Blog

How do you think virtual coaching compares with in-person coaching? Do you think they are equally effective? In my experience, many people think virtual coaching can be a convenient alternative, but can only ever be second best to coaching face-to-face.

Are you knackered? Just hanging on in there until you can leave it all behind for the Christmas break? Christmas is the one time in the year when almost everyone stops business, or at least slows down significantly.

What is your definition of “career”? Many of my career coaching clients have an idea of a career as a linear progression of experiences, one experience building to the next where one can look back and see a coherent path. And they often feel that their career has fallen short because it doesn’t fit this mould. They look at their CV and say, “It’s just a hotchpotch. It doesn’t look like I’ve had a proper career.”

Does your holiday seem a dim and distant memory? Do you feel like you need a break again already? September can feel as much like going back to school for adults as it can for children as everyone piles back into the office and the meetings and emails kick off again.

Do you find it difficult to make a clean break from work when you go on holiday? Perhaps you’re worried about what may happen in your absence, or reluctant to leave your team in the lurch, especially if there’s a lot going on or you have “green” team members. Or you might just be dreading a bulging inbox when you return to your desk.

I love buying new books. I use my kindle for fiction, but like hard copy for non-fiction. One of my vices is buying books before I’ve read the ones already on my bookshelf! Favourite categories are personal development, leadership, coaching and career transition.

You want to do the best you can in your career. You want to keep on progressing so that you can make a difference, and earn a decent living. Yet a fog has descended between where you are and where you want to go. Nobody seems to be able to tell you exactly what you need to do to reach the next level.

Tributes to Charles Kennedy, the former Lib Dem leader who sadly passed away earlier this week aged only 55, have been glowing about Kennedy as a leader and a man.
Politicians and commentators have called out his “immense ability”, his intellect, and his achievement in taking his party to its electoral peak in 2005.

Ironically, this blog almost didn’t get published because of self-doubt. Negative thoughts started popping up like, “Who are you to think people will want to read what you write?” and “It’s not good enough.” My “inner critic” was having a field day!

Before taking a break a couple of weeks ago, I was running on empty. I woke up every morning as tired as when I’d gone to bed, I was making mistakes I wouldn’t normally make, and I was working knee-jerk, letting emails and other people’s demands rule my day. Sound familiar?