Emma is nettled. I can see it in her body posture and hear it in her voice. She is describing her boss and the impact his approach to managing and leading the team is having. Emma is a highly skilled professional. Her new boss keeps telling her what to do, gives advice and always has…
Tag: Coaching
Why be a Hero when you can be a Leader?
Katy flops down in the chair. Her shoulders are sagging, she looks drawn and weary. When asked how she was feeling, her response was, “I am worn out, pooped, dog tired’. ‘What’s causing this?’ I enquired. ‘I seem to spend all my time fixing other people’s problems, and then having to catch up on my…
Effective leaders coach. 5 guaranteed ways to better conversations
Tony wants to have better conversation with his staff. He is keen to enable his team to experience the benefits of coaching conversations as he did through our coaching sessions. ‘How will I know that I am engaging in coaching conversations?’ he asks. Coaching conversations differ from normal conversations. The purpose of a coaching…
Getting to aha moments with your staff
There is nothing more magical than observing a client harnessing his creativity and inner resources to generate that ‘aha’ moment. Oscar, one of my clients entered the room, appearing to be carrying the world on his shoulders which are hunched, a look of weariness on his face and fatigue in his body. He had been…
6 ways that listening can help you become a better leader
Last week, I spent some time in an organisation with their executive team attending different meetings and discussions which gave me the opportunity to observe them in action with a range of people and situations. As the week progressed it became evident that there was a common thread running through my observations. There seem to…
Stop micro managing and start coaching
“I couldn’t possibly let him close the deal on his own. What if he gets it wrong or can’t answer a question, I have to be there”, says Gary. I am in a room with 11 sales managers who have been identified as ‘not able to let go, not letting their sales reps develop, taking…
One day
One day One day I will spend more time with my family One day I will do something that I want to do One day I will catch up with all my friends One day I will get fitter and healthier One day I will leave my boring job One day I will finish that…
Where are all the women?
Yesterday, I spent the morning at my local grammar school engaging in mock interviews for the students who will be heading off to university next year. The school organises interviews to help support students’ applications and to offer them valuable practice interview experiences. They ask people in the local community for help and then match…
Are your beliefs holding you back?
Last night on a rare occasion I decided to watch some TV and came across BBC4’s The Cursed Valley of the Pyramids. The film centres on the Lambeyeque valley in Northern Peru where the ruins of 250 pyramids lie. It tells the story of why the Lambeyeque were obsessed with building pyramids and unearthed a culture…
Coaches Connect 2013 reflections
3 years ago I wrote a blog post Thinking BIG: Turning vision into reality where I had a vision of what it would be like…. if we (coaches) came together and shared our practice and experiences so that we can learn from each other, extend our professional networks, collaborate….and from that the first Coaches Connect was born on 22…