Unit 703 Reflecting on Your Ability to Perform Effectively as a Coach or Mentor at an Executive or Senior Level Assignment Brief 2026

Unit 8589-703 Assignment Brief

Learning Outcomes and Assignment Criteria

1. Be able to review own ability to perform effectively as a coach or mentor at an executive or senior level

Assessment criteria

The learner can:

• Analyse own strengths and areas for development and how they affect performance as a coach or mentor
• Critically analyse how client’s value systems, knowledge, skills and experience affects the coaching or mentoring relationship
• Critically review own ability to perform effectively as a coach or mentor
• Analyse how to adapt their approach to capitalise on own strengths and address areas for improvement

Depth

1.1 Techniques for undertaking a personal inventory of knowledge and skills, values and attitudes, and for analysing personal strengths and areas for development.

Basic understanding of personality theory, including personality types and traits.

Perceptions and reality in problem identification and decision making – cognitive and emotional factors shaping perception.

Application of personal biases (e.g., unconscious bias, cognitive biases, etc.)

Review of own Emotional Intelligence.

Nature and role of the self-contract and self-management.

Techniques for safely and appropriately challenging others’ assumptions and perceptions and for encouraging focus and avoiding distraction.

Areas for analysing strengths and areas for development should include:

• Review of appropriateness of level of support and level of challenge to individual.
• Model of reflective learning is introduced (e.g., Kolb, Schön, etc.).

1.2 Appreciation and awareness of client’s different perspectives, value systems, level of knowledge and skills, in terms of the dynamics of interactions between the coach/mentor and the client.

1.3 Assessment of own ability using a range of tools (e.g., self-assessment, supervision, peer feedback, feedback and assessment of individual’s progress, stakeholder feedback, SWOT, etc.).

Review current performance against a current framework provided by a leading Coaching or Mentoring Body (e.g., AC, EMCC, ICF, etc.).

The effects of an individual’s knowledge, skills and experiences on the coach/mentor’s performance.

Learning theories and reflective practice.

Assessment should include:

• Different perspectives on coaching and mentoring – distinguishing between coaching and mentoring and between individuals.
• Nature and value of feedback in developing the reflective practitioner (e.g., Schön, Argyris, etc.).
• Skills of giving and receiving constructive criticism on self.

1.4 How strengths can be capitalised and areas for improvement addressed (e.g., options for developing coaching or mentoring skills, knowledge and behaviours that require improvement, etc.).

Assessment guidance

The learner must:

1.1  Analyse own strengths and areas for development and how they affect performance as a coach or mentor.  Reference must be made to a model of reflective learning (e.g., Kolb) as well as undertaking a personal inventory of knowledge, skills, values and attitudes to being an effective coach or mentor.  Consideration must be given to own emotional intelligence and how this may affect performance as a coach or mentor.

1.2 Critically analyse how client’s value systems, knowledge, skills and experience could affect the coaching or mentoring relationship.  Reference to theoretical sources must include the dynamics of interactions between the coach/mentor and the client.

1.3 Critically review own ability to perform effectively as a coach or mentor.  The review must use a range of tools (self-assessment, supervision, peer feedback, feedback and assessment of individual’s progress, stakeholder feedback, SWOT, etc.).

1.4 Analyse how to adapt their approach to capitalise on own strengths and address areas for improvement.  Consideration must be given to how coaching or mentoring skills, knowledge and behaviours can be strengthened and improved.

2 Be able to plan own future professional development activities

Assessment criteria

The learner can:

2.1 Critically reflect on their own developmental needs

2.2 Provide a detailed professional development plan for the next 12 months

2.3 Evaluate ways to continue own professional development beyond the 12 month plan

Depth

2.1 Critical reflection of own developmental needs, based on evidence from a critical review of abilities as a coach or mentor.

• Different options, methods, opportunities available in order to develop the skills, knowledge, behaviours to perform effectively as a coach or mentor.

2.2 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) plan to set demanding but realistic goals and manage own continuous improvement and personal development.

• Techniques for detailed personal development planning and appropriate resourcing, monitoring and reviewing techniques.
• Design and structural characteristics of personal development plans for developing and enhancing own knowledge and skills.

2.3 Continuation of own professional development (e.g., reflective practice, monitoring and evaluating own practice on a regular basis, reading up to date publications, networking, peer groups, on-going supervision, membership of professional bodies, ways of increasing knowledge and developing practice, etc.).

• Future anticipated implications and impact of continuing own professional development beyond the 12 month professional development plan.

Assessment Guidance

The learner must:

2.1 Provide a critical reflection of own developmental needs, based on evidence from a critical review of abilities as a coach or mentor. At least two own developmental needs must be included.

2.2 Provide a detailed professional development plan for the next 12 months which details how own on-going development in coaching or mentoring will be undertaken, resourced, monitored and reviewed.

2.3 Evaluate at least two ways to continue own professional development beyond the 12 month plan.

3 Be able to construct a profile and position themselves as a coach or mentor at an executive or senior level

Assessment criteria

The learner can:

3.1 Develop a personal profile which accurately illustrates own coaching or mentoring approach, practice and the context they have operated in

Depth

3.1 Use of profile for promoting self as a coach or mentor at an executive or senior level.

• Coaching or mentoring approach and methodology used, codes of practice.
• Operational context.
• Personal and professional credibility.
• Relevance of own background, experience, recent coaching work, skills, accreditation and links to professional bodies.
• Code of ethics and feedback from others of own coaching or mentoring practice.
• Strategies and practices for building effective relationships.
• Testimonials.

Assessment Guidance

The learner must:

3.1 Create a personal profile which accurately illustrates own coaching or mentoring approach at an executive or senior level. This must relate to a code of practice and other key documentation that demonstrates own approach, practice and operational context.  The personal profile must include the coach or mentor’s experience, coaching or mentoring style, skills accreditation and any links to professional bodies.

Assessment Requirements

This unit will be internally assessed through a reflective journal which is marked by the centre and subject to internal and external quality assurance.

To pass this unit the evidence that the learner presents for assessment must demonstrate that they have met the required standard specified in the learning outcomes and assessment criteria. The unit will be assessed as pass/referral.

Learners will agree with their assessor appropriate evidence which reflects their role and responsibility. Learners can use one piece of evidence to prove their skills across different assessment criteria and/or across different units. It is not necessary for learners to have each assessment criterion assessed with a separate piece of evidence.

This unit requires learners to reflect on and evaluate their coaching or mentoring skills and allows evidence to be gathered from either units 701 or 702 as a basis for learner reflection and their future development as a coach.

Evidence for this unit is likely to come from naturally occurring activities within an organisational setting and may include (but is not restricted to):

• Products from the learner’s work.
• Direct observation of the learner’s performance by their assessor.
• Outcomes from oral or written questioning.
• Personal statements and/or reflective accounts.
• Professional discussion record.
• Authentic statements/witness testimony.
• Analysis of practice.
• Strengths and weaknesses analysis.
• Evaluation of knowledge, skills.
• Use of questioning and listening.
• Evaluation of feedback from clients.
• Feedback from tutorial/s supervision sessions actual evidence.
• Conclusions on self-analysis and others.
• Planning for personal development in the coaching or mentoring role.
• Continuous Professional Development (CPD) Plan.

Learners must carry the tasks out individually. Learners may carry out research and collect the information they want to use under unsupervised conditions.

Note: Please ensure confidentiality of the coaching / mentoring is maintained and care taken to remove anything which may identify an individual. They may be referred to as ‘Client 1’, for example, for assessment purposes.