What you need to know if you're thinking of working with me ?!

Making the decision to invest in your personal development and/or to purchase executive coaching services for senior people in your organisation is a significant decision.  Choosing the right coach is all important because of the personal nature of the coaching relationship ... the chemistry between coach, coachee and/or sponsor has to be right !

These are some of the questions I frequently get asked …

What are your qualifications as an Executive Coach ?

I undertook my executive coach training via the Institute of Leadership & Management (ILM) and hold the Level 7 Certificate in Executive Coaching & Leadership Mentoring.  In addition I'm a member of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.  

I also have a Masters Degree in Human Resource Management, am a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD), and hold the British Psychological Society (BPS) Certificate in Occupational Testing (Levels A & B).  

What are your qualifications as an Personal Brand Consultant ?

I undertook image consultancy training with First Impressions a leading image consultancy training provider in the UK.  My Diploma is accredited by the International Federation of Image Consultants (IFIC) and I am a registered affiliate of the IFIC.  My personal brand coaching incoporates all aspects of image consultancy (colour analysis; cosmetics; men & womens' style and wardrobe management) together with the other elements of personal branding (verbal impact; professional profile; credibility & reputation and ability to build rapport).

What are the ethical codes of the professional bodies that you belong to and how would they benefit me as a coachee ?

The CIPD, ILM, EMCC AND IFIC are all leading professional bodies in their field.   You can be certain that I have undergone professional training and am fully accredited.  I am bound by their codes of ethics which offer you protection as a coachee.  For further details see downloads.     

Why did you move out of the corporate environment and set up your own business ?

In my former role as hr director of an international hr services company, I spent a large proportion of my my time coaching individual leaders, executives and professionals; senior management teams and high potentials.  It was the area of my work in which I was able to contribute the most value and that gave me the most satisfaction because it allowed me to tap into my innate skills and talents.  

Although I thoroughly enjoyed corporate life I'm an entrepreneur at heart and have always wanted to set up a business that reflected my passion for personal development.  Working as an independent coach also allows me the flexibility I need as the mum of a very lively seven year old daughter ! 

What commitment would you want from me as your coachee ?

The commitment I'd want from you is a 'commitment to yourself'.  I can support you to maximise your career potential, but it's you that will identify your personal brand and identify what works for you.  You need to be fully committed to undertaking the necessary self-analysis to enhance your emotional intelligence !

How do you work with your coachee ?

I'm very flexible in the way I work and offer a number of options incorporaing on-line and face-to-face coaching.  We'd be equal partners in our coaching relationship and together we'd design a coaching programmes based your specific needs.  My coaching style - a balance between support and challenge - is very much based on whatever works best for you ?!

What happens if our coaching partnership doesn't work out ?

My "chemistry" sessions are designed to help you decide if coaching is right for you and if you would like to work with me.  They incorporate a 30 minute coaching session so that you're able to experience my coaching style before making the decision to work with me.  In the unlikely event during our coaching partnership you find that it isn't working for you, you're free to terminate our agreement at any time, subject to the agreed notice period.

To hear me coaching action, go to the audios page.

Do you have a coach yourself ?

Yes I do ...    I have undergone many hours of coaching during which I worked on all aspects of my personal development ... so I'm very familiar with the coaching process from the coachee's perspective.  I also undergo coaching supervision on a regular basis as part of my own continuous professional development and the ethics associated with the EMCC.

I need personal development in lots of areas so I'm not sure what topics to bring to my coaching sessions ?

Many coachees feel the same way at first.  I'll get you to complete a pre-coaching questionnaire before we meet and the questions I'll ask you during our "chemistry" session will help you to determine what you want to achieve and why it's important to you.  The "contracting" process that follows enables us to quantify your specific needs and formulate an individual coaching programme.  We can 'tweak' your programme if necessary throughout your programme.   

How do the personal branding consultations work ? Will I end up not looking and/or feeling like me anymore ?! 

No ... the whole point of personal branding is to identify your unique self and your unique promise of value.

The aim of the total image review is to assess your individual colour direction and your physical profile in order to determine the type of clothes and accessories that work best for you.  I'm very pragmatic in my approach and will tailor my advice around your professional lifestyle and your budget.  

The aim of the verbal impact review is to provide feedback on your your voice, your body language, your ability to build rapport and your knowledge of business etiquette.  Again I'm very pragmatic in my approach and my advice will reflect your target audience and the context in which you work.

The aim of the personal profile review is to evaluate your personal identity system in terms of the overall style of your work, your networking activities, your participation in masterminding groups, your use of social media and the presentation of your work environment/office.  My feedback will very much reflect your target audience and the context in which you need to make impact.

What methods of payment are available ?

I invoice my clients via paypal 24 hours in advance.  Payment is normally made in full but I will also accept staged payments subject to a small administration fee (10% of coaching programme).

If you have a question that hasn’t been answered here please make contact with me via the contact page ... it'd be great to hear from you ...