Working with a coach is a personal investment. It’s important that you know what to expect, how we’ll work together and feel comfortable before you say yes. I aim to make the process clear, straightforward and centred on what matters most to you.
How we get started
We always begin with a free introductory conversation. This is a chance for you to talk about what brings you to coaching, ask questions and for both of us to decide whether working together feels like a ‘good fit’. Typically, this will be 30-45 minutes, so you get a good chance to chat.
In that conversation, we’ll typically:
Clarify what you’re hoping to achieve or explore
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Talk through how coaching works in practice
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Discuss the kind of support that would be most useful for you
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Agree on next steps; if you’d like to go ahead or take time to decide
If your organisation is sponsoring the coaching, we can also talk about involving your manager in a brief three-way conversation to align on high-level objectives while keeping your coaching space confidential.
What working together looks like
Coaching with me is a partnership. I bring my experience with a calm, down-to-earth presence, an objective perspective and the willingness to ask thoughtful, sometimes stretching questions; you bring your experience, your context and an openness to discuss, think differently and take action.
A typical coaching programme:
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There isn’t really a ‘typical’ because every leader and their situation is unique. Usually coaching runs over 3-8 sessions and is extended as you require.
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Takes place online, in person or by phone, depending on what works best for you
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Starts with a 1.5-hour session which includes discussing how we’ll work together, your situation and setting outcomes for our work.
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Thereafter, sessions are 45min to 1-hour and are spaced out to suit you, giving you time to test ideas and make progress between sessions. Typically, clients choose to meet every 3–5 weeks.
Between sessions, you decide what actions to take and how you’ll apply your insights. I’m there to support, encourage and challenge you, but you stay in the driver’s seat.
During a session
Each session is focused on what will be most useful for you right now, this is usually within the broader outcomes we’ve agreed on.
We usually:
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Check in on what’s happened since we last spoke and what you want from today’s session
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Explore your situation, options, assumptions and perspectives
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Identify patterns, themes or blind spots that might be helping or hindering you
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Find that you decide on next steps, realistic actions or experiments you want to try in your world
Clients say they leave sessions feeling clearer, lighter and more focused, with concrete next steps rather than vague intentions.
Confidentiality and trust
For coaching to be useful, you need to feel safe enough to think aloud, test ideas and be honest about what’s really going on. Our conversations are confidential, and I treat what you share with respect and care.
If your organisation is involved (for example, funding the coaching), we agree upfront what, if anything, will be shared outside the coaching conversations. Usually, this is limited to the date of sessions. You remain in control of what is shared from a coaching session.
My role as a coach means I won’t arrive with all the answers, a fixed template or tell you what you should do.
Where it’s helpful for you, I may share relevant experience or tools/frameworks that you can consider as you find an approach that works in your world.
My role as your coach
My goal in every interaction is to add value and enable you to see your way forward. This is defined by you, informed by our discussions and thinking together.
In practice this means I will:
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Listen carefully to what you say - and what you don’t say
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Ask various questions that both support and challenge. For example; helps you develop insight, look at your situation from different angles, identify barriers to progress
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Offer observations and reflections to deepen your self-awareness
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Encourage you to connect insight with action and progress
How we’ll measure progress
At the start of our work, we clarify what progress would look like for you. For example, working out the solution to a complex problem, clearer priorities, improved relationships or feeling more confident and effective in your role. We then check in against these outcomes as we go, so you can see what’s shifting and where we might need to adjust our focus.
You might notice progress through:
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Finding solutions and taking decisions that you had been delaying
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Difficult conversations/relationship handled more confidently
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Feedback from others about changes they see in you
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Feeling more grounded and in control, even when things are agile or uncertain
My background and experience
I bring experience both as a senior leader and as a coach. Before establishing my own practice, I held roles including People Director, Head of Leadership Development & Training, Organisation Development Manager and operational finance manager working in the UK and New Zealand across sectors such as retail, IT, engineering and construction, automotive, education and local government.
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I am a qualified professional coach, credentialed at Associate Certified Coach (ACC) level with the International Coaching Federation (ICF).
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I hold an MBA from Henley Business School, UK
Ready to talk?
If you are a leader or senior leader who would value time and space to think, a trusted partner to challenge your thinking, be a ‘sounding board’ and practical support to move forward, I’d be happy to talk.
You can contact me via the enquiry form or email on the Contact page to arrange an initial conversation about what you’re looking for and whether working with me feels right for you.
My clients describe me as warm, calm and approachable, with a knack for getting to the heart of an issue and helping them leave with clarity and practical actions.