Simplicity, power, and partnership: three words at the heart of coaching
I recently received these wonderfully encouraging words from Deepthi, a client I worked with as part of The University of Edinburgh‘s Coaching for University Managers and Leaders programme with Know You More earlier this year. I am sharing this with her permission. I wanted to share it because it just seems to me such a … Read More
Ponderings from experiencing systems coaching and constellations
(and a shout out to a fellow coach and generous giver) Recently I had a great experience working briefly with leadership coach Penny Terndrup and discovered more about the benefits of working with people using a systems coaching and constellations approach. This article is a shout out to her by way of a thank you, and … Read More
A new credential makes me smile 🙂
After 500+ coaching hours and a 3 hour proctored exam tested against the International Coaching Federation’s rigorous professional benchmarks, I am delighted to have gained this milestone accreditation. Professional Certified Coach (PCC) is the second of three accreditations from the ICF and builds on the Associate Certified Coach (ACC) accreditation I already hold along with team coaching accreditations from EMCC Global. I’m especially … Read More
Business cards and broadsheets: confessions of a communications traditionalist
“When it comes to communicating with others—and being communicated to—I prefer to give and to receive via more traditional means.” I took this picture the other day after my new business cards arrived and I was so struck by the image of my cards sitting on top of the newspaper. It got me thinking about … Read More
What is coaching?
What is coaching? A partnership… Coaching is a partnership between two people (coach and client) or between the coach and a team of people. It is a professional relationship where both parties are equal but with different roles. The partnership exists for specifically agreed and contracted purposes. It usually lasts for a finite period of time. … Read More
Mental health: when the people thrive, so too the organisation (and vice-versa)
Mental health is a vital part of professional health and well-being. When our working environments and practices support good mental health, we are better able to connect, function, cope, and thrive. When they don’t support good mental health, this can have a reverse impact. For a comprehensive and valuable resource designed to inspire and inform better mental health … Read More
Let’s not go back to how things were
I have had an opinion piece published in Chatterbox, the Black Isle’s local magazine (named Community Newspaper of the Year in the Highlands and Islands Media Awards 2019 and 2016 no less!). I’m reflecting on the increase of community-minded thinking and action that the pandemic has brought about in our local area, and with it … Read More
Core Values: why spend time identifying them?
If identity and purpose were a map, values would stand as signposts at the junctions of who we are and what we do. When we know what our values are, they can help us navigate, provide accountability, and give clarity to ourselves and others around us. Core values are unique to the individual, the group, or the … Read More
Hope. A small but mighty word
Hope changes the structures by which and around which we live. Hope is a small but mighty word. What is hope? Where does it come from? Who brings it? And how might it take practical shape in our lives? A little thought I’ve been thinking over recently is this: Figures who bring hope to others are … Read More
The land past the lamppost
Darkness to light. Constriction to freedom. Moving from narrow places to wide open spaces. I run down this path sometimes and especially when I want to remind myself of some of these themes. The path itself is lovely but dark because it’s all covered by trees. It’s not that scary, just a bit dark and … Read More
Leadership as a state of being
“Values cross the boundaries of professional disciples, cultures, and religious traditions. They have this incredible capacity to unite otherwise diverse people around similar connecting points.” It’s been International Leadership Week this week and here I am reflecting on leadership as a state of being that resides in a person or amongst a group of people … Read More
Digging deep and building strong
I’m delighted to have been awarded an Associate Certified Coach credential by the International Coaching Federation. This ACC credential (the first of three credentialing standards set by the ICF) represents 18 months of hard, stretching, but equally rewarding and fulfilling work training as a professional coach and then establishing my business, HM Coaching and Development. … Read More
Battersea Bridge moment: part two
In part one of this article, I shared a question my friend Tara asked me recently. She wanted to know if I could personally pinpoint a day or moment that signalled transformational change in my life. If you would like to know my answer to her question, read part one. I call it my ‘Battersea bridge moment.’
Battersea Bridge moment: part one
“Do you have a day when everything changed for you?”
My friend Tara asked me this question over a Zoom coffee catch-up recently. There was a day earlier this year when so much changed for Tara. She did not realize it then.
My professional journey
Coaching, theology, and business development span the almost twenty years of my work history. The uniting factor in these professional spaces is a passion for people and the businesses and organisations they care about. I do not neatly fit in one box. This is a part of who I am that I am learning to … Read More