How long have you practised as a coach, and at what levels do you normally work?
As an experienced Business Coach and Facilitator for over 20 years, coaching has been an integral part of my work throughout that time. I work mainly, but not exclusively, with Chief Executives, Managing Directors, Directors and Senior Managers.
What style of coaching do you use and why?
My style has been described as challenging, direct, balanced and intuitive. Coaching sessions are performance oriented, practical and informative to help the coachee deal with the challenging issues facing them.
I believe that it is important to agree clearly from the outset what the coaching sessions need to achieve, what specific results are required and in what timescales. Once we are clear, each session is focused on moving closer towards the desired end goals.
Sometimes coaching sessions provide a good opportunity for filling gaps in knowledge and skill, and so we can pause the coaching session to discuss a topic such as strategy and then explore immediately how the coachee can integrate this.
What are your specialist areas, if any?
I often work with individuals in the following areas (or combination of areas):
• Transitioning to leading a top team as CEO or MD
• Changing culture
• Business transformation
• Developing influencing and interpersonal skills
• Newly promoted directors
• Developing presence/impact/gravitas/confidence
• How to lead and manage teams more effectively
• Changing the perception others have about them – image, credibility and profile
What tools might you use in the coaching process?
• MBTI Myers Briggs Type Indicator
• FIRO-B
• HPI and HDS
• Master practitioner of Neuro Linguistic Programming
• Life Styles Inventories
• Emotional Intelligence Questionnaires
• The Good Boss Questionnaire
A variety of models, frameworks from my own personal learning and development, some of which are generic development models. I also tend to use metaphor and examples from my personal experience.
How do you monitor & evaluate the individual and organisational impact of your coaching?
This starts with agreeing what the coaching outcomes are and evidence for success. This may include meeting both the individual’s line manager as well as any other key relationships at the start and completion of the coaching.
It is helpful to have 360 information early on in the coaching relationship to offer a broader perspective. I also use the Good Boss Questionnaire.
Both sets of tools can be re-surveyed months later to measure the personal progress as perceived by themselves and others responding to the questionnaire.
I also ask individuals to keep a ‘journal’ throughout our coaching with a note of critical incidents, things that have gone well, things they would like to discuss. This both raises the coachee’s awareness and gives them a record of evidence to support the changes made and demonstrate their progress.
Please describe your business experience
For over 20 years, I have been working with individuals, teams and organisations to help achieve their goals. I am a Non-Exec Board member for the Highways Agency (the government responsible for the national road network)and for the Home Group (a top 10 Housing Assoication) and I think this gives me a contemporary view of what it takes to lead large complex organisations. I have led major business change programmes and I work in a number of sectors in the private and not-for-profit areas, eg oil, retail, food retail, travel, new technology, private equity, financial services, media, local authorities, government agencies, charities and housing associations.
Just prior to founding People Business, I worked as an HR Director for a well known travel brand.
What formal qualifications and accreditations do you have?
• MBA
• Advanced Certificate in Employment Law
• Hay Group accredited in Emotional Intelligence
• NLP Certified Practitioner & Master Practitioner
• British Psychological Society Level A & B
• Occupational Testing & OPQ trained
• Myers Briggs Type Indicator & Firo- B
• Qualified in use of Human Synergistics lifestyles materials
• Assessor training/Assessment Centre design training
• Qualified Investor in People Assessor
• The Good Boss Questionnaire Certification
What arrangements have you for supervision and continued learning?
Each year I undertake some form or development either a programme of development, individual one off events and/or personal coaching. In 2010 I will be undertaking corporate finance, governance and advanced facilitation training. I am part of a coach’s supervision group.
There isn’t yet a gold standard of coaching accreditation but I am exploring options for gaining a coaching qualification, which I will undertake in 2010.
Other personal information (if applicable)
Based on my experience I have realised that my greatest successes in coaching come from working with people who have real challenges or improvements in performance that they need to make in order to succeed. In the general “busy”ness of organisational life, I think I hold the focus on the improvements that the individual needs to make so that they can tangibly create shifts in their professional lives.
Other companies worked with
Media
CBS Outdoor Ltd, IPC Media, Evening Standard, Merlin Elite.
Retail
Marks & Spencer, Sainsbury’s United Co-Operative Society, Somerfield, Sony Centres,
Tesco.
Travel
Silverjet, Virgin Holidays, Cheapflights, STA Travel, Eurostar.
Financial Services
Suffolk Life,
Royal & Sun Alliance, Aegon, Credit Suisse.
Private Equity
Hg Capital, Granville Baird.
New Technology
NetBasic, Vertu, Virgin.net.
Energy
Shell, New Energy Finance.
Construction
Team
Other not-for-profit Organisations
Mental Health Foundation, Crafts Council, Kirklees Council, Serpentine Gallery, Turning
Point, Path, Brooke Hospital for Animals.
