Professional Companioning of Senior Leaders

What is it?

Professional Companioning is the term coined to describe a holistic means of supporting school leaders in their personal and professional growth. It is a blended approach that incorporates elements of roles such as mentor, coach, consultant and critical friend, as well as strategic co planner, pastoral carer and ultimate purpose partner.


Who are Professional Companions?

Professional Companioning is conducted by veteran principals selected by the AIS Leadership Centre. They come from Independent, Catholic and government school backgrounds. Every Professional Companion has completed additional training and certification, including accreditation with The Leadership Circle. The role of a Professional Companion is to ‘walk with’ rather than ‘tell how’. They assist their clients to gain self-awareness, and weave together insights into their ‘needs’ and effectiveness on-the-job.

The AIS Leadership Centre

For further information please contact the AISNSW Leadership Centre.

Preliminary steps:

  • The senior leader or their school makes an enquiry to the AIS Leadership Centre

  • A telephone consultation between the senior leader and an AIS Leadership Centre consultant will be conducted to explore the hopes, goals and objectives of the senior leader. Further details about the experience of Professional Companioning will be discussed, including the process, the confidential nature of the relationship with the Professional Companion and the 360° profile.

  • The AIS Leadership Centre will carefully match the senior leader with an AIS-endorsed Professional Companion.

Initial meeting:

Starting at any point in the school year, the initial meeting will take place. This is a face-to-face meeting. The purpose of this meeting is to explore the scope of the engagement and is also an opportunity to gauge whether the relationship will be mutually beneficial. Should either party not wish to proceed, no costs will be incurred.


The 360° profile:

Following the initial meeting, the senior leader will undertake a comprehensive 360° profile with The Leadership Circle.

Conclusion:

  • The senior leader schedules a telephone call with an AIS consultant at the end of the engagement to discuss the experience, any next steps and how the AIS Leadership Centre can continue to support the leader and the school. Note that the details of the Professional Companion meetings will remain confidential. The AIS Leadership Centre will always respect the privacy of the senior leader and Professional Companion.