Leadership Coaching

Work one-to-one with me on
Defining your goals
Working out what motivates you
Solving problems
Overcoming obstacles
Thinking about your next steps

My coaching practice
I hold an ILM Level 5 qualification in coaching and have practised coaching since 2015. I am a member of the Association for Coaching and my coaching practice is delivered in accordance with the EMCC/AC joint Code of Ethics.

I have worked with a wide range of coachees
including clinical professors, heads of academic departments, leaders of administrative services, early career researchers in mental health, and leaders in the cultural and sporting sectors.

My coaching style
is exploratory and client-focussed. I can, if it fits the coachee’s preferences, work to a firm structure but I have often found it more fruitful to follow a ‘line of enquiry’. I believe that people are capable of finding their own answers and will do their best thinking given focussed attention, so I use questions, observation and reflection to generate insights and solutions.

If you engage me as a coach
we will start with an ‘orientation’ meeting, in which we get to know each other a little, and find out whether we think we will work together well. We typically discuss some of the background which has brought you to coaching, and start to think about what you would want to get out of the experience and how I might help. This session is free of charge, and there is no obligation to carry on, but it is bound by coaching ethics (including confidentiality).

A programme of coaching
usually consists of four to six sessions, each lasting about an hour, generally at intervals of three to five weeks. I generally coach online (using Zoom or any other platform you prefer) and find that in some ways it can be even better than meeting in person. If you prefer to have an in-person orientation meeting, that can usually be arranged in Oxford.

Here are some of the things my coachees have said:
‘The coaching was extremely rewarding. It was relaxed, generative, probing and thoughtful.’
‘Without you, I definitely will not have gotten through last year! Actually it was a year that made a difference in my life – I think I changed somehow, possibly for the better. So thank you.’
‘You were able to use subtle questioning to bring a sense of certainty to what felt like a very complex point in my career. I also found a lot of motivation from our discussions, you helped to consolidate a mish-mash of skills, experiences, hopes, and dreams in a way that strengthened me and my sense of self…you reminded me that sometimes you need to focus in on what you are really looking for. It really surprised me that even at our first meeting you seemed to know that about me!’
‘It was an incredibly useful session; I came away feeling very much more positive and reflective.’
‘I found the whole coaching process incredibly helpful. It has given me space and time to reflect on my career to date and where I want to go. Being asked specific (and sometimes challenging!) questions has been really useful in helping me to reframe my thinking about specific situations, understand more about the skills I have and the way I work, which has helped me to increase my confidence.’
‘I now have a better understanding of the way I work and what my goals are for the future. I’ve already noticed the positive impact from having this increased insight.’

If you think I might be able to help you, please email me on info@clarewakeham.co.uk and we can arrange to talk.