INSIGHT FOR LIFE & WORK
Executive Coaching

What is Coaching and is it for you?
I like to think of a ‘coach’ in relation to its simplest dictionary definition: a means of conveyance; a vehicle that takes someone where they want to go. Executive coaching is the practice of learning through one-to-one confidential conversations where a person wants to go in their professional life and providing a means to help them get there.
As a coach, I see my job as helping managers and leaders become more effective, more confident and ultimately successful in meeting their objectives.
In my coaching practice, I work with individuals offering them one-to-one coaching. I can contract with individuals who come to me independently, or with organisations that wish to offer coaching to emerging leaders and current senior executives. One-to-one coaching is always tailored to an individual’s needs and goals. It can offer benefits if you:
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Are stepping into a new leadership role
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Could use support leading change during a time of crisis or uncertainty
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Are feeling unusually stressed or anxious over work-related issues
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Want to find more effective ways to motivate your team and communicate clearly
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Want to improve decision-making and strategic planning
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Are considering a career or role transition
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Are seeking an external, objective and non-judgemental sounding board
I also work with teams and Boards to help navigate the tricky terrain of optimising performance, deepening staff engagement, managing organisational change and increasing effectiveness. I believe one key to corporate success is good communication. I help teams to say what needs to be said in a way that can be heard by colleagues, managers and staff members. As a team coach, I bring my personal experience of leading large and small teams for 25 years as well as training in Systemic Team Coaching from the Academy of Executive Coaching. It can offer benefits if you and your team:
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Need support managing conflict and difficult conversations
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Are undergoing organisational change or restructuring
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Are coming together for the first time as a new team and want to build a strong foundation that prioritises strong performance and open communication
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Want to foster a team or corporate culture that promotes sustainability and embraces Environment, Social and Environmental (ESG) principles
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Want to bring your team together so their collective output is more than the sum of their individual parts
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Want to move the team from Good to Great and jointly transform the business

How Does it Work?
The one-to-one ‘Coaching Contract’ we develop and agree together will have clearly articulated goals, and we will mark progress as we go along. One-to-one coaching sessions normally last 90 minutes to two hours and are held on a fortnightly or monthly basis depending on the client’s needs and availability. I generally work with clients for 6-8 sessions. These are held over Zoom, but can be held face-to-face at a client’s place of work if mutually convenient.
The team coaching contract will be framed around the needs of your particular team at this moment. Systemic team coaching looks at how individuals in the team relate to each other, to the team’s tasks, to stakeholders within the organisation and to the wider context within which the team operates. We will work together to formulate a contract that allows insight into each of these dimensions, generally including one-to-one conversations with the team leader to understand the scope of work, followed by both individual conversations with team members, participation in team meetings and interviews with stakeholders. A 360° tool is also available for diagnostic purposes. Meetings can be held in person or over Zoom, depending on location and preference. Assignments vary in length and intensity depending on need.
If you are an individual thinking of starting work with a coach or a team leader and want to speak further about whether this is right for you, please get in touch for a free 30-minute consultation.
Coaching Style
Coaching is an opportunity to develop a trusting relationship with someone who will help raise self-awareness, enable insight and encourage self-reflection through targeted conversations. I listen actively, attentively and empathically. As an executive coach, I can assist clients in eliminating or reducing obstacles to progress in reaching their professional and life goals, supporting as well as challenging current and future leaders to help themselves and their business to excel.
I believe that people have the capacity and the resources within themselves to find answers to the questions that come up in their professional lives, and that a coach can be a trusted partner to help locate them. I will be led by clients in exploring what may be holding them back or trapped in unhealthy patterns, and I will also challenge them to confront issues that may hold the key to progress.
I aim to bring into awareness feelings and connections that can be buried in the unconscious, but always with the intention to help the client find practical solutions to work-based and professional issues. I aim to create a safe, structured and trusting environment that allows leaders and future leaders to understand themselves, their strengths and areas for development, and work to build a strong working alliance with clients. I try to bring a sense of calm, warmth, patience and authenticity to my coaching.
As a coach, I adhere to the Ashridge Code of Conduct, inclusive of its code of ethics and code of practice.