Category Archives: coaching

On boundaries

Yesterday I had a great day at the British Racing School near Cambridge where I was invited to contribute to a coaching seminar with medical doctors. As ever it was an exercise in mutual learning. With my geospatial background I offered the fractal nature and fuzziness of the British coastline as a metaphor for boundariesContinue reading “On boundaries”

Zen and the art of saving the planet

I am loving this book, which offers a more human path to a sustainable world. Zen wisdom provides a clear case for client-centred leadership and coaching skills for everyone. The book cites the example of Christina Figueres, the diplomat who architected the 2015 Paris Agreement. Getting buy-in from 200 nations seemed impossible. But as anContinue reading “Zen and the art of saving the planet”

Building a coaching culture in a brick factory

I spent this week in a brick factory! With a leadership group keen to build a coaching culture. At the start, one of the managers said: “I don’t do emotions.” He said emotions made him “uncomfortable”. “That sounds like an emotion,” another replied. And that was the first of many lightbulb moments. In a directiveContinue reading “Building a coaching culture in a brick factory”

What the latest evidence on coaching means for coaches and clients

This week I came across an interesting paper from Erik de Haan, a renowned researcher and director at the Ashridge Centre for Coaching. We now have scientific evidence that coaching is effective. What’s really interesting in this meta review is that coaching works regardless of the method used – but the best outcomes are mostContinue reading “What the latest evidence on coaching means for coaches and clients”

What makes a good mentor?

Every year I explore this question with cohorts of Women+ in Geospatial mentors from around the world. In these 2-hour mentor training workshops we cover key concepts and lessons from the world of professional coaching – and immediately put these skills to use in live breakout practices, followed by shared reflection and discussion. Typically, ‘mentoring’Continue reading “What makes a good mentor?”

Back to school

I’m excited to embark on a postgraduate certification for coaching supervisors 🌻🌳 🕺🏻💃🏻 More than just coaching the coach, supervision is a practice informed by systemic thinking and is common in all helping professions. It supports continuous professional development, ethical practice, and much more. Supervision is also a professional requirement for accredited coaches. Beyond myContinue reading “Back to school”

Maturing as a human coach: beyond models and AI

I recently ran a CPD seminar on coaching models, AI and maturing as a human coach. If this tickles your interest, here are my slides 😊 Of course, the slides alone aren’t as rich as the full presentation, let alone the breakouts and group discussions. The slides are a collection of deliberately half-baked ideas, heldContinue reading “Maturing as a human coach: beyond models and AI”