COACHING AND MENTORING TRAINING

Part of being an effective leader involves an in-depth understanding of one’s capabilities, capitalizing on these skills not just to spark change for individual improvement, but also to catalyze progress for their team and organization. Since then, numerous leaders, with their expertise, have produced competent constituents; yet, the question remains: how exactly do we cultivate competent leaders?

To address this longstanding question and empower UP Manila leaders with supervisory functions to become agents for organizational improvement, the UP Manila Human Resource Development Office (HRDO) conducted a Coaching and Mentoring Training last February 26-27, 2025 at 8F Social Hall, PGH Central Block Building. The training bridged the gaps in leadership skills and taught the participants various strategies to promote operational effectiveness among the different UP Manila offices.

With 13 years of experience in Human Resource Management, the HRDO invited Rogelio T. Estrada, Chief Administrative Officer of the Human Resource Development Office at UP Diliman, as the resource speaker for the event. Throughout the two-day training, he provided the participants with key strategies necessary to foster professional growth among UP Manila leaders—critical tools for their individual development and in the upskilling of their respective constituents. 

Estrada first discussed the core concepts and objectives of the UP Strategic Performance Management System (UP SPMS). This system aims to establish a culture of organizational and individual improvement among UP Manila employees by ensuring that their performance and skill sets are in parallel with the institution’s values, mission, and vision. He also provided an overview of the framework and the four pillars or stages of UP SPMS, (1) Performance Planning and Commitment, (2) Performance Monitoring and Coaching, (3) Performance Review and Evaluation, and (4) Performance Rewards and Development Planning. He also outlined different methods to assess and quantify individual performance, with the overall goal of inspiring employees to reach their full potential. 

Following this, Estrada also enumerated and explained the soft skills that a leader or coach should possess. As he emphasized, “The essence of coaching is to inspire awareness, responsibility, and independent thinking…the best coaching happens when the coach truly believes that the expert is the coachee.”

After his discussion, Estrada then opened the floor for inquiries from the audience. He entertained questions from high-profile employees of UP Manila, further signifying the hunger for growth and organizational development among UP Manila leaders. 

Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance, Dr. Johanna Patricia D. Adevoso-Cañal graced the two-day event for the opening remarks, emphasizing the weight of training department heads in leading organizations. The Supervising Administrative Officer of HRDO, Mr. Jorel T. Manalo, and the HRDO Director, Dr. Michael Antonio F. Mendoza, formally closed the event for the first and second day of the training, respectively, thanking everyone for their participation, support, and genuine inquisitiveness. 

A total of 146 UP Manila employees attended the event—76 participants, mainly Unit/College Administrative Officers, Executive Assistants, and REPS for the first day, and 71 employees for the second day, which comprised Unit Heads/Directors, Deans, and Department Chairs. 

As folks say, “With great power comes great responsibility.” Together, let’s create a community of competent leaders!