Coaching

“Everything we do depends for its quality on the thinking we do first.” - Nancy Kline

My role as a coach is to create an environment and conversation which helps you to think freely and openly.

Becoming a leader is a great privilege and a lifelong journey. It often means that you've shown strong abilities and character in other roles and someone has decided that you are the best person to pilot an organisation, team or project through the next stage of its development. People are placing great trust in you and the expectations can feel daunting. At the same time your ability and opportunity to think well can be diminished.

My approach is to join you in your situation and support you as you meet the opportunities and challenges which your work and wider life circumstances bring. I’m definitely not here to judge or impose my view, my role is to recognise your skill and expertise and help you to bring yourself more fully to your leadership.

Over the last 20 years I've been fortunate to have had some incredible coaches who have really helped me to find the growth that I needed at key times in order to thrive. I'm a huge fan and advocate of the coaching process simply because I've benefited so much from it throughout my career.

I’ve been coaching leaders since 2007, both within the organisations that I’ve led and as an external coach. Often this coaching has come during times of transition and helped individuals to build the confidence and skill required to deliver at a higher level.

  • Coaching is partnership or alliance between myself and the coachee in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires the coachee to maximize personal and professional potential. It is designed to facilitate the creation / development of personal, professional or business goals and to develop and carry out a strategy/plan for achieving those goals.

    I normally work with people in blocks of 6 or 7 sessions. There is no set format but ordinarily we start by setting some programme goals as a basis for the thinking we want to do together. Importantly, the time we have together is yours and you set the agenda by identifying the changes you want to see. My role as coach is to help you to think through the opportunities and challenges and help you to develop a plan of action which you believe in and can commit to.

  • In my experience people embark on a coaching programme for a wide range of reasons; some are starting a new role or taking on new responsibilities, others are seeking to overcome particular difficulties or make the most of opportunities. For whatever reason, the individual wants to improve their situations and achieve goals. They want to learn new ways of thinking and approaching situations, in order to get better results.

    Goals which people want to work on might be improving confidence, overcoming imposter-syndrome, better delegation, time and priority management or improving relationships.

    The coach’s skill is to utilise observation, questioning, listening and feedback to create a conversation which can facilitate growth and learning which enhances performance.

    The coachee will experience a focus and attention that enable them to increase awareness and appreciation of their own circumstances. In addition, they will also create new ways to resolve issues, produce better results and generally achieve goals more easily.

    Common benefits people experience from coaching include:

    • Improved performance

    • Improved sense of direction and focus

    • Increased knowledge of self / self-awareness

    • Improved ability to relate to and influence others

    • Increased motivation

    • Improved performance effectiveness, e.g. focussed effort

    • Increased resourcefulness / resilience, e.g. ability to handle change

    • Increased confidence

  • Most of my coaching is with leaders who are performing to a high level in their career, often they are transitioning to new responsibilities or facing new challenges in a role which they have held for a period of time. Coaching is for people who have the desire, commitment, time and drive to grow.

  • A coaching session usually lasts 75-90 minutes either online or in-person.

    The session will always start with a check-in before moving into a discussion which may cover reflection on previous discussions but will move quickly to whatever your current priorities are. The time will be spent focussing on your goals, considering any obstacles and limiting factors which may inhibit your ability to achieve them and working on how you need to be in your leadership in order to achieve the results that you want.

    Most sessions conclude with one or more actions which you are committed to.

  • Most commonly, I work in blocks of 6 or 7 sessions, scheduling 1 session each month. At the end of the first block we feedback and review and sometimes a second block of 6 or 7 is arranged.

    Longer or shorter blocks can be arranged depending on what kind of development you are looking for

    One-off sessions are available if a clear and specific goal or challenge can be articulated beforehand.

    Sometimes a one-off session can help us to work out what is actually needed.

  • Coaching is not mentoring and isn't about me advising you or solving problems for you. Whilst I may have some experience which appears relevant, coaching is about you bringing your best self and your best solutions to your unique circumstances.

    Coaching is not therapy. Of course our conversations may cover areas of personal development across a range of subjects but should you require support with your mental health, I can only help you to access this elsewhere.

  • Leaders who get the most out of coaching commit to thoughtful preparation for each session, communicate honestly, remain open to feedback and assistance and commit the time and energy to participate fully in the program. I can't emphasise the importance of this enough, without it we are just having a chat.

    You will need to be able to articulate the areas where you want to see improvement and invest in the thinking required to make progress.

    Ultimately you are responsible for implementing the commitments made during coaching in order to achieve the desired outcomes and goals which you set out.

ROI or ‘Bang for your Buck’

Quality executive coaching can be pricey, its true. Especially when many senior leaders invest so little in their own personal development. So here are a few ways you can ensure a return on your investment.

  • Imagine that, spend to save.

    Working with a coach to focus on your supply chain, sickness issues, productivity, efficiency, staffing and financial planning might actually end up generating improved financial outcomes. 

    This happened for John when we talked together about adding some lower cost labour into his start-up, that decision made an immediate impact on efficiency, productivity and the bottom line.

  • As leaders we have an enormous impact on the people we employ. People are watching all the time but rarely giving feedback on how our behaviours affect employee performance and loyalty. No business can afford to lose talent and a coach might well help you to create a working environment which no-one wants to leave. 

    This happened to David who asked me to coach one of his top employees who he felt was on the verge of departing the company at huge detriment and cost. After coaching the employee stayed and found a renewed vigour for the work.

  • Business risk comes in different shapes and sizes, rising costs, loss of customers, interruption to operations etc etc. They all weigh heavy on the leaders mind but its the unforeseen risks which really sting. The hazards which are lurking in the shadows which no-one has noticed. Working with a coach can help you identify and neutralise risks or to change course entirely. 

    This happened to Abi, who was planning on expansion to sites in a radius of 50-100 miles from HQ. As we worked through the logistics, the cost profile of the expansion and associated risks became clear and a new, more credible strategy quickly emerged. 

  • Time is your most valuable asset, you want to spend it doing the things that only you can do. The high level decision making, the important relationship management, the culture building the visionary work. PLUS you want to keep as much time as you can for your own health, growth, well-being, family, enjoyment (we often forget these parts). Coaching can help you consider what really matters to you and how to successfully prioritise your inputs.

    This happened to Craig who, whilst talking with me about all the responsibilities he had and the strain it put on him realised that what he really wanted was to relinquish all his leadership roles to focus on specialist clinical work and creating the life he really wanted.

  • None of us are the finished article, wherever we are there are growth opportunities both inside and outside of our current situations. Working with a coach can help you to elevate your skills and profile and to see more clearly where you need to be to achieve your personal goals. It can also help you to work out how to get there.

    This happened to Sarah, a successful founder who felt the need to move on to other opportunities but couldn't see a route through. Coaching helped her establish the path to successful exit and transition and she's now moved on to even bigger things.

These are just a few examples, there are many, many benefits of coaching, primarily it’s about bringing the best version of yourself to every situation and that may be a return enough.

I'm always happy to talk to clients and commissioners about the return they want to see on their investment in coaching. Do get in touch to find out more.

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