 This is your time | Coaching ConversationsStep into the extraordinary experience of a safe, non-judgemental space. A space where you can hear yourself think; slow down, unpack, untangle and resolve what’s going on within you, around you and ahead of you. Taking time together, we can explore what matters. A safe place for explorationPeople describe the coaching conversations in different ways… Professional coaching. Executive coaching. Leadership coaching. Sounding board. Thought-partnering. Occasionally Mentoring. ‘A place to hear myself think’. ‘A trusted voice’. ‘Somewhere where I can speak my truth, step into the unknown, say things I can’t usually say anywhere else’. Unexpected insightsI never know what’s going to come up in a conversation. I only know that something profound, moving, joyful or fabulous often does. Common subjects at the moment include:
Engagements tailored to your needsEngagements are flexible, and typically from 3 months to 1 year+ Giving you full, personal attention is important to me; I usually don’t work with more than 20 individuals / communities / organisations at any one time. This gives space for me to listen, read, watch, explore, create, do my own inner work, get out, play, be challenged, be inspired, do other things in the world outside my ‘bubble’ and so be in the best possible state to be useful to you. Flexible session formatsMainly these sessions are by video. This works brilliantly across countries and time zones. I have a sound studio set up to hear the rich detail in all you are saying. If you like working in person, we can meet face-to-face in south east England. I’m based in the Reigate / Redhill area – road, rail and air links are all close. London offers extraordinary possibilities too, with galleries, parks and more, as well as more traditional meeting places. And, increasingly people are asking for a ‘Walk and Talk’. There is beautiful countryside and fabulous coast around here, as well as historic villages and towns. So we can meet, perhaps at a station if you are not driving (walks are possible direct from many stations). Then we set off and walk and talk for a couple of hours, stopping at times to take in the views, reflect, settle into some silence and maybe you’d want to make notes. Then we might drop in somewhere nice to eat. Then walk and talk for an hour or two more. Whatever works for you. |
Because it Matters
Describing coaching and the experience of a coaching conversation is notoriously difficult.
So I wrote this poem for new clients.
Maybe it speaks to you in some way?
Amid the demands and desires
The plans and the chaos
The haste and the stuckness
The excitement and fears
The wanting to be more and do more
And sometimes less
There is the space you yearn for
A place to be still for a moment
To reconnect
And just be
And then, maybe for a change, find yourself
And, maybe be real
And, maybe, instead of saying the things you’re bored of hearing yourself say
You talk about what you really want to talk about
And maybe what you don’t, but know you need to
And, at last, be heard, and understood
Not told, not fixed
But maybe inspired
A place where you can untangle, unwind
Stretch, smile
Be calm, energised, creative, whole
Where you can see the familiar from new perspectives
Where hard decisions are perhaps not so hard
Where dreams can get the breath of life
Where you walk new paths
And discover with joy
And at long last
Find what you have long sought
I call it coaching.
Welcome.
It’s good to see you.
Because it Matters
Describing coaching and the experience of a coaching conversation is notoriously difficult.
So I wrote this poem for new clients.
Maybe it speaks to you in some way?
Amid the demands and desires
The plans and the chaos
The haste and the stuckness
You talk about what you really want to talk about
And maybe what you don’t, but know you need to
And, at last, be heard, and understood
Not told, not fixed
But maybe inspired
A place where you can untangle, unwind
Stretch, smile
The excitement and fears
The wanting to be more and do more
And sometimes less
There is the space you yearn for
A place to be still for a moment
To reconnect
And just be
And then, maybe for a change, find yourself
And, maybe be real
And, maybe, instead of saying the things you’re bored of hearing yourself say
Be calm, energised, creative, whole
Where you can see the familiar from new perspectives
Where hard decisions are perhaps not so hard
Where dreams can get the breath of life
Where you walk new paths
And discover with joy
And at long last
Find what you have long sought
I call it coaching.
Welcome.
It’s good to see you.
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Lucy, UK
"It has been an incredible soul-searching journey for me."Daphne, Greece
"My interactions with colleagues have improved greatly, I am more confident in meetings."Joniad, UK
Ruth, UK
READ MORE KIND WORDS...
Heli, Finland
Gabriel, Germany
Judit, Hungary
Peter, Bulgaria
 Case Study | How Ana transformed herself and her organisationAna Čolović Lešoska, Executive Director of Eko-svest, a Macedonian environmental research center, discusses the positive impact 1-1 coaching with Neil had during the most challenging year of her life. Ana had been experiencing negative thoughts and feelings, which was not only causing a great deal of stress, but it was also preventing her from being her most powerful, supportive, impactful self. In this article, Ana shares her story of how coaching supported her in acknowledging and confronting her “monster”, freeing her to transform herself and her organisation. Negative Thoughts Inside and OutNeil supported me during the most difficult year of my life. It was the 20th anniversary of the organisation I founded, and I was experiencing a great deal of difficulties on all fronts. There were issues I was ignoring and pushing under the carpet. This was leading to obstructive thoughts and feelings, with my “monster” lurking at the back of my mind whispering negative messages. This would have consumed me if it hadn’t been for Neil’s support. Instead of feeling incompetent and terrible about myself, I was able to acknowledge and confront my “monster”, break free from its hold, and make positive changes within myself and throughout my organisation. Addressing Communication Glitches and Toxic EnergyOne layer was the toxicity caused by communication glitches throughout my organisation. Negative energy was piling up because some colleagues felt their positions were not being addressed, or that activities were not being carried out correctly. I came to realise that I was constantly being gaslighted and emotionally manipulated. This was |
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| Case Study | very hard because I trusted these people. All of this toxic energy grew because I was not addressing the issues immediately, and my “monster” grew bigger and bigger. Trusting My Gut FeelingsI was honestly quite helpless for quite some time last year but the conversations with Neil helped me to believe in myself. I realised how my body has wisdom within it, and so I started to listen to my gut feelings instead of ignoring them. I connected with my subconscious which has been immensely powerful. As rational beings, we tend to ignore the sensations we have in our body which are trying to tell us something but discovering this with Neil has shown me how wise and powerful our gut feelings can be, and I believe this is a skill all leaders should have. Learning More About MyselfLearning more about myself was key to tackling the issues I was facing. The “monster” can make any leader feel that they are not good enough. But I was able to face mine before it ate me alive. I rediscovered my courage. Neil helped me learn how to deal with these challenges through our coaching conversations, enabling me to detect issues at an early stage and tackle them immediately instead of letting them fester. I stood up and pushed back without feeling bad about it. In my bones, I came to feel that I was the protector of the organisation – its values, mission, and purpose – and that sometimes I had to be a lioness to protect its integrity. And that was OK. Redefining My Purpose as a LeaderThe changes amongst the team have been incredible. They are much more positive and have a new found energy when carrying out their work. One colleague recently said to me, “oh my goodness! I was mentally burdened with all the discussions last year but now I can focus on my work, and I feel so energetic about it.” A big part of this change is down to shifting my purpose as a leader, which Neil supported me to redefine. I came to realise that my purpose is to support my team in becoming the best they can be at work. This also became clear to my colleagues when they experienced my different approach. The culture is now one of openness, honesty and free expression because I have been leading by example. By being more authentic myself, my team is now able to be authentic. We are communicating more openly with one another because I am practicing it. Neil’s Coaching ExpertiseNeil really does a brilliant job. He works with lots of wonderful leaders, and it’s amazing how he is able to help them. Because he has a lot of experience, especially within the environmental sector, he knows our struggles. He understands what we are doing and why. He feels our pains and challenges. This is why he is so good in supporting us in overcoming the obstacles we face as leaders. My personal transformation over such a short period of time has been immense. I have designed a path for myself which is fulfilling personally, as well as professionally. The effect of our work together continues to ripple throughout my entire life. Working with Neil has been like hitting the jackpot – and I don’t say that lightly! |
 Yes & No | What do I say Yes/No to?We must set off in good faith that the work we undertake together will nurture health, hope and positive purpose, both close to home (for you, your organisation and your community) and also rippling out into the wider world and onward into future generations. My core request:Is that we are real with each other; this is consistently when the largest, fastest, deepest progress is made. This is difficult to define, but we know when we are not being real; such as when we are withholding, self-censoring, playing a role or trying to please. |
| Connect | Get in touch…If you’d like to have a conversation to explore how I can support you, I’d love to hear from you. SEND ME A MESSAGE HERE… |
Neil’s Wheel
Are you seeing what’s going on in the world today and wondering what these events may be calling you to do - close to home or on a bigger stage - to enable something positive? Has work or life lost a little of its sparkle? Or direction? Are you in a team or other relationship and looking to find a way to be more together, and to do more of what...
A Pocketful of Clouds
A Pocketful of CloudsOne day, in the summer of 2023, I downloaded a few pages of my thoughts and musings that I had captured on my phone. Over the course of the day they formed into short verses. Other ideas, old and new, got woven in. By mid afternoon I stopped,...
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