Testimonials

Basis Limited

"In my work with my coach, I gained a greater self awareness regarding my personal impact and how I need to adjust my approach to people in order to build rapport and trust. He provided me with challenging feedback which helped me to learn and grow as an individual and as a coach.

My coach is easy to work with. He is extremely supportive and gives challenging feedback in a palatable way. My experience of working with my coach has been very positive. I felt comfortable being open and honest with him – which is essential in a coaching relationship".

Sarah Phillips Principal Consultant,
Basis Limited

Connect Worldwide

"What I gained from working with my coach was a renewed sense of focus and vision providing me with the tools to find and develop my own solutions to achieving both personal and business goals and objectives."

Kevin Brett, Director,
Connect Worldwide

Oxfordshire County Council

Two programmes of coaching were conducted with the council’s newly appointed Heads of Service, as part of an overall leadership development programme. The Head of Service position was created to assist Oxfordshire County Council to achieve its strategic aims, particularly around its change agenda.

A total of 13 Heads of Service were coached around a variety of issues. These included:

• Change Management
• Leadership
• Influencing Upwards
• Time Management
• Dealing with challenging people (internal, external)
• Personal development
• Decision making
• Work/Life Balance

"I worked with my coach shortly after joining the County Council, and I found that he enabled me to consider my own style, and how I was perceived by others. By doing so I believe he helped me to develop as a senior manager, and to help my own staff to develop in turn. His session were always thought provoking, and reminded me that we can always learn by taking the time to reflect."

Sue Scane, Head of Finance and Procurement,
Oxfordshire County Council

DARA (Defence Aviation Repair Agency)

The AoEC is running an ongoing programme of coaching 36 people at four sites around Britain. The coaching is focussed on a series of organisational changes arising from enforced change, site closure, rationalisation, and introduction of new business processes, site sales and site transfer into the Ministry of Defence.

The coaching programme requirements vary by site with a general focus on coaching for the site directors and their (sometimes new) senior management teams to enable them to maintain morale, productivity, quality, safety, standards, and lead the change process.

The programme is still under way, significant results have been achieved, with highly positive feedback to date.

"What I gained from working with my coach was the unlocking of previously unrecognised abilities. These abilities, though seen by others, where not seen by me. This in turn led to a sense that I was lacking confidence in my abilities. Whilst I hid this extremely well, the effort made in doing so prevented the full release of all my capabilities and prevented me from extending myself further. What my coach did was to help me through very skilled questioning and enable me to identify this particular blocker to expanding my performance. It was very much a case of unconscious incompetence. my coach brought it to a conscious incompetence and enabled me to turn it to an unconscious competence.

My AoEC coach provided me with a new found confidence. I already had a great deal of confidence, as Head of a large organisation, one would expect it. However, what my coach did was to open a door. The door was not locked and may have been ajar but my coach enabled me to walk through it.

The confidence my coach gave me was outstanding. My body language changed the manner in which I presented myself changed. I oozed confidence. I oozed confidence at a time when my team needed an outstanding leader. I became their inspiration at a time when 1200 jobs were being lost and there was an enormous order book to be delivered before the 1200 staff left. My coach unlocked my full potential enabling me to lead, coach and inspire the team to achieve its’ goals.

My AoEC coach is a great communicator. Listening, questioning, challenging, reviewing, My coachwas excellent. He provided me with new skills throughout the sessions. These skills continue to be used daily.

Jim Moore - Site Director
Defence Aviation Repair Agency, St Athan, Wales

Disneyland Resort Paris

"I worked with my coachthroughout 2005 and 2006. In that time I achieved increased confidence in dealing with both my direct reports and line manager which led to improved team and self motivation and effectiveness as a manager and mentor. I also gained a better understanding of work delegation and implementation. I also have less stress in my life from achieving a better work / life balance.

My coach provided me with key insight and analysis of my management style, allowing me to realise myself (rather than be told) of where I might be able to improve my efficiency as a manager and team leader, and at the same time perform more effectively with my line manager as a direct report. I have a better approach to work in methodically applying an awareness / thinking / planning / doing and review process to projects I undertake.

My coach is a great listener, a straight talker, quick to assess, understand and analyse situations presented to him, and apply his experience to formulate a plan of action linking what he has heard to achieve mutually agreed executive goals.

My experience of working with my coachwas enlightening and rewarding.

Tony Lincoln
Head of Commercial Disneyland Resort Paris

Picture Financial

My coach’s time spent working with me has allowed me to stand back from the day to day activities at work and to explore my own personal needs from my job. All too often my time at work is devoted to sorting out issues for my staff and in coaching them to improve their performance. Who does this for me? In a busy role it is easy to get stuck in familiar “ruts” and it is only through the exploration with my coach that I have become clearer about different approaches which could be tried in a number of situations that I was dealing with.

My coach has also been instrumental in looking at management styles and how I can identify the different styles adopted by my peer group and by my managers who report directly to me. The degree to which I can influence certain individuals at all levels within the company has been a useful exercise and one which my own management team have benefited from.

My experience of working with my coach has been very invigorating. My coach is very stimulating to work with and his personable style means that we can have a full and frank discussion. My coach does not hide from challenging questions and statements. These have been turned into positive outcomes for me.

Graham Donald, Chief Operating Officer-Broker Sales,
Picture Financial

 

PITO ( Police information Technology Organisation)

Two coaching programmes were undertaken, coaching a total of 33 individuals including the Chief Executive, directors, senior managers and selected middle managers.

The programme of coaching was undertaken within the context of organisational closure as the PITO moved towards becoming integrated within the NPIA (National Policing Improvement Agency).

The programmes supported individuals to lead their teams through deep transition calling for a high degree of leadership, management of change, personal development and leading within ambiguity. The programmes also supported individuals to consider there own future careers and support their staff in making career choices.

Royal Navy: Trafalgar 200

My coach worked with me during my time as Director General of the programme of international events staged by the Royal Navy in 2005 to mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar.

It was very valuable to speak confidentially with him on a range of matters. He helped me focus on the important issues at work and also provided encouraging feedback on my handling of other pressures in my life. With sole responsibility for delivery of a complex set of events which were very much in the public eye, I quickly appreciated the value of my coach’s independent and detached counsel. Meeting away from the immediate management pressures of the office, he helped me review critical success factors and reassured me that my handling of the myriad of public and private sector stakeholders was being accomplished effectively.

My coach has a very pleasant personality, and a manner which encourages open dialogue. He probes issues in a non-threatening, constructive way. Engaging with him undoubtedly helps build self-confidence and self-belief.

All in all my experience of working with my coachwas entirely positive and helpful.

Rear Admiral James Rapp RN Director General,
Trafalgar 200

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overview

 

 

 

 

 

Overview