You could easily apply this statement to coaching. Clients, when they really want something important, will work hard in silence & reflection during & after our sessions together. Success comes from small wins over a period of time. Some are more immediate than others. As in Harry's case, it's been a journey of years. These wins make up the greater success and help shape us into the person we want to be, alongside the things we want to achieve. Affirmations are fleeting. Soci

If you want a 'yes I agree' style conversation without any challenge or accountability. and A conversation void of empathy or complete understanding. and A process which ticks off a checklist of actions but doesn't really get to the heart of your personal and professional performance. AI is your day to day companion for these basics. A Human Coach is there for the deeper conversations & outcomes which really matter to you and your future. Offering appropriate and well timed c

Call it the feeling of loneliness, feeling unwanted, having nothing worthwhile to offer or maybe others lives appearing to be more important & fulfilling than yours. These thoughts and feelings can be very real for all of us at different times of our lives. Whether they are actually true or not is another matter. For you though, in this moment, they feel very real. So what can you do in the immediate future? Hit the survival button and go back to basics. You fought hard to co

I'm not here to help you!....this may sound rather rude, but it's true. My coaching role is to support you...and there IS a difference. It is said that potential clients (particularly men) are reluctant to explore coaching because it's seen as a personal failure. It's only for broken people and society deems, men especially, need to fix everything themselves & in isolation. Why is this the view of some? I believe its because coaching is seen as HELP rather than SUPPORT. I can

If you are being seen as ineffective by your bosses, one of the reasons could be... you are doing the job of your team. Perhaps it's even harder for you to step back if you've been doing this for sometime. Your reasons could be... You don't trust your team to work independently. You are too involved in the day to day to put in place more effective measures for you & your team. You haven't had a 'clear expectations' conversation with your team and/or boss. You haven't got a cl

Remember when you were in demand, people wanted to hear what you had to say, everyday was busy, busy, something different, another problem to solve, multi-tasking, never enough time to do everything? You get the picture. This is perhaps what you now look at through rose-tinted spectacles, you miss it all and feel life doesn't value you anymore. If we are fortunate enough to get there, life retires us all (quietly or otherwise) at some point. What you now have are a wider sele

If you are fortunate enough to have a body which allows exercise, why wouldn't you? Maybe because you haven't found 'your reason' to do it? You may currently be saying... "I can't be bothered" "I don't have time" "I haven't got the motivation" "It's expensive" "I'm too tired" "I'm too old, out of shape, self conscious...." All reasons or maybe excuses, not to exercise, depending on how you look at each statement. Believe me, exercise is the antidote to all of these. Reverse y

And I don't mean coaching!. Coaching is helpful for everyone at some point or points in life. Here's some examples of how my coaching can help you navigate today's ever more complicated world, minus the bullshit! Separating fact from fiction - Real coaching based on what's actually going on for you and around you! Keeping it simple - Why overcomplicate things when you can use a straightforward message on yourself with impactful actions attached. Worthwhile communication - Eng

Can AI coach you? Yes, of course it can. It may be enough that you are just looking for a simple answer to a burning question or need to get some answers on routine and basic day to day stuff, organising lists or scheduling, for example. I would encourage you to do this as it will help you to discover if this is enough or you need to take your conversation to a deeper more personal level. How will you know when AI needs to turn into Coaching? The answers you are getting from

The first step in many coaching conversations is to get your mind ready for what's ahead. Delving head first into goals can make it feel like an extension of all the clutter which is already filling your head! Believe me when I say stepping back to observe what is really going on for you is more valuable than carrying on the way you are...even if you think you're a success! Here are a selection of mind clearing tips to help you declutter. The psychology of being two different

My studying experience Let me start by saying I left school with one pass grade (C) in History. I enjoyed the subject & really should have got an 'A' based on my course work, but I hated studying (i.e. reading). I much preferred to live in the moment with the stories being shared in the classroom...creative thinking! The other subjects I excelled in didn't exist as qualifications then...Drama, Music and Sport. This meant I couldn't go on to 6th form and was faced with an unce

Making the most of where... ...you find yourself now. Life may not be panning out the way you want at the moment, so how can you work with what you have? Making the most of who... ...you are. Stop and reflect, what do you do well and how can you maximise the skills, qualities, beliefs & values you have? Making the most of what... ...is important to you now. What will motivate, challenge, excite and drive you? Making the most of when... ...you act on your goals. What do you ne

You need do nothing yet, other than think! If you've managed to get some time to relax over the summer...you may be reading, gardening, listening to a podcast, reflecting with some music, enjoying time with your loved ones, thinking how coaching can support you in a few weeks time.... wait, what did you say...not the last one?? With a few weeks to go before the new season kicks in, perhaps you might consider this... In the coming months, what would you like more of in your li

Life really would be dull if we were all perfect, all of the time. With social media, this seems to be what some are curating, perhaps deliberately or even coercively. A perfect face A perfect body The perfect family The all things to all people worker Their perfect instagram feed Their perfect view of the world or, to wrap this up in one...a perfect lie! In an attempt to create external perfection, have we forgotten to explore the internal turmoil this 'perceived' expectatio

Of course, coaching is not a 'one size fit's all'. Each person and session is unique. Here though are a few recurring themes when I've had 'discovery calls' with my female clients over the years. Emotional Safety & empathy - My coaching Open communication - My coaching Trust - My coaching Feeling valued - My coaching Comfortable with their clients emotions - My coaching Respect for who you are,what you do - My coaching Active listening - My coaching Thoughtful questions - My

As I hope you would expect me to say, all coaching clients and sessions are unique. Here though are just a few of the recurring themes from my initial coaching conversations with men over the years. Although there are a number of similarities, there can be some subtle differences with male and female coaching requirements. A common bond, usually shared as an activity - Walk & talk coaching (see HERE for face to face) Mutual respect - My coaching Judgement free vulnerability -

Ten reasons that my coaching could be your perfect fit! After an introductory discussion, we agree working together would be beneficial. You'll do most of the talking, it's your goal after all. Listening to you will provide me with information to ask relevant & important questions. Challenge will come from my questions, not telling you it's wrong. Coaching conversations are flexible, open to change of direction to support your goal. You WILL find solutions you are seeking. Yo

As we all know now, heatwaves (for some) are becoming more and more 'usual' in the U.K. and not just the 25 to 28 degree ones. The upper 30's, with the humidity they bring, means many of Britain's buildings are heating up more often and for longer periods. Is it time to rethink how we manage the climate in businesses? Having worked with stifling heat in retail, even before climate change was moved up the agenda, heat (and cold) is an age old problem for many businesses. While

With the World Cup well under way it got me wondering why inclusivity in male football appears to have such a hard time being inclusive! For example, if extensive surveys are to be believed, most supporters are not homophobic, but still join in with gay (and other) slurs on the terraces. Why I wonder? From a coaching perspective, most humans need to feel they belong, are accepted by their peers and in some cases want to avoid being seen as 'odd' or an outsider if they offer

Acknowledge the previous leader, even if they were deemed poor, avoiding the blame game. Create space for team frustrations and letting go of the past before moving forward. Listen before acting. This may feel like doing nothing, but before you can do, you need to understand. How are you going to lead differently? e.g. building trust, empathy, effective communication, new worthwhile ideas etc Communicate the vision and goals... Why we heading in this direction? What I will do