want someone to alter my thoughts that way, to mess around with my emotions. It seems a horribly personal invasion. On the odd occasion that I’m asked to do it, I refuse. I tell the wish-maker to pick something else.’ ‘Except for one time?’ Alec prompts gently. Magnus is quiet for a moment. ‘You don’t have to tell me if you’d rather not,’ Alec assures him. Magnus shakes his head. ‘No, it’s okay, it’s just…’ He sighs. ‘The one time I granted that wish was to a young gay woman a couple of centuries ago. She was due to be wed in an arranged marriage, and she couldn’t bear the thought of spending her life with someone she knew she’d never have feelings for, no matter how kind he was. So she asked me to make her fall in love with him, and I agreed.’ He glances at Alec, briefly flashing a sad smile. ‘She was happy, after that – she went through with the wedding, their families were overjoyed, and she raised three beautiful children with a good man whom she cherished, and who cherished her in return. But I wonder, sometimes, if I made the right choice. If there wasn’t some – some great wrong, there, in helping someone to deny something so fundamental about themselves.’ He settles back on the sofa, attention returning to the screen. ‘I think about her a lot, actually. I can only pray she didn’t come to regret it; that I did a good enough job, so that she didn’t feel like something was off, or like something was missing.’

‘Hey.’ Alec reaches out, places a hand on Magnus’ shoulder. ‘She was hurting, and you did the best you could to help her. You tried to make her happy – and from what you’re saying, it seems to me like you succeeded. I don’t think that’s wrong.’ Magnus turns back to face him, and under the weight of those golden eyes, Alec suddenly becomes self-conscious, quickly removing his hand. ‘Thank you, Alexander,’ Magnus says softly. Alec nods awkwardly, and turns back to the movie, feeling Magnus’ gaze linger for a few seconds before he does the same.

By this point, Aladdin’s genie is confessing that he’s a prisoner. ‘Poor guy. No seafront visits for him, huh?’ Alec asks, trying to lighten the mood. Magnus laughs gently, and something eases in Alec’s chest. ‘No, apparently not,’ he agrees. ‘There are ways to bind a genie to their lamp, so they can only wander a little while summoned, but they went out of fashion centuries ago. Actually, that’s where our be careful what you wish for reputation started,’ he says. ‘Trapped genies couldn’t refuse requests, the same way free genies could. So instead, they started to twist their masters’ words, giving them dark shadows of what they truly wanted. As a protest, it worked wonderfully – once people realised that owning a trapped genie wouldn’t guarantee that they’d get what they wanted, demand for them fell, and the unscrupulous lot who’d been taking part in the practice realised that it wasn’t worth all the danger and effort of the binding ritual anymore.’ ‘Well, that’s good.’ He feels a little bad for making a joke of it, now, even though he hadn’t known. No-one deserved that kind of trapped half-life. ‘Yeah. It’s a lot nicer walking the earth without worrying about slavers lurking around every corner. And without any of that interference, we can go where we like. We just have to take our lamp with us.’ Alec smiles, still feeling a little somber from the heavy topic, but tickled by the thought he’s just had. ‘You’re like a really cool tortoise, then.’

Magnus turns to face him, and Alec feels himself turn red as that beautiful, genuine smile re-emerges, quickly dissolving into a hearty, raucous laugh. ‘I don’t know whether to be pleased or insulted by that, Alexander.’ ‘Hey,’ Alec says, feigning indignation even as he laughs, too. ‘I love tortoises. And I called you really cool.’ ‘You did, you did,’ Magnus acknowledges, sighing deeply as the laughter comes to an end. ‘Anyway – yes, that’s the gist of it. We’re free to wander, but we take our home with us wherever we go.’ Alec turns back to the movie, settling a little deeper into the couch cushions and tucking his legs up beside him. ‘Sounds pretty good to me.’ ‘Yeah,’ Magnus says quietly. ‘It is.’

The rest of the movie passes too quickly, the familiar story interspersed with occasional bouts of warm, comfortable conversation. ‘By the way,’ Magnus says, shortly after Aladdin is thrown into the sea. ‘If at any point during our little agreement, I find myself in a position to save your life, I won’t make you use one of your wishes for it.’ He winks. Alec chuckles, and hopes it isn’t obvious that his heart rate has just doubled. ‘Very kind of you.’

~oOo~

#shadowhunters #shadowhunters fanfic #malec #malec fanfic #malec au #genie!magnus #mine #slavery mention #food cw #alcohol mention #let me know what you think! I'm really enjoying writing this ^^

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hisgirlwonder · 6 years ago

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Wicked Games - Part Two

Length: 3.5K words Warning: Adultery I guess? Synopsis: Every lawyer is given a case they would rather not work on and you’re no exception to this. Someone you know all too well ends up being your latest client, how will you cope under the pressure? You’re the best of the best in the world of law but you are, after all, only human. Notes: Thanks for your patience!! Here is the eagerly awaited/requested part two. First part is here. Hope you enjoy! (also hope this isn’t too rubbish ahaha the first one is pretty smutty but I have a couple of ideas for this storyline)

“Where the fuck is he?” you exclaim out loud. Duncan is half an hour late this morning and you were less than impressed. It was one thing to have to deal with a man who had a penchant for acting like a teenager but it’s another thing entirely when you’re painfully attracted to this person in the worst way possible.

Part of you wished he wouldn’t come back and you could ignore his existence forever but, unfortunately, you don’t have a chance. The door opens and speak of the Devil. You complain about the punctuality and hoped he could see you were pissed off by his inability to take anything seriously. He tries to pull some kind of cute shit by pouting like a five-year-old and he puts the carry tray of drinks he’s holding down. He takes one of the cups out of the tray, ignoring what you said, and slides it over to you.

“Mocha, soy milk, no sugar.”

It’s amazing he actually remembered what you liked since he seemed to use less than 30% if of his brain while in your office. You push the cup over to one side to show him you’re not playing. You question him, “Are we going to have a repeat performance of yesterday?”

“Depends,” he taunts, tonguing the back of his teeth with his tongue.

“On what?”

“On if you’ll go out to dinner with me.”

“God, are you for real?”

“Maybe you can touch me and then you’ll see how real I am.”

“Everything is a joke to you, isn’t it?”

The need for coffee is too strong and you give in, sipping on the warm beverage, brows furrowed because Duncan knew the way to get to you. Between mouthfuls, you ask if he’s aware of what exactly he’s being charged with but it’s as if he hasn’t got a care in the world when he’s giving more attention to his phone and tells you that’s why he has you.

You put up a fight that he has you because nobody else wanted the case. Why would anyone want to deal with him? He was blatantly guilty. He begins laughing at what you just said and you suddenly felt very self-conscious.

“Wow, that’s the best thing I’ve heard so far today. I paid for you. You’re mine.”

The word mine rolled off the tongue far too easily and left you feeling disgusted. He continues to provoke you, pressing about whether or not you’ll go, and you don’t hold back in shooting him dirty looks. It’s obvious he’s pleased with himself and confirms that he’ll pick you around 7pm. You’re unimpressed, to say the least.

The end of the day couldn’t come fast enough because today had been pointless once again except this time it was worse. You knew exactly why you were appointed as his lawyer and it left a bad taste in your mouth. Your colleagues didn’t even try to offer the case to anyone else like they usually do; they just left it to you because that idiot paid them.

You lock the office door and decide to call Michael on the way to your car. It went to voicemail and you knew he must have been still busy at work. You leave a message explaining how you need to miss dinner but you’ll fill him in when you get home.

You’re unable to escape Duncan because you get to the car and see him standing there. He needed your address for tonight but you’d hoped he wasn’t serious about the proposition. You walk around him, unlock the car and throw your bag into the car before sitting down and putting the keys in the ignition. “Yeah, you’re right. It must have slipped my mind while you were insinuating I’m your own prostitute.”

You try to pull the door shut but Duncan has it firmly inside his hand, holding it open, leaving you with no chance to escape. He attempts to be slick and comment on how he figured you’d enjoy two friends catching up over dinner but he just made you feel greasy. You snap back, informing him the two of you aren’t friends in the same tone you’d call out someone’s bullshit in court. Usually, this makes the person receiving it crawl back into their own hole but not Duncan; you pushed him and he pulled you closer to him, snarling about how you were so much more.

This seemed like a battle you couldn’t win nor would Duncan leave unless you did as he said so you held out his phone and put your address in. You hand it back but it wasn’t without great effort on your own part – you wanted to smash it out of sheer frustration. He looks over the details, calculating in his head how far exactly you are from him and his mouth form into a smirk. It felt like he was rubbing salt into the wound over the small victory.

“I’ll see you at seven. Wear something you know I’d like.”

“Mikey?” you yell out as you’re taking off your jacket and slipping out of your heels. No reply. You remembered Michael had already mentioned he’d be working late as you’re walking to the kitchen to find a snack to sate the growing hunger you were feeling. After searching the cupboards, you can’t find anything that interests you so you sit down at the counter and take a peach from the fruit bowl.

Your phone is vibrating on the kitchen counter and you hit answer, putting him on speaker phone. Michael wanted to check in to make sure you were okay. You give him a brief explanation and Michael defuses the stress by reminding you that you were in charge. His exact words were put on a pretty dress and play along with him.

When you explain that Duncan rubs you the wrong way, of course, he suggests that maybe you can get him to rub you the right way. You painfully tell him you’d try to enjoy yourself but no promises. The two of you said your goodbyes and you hang up the call. It takes only a moment for what Michael said to sink in and you rush to the bedroom because you knew exactly what you were going to wear.

Once you’re ready and waiting in the living room, anxiety strikes hard and you took a moment out to try and breathe in oxygen before answering the door.

Duncan stood before you looking annoyingly handsome and grins when he sees you. He wastes no time in complimenting how good you look and butterflies are whirring around inside your gut. You won’t show him the effect he has and instead brushing the hair away from your face, asking if you can go already. He holds the remote above his shoulder, pointing it back to his car but refusing to take his eyes off you. He hits one of the buttons on his remote and his car makes a noise. “Sure we can.”

After you’ve locked the outside door you walk over to him waiting at the car, holding a door open. You dip down to get into the car and joke about how you didn’t know he was a gentleman. Duncan reminds you that there’s a lot you don’t know and he shuts the door then walks around to his side of the car.

He’s sitting down next to you and you become surprised at the details emerging that you hadn’t noticed before. His hands are straightening up the mirror and you can’t seem to look away. Duncan smirks because he can feel you on him and comments, “I know you’re busy looking at me but can you please put on your belt.”

Your cheeks become flushed and expose the embarrassment you were feeling because he was right; you were stuck eyeing this being before you that you didn’t recognise. The Duncan you knew was chauvinistic and pigheaded and refused to help anyone besides himself. This Duncan held doors open for you and who knew what else the night would bring.

He puts a hand on the back of your chair and turns to look out the back window while he reverses down the driveway. You come to terms with the fact it wasn’t lawyer and client but two adults going out for dinner and you felt nervous but luckily the conversation flows easily between the two of you.

The topic of you being dolled up for another man comes up and you explain to him that Michael suggested you spend time together. Duncan laughs because he finds it somewhat unbelievable and you make up an excuse that Michael thinks the two of you need to get along since you’ll be working side by side on the case. A reminder of the Duncan you know pops out when he comments about how well the two you get along in his head.

You cross your arms in annoyance and huff at him. “Why do you have to be like this, Duncan? Aren’t you worried about how people are going to perceive you?”

“Not particularly. I haven’t found anyone worth my time.”

Hearing those words stung and it was almost as if you wanted to be the one worth this time.

With the car parked and locked, Duncan brings you down a street full of restaurants you’re familiar with and you stop outside one in particular that has a waiting list for reservations. You pull at his jacket and tell him he’s not making an idiot out of you. After all, trying to get in there at the last minute was foolish. You’re dumbfounded for a moment when your brain puts two and two together and come to the conclusion he planned this in advance. He’s standing by the front door waiting for you and grinning like an idiot at the look upon your face. You shoot him a frown as you walk past. “I can’t believe you, Duncan Shepherd.”

The memories come flooding back as soon as you get inside because this was the place you two met. You’re waiting in the entrance for someone to come over and it wasn’t long before one does - his name badge says Marco and it seems as if he and Duncan are friends of some kind the way they greet each other. You weren’t surprised because Duncan was well-known by many, many people and a lot of them would bend over backwards for him.

You walk behind, passing the tables of other people dining, until you get to the end of the room and there’s a door. Marco holds it open and Duncan follows through with you a few paces behind. The room behind the door appears to be lit with mood lighting and also candles on the table. You gingerly walk over and you’re unaware of how you were meant to feel because this whole act resembled something Michael would do for you; the complete opposite of anything you knew about Duncan.

Just as you’re about to ask him a question, it’s as if Duncan reads your mind when he advises you he invited you because you work too hard and it’s a thank you for helping him. You think he’s sorely mistaken. “Helping you? I don’t know what you think has gone on but we’ve gotten nowhere with your case because you keep distracting me from it.”

You pick up your menu and attempt to read it but the names were in Italian so you had no idea what you were getting. One dish, in particular, took your appeal – something that sounded very familiar like you’d eaten it before. You didn’t dare ask Duncan what the name of it was. He peers over the menu he’s holding to look at you and shoots a truth your way that you were trying to ignore. “I’m sure that’s not the only thing you’re distracted with.”

He folds the menu in his hand and puts it on the table. You hide behind your own to hide the fact you were blushing again at his words.

It was clear Duncan wasn’t good at admitting his feelings but he did it for you anyway. “Y/N, you just remind me of a better time in my life.”

When the heat dissipates from your cheeks, you bring the menu down and place it on the table beside you as well. “Oh right, one where you’re not breaking the law?”

“Something like that.”

He hid it well but that wasn’t at all what he meant.

Marco returns with some kind of wine on ice and you thought to yourself that Duncan had pulled out all the stops. You weren’t much of an aficionado when it came to anything alcoholic like that because you preferred spirits but you could appreciate it all the same. He pours two glasses and asks if the two of you are ready to order to which you say yes. You open up your menu again and point to the fifth meal under what you presume is the dinner. Marco makes a mental note and takes the menus before leaving.

You were somewhat confused why Duncan didn’t order anything but you weren’t surprised if he’d already picked what he was going to eat when he’d called the restaurant. Your eyes catch Duncan taking a sip of his drink and you begin to salivate when you imagine the liquid hitting his tongue and travelling down his throat; giving life to his tastebuds the way other things would.

He puts the glass down and moves to lean on his elbow, resting his chin in the L shape of bent fingers, biting at his lips before telling you how incredible you looked. You tried to deflect the comments and remain cool all the while your cheeks were burning as you blushed; hopefully unnoticeable under the makeup you were wearing.

Duncan calls you out and tells you to stop being feisty so you can enjoy the evening. You sink back into your chair a little. He was right you were worked up and he’d obviously gone to an effort to organise the evening but how could you not be when every time you were around him he was a complete fool?

While waiting for the food to arrive, the reminiscing about the past begins and the conversation varies in topics such as how you got into law, about your marriage, and why Duncan hasn’t settled down. It was fair to say that there was definitely more than meets the eye when it came to him but you were still hesitant to believe he could be anything other than a jackass you’d met all those years ago.

Apparently, you’d both gotten lost in the conversation because the food arrives. Marco places yours down then Duncan’s and they exchange a nod before Marco says to enjoy your meal and leaves. Duncan sees you both ordered the same thing and wastes no time in commenting how you have good taste; both a compliment and a playful tease. You take the cutlery in your hands and begin cutting into the chicken breast on your plate – as you’d expect, cooked to perfection and the heavenly aroma fills your nostrils as you’re cutting into it.

You take a mouthful and begin to chew. It’s so delicious. You’ve almost forgotten how amazing fine dining is because the last meal you ate was just some sushi from the corner shop near work. Duncan’s watching you closely, practically salivating himself as he stares at your lips. “It’s good, isn’t it?” He wasn’t talking about the food.

Unable to say anything, your eyes roll in enjoyment and you make a gesture with your hand to tell him how good exactly you thought it was. Duncan being the man that he was and unable to miss a chance to provoke you admits he’s always wondered what you looked like doing that but you refuse to let him have his moment and continue eating. When he realises you won’t budge he picks up his knife and fork to follow suit. The two of you stay quiet, enjoying your meal, and only taking breaks to sip at your drinks from time to time.

You place the cutlery down on your plate, almost gobsmacked at how good it was.

“I’d ask you if you enjoyed that but I could see by the look on your face that you did.”

He wasn’t completely wrong but he also wasn’t completely right because Seeing Duncan before you eating things did something to you. Before you could give it a second thought, you could hear your phone vibrating. You dive into your bag and pull it out; looking phone to see that its Michael – his name makes you smile and you reply back about how you’ll be home soon.

Duncan interrupts you and brings you back to the present moment, asking if it was your husband. You tease him, telling him that Michael said he’ll send out a search party followed by a retraction of your comment admitting he actually said he hoped you were having a nice time. It was blatant to see that you were doing just that and that the icy layer towards Duncan had melted a little. You didn’t know if it was the alcohol going to your head but you took it regardless because was nice not to feel so tense around him.

Duncan holds out his glass. “To you winning my case and us getting better acquainted.”

You had a sneaking suspicion the latter part was going to happen in more ways than just dinner in a private room but after tonight that didn’t bother you. You two clink glasses in a celebration for unknowingly what’s to come. For the first time, being under his gaze didn’t make your skin crawl. You gave him free reign to soak up every inch of you and cheekily relished in it.

“I just want to say thanks for inviting me. Which way is the ladies?”

“The door over to my left will lead you into a hallway then just follow the signs.”

After relieving yourself and washing your hands, you’re standing in the bathroom and looking at yourself in the mirror. You knew you looked nice and knew exactly why Duncan said what he said but it was still a foreign feeling to have another man besides Michael eyeing up your body.

You flatten out the dress you were wearing and tidied up your hair before walking out of the bathroom into the hallway and on your way back to Duncan - Duncan wasn’t at the table though because he was waiting outside the bathroom.

“You really shouldn’t sneak up on people like that. I almost walked into you.”

Duncan would usually have a smart ass remark prepared but not this time. This time he says nothing. All you feel is a hand caressing at one of your cheeks which sends shivers trailing down your spine and goosebumps pricking at your skin. He thumbs over the supple skin of your cheek and his want is searing on you through his blues.

Before you can think what to do next, he’s already a step ahead and swoops in to meet your lips with his. It feels strangely familiar as you two kiss and you try to hold back but he senses it; grabbing a fist full of hair and tugging at your locks to tell you it’s okay. You become weak under the strength of your own arousal and desire for him and a moan escapes out of your mouth into his. He breaks the kiss momentarily to smile because he knows he has you right where he wants you; in his grasp, under his thumb. Duncan collects himself and the kiss resumes with growing intensity.

You lose yourself in the passion but as quickly as the kiss started it’s gone. He pulls away and leaves you in a bind, wanting more. He’s holding your face between a thumb and fingers while playfully clucking his tongue at you reeling in the exposing of your attraction.

“My oh my. We are a naughty girl, aren’t we?”

Taglist: @avesatanormalpeoplescareme @sensitivethot @sacredlangdon @sammythankyou @taintedaffairs @langdonsdemon @wroteclassicaly @queencocoakimmie @1-800-bitchcraft @violett124 @moltenskeleton // Also adding in: @apocalyptvc @prettybabylana

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coffee-and-hollands · 7 years ago

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Law of Life | 2 (Lawyer!Tom AU)

Good things come from shit days

Blurb: After a terrible ending of a decent day, two individuals meet in the weirdest circumstances. Ones a first year associate at the biggest firm in the country, the other is a concert goer from a different country. The bringing together of these two lives creates a new beginning.

Part 1 | Part 2 | ??? (to be continued)

Warning: It isn’t a coffee-and-hollands fic without some swearing. idk what else goes here lol

A/N: So sorry for the lateness of this update. I was away, then I had to get ready for back to school, then school started again and it’s my last year so I actually have to try and do some shit for once. ANYWAY! LAWYER!TOM IS BACK BABY! this is my second time writing these notes cause it didn’t save ffs so it’s a bit rushed. I don’t know how many more parts there will be in this series. If anyone has any ideas for this fic please feel free to message me about it. If you have any requests feel free to send me an ask at my cashier. Thank you for supporting me and my shit ass writing.

“...and next thing I knew it, I had cold, sticky beer soaking my shirt,” Tessa explained as the pair’s laughter ran through the empty city streets. She watched as Tom stopped to catch his breathe with his hands on his knees.

“So, your telling me that in the space of less than two hours,” He stated as he ran to catch up to the smiling girl, “ you saw your favourite band but also got elbowed multiple times, beer was poured over you by accident and you fell down the stairs as you made your way up said stairs?” He questioned laughing at the concept. She stopped and looked at him with hurt eyes and her hand on her heart.

“Do you have no faith in me to make a fool out of myself?” She asked, faking a hurtful expression; making him blush of embarrassment.

“Oh no,” he replied worried he truly hurt her feelings, “I, uh, was...no...”.

“I was joking!” Cutting Tom off with a friendly punch to his arm, slightly harder than expected, knocking him off balance and into the neighbouring building next to him. “SHIT! Sorry,” she quickly spurted out as she held her hands out to help him gain his balance again. Rubbing his shoulder, Tom wavered Tessa off as he began walking down the quiet city street.

“We aren’t too far away from your place,” he explained as he lazily pointed down the street. Tessa ran to catch up to him as she worried for his shoulder.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” She asked putting her hand on his shoulder, stopping them in their tracks, “I can give you some ice when we get to my apartment.” Looking into her deep blue eyes, he couldn’t decline the offer. Unable to form a single word, Tom simply nodded his head as they continued to walk.

“OH! I know where we are now!” Tessa screamed in excitement as she finally started to recognise her surroundings. Surprised by her sudden outburst, Tom grinned as he watched her run around the path as she pointed out features she recognised. “That’s the Starbucks Josie always gets me to go to even though it’s super expensive,” she explained pointing across the street to the darkened store front with the familiar green sign. “OH! And that’s the best shop to buy cup noodles, cause it’s always open late.” She exclaimed as she looked back to find Tom standing still watching her smiling as he chuckles at her cheerful expression. She stopped in her tracks as his caramel eyes stared into her own eyes, becoming distracted by his features. Breaking from his trance, Tom cleared his throat.

“uh, your place should just be up here right?” he asked as he walked up next to her, pointing towards a set of stairs. As Tessa registered his question her eyes perked up to the bright orbs he saw just a minute before.

“Yes! yes it is.” She exclaimed with a new found enthusiasm. Tom chuckled again as he watched the optimistic girl skip up to the base of the stairs and hop up the steps. As he reached the bottom of the steps himself he watched her as here body expression changed to a rigid figure. Arching her head back in frustration she exhaled loudly.

“..Shit. Where the fuck did I put my bloody keys?” she questioned to her self as she began scavenging through her pockets. Tom slowly made his way up the steps cautious of the flustered figure. With faint mutterings coming from her mouth, Tom boldly decided to knock on the hard wood door, in hope that someone would save them both. Looking up through her blonde waves she seemed surprised by the simple solution to her problem Tom found. Just as her mouth opened to thank him, a bright light shone onto both of their faces.

Rubbing her face in exhaustion, the young woman on the other side of the entrance looked into Tessa’s surprised eyes as the realisation hits her. “SHIT! Tessa!” she yelled smacking her hand on her forehead and closing her eyes in frustration, “I knew I forgot something.”

“Yea, thanks for that” Tessa replied as she smoothed her hair into place, recovering from the sudden exposure to the bright light. The young woman looked next to Tessa to find the brunette curls of Tom as he stood their patiently, both hands behind his back as he held his briefcase.

“Who the fuck is this?” she asked, looking back at Tessa hoping for a reasonable answer. However, Tessa was unable to form a sentence as she scratched the back of her neck in search for the right answer.

“I’m Tom,” he replied cheerfully in his rich British accent as he brought one of his hands around to shake the woman’s hand, “I helped your friend get home after I found her covered in beer as she swore at a disappearing cab.” As his sentence went on, his voice began to falter as he realised how stupid the situation sounded.

“Josie,” the woman stated, taking his hand and lightly shaking it. Looking back at her friend, Josie glared into Tessa’s blue eyes hoping for more of an explanation. Tessa, still unable to function, open and closed her mouth as she tried to form a single word.

“uh, Tessa?” Tom asked politely as he turned towards the flustered woman, “is it okay if i was able to get that ice? cause that building was hard as fuck.” he explained rubbing his left shoulder as he chuckled at her expression. Surprised by his sudden language, Tessa awoke from her trance and began to move into the apartment.

“Yea, sure! Come on in,” she replied pushing Josie out of the way as she ushered Tom into the entrance way. “I’ll be right back.” She said as she ran into the kitchen to find an ice pack. Looking around the apartment, Tom found Josie looking straight at him, as she tried to solve the puzzle in front of her. Putting his briefcase down, he looked up to find Josie’s green orbs searching his face for an answer.

“How?” she asked blatantly, pointing between Tom and the direction of Tessa.

“To be completely honest, I don’t know.” was the only way Tom could reply as he raked through his mind trying to understand what had exactly happened in the past hour.

“so what’s with the fancy outfit? Wedding? Bro’s night out?” Josie questioned, trying to uncover any secrets she could find.

“Oh no, work.” Tom explained pointing back at his briefcase, leading to more questions forming in Josie’s mind.

“Oh yea, where would a fine man like you work at that leaves him on the streets late at night?” She asked hoping for an interesting answer.

“Law. First associate under Sylvia Anders,” Josie’s eyes widened at the name, her hopes rising as he continued, “she had some case files that I needed to finish.” He answered as he fiddled with his watch on his wrist, unaware of the time. Suddenly aware of her situation, Josie became more intrigued by this mysterious man.

“Sylvia Anders, you mean Parker Co‘s best senior partner underneath the man himself?” She exclaimed as she found her day improving by the second. Not only did her least favourite contestant get rejected by the Bachelor but she has a chance to get into the biggest law firm in the city; but it all falls on the man standing in front of her.

“You know a lot about Parker Co,” Tom stated questioning her reasoning for knowing so much, “You’re a lawyer yourself aren’t you?” He asked smirking at his deduction.

“Nah shit Sherlock,” she answered bothered by his smirk, “I’ve always wanted to work at Parker Co even just as an intern...” she exclaimed as she threw her hands around to help explain her position. ‘Definitely a lawyer’ Tom thought as he watched her hands move with her explanation, not listening at all. “...you could put my name in!” she ended with a bright expression on her face. Tom’s facial expression stayed focused as he tried to work out the details of the matter.

“I don’t know if I could do that.” He replied, searching for a way to change topics. Almost like fate, another voice rung through the apartment, distracting Josie from their conversation.

“I am so fucking sorry for that,” Tessa exclaimed as she walked back through the hallway as she wrapped some paper towel around the ice pack. As she passed the ice pack to Tom, their fingers brushed ever so slightly; but it was enough to send the atoms of her finger tips into a flurry. Quickly pulling her hand away, she looked over to the clock hanging just above his head as a distraction.

12:03

“Oh uh, you should probably get home,” she stated as she pointed behind Tom towards the clock. Turning his head to look at the clock, he remembered he was meant to be back with Harrison ages ago.

“Shit, you’re right” He replied as he picked up his briefcase in a hurry to make his way home.

“Well, I’m gonna go and continue watching the Bachelor, which you two lovebirds intruded on.” Josie mentioned as she walked back into the living room, leaving the blushing pair by themselves.

“So um, I should probably, uh, get going,” Tom stuttered out, breaking the awkward silence that fell in the room. Moving his hand that was occupied with the ice pack towards Tessa, Tom expected her to take it back, surprisingly, she observed the action with confusion. “Tessa? Do you want this back?” He asked, stepping closer to her with his arm outstretched.

“Oh no,” she replied taking his hand in hers as she placed it onto his sore shoulder, “you need it more than I do.” she finished with a chuckle.

“Are you sure?” he questioned as he looked from their hands to her face, catching her attention. The touch of her soft hands on his sent a warm sensation up his arm as he analysed every shade of blue and green in her eyes.Awkwardly breaking tension, Tessa brought her hand off his as she cleared her throat.

“Yea, it’s fine.” She quickly replied, recovering from her trance. She watched Tom as he ran his free hand through his curls as he considered his next words thoroughly.

“Is it possible if I, uhm,” he cleared his own throat as the pitch of his voice rose, “I-I could get your number?” he blurted out awkwardly pointing his finger towards Tessa. Watching her expression changed, he quickly found himself justifying himself, “So I can give the ice pack back,” he swiftly added with a smile.

Taken aback by the question, Tessa stood in front of Tom with a blank expression. As his words sunk in, she found that he had handed her his phone and her body had automatically taken all the steps needed for him. Handing his phone back to Tom, Tessa smiled as she rubbed her sweaty hands on her jeans.

“Thanks,” Tom stated as he returned his phone to his pocket, turning around to face the door. Tessa came round him and opened the door for him. Surprised by her chivalry, Tom looked back at Tessa to find her smiling back at him once again. Walking through the doorway, Tom found himself smiling at the thought of the night he has had.

“Thank you for helping me get home,” Tessa thanked as she leaned against the heavy, wooden door. Looking back at her blonde waves for the last time for the night, Tom replied.

“It was my pleasure,”

Closing the door as she walked back into the apartment, Tessa turned around to find Josie standing in the hallway with a hand on her hip, waiting for an explanation.

“HOW THE FUCK DID YOU MEET HIM?”

#THANKS FOR READING THIS SHIT #IT MEANS A LOT TO ME #THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT #IT HELPS A LOT #fanfic #tom holland ff #tom holland fanfic #Lawyer!tom au #Tom holland au #Tom Holland #Coffee and Hollands #Coffeehollands writes

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postwomanmovie-blog1 · 8 years ago

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Coaching in the Workplace

More than 70% of organisations with any formal leadership development activities use coaching as an important part of that (Zenger & Stinnett) . This figure is supported by a recent learning and development survey conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) which states “just over 70% of organisations use coaching and 80% report that line managers are using coaching methods with their staff.” It goes on to state that line managers were typically delivering 36% of the coaching to their reports, while HR and Training and Development specialists were delivering 30%.

The evidence certainly suggests that there is an expectation for line managers to deliver more coaching. We will look later in increased detail at the benefits and the implications that it presents.

In this report I am going to analyze the main topics coaching in the workplace. I will start with defining what is coaching in the workplace, and what it is not. I will cover how it works as a development device and its purpose. I’ll then cover the main topics the Manager as coach. What their roles and duties are; the deliverables towards the continuing business and look at the pros and cons of delivering coaching.

Your reader will be taken through then how can a manager coach, who will they coach and to what end. This will also look at different styles and methods. To conclude I will discuss the issues they can be recognised and some potential solutions that it may raise, how.

Finally during my writing, we will be including my own ideas, as well as reference material and drawing comparisons through a case study of my experience as a manager in a multi national manufacturing organisation, where we had been involved with coaching hand that is first. This I hope will add some realism to the theory and reference material.

The purpose of the report will give you the reader an insight into the area that is subject together views, proof, and real life perspective (the writers).

How does it work?

Coaching versus mentoring: a difference in name only? Before I proceed any further, it is at this point I feel it is important to define for the reader the difference between the two approaches. Although a body that is large of is done on both, there is certainly still a difference of understanding. Sean Weafer claims “that a mentor is involved in transferring job specific skills or culture specific knowledge to someone junior to them, but perhaps not inside their direct line of administration within an organisation”. He then goes on to state “coaches frequently focus on the clients perception of the challenges they face”.

Jennifer Wright argues that the difference is mentoring traditionally involves an individual with expert knowledge passing the knowledge in a specific domain.” Coaching is defined as a process in which the coach facilitates learning in the client and furthermore elicits solutions through the clients.

These definitions came from a coaching perspective; therefore to keep the balance, from a mentoring dimension a definition is presented by me from Meggison and Clutterbuck . In their book “Mentoring in Action, their view is that mentoring is help that is“off-line one person to another in making significant transitions in knowledge, work or thinking.

To summarise these definitions for the true purpose of this report, mentoring is the passing of knowledge and a approach that is directional coaching is the facilitation of learning and in doing so non-directional. I hope that the reader will accept my condensed definitions for this purpose.

Organisations now realise that they can improve both the motivation and performance of their people through coaching. In Julie Starr’s book she states “increasingly a coaching style of management is preferred to the command and control traditional approach”. This is supported in an article by Sue Weekes that “old style management that is directional unlikely to get the best out of younger employees”.

Alternatively of telling people what to do, there appears to be a shift to encouraging individuals and allowing them to think for by themselves and come up with their own solutions. Rather than interjecting and solving the presssing issues, a coaching manager would look to provide support, challenge, feedback and guidance.

Managers can also make use of this skill for example during team meetings to enable the united team to take responsibility for their activities. One to one meetings can also be used as coaching sessions if the manager uses a supportive, challenging and developmental approach.

There have also been some developments that are recent which has pushed coaching higher up on the management agenda. Coaching raises awareness, and an awareness of balance is coming to the fore. “Business has taken over too much of too many peoples lives at too high a personal cost” . This statement echoes to me of many people I have come across. Organisations have to recognise that their values and ethics are failing and in some full cases failing under the scrutiny of staff and customers. Coaching works well at eliciting values and values that are producing both individuals and organisations. These are perhaps not always in alignment.

Coaching is a more a management style rather than a tool. The application of coaching has many examples, some conventional ones are (but not restricted to) delegating, problem solving, team building, planning and reviewing, appraisals and assessments.

Coaching embraces 2 principles that are fundamental that of awareness and responsibility . Huge potential lies within all of us, and this is supported by a study to determine the percentage of people’s potential manifests itself in the workplace. Surprisingly it was as low as 40% . The top three statements from the participants were, things people do so well outside the workplace, how well people respond in a crisis, and I know that I could be so much more productive. What then blocks this potential that is unleashed? The report came ultimately back with “restrictive structures and practices of my company”, the “lack of encouragement and possibilities offered by the organisation”, and “the management style of the business and/ or my manager”. The single most common internal block was that of self belief. Building self awareness, responsibility and self belief could be the goal of a coach.

The first element that is key of is awareness . This can be raised by focussed attention and by practice. It is much more than hearing and seeing. It's the clear perception of the relevant facts and information. It is an understanding of systems, characteristics and of relationships between things and people. Also it helps in recognising when and how emotions or desires distort our own perception.

Obligation is the other element that is key. When we accept, choose or take responsibility for our thoughts that are own actions, our levels of commitment increase, and so does our performance. Performance is more likely to improve if someone chooses to rather take action than being told to do so.

It is questions, and in particular questioning that is effective a conversation that best generates awareness and responsibility. The function of questions is to elicit information. The information is however of secondary importance to the coach. It is more important to raise awareness with the coachee. The types of questions used are important. They should be open questions, usually beginning with words like what, whenever, how (much/many), and who. Why is discouraged themselves, and therefore a tendency to become defensive as it often suggests criticism, or a need for the individual to justify. Coaching is non judgemental, and therefore this approach is not effective.

The concerns should start broadly, and then concentrate in more detail. To maintain interest and focus of the coachee in order to bring into their consciousness things that otherwise may not be apparent. The questioning will follow the coachee’s train of thought. I notice we haven’t talked about”, helps bring things back on course if they appear to be going way off track a simple interjection like &ldquo. Leading questions and criticism that is implying be avoided. The coach should be attentive towards the answers as this will frequently form the question that is next the conversation, and in doing so allow the process to flow naturally.

We ask, and in what sequence so we now have the questions, but what should? There have been coaching that is several offered up to deal with this. One of the absolute most familiar is the (T) GROW model . The G is for Goal, setting the agenda for the session as well as the term aspiration that is long. The R is for reality, checking to explore the situation that is current. The O follows for options and alternative strategies or courses of action. Finally W is for what is to be performed, when, by whom (sometimes known as the real way forward). Readers will notice that I have omitted the T. This was added by Noble Manhattan as identifying the Topic is advance of setting the Goal. This makes sense for me as the coach should not presume to know what the conversation will probably be about, and produces clarity for both parties.

Other coaching models exist, such at the SHOOTS model developed by Leeds University and adopted by the Wirral Hospital NHS Trust . Here they cover Seek to understand, Hone the goals, Objectives set, Options and action planning, Try it out, triumph review. One coaching that is further of mention the “Coaching path”, is another model that can be used . Although I personally prefer the TGROW model, it is appropriate to pick one that works for you. Following a model sequence combined with effective questioning will yield the best results.

To conclude the coaching cycle it is up to the coach to give the coachee a clear and accurate record of the action steps that the coachee has agreed and committed to take. The coach should then confirm as it constitutes the actions they will carry out that they fully understand.

The Manager as Coach the pros & cons

One of the primary concerns that come to mind is how can a manager be a coach and do their day that is own job? These days, adding one more task to their list of objectives in an ever demanding workplace with all the demands placed on managers. This eventually puts more pressure on managers.

Organisations now realise that they can improve both the motivation and performance of their associates through coaching . More than ever a “coaching style” of management is preferred to the “command and control” traditional approach. Rather than managers people that are directing they are focussing more on encouraging people to think for by themselves. Furthermore when there are issues, a coaching manager doesn’t automatically jump in and solve it for them. Coaching managers provide support, challenge, guidance and feedback, but rarely the answers.

The manager can make use of the platform of team meetings, and their coaching skills to support the combined group to take responsibility. Julie Starr then goes on to say “one to one meetings can now become coaching sessions, as the manager adopts a more supportive, challenging and developmental approach”. This surely must be a more preferable approach than the traditional performance appraisal telling the associate what they've done incorrect and “telling” them what they need to do to improve (in the eyes regarding the manager). The benefit of this towards the manager is that they can spend more time on long-term work, objective environment therefore on.

This was my experience at a BMW that is new Group that I was involved with. The one to one sessions were very much in the style of a coaching session where I encouraged associates to find the answers for themselves and have much more ownership of their tasks and responsibilities. There is however a critical mass where it may no longer be feasible for the manager to give one to one sessions to all their team.

This may then be diluted by managers coaching their first line, and then the line that is first the supervisors, and supervisors to the shop floor. In theory this may sound a idea that is good however in deployment not all supervisors and managers may make good coaches. Training resource and operational conditions may hinder the amount of the time required to complete this on a basis that is repeatable and may therefore question its effectiveness. There may also be the dimension of hidden agendas that can be present within organisations. This may cause a hindrance to the successful deployment of coaching.

In a recent learning and development survey conducted by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) it is suggested that managers who have been trained in coaching can also self coach. There is a double benefit here of both the associate and the manager developing. It goes on to say that “while operational coaching performed by line managers will help to improve performance, it is dedicated internal coaches who will produce the sort of long-lasting behavioural change that can really add value.

That is supported by (Mc Girk-CIPD) that says “line managers with coaching skills instils coaching behaviours throughout an organisation, but on its own won’t necessarily help companies to develop the coaching that is in-depth that dedicated internal coaches will offer”. He concludes that both are important

Although there is evidence here that both are to be utilized, in my experience within a manufacturing environment during the last 12 years, I have found no proof this being carried out within my own organisation, or suppliers and customers that i've interacted with. Therefore from this perspective we do perhaps not agree in totality with these statements.

The idea of dedicated internal coaches within an organisation must raise the question of value for money and cost effectiveness. My own observations of cost-cutting programmes, flatter organisations, and the need to demonstrate value for money leave little room for a coach to exist as a dedicated resource. However this is from a manufacturing perspective and other sectors may see it differently. Indeed the Workplace Coaching strategy paper issued by Wirral Hospital NHS Trust , covers having qualified workplace coaches, but continues on to state that it is not utilizing dedicated resources for this role. This paper supports my argument, nonetheless I am more than happy to hear to the contrary.

It is equally important for the manager to recognise whenever coaching is perhaps not appropriate. They are not therapists or councillors. Here they would need to seek guidance from their own HR/ Training division. Coaching is not a “catch all” and managers will have to decide when they need to coach, mentor or direct.

So far we have focussed mainly on individual coaching. There are some additional pros and cons for coaching a team . First I will look from the perspective of the coach in that a successor could be created, it avoids team members being “off the job” to develop their skills, plus it could be cost effective. The potential downside to this is it can be time consuming, and giving people responsibility may encourage them to dispute the coach’s authority that they(the manager) may feel their own job may be jeopardised. The success of the manager in coaching might lead to a feeling of lack of confidence if the coaching experience does not go well.

From the perspective of the team the positive benefits are them and their development needs that they will be coached by someone who knows. Development is part of the working job and is consequently directly appropriate and useful, and it makes work more challenging and interesting. clash of clans hack Again the downside could be if very first line management doesn’t take coaching seriously, there may be no other way to develop the group member’s potential, and of course the line that is first may not have good coaching abilities.

As mentioned earlier, coaching may not always be appropriate for all situations. Often the manager may have to switch from a coaching role to a role that is directing then back again. For example we recall while working in a press store producing human anatomy panels, we had a major tool failure. While it may have been beneficial to take the time and ask the team how we might solve the issue, and listen to everyone’s input, in this high pressure, high volume environment immediate action is required. As long as this is explained to the associates and team this should not cause an issue. If not then the manager’s behaviour can be seen as somewhat ambiguous.

In order for the manager to be successful at coaching, he needs to build rapport with the social people he is coaching. Without this coaching will have limited benefits. When starting out with the coaching relationship, the manager needs to establish the reporting hierarchy. The relationship will be one to often one, however in the case of a development or performance focus; the manager may have to report to a sponsor to give feedback. All parties will need to know this from the start. Clearly the manager cannot handle this from a start that is standing and will therefore need to undertake some form of coach training.

Just how can a Manager Coach?

In deploying coaching training the organisation needs to decide how will this be done, who will do the training (internal/external) and how many managers are to be trained. The cost and the timescale are amongst other factors. This would usually be led by the HR function, strongly supported and taken really by senior administration. A way that is good of this would be to include this in the organisations objectives and targets. By the creation of a “coaching culture” coaching will be more readily accepted. The coaching culture was suggested, and did feature in the management performance objectives (Management House Criteria) during my time with the BMW Group. Other organisations also feature it in their corporate objectives to give it an level that is appropriate of.

As part of the BMW Group to my management training, we received a 3 day coaching course, with a 2 day follow up. While this was an effective way of getting managers initially trained, unfortunately after this period there was no further follow up training, or reviews. More importantly, the coaching was only offered to associates, and none of the managers were allocated coaches to check on either their ability as coaches, or to aid them in their development.

There are various coaching models available for the manager as coach. One of the most common is understood as the (T)GROW model. This is a sequence that is used effectively and is relatively simple to use and repeat. It starts with the Topic which is the certain area to be covered. Then there is the Goal, what do you want to achieve, or what would be a outcome that is good? Followed by the Reality, what's going on now, what has already been done? Options come next, what can be achieved, who can help? Finally we end with the Way ahead, what is the next step to take?

The “Coaching path” is another model that can be used . Regardless of which model the coach chooses to take, it can give them a suitable model that is repeatable use. One of the disadvantages of having managers that are many in an organisation is that of standardisation; therefore a model will help this. This does of course presuppose that the manager has received some form of coaching training. I have only shortly covered the TGROW model and the reader might benefit from further reading to get a better understanding of this, and other models. The bibliography would be a place that is good start.

He go if we now assume that the manager has received some coaching training, and is now armed with a repeatable model to follow (TGROW), in what direction should? There are several dimensions in the coaching relationship to consider. The obvious one is between the coach and the coachee (team or individual). However we can also start thinking about a third dimension which is the one the manager will have to the organisation aswell. This may well mean reporting upwards on progress and developments of a coaching relationship, as I alluded to previously.

Peter Bolt presents other ways in which a manager can mentor as; coaching downwards, meaning coaching individuals who report directly to the coach. This works so long as coaching rules are used. Rapport additionally needs to exist, and the process must be open, honest and 2 way communication.

Coaching upwards, meaning the situation that is relatively unusual of ones superior. This is normally requested by the superior. They can get a better idea of how they are performing. However he states that this can be very dangerous as often a senior manager may ask for honest feedback, but does not want to hear the truth! I can concur with this from my experience in BMW Group, where I was asked to give feedback to a manager that is senior encouraged not to pull any punches. Of course this was exactly the opposite of what the senior manager wanted to hear! I would advise caution that is extreme this situation.

Coaching sideways, meaning ones that are coaching peers or equals in the organisation. This can occur in different areas of the organisation, and can benefit the coach, coachee and the organisation with an exchange of views and knowledge. In particular I have found coaching across functions a rewarding experience. If one is in a cross functional relationship it is often possible to see things from a non judgemental perspective. It allows challenging questions to be asked, which might not necessarily be raised if one had expert knowledge of the functional area. Here we get back to the difference between coaching and mentoring, where the coach can demonstrate that specialist knowledge is perhaps not required.

Team Coaching, this is another dynamic where a manager can apply his coaching skills. In the introduction we could see where it is increasingly common for the manager to adopt coaching skills to the team that is whole rather than the traditional “command and control style”.

Peter Bolt goes on to mention other times when coaching can be applied “in times of turbulence” . He goes on to categorise these; Organisation turbulence, downsizing, change of ownership, competition pressures, continuous change, new technologies and new work practices. Personal turbulence, this could be a job that is new change in responsibilities. It could mean a new boss, family issues, health problems, stress, and substance abuse. However I feel that the last three should at the very least involve HR and other specialists. These might be areas where coaching isn't appropriate and is referred to other specialists such as practitioners, councillors etc.

The individual or team need to be in a position to receive coaching. For the individual I will refer towards the “Preparation stage” of the Stages of Change cycle. The preparation stage indicates that the individual is getting ready for modification.

They have decided to take action and therefore are making the steps necessary to prepare for action. The step prior for this is the “Contemplation stage”. This is where the individual might be thinking about doing something, however may procrastinate. They may insist on the perfect solution before acting. The “Pre-Contemplation stage” is where the individual is avoiding the subject, rather than responsibility that is taking it. They may even be in denial or defensive. At these stages coaching will not be effective. It might be more pragmatic to work on moving them to the “Preparation stage” first.

For a united team i will refer to the days when coaching intervention will be effective during a cycle. These are at the start, midpoint and ends. The beginning helps establish boundaries, identifies what to do regarding tasks and timings.

This assists the group to have a launch that is good and can significantly enhance member’s commitment to the team and the task. At the midpoint failures and successes can be shared, as well as experiences. The team are able to review how they have worked together and will be open for some coaching intervention. At the final end of a task or performance there should be time for lessons learnt and applied to future project work. Performance must also be reflected upon.

Hackman goes on to express that if there is a lack of coaching intervention, team members are unlikely to take initiatives after the ongoing work has been completed and to capture the lessons learnt. These 3 coaching interactions can be summarised as motivational in the beginning, consultative at the midpoint, and educational at the end. The evidence suggests that coaching a team in between these points in the cycle may have some small beneficial effects. I have used this approach in my work that is own with success.

What issues does it raise?

The coach (manager) the coachee (individual and team) and the organisation in this section I will look at the issues as they are perceived from three angles. It will give some insight to the barriers experienced to coaching, their identification, and offer some basic ideas on how they may be fixed.

Both large and small politics will have their place in all organisations. It is important to remember that as a coach your role is non-judgemental. However the manager needs to recognise when there is a conflict of interests and flag the issue at the opportunity that is earliest. There may be situations where the manager is expected to act as coach, in a situation where their values that are own not in alignment with company values and an individual. This is a potential form of stress by finding themselves “in the middle&rdquo. Managers should therefore bear in mind and take early action if they are to avoid this situation.

In most commercial organisations, the Return on Investment (ROI) or at least a very clear measure of how coaching will impact the organisation is required. Very few initiatives will be approved or deployed unless there is a measurement system that is clear. This is where a “coaching culture” may support the initiative. Being incorporated into the organisations missions, and values as well as clearly being one of the organisations corporate objectives will support its success and adoption.

In a recent study, Zenger Folkman reveals that managers who are highly effective in coaching their direct reports make a impact that is significant. It states specifically the correlation that is positive employee satisfaction with the organisation, confidence in the organisations ability to achieve goals, employee commitment to go “the extra mile” and intention to stay. It goes further to say that employees working for an coach that is ineffective leader are nearly 2.5 times more likely to be thinking about leaving the organisation.

Tracking the success of coaching can pose a headache. However to determine the effectiveness this needs to be carried out. Adopting certain process tools & guidelines will help with this. For example specifying how long the coaching will last for, specifying the assessment instruments and agreement of the process as part of the contracting phase. This will help managers as well as the organisation in controlling the activity. Wirral NHS Trust has adopted coach and learner evaluation documentation to support this, aswell as their coaching strategy.

One of the presssing issues a manager will face when coaching in an organisation is that of standardisation. I have covered previously some of the coaching models, however there are other topics such as the real way info is recorded, and how the coaching sessions are performed and so on. It would be right here that the HR/ Training function should provide the lead with guidelines and documentation. While coaching in the BMW Group there was limited resource available to do this and the manager that is individual on adopting their own.

One of the barriers to coaching is the perception of finding the right time to do it. Small companies and some owner managers are likely to complain that they simply don’t have the right time to do everything . Smaller companies tend to have fewer dedicated resources. However it was accepted that some smaller businesses fail as a consequence because they had perhaps not adequately developed their key staff.

The coaching relationship will only have effect that is meaningful both participants want to be there. If one or both are reluctant it will not be effective. It could pose an issue for the manager who may feel that they are obliged to demonstrate their people development abilities, & could be linked to their very own performance that is personal and pay structure. This could present a source of stress to the manager. If both parties are open to receiving and delivering coaching both will benefit as well as the organisation.

Managers as coaches may well come across the dimension that is international. My previous employer (German led) had a approach that is common the world. With different cultures perhaps this was not the best approach. There is a difficulty in altering the attitudes and behaviour for deep cultural or reasons that are religious. The idea of “ONE” technique for the combined group worldwide, in my view is not sustainable. This does not go far enough although some managers on international assignments received a few hours cultural training as part of their induction.

This isn't research of cultural differences; however this is an aspect that the manager as a coach needs to bear in mind of, even within a organisation that is single. This is particularly relevant in these days of a more diverse workforce. This is supported in a full case research, Engineering Co, very similar to my own employer.

The same implementation and process issues can be applied to implementing coaching although they talk about a mentoring programme. As it is just a different, albeit similar kind of development tool, and management style.

The manager ought to understand how development impacts on people in the organisation in becoming a coach. This was missing within the BMW Group organisation. Managers who have had no positive experience of coaching by themselves, raises a question how can they coach effectively. As I previously mentioned, there were no coaches for managers who were expected to deploy coaching to their teams and individuals although I was trained to be a coach within BMW Group. My personal observations were that only those managers who adopted self coaching, and peer coaching made progress.

Managers need genuine interest; otherwise they may only spend lip service to the “coaching culture” or their organisations “strategy and vision”. In hostile environments (such as fast manufacturing that is paced with aggressive attitudes and styles, change needs to happen quickly, for example at the end of a shift, or whenever a serious process issue arises. This does not automatically provide itself to a coaching style.

In an environment that is autocratic management “tell” their associates they display language and behaviour that is in direct conflict to the coaching style. I recall one at a management meeting with the Manufacturing Director, who simply told us that none of the management team can leave until the issue at hand is solved, which did not lend itself to the coaching style evening. Particularly in the light that the specialists who could solve the problem had gone home an hour previously, and the company had no mechanism to recall their associates back into work at the end of their shift.

There may be times when managers will have to “tell” their associates. However they can remove any ambiguity in their role as coach if they handle this well. As long as this is explained to the associates and team this should not cause an issue. If this is not done, then the manager’s behaviour could be seen as somewhat inconsistent. John Whitmore breaks this down nicely into 3 decisions ; then telling will be the fastest way if time is predominant. If the quality of the result is predominant, then coaching for high awareness and responsibility is likely to deliver the most. And finally if maximising learning is predominant, then coaching will optimise learning and retention.

I have indicated before that coaching is a tool for individuals development. A question this raises is what if there is nowhere for the social people to develop to? On the face of it this may seem an question that is odd. To put it into context, with organisations adopting flatter and leaner structures, particularly in the light of current economic situations there might be scope that is little of to move in organisations unless somebody leaves. Succession planning helps here but people may have to “stand still” for many time.

In one of my operational roles with BMW Group, I was coaching an associate in their career development where they found themselves “stuck”. Recognising that there were no opportunities on the site which was being downsized, where they had worked for 9 years, I enabled them to move to a new role at one of the groups other sites. Although the individual was lost to another site, they were still employed as part of the combined group and therefore their knowledge and experience was retained at a group level. This was a outcome that is good both parties.

In fact as due to downsizing individuals may find themselves with an even higher workload than before. Enterprises typically shed jobs and restructure with small thought as to how the continuing business processes and people will be affected. My experience that is own of was that in an attempt to reduce headcount a production control function was taken out that covered the 24 hour 7 day operating cycle regarding the plant. Although new organisation charts had been agreed at senior level, it absolutely was not clear which processes were now required, which ones were not, which ones needed to be developed, and how would these responsibilities be distributed. The conclusion result was that the manufacturing and planning teams spent several weeks disputing who would do what and discovered that the evenings and weekends were no longer covered. Had a coaching style approach been used, I believe that the transition would have been far less painful and any process issues would have been identified and solved a lot earlier.

There are other organisational barriers to success that is coaching. In David Pardey’s book , he highlights 6 specific barriers, but all of them come from a common root cause which was a lack of commitment towards the idea of coaching as a tool to improve performance. First there was a lack of time, where the managers did not feel that they had the time; they want things done now so revert back to “command and control”.

The fear of abilities used in coaching, for managers who can’t or won’t coach will oppose its use. It was suggested that they may feel weakness in their ability as they are not able to do everything. There is the fear through the associates side that the mangers are not confident in their role as coach, and that some associates may be better at it than them. From the manager’s side there is the fear of the coach, that the coach can do better as a threat than them and perceive it. There is the fear of risk, that if it does not bring the results that are expected (whether reasonable or not) that it would be a waste of money (externally provided), or resources and time (internally provided).

Lastly is the unwillingness to recognise and address difficult performance issues. Telling someone that they are not performing well is a difficult and uncomfortable task. If it can't be solved by coaching or other means, there are more consequences that are serious the associate. This also involves more hours for the manager, and can be a greater cause of stress.

We touched earlier that coaching is not a “catch all” for everything and everyone in the organisation. It is equally important for the manager to recognise when coaching is not appropriate. A manager may question if coaching is appropriate as a guide but by no means exhaustive, when faced with the following situations. If a act that is criminal committed, serious health or emotional problems, stress, and substance abuse. The manager should seek advice initially from HR. HR will then chose to refer this to other specialists such as practitioners, councillors etc.

Conclusion

I've demonstrated that coaching has been officially recognised as including value in the workplace, and earning its place not only for high achievers and executives, but also on the shop floor. I have identified that the responsibility for delivering the coaching still rests mainly with the relative line administration team in an organisation. Some reports suggest as much as 70% is delivered by them.

Increasingly a coaching style of management is preferred to the command and control traditional approach. This shift encourages people to think for themselves and release an amount that is enormous of.

In order to facilitate learning, coaching is applied in a non-directional, non-judgemental way. Before you can improve performance the two key elements of awareness and responsibility need to be raised in the subject (individual or team). This is conducted in a approach that is structured effective questioning skills. Several coaching models exist to assist the manager coach through this process, the most being that is common (T)GROW.

On the face from it, it may appear that coaching is just an extra task over the top of the manager’s already heavy workload. However when done correctly, it actually allows the manager more time on their core tasks such as long-term planning, objective environment and so on. A benefit that is further that those managers trained as coaches, are then able to coach themselves. In developing staff it avoids them being “off the job” to develop skills. The effectiveness of coaching can be diluted in a multi level organisation, and from my research there is little evidence of having the luxury of dedicated full time coaches within organisations. There will be occasions where a manager will have to ”tell” staff and this needs to be handled by them in an manner that is appropriate.

Once the manager is trained, they could be involved in coaching at various levels within their organisation. This will be with team or individuals, their peer team, their superiors or indeed themselves. They will identify when a coaching intervention is required, and at what point teams and folks are ready to receive coaching. It is equally important for the manager to recognise when coaching is not appropriate and look for assistance from other resources like HR.

The manager needs to be aware of any conflicts of interest, especially when this is in the certain area of values and beliefs. Often the return on investment (ROI) is questioned; by having a measurement that is demonstrable this can positively support the coaching approach. The standard of training and support that is ongoing coaches is important to ensure that a coach does not have a negative effect on the workforce. The cultural and diversity dimension also needs to be considered in this ever changing world. Then all parties need to be willing and open, and managers in particular need to demonstrate interest if coaching is to be effective.

Coaching is clearly not a “catch all” or a sticking plaster for a manager to heal over their areas of responsibility. Other routes are available and the manager should recognise this quickly. It is however extremely powerful when used as a management style, supported by a strong and coaching that is visible within an organisation.

The question that is final would raise to any organisation not using, or considering making use of coaching is why would they not wish to benefit from the overriding benefits that it could yield?

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