We get these questions a lot. Here are our best answers...
Career coaching is about general business experience rather than specific experience in any industry. Almost all managerial skills are generic which means that, with 25 years of experience of using these skills every day, I can really help you see things from a different perspective, which is key to you moving forward.
I totally understand, life is very busy. Although coaching can fit around you, sessions need only be on a fortnightly or monthly basis. Coaching is something that you need to be committed to as a way of accelerating your career, but your career isn’t always your top priority in life. If you aren’t ready then I suggest you wait, but I would love to hear from you when things change.
This is quite a difficult question to answer because the value will be driven from the level of determination and engagement you put into the coaching sessions. From my point of view I can absolutely guarantee that I will put all my effort and experience into supporting you (see the Recommendations on this site which demonstrate this) and, if you are equally committed, then we will undoubtedly make real progress towards you achieving your goals.
Yes, if you fully engage with the process and want to make strides forward, then there are always ways to improve. You probably have a good idea of which areas you’d like to improve, but I can also help you to pinpoint where to start. Through the coaching process we can work through everything that is holding you back, and find ways to manage these, one-by-one.
Coaching can help when you are not sure what direction you ought to be taking, or even when you are trying to narrow down the best options or paths for you. It can also help you to overcome barriers you are facing, or work through issues in the workplace that you are struggling with.
Yes, even purchasing a single session will make a difference by helping to order your thinking, but you will be more likely to develop a clearer understanding of how to move forward if you undertake multiple sessions. We can discuss this during a free Discovery Session as it all depends on the scope of the issues you would like to discuss. I would usually expect that around 6 sessions will cover most situations, and I offer a discounted package if you pay for these up front – see my Pricing & Booking page. Please have a free Discovery Session first, though, so we can ensure the selected package is suitable for you.
Absolutely true, you can learn on the job, but the process is much slower and the learning is much less structured. Your line manager will be spread thinly and so the 1:1 and personal development support you receive will be limited.
A coach will focus on you and have the time to delve deeper. If this extra focus means that you get that promotion you have been hoping for earlier, then the sessions will, in all likelihood, comfortably pay for themselves.
Well, that depends on your own level of commitment.
Coaching will help you to focus on the key questions, enablers and blockers which are affecting your career development. By addressing these you can accelerate your progress and achieve your career goals sooner.
If, however, you are not bought into the concept of coaching as a support tool for your career, then you are right – it probably won’t help you.
Management is about so much more than achieving your objectives. You need to be clear on how your performance and the way you operate each day can impact your success, your career development and ultimately how you maximise what you get from being at work. It can be incredibly rewarding in so many ways – coaching can help you optimise this reward and be the best version of yourself.
As I get to know you and what you would like to achieve from our sessions, I will design a coaching programme to work through the specific challenges you are facing. These will be unique to you because, whilst others may have similar issues, there are hundreds of variables.
There are a range of tools and approaches which can help – see the Recommendations on this site for stories about how I have helped others.
Yes, I have a Level 5 coaching qualification and am a Practitioner of the European Mentoring & Coaching Council (EMCC). I adhere to the EMCC’s Global Code of Ethics. I have been coaching colleagues and team members for over 20 years.
