Services
How we’ll work together to achieve your goal.
The pace of change facing organisations and leaders is unprecedented. As is the complexity of stakeholders you need to manage. In the increasingly dynamic and uncertain world you operate in, where we too rarely stop to reflect on what is and isn’t driving our performance I will provide a confidential and non-judgemental space in which we will work together – in person, by phone or video. Leadership is often rewarding and exhilarating. But it can also be lonely and, at times, you may feel stretched beyond your natural levels of resilience.
I passionately believe that coaching can and should provide you with new insights, greater clarity and self-confidence and improved self-awareness. I will challenge your assumptions and any inconsistencies in your thinking and help you uncover any unstated motivations. To reach your goal and improve your effectiveness.
Often, an appreciation of the context is essential to effective coaching. When appropriate, your coaching goals will be explored with an understanding of the system you work within. And consideration given to how the change can endure once you're back in your workplace.
Trained in a wide variety of tools, my approach will be highly personalised, tailored to you and your circumstances. As will your plan of action, which will play to your strengths to achieve sustained change. Change that will continue long after our coaching relationship has ended. Change that can benefit both you and the organisation you work in.
You and your organisation’s time is precious and we will agree and review goals which are measurable, meaningful and, where appropriate, linked to your organisation‘s priorities. Clear, ethical contracting at the start of the relationship, with you and any key stakeholders, will ensure that we are all clear on ways of working and what success looks like. We will define milestones to this success and yes, I will hold you to account (with compassion!) to meet them. Progress isn’t always linear; I will support and encourage you on your journey.
And, if needed, I can draw upon a group of coaching peers who, like me, qualified in Executive Coaching at Henley Business School and all have significant leadership experience.
FACING CHANGE
- managing a professional transition
Whether you’re instigating or responding to a change in your work, I will support and challenge you to manage this change so that you, and those you lead, emerge from the change with confidence, clarity and increased capability. Whether it’s a new role you're after or a role you've just been appointed to, coaching can support you to clarify your strategy and establish your own authentic, effective leadership style. This may be a leadership style that draws on the best of your previous experience while also recognising that not all the skills and behaviours that have contributed to your career success to date may be effective or sufficient in the new role.
Or you may be initiating or responding to changes in your organisation, teams or market. Coaching can be extremely effective during what may be turbulent and / or invigorating times. While we are not always in control of such changes, coaching can help you control your response to the change and emerge with valuable experience and learning.
Recent clients in this area include a Director at a multi-national business who had low morale, felt ‘stuck’ in his job and was demotivated about deciding ‘what next’. Through coaching he identified his underlying motivators and strengths and refreshed his career goals. This led him to successfully apply for a new, more senior role in a different part of the business and improved morale.
CASE STUDY
BECOMING AN EFFECTIVE INFLUENCER
– and managing conflict
Recent research reveals that leaders view working successfully with internal and external stakeholders as more crucial than ever to business success. The ability to influence colleagues, those we report to, those we manage, our Boards and peers – and external stakeholders – is a key leadership skill but not one we are often trained in. These relationships are always important, sometimes challenging and increasingly complex. Before I became a coach, influencing was at the heart of every role and success I’d had. Your influencing style will be personal to you. As will your approach to conflict in the workplace. I will challenge and support you to refine your style so it’s authentic, effective and adaptive to the individuals and organisations you work with and in both now and in the future.
I supported the Head of Communications of a national organisation whose relationship with her CEO / line manager was at times extremely challenging. Through a variety of methods, including a psychometric assessment, my client improved her understanding of her CEO’s stress points and communications style and adapted her own communication style to improve their working relationship without compromising her sense of integrity. My client reported a decrease in the moments of tension, reduced stress and a feeling of empowerment.
CASE STUDY
BREAKING NEGATIVE REPEATING PATTERNS
You may notice that the challenging moments you experience at work feel familiar or fall into a pattern. Behaviours that may become more pronounced when you're under pressure. You are not alone. Many of us display repeating unhelpful behaviours in certain scenarios at work. Together we will identify these patterns and most importantly understand what is behind them and how you can break the cycle. Where appropriate, I use Cognitive Behavioural Coaching (CBC) to help clients identify distorted thinking that may be leading to these repeated, self-limiting behaviours and work with my clients to encourage them to identify more positive beliefs about themselves. And so change their behaviours.
This approach can be especially effective at addressing issues of confidence or imposter syndrome.
I recently worked with a CEO who’d been promoted internally to support her to establish her credibility in her new role, focusing particularly on managing the relationship with her senior team who’d previously been her peers. A key issue that emerged was her fluctuating self-confidence - which she hadn’t previously recognised. What the coachee called a ‘light bulb moment’. Through Cognitive Behavioural Coaching this was identified and is being successfully addressed.
CASE STUDY
IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF YOUR TEAM
In the dynamic world we operate in, effective senior teams recognise that they need to increasingly partner across their organisation, and potentially outside their organisation, to meet the demands being placed on them. This requires a resilient, collaborative team that is more than a group of individuals - however high performing.
As with all coaching, the success of team coaching is dependent in large part on the openness of those taking part to reflect individually and collectively on both the known and unspoken barriers to success. This includes understanding how the current and historic culture and systems reinforce or act as a barrier to high performance. I will support your team to explore these.
Team coaching can be especially valuable when new members join a team or there is a change in the strategy, Board or market.
I worked with a leadership team coming out of a major restructure which had included changes of personalities at the leadership level. Through coaching the team maintained (reported) morale, minimised staff churn and agreed a refreshed strategic focus which they then delivered on. This was all achieved against a backdrop of significant budget cuts.