Articles
Interviews: 5 things to consider
In my coaching practice I regularly work with individuals who are looking to make a step change in their career, either within their current organisation, moving to a different organisation or changing careers completely. Every individual and situation is different but usually there is an interview to prepare for somewhere in the coaching assignment. As ever in…
Read MoreTaking my own advice Part 3 – make time for ‘downtime’.
I love the Anne Lamott quote “almost everything will work if you unplug it for a few minutes…including you.” It’s a humorous take on a serious point: it is so important for physical and mental health to take regular and refreshing breaks from work. In my coaching practice, I am concerned by the number of…
Read MoreTaking my own advice – part 2
Taking my own advice – part 2 – NXD and Charity Trustee roles. When I am coaching or mentoring senior leaders I am often asked about the value of taking on Non Executive Director or Charity Trustee roles. This is not something to be undertaken lightly as you will be assuming legal responsibility for the…
Read MoreThis post is about taking my own advice!
This LI post is about taking my own advice! When I’m coaching a client who wants to move forward, I will often ask: – “What, specifically, do you want to achieve?”; then – “What steps could you take to make that happen?”; then, to reduce anxiety, – “What’s the downside risk of doing that?” My…
Read MoreChanging organisation or career? 4 adages to consider…
Throughout the pandemic, individuals have been encouraged (or forced) to cope with enormous amounts of uncertainty and change. In my coaching practice, however, I am seeing individuals now choosing to change: it might be where they live (the much talked-about move from cities to the coast or countryside); it might be how they live and work (somewhere…
Read MoreGrowing as your team grows: 3 areas to consider
As an Executive Coach & Mentor, with a focus on leadership, my assignments regularly involve a client who aspires to, or has been promoted to, a more senior leadership role. Some, happily, are in the positive position of “How do I perform this larger role to the best of my ability?’; others, however, lament “I’m struggling;…
Read MoreGrow in confidence: 7 coaching tips
As an Executive Coach & Mentor, with a focus on leadership, I regularly have clients tell me “I’d like to be more confident”. It is a concern I like to dig into: when have you felt confident and when, conversely, have you lacked confidence?; what would ‘more confident’ look and feel like for you and what…
Read MoreOrganisational Values: identify, explain, embed
In my Coaching and Consultancy work with leadership teams I often raise the topic of organisational Values. This gets met with a range of reactions from “Nonsense – that’s just consultants’ jargon” (No it’s not, as we’ll see below) through “Oh yes, they are not explicit but everyone knows what they are” (I’d wager they don’t)…
Read MoreCulture Counts! 10 signs that you’re in good shape
leadership teams, we talk regularly and deeply about Culture: what would a great Culture feel like to the organisation’s people?; how, as leaders, can they create the right conditions for the desired Culture to flourish; how does the organisation sustain that Culture over time despite changing personnel and challenging external conditions. Sadly, we often see…
Read MoreWhat purpose does Purpose play?
I asked my LI connections for suggestions of topics relevant to executive coaching and leadership about which I might write this year. The ever-inspiring Emma Lloyd suggested ‘Purpose’ – specifically the catchy title above – so here are some observations from my work with individuals, teams and organisations. What is Purpose? The dictionary tells us that…
Read More