COACHING
WHAT IS COACHING
What makes coaching different to other modalities is how dynamic the process is. It isn´t all talk and no action. Clients make decisions on how to act based on what their growing awareness is showing them. There is a tangibility to it, where AHA moments are catalysts for change. Nothing is left lying down and relaxing. Changes in ways of seeing lead to changes in feeling and, as a result, to new ways of behaving. These mini self-evolutions slowly build on one another till you start Being different, not just Doing differently because you incorporate these new insights and practices into your life. It´s real change from the inside out, so it sticks. These changes are the ´homework´ clients set themselves at the end of a session as part of realising their own action plan. At their own pace. A good coach won´t tell you what to do. They are masters at sniffing out the right questions to ask so you decide what changes you are capable of making at that point. Which is one of the reasons it works. And they hold you accountable. Which is also why it works. And when you don´t or can´t make the changes, together you will look at why, without judgment, and unravel that knot in the chain so you can get past it. It is a team thing, not a teacher-pupil relationship, so you are never not in charge. Which, ultimately, is the big, fat, red cherry on the top of why it works.
BUILD HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS
BUILD HEALTHY SELF-ESTEEM
BUILD A HEALTHY FUTURE
THE ENNEAGRAM
The Enneagram is a system of personality typing or testing consisting of nine interconnected types, numbered from 1-9. Each type has its own way of viewing the world, which creates a core belief system for that type. This belief determines that type´s underlying motivational drives and fears (conscious and subconscious), influencing the way people of each type act, react, make decisions and relate to others. The name comes from the Greek: Ennea is the word for nine and Gramma means something that is drawn or written. The Enneagram diagram shows the positioning of each type as well as how they relate to one another through a system of connecting lines. Each type also has a descriptor, for example, Type 1 is the Strict Perfectionist and Type 2, the Considerate Helper etc.
I use it in both my life and career coaching because it provides a shortcut to self-understanding, so you can make better, informed choices based on who you really are, not on who you think you are. This shortcut means you need fewer sessions to get to the same endpoint.
It is valuable in career planning because different careers suit different Enneagram types. And it anchors the self-development side of the programme, together with the EQ measurements I use, because it makes you aware of your patterns of behaviour. So you can take steps to change the thoughts and behaviours that aren´t productive (weaknesses) and make the most of the supportive behaviours (strengths). This leads to long-lasting changes in feeling, thinking and acting, which impacts all areas of your life, not only your work life. This focus on self-development is what makes the Enneagram different to other personality tests.
It is also being increasingly used in the business sector to help develop employee motivation and productivity, build teams, understand group dynamics and help employees
relate to and communicate with their colleagues.
INDIVIDUAL BENEFITS
- Highlights intrinsic motivations
- Gives insight into behaviours that stem from core motivations
- Increases awareness and self-confidence
- Increases compassion for self and others
- Fast tracks personal growth and self-development
- Enables better communication with others
- Increases productivity and motivation
- Helps with conflict resolution and emotional intelligence
MY CLIENTS
TEENS
This generation of teens needs more than knowledge, good results and a range of options to make them future-ready as they leave school and university. They need to be armoured up mentally and emotionally in order to support themselves in the absence of the normal support systems – family, peers, sport/interests and social lives. I use a process of self-discovery and development to help them make career and life choices that are motivated by and for the right reasons. They also learn how to act in their best interests, both at work and at home.
ADULTS
Adults are increasingly looking to change their lives as life changes around them. It may be a stage, age, career or status change, but finding personal purpose and meaning is usually driving the search mid-career or mid-life. This is exciting in theory, but it means stepping out of a well-worn comfort zone with no signposts showing the way. I help them rediscover who they are without their roles and expectations, and what a meaningful life means to them so they can make the changes necessary to create a fulfilling future.