Frequently Asked Questions

How would you describe your coaching style and approach? . . .

I love what I do. I offer clients a safe place to be honest with themselves. I take a one step at a time, strengths-based, approach to personal growth and for me, growth always means being willing to lean into some discomfort (with my support of course). Real growth is necessarily uncomfortable and scary! I'm there to: support you; challenge you; and make observations and offerings.

Having a coach is like having a trusted thinking partner. You can talk to me about stuff that matters. Sounds simple, but it's almost impossible to do on our own, and it's a missing and critical ingredient in many people's workplaces and lives.

Many clients say they appreciate the space to speak openly and vulnerably with someone outside the business and who is not family or a friend. Coaching gives you the chance to have a conversation and reflect and listen to yourself. It's amazing what the coaching space and process reveals.

What is the process? . . .

Big picture wise, here is how the process usually works, but please note that every client experience is different.

We meet twice a month (we try to find a regular calander slot) for 60-90 mins. We identify your coaching goals, aspirations and a strategy for stepping you towards those goals.

We kick off coaching usually with a preparation process - reflective questionnaire, setting up logistics, and foundational assessments.

My style is open-heartedly collaborative. It's a journey and we are a partnership working together on your growth and goals.

How long will it take? . . .

I require clients to commit for a minimum of six months. Contrary to what some people may promise, there’s no quick fix (if there was, you’d have figured it out by now).

What else is involved? . . .

Early in your coaching journey we'll discuss you completing relevant reflective activites or profiling. These are designed to help us understand you and to support your personal growth and coaching goals. You'll also likely have 'actions' between sessions - but these are always things you choose to do and that make sense in terms of helping you move towards your goals.

What’s the financial investment? . . .

Coaching is a partnership. My clients understand that this is a relationship and it's a journey. I have a limited load of private clients at any one time. If we decide we are a good "match" in terms of the type of coach you need, we'll discuss and negotiate fees to suit your situation.

Where do we meet? . . .

We'll meet online (via Zoom, Skype, Google Meet or another suitable platform). I'm in Cambridge, New Zealand so we'll work out timezones if you are elsewhere in the world.

Do you do CVs or Resumes or LinkedIn etc? . . .

Only for my long term coaching clients and only to create drafts and structures which we then work on together. E.g. for clients who are considering career path options, or have been laid off (made redundant, or restructured). It seems I have a bit of a talent for this, and clients sometimes comment that they'd never have been able to shape up their collateral as successfully.

Do others get their employers to pay for their coaching? . . .

Yes, some clients have been successful in securing financial and time support from their employers. Consider your business case for seeking support. For example:

~ Leadership development. This is a big one. Even if you're not directly responsible for staff, it's about personal leadership development and much of our work is directly focused on this - e.g. building self-awareness, emotional regulation and intelligence, resilience, improving ability to understand and communicate with others

~ External and objective support in dealing with a stressful situation

~ To seek clarity about goals

~ To unravel some of their workplace issues impacting for example, performance and communications

~ To add to your toolkit for dealing with difficult sitations, people or projects etc

~ To learn more about self, in terms of strengths and areas for development.

~ Restructuring/redundancy support - many organisations pay for employees to receive career and coaching support through transitions

How do I know if this is the right fit for me? . . .

People who work with me appreciate that growth means being willing to reflect and do stuff that may feel uncomfortable. They understand there's only so much you can achieve within the framework of your own thoughts and they want gentle yet challenging coaching support to help create the clarity and momentum they so seek.

Critical questions that may help you understand if coaching is right for you:

~ Is something in your professional or personal life or career creating uncertainty and stress for you? (Challenges and/or opportunities)

~ Have you been driving yourself nuts trying to figure it out yourself and not making progress? Humans aren't neurobiologically wired to sort this out on our own. Our brains need to externalise, verbalise, recognise our inner feelings and thoughts. In short, we need to be seen and coaching creates that space.

~ Do you want/need to understand more, or make some change in your life or work, or in yourself?

~ How important is this to you in terms of the difference it will make for you?

~ Do you want to reflect on yourself, your habits and road-blocks - and step out of your comfort zone, with my support of course?

~ Are you willing to put in the time and effort? Do you understand that this is a process? The journey takes time - to gain self-knowledge, career and life design, personal growth, and new habit formation.