Services & Skills
Professional Coaching
I work with managers, leaders and individuals in a wide variety of public, private and non-profit organisations to help them develop their potential, either in workshops or one-to-one (both face to face and by telephone). I am primarily interested in meeting the needs of the person being coached as they see them.
To me it is important to tailor the coaching approach to the needs and style of the individual. I like to start by visualising success ‘How would it look if it was working well?’, rather than ‘Why is this not working?’, as this moves quickly into a solution focussed process. I like to combine gentle empathy with direct observations so that people can confront their own challenges while feeling safe and supported. I have been described as an attentive and reflective listener who shows respect and value for the other person.
People are my passion and I enjoy engaging with new people and having an opportunity to understand how different people work.
Facilitation
The role of a good facilitator is in the name – it is to facilitate or make easy the conversation, collaboration and outputs of a given situation.
I have extensive experience in facilitating cross-sectoral meetings where the views, opinions and perspectives of diverse stakeholders need to be shared, explored or agreed in order to come to a productive conclusion.
When working as a facilitator, I take time to understand who will be involved in a given event and what the expected (or hoped for) outcomes are. I then bring a level of objectivity and active listening to the task, combined with skills in chairing based on respect for everyone that ensures a productive outcome.
Everyone’s voice is heard, issues are aired, challenged and discussed in an open, honest and robust manner while retaining the boundaries of respect and consideration for each other.
I get consistent feedback that people find such facilitated meetings more productive and more effective than the more unstructured alternative they had used in the past.
Leadership Development
Developing and nurturing effective leadership is central to the success of any organisation. I work with individual leaders and/or with the leadership/management team to improve their effectiveness as leaders and hence that of the organisation as a whole.
I have a range of customised solutions that I can facilitate or can design bespoke programmes to suit particular requirements, costs and and timeframes. These have been used successfully in small voluntary organisations, SMEs and large multi-nationals.
In working with a leadership team, I use techniques and tools to understand and, if necessary, change the organisational culture as well as to assess individuals’ leadership styles.
Organisational Change
Change is the only certainty in business and in life but it is something we have an inbuilt resistance to which makes managing organisational change an on-going challenge for most businesses.
In working with organisations around change management, I often begin by sharing insights into the psychology of change and how best to adapt our in-built thinking habits to our advantage. In addition I work with organisations in relation to their culture to explore how they can be more “change-able” on an on-going basis rather than responding to individual changes on an ad hoc basis.
As change is inevitable, in order to develop and prosper both individually and organisationally, those best able to manage the change will succeed. Through my work with individuals and organisations I enhance skillsets to cope with, and look forward to that change.
Speaking Engagements
I am available to speak on the topics of Leadership, Vision, Motivation and Positive Change. My objective when addressing any audience (national or international) is to ensure they are fully engaged and that they leave with new information, fresh inspiration and a smile!