HOW I WORK

Coaching is a relationship between equals. Every day we experience hierarchies that can get in the way of brave, expansive conversations – whether that’s with a boss, an employee, even an influential friend or parent.

A coach who is non-judgemental, and outside of your ordinary network, can allow you to experiment with new ideas, approaches, and ways of being, without anxiety or risk to your usual professional style or relationships.

Yes. Individual coaching sessions take place in confidence.

There are two rare, but important, exceptions to this rule. The first is if I ever became concerned for your safety or wellbeing, or that of another person. The second is in the event that illegal activity of a serious nature came to light. In those cases, my duty to protect individuals and uphold the law comes first.

For corporate coaching engagements, the same rules apply.

I may report attendance to a sponsor, but I will not relate the content of coaching sessions in any attributable way. Feedback to the sponsor about the coaching sessions themselves (if required) will be led by the coachee and supported by me as necessary.

Confidentiality ensures safety and allows us to be sufficiently and appropriately vulnerable in order to grow. As such, it is in the best interests of all - be they coach, coachee, or sponsor.

Both coaching and therapy are conversation-based, and there are overlaps in the coach or therapist’s method. The goal, however, is very different.

Coaching is explicitly change and action-focused. I often say that self-understanding would be an entirely appropriate and sufficient goal in therapy; but in coaching we are looking to make a step-change in performance. This makes it especially well-suited to challenges we face at work.

In coaching we tend to deal less with recovery than with optimisation: making the changes and improvements that take you from normal / okay to exceptional. You should typically leave a coaching session feeling lighter, more energised, and ready to take practical steps you can take towards your goals.

It’s also true that therapists have specific training and skills in dealing with trauma and mental health issues that coaches do not have, and if I feel your issue is best suited to a therapeutic context, I will raise that with you.

Many clients choose to spend the time purely in discussion. Some clients also take the opportunity to work directly on a specific document (such as an application), respond to an appraisal or 360, sketch or make notes. I am happy to support any approach that best enables you to work towards your goals.

Whether you should opt for in-person sessions, or to have your sessions delivered over Zoom, will depend on your location, schedule, and personal preferences.

Benefits of having your session over Zoom include:

• Accessibility, especially for clients based outside of the UK or with extensive / unpredictable travel schedules

• Efficiency: no need to make time for travel or arrange a suitable meeting space. We can get straight down to it.

• Privacy: depending on your set-up, you may find that remote sessions better support confidentiality and privacy. Many corporate clients, for example, choose to have coaching on their working-from-home days.

• Intimacy: For some people, face-to-face video call is actually more intimate than in person

If you’re based in London or in and around Milton Keynes, you could opt for in-person session.

Benefits of in-person sessions include:

• Non-verbal communication: getting a better read of your ‘body-talk’

• Intimacy: for some, there’s nothing like 3D for build connection

• Context: providing supporting context about your life, work, and interactions with the world around you

• Vitality: in a world in which a lot of our interaction is mediated by screens, in person can be energising and refreshing

• Task switching benefits: sometimes, a change of scene helps us get into the right frame of mind.

For in-person sessions, a private meeting room at your office is ideal. If you’re comfortable with a public space, more spacious cafes and restaurants or hotel lobbies can work well. (Please don’t choose your colleagues’ favourite lunch spot!).

If you’re based in the Milton Keynes area, I have a small coaching space at my home. ‘Walking coaching’ is also a fresh-air option if you are fit and able to do so.

For virtual sessions, sitting in an open-plan office (even with headphones on) is to be avoided. Remember that you’ll be doing most of the talking and that privacy supports honesty, vulnerability, and learning. Likewise, if you share your home office with a partner, please do relocate to another room in the house. Feel free to blur your background and under no obligation to pick up children’s socks or to evict the cat.