What was your main goal?

To enhance and accelerate my performance and to lead with confidence.

Did you achieve your goal?

Absolutely.

What did you hope to get from coaching?

We often struggle to recognise our own strengths and weaknesses and focus can shift to unproductive thoughts and activities. Coaching helped me realize my potential and excel in my current role by becoming more self–aware, focussing on my strengths and meeting challenges with preparedness and confidence. I learned to let things go, laugh and relax in some situations and respond decisively and with purpose in other situations. This is exactly what I hoped to get from coaching – the ability to deal well with predictable and unpredictable situations, staying calm and always motivated and never losing focus.

What was the outcome?

The outcome for me has been both fruitful and satisfying. In addition to meeting objectives and achieving results (including several industry awards), coaching enhanced my ability to perform with confidence and surety. When you know your idea is good, you really want to execute it. By identifying and addressing the priorities and hurdles, Sinéad’s reassurance gave me the confidence to consider options and to ‘go for it’, making what often seemed impossible possible. I have achieved many firsts since working with Sinéad and her guidance has been spot on.

As you went through the coaching journey, how did it change things for you?

Coaching helped me to learn to keep calm and prepared me to deal with the toughest situations with confidence. Having Sinéad listen to me patiently and help me to identify and explore my options allowed me to find the right course and successfully execute my role.

Are there new skills or strengths you have developed from the experience?

I really learned how to respond vs react, to prioritize objectives and to listen to both my mind and heart.

What led to any success or changes you experienced?

Coaching has motivated me, encouraged me and challenged me to be a better person and professional. It leads me to ideas, helps me create and gives me the support and courage to ‘just do it’ with confidence.

What was it about the process/style that worked or didn’t work for you?

Having complete trust in Sinéad allowed me to drop any guards, share my concerns, feelings or ideas which in turn meant our sessions are always impactful. As you grow up the ladder, it starts getting lonely. Having a coach listening, supporting, encouraging and motivating me ultimately enhances my performance and sense of wellbeing.

Any other comments/observations?

Sinéad is a perfect coach. I would highly recommend her to any executive who seeks a coach and guide (without feeling they have one). The sessions are structured, smooth and seamless. For me the measurement of success is whether I have always looked forward to our coaching sessions and found them to be productive – the answer is ‘yes, always’.

What was your main goal?

After 20+ years, I was feeling stuck in my career. I sought clarity of purpose, a new challenge and ultimately a more senior role.

Did you achieve your goal?

Yes.

What was the outcome?

Coaching with Sinéad led to a huge increase in my confidence. She helped to regain a sense of purpose, upskill and to aim for a new goal. I did my best interview ever and was appointed Senior Manager in a new and exciting area.

As you went through the coaching journey, how did it change things for you?

Initially I felt stuck and that working in such a large organisation, things were out of my control and that everything was happening to me. Through coaching with Sinéad, I took back control and realised that although some things are beyond my control, there are also things I can change. Firstly, I gained the confidence to upskill in a realistic and relevant way. I figured out that I didn’t need to do a 2 year Masters to refresh my experience and learn new skills and so did a short course and some targeted reading and research. I also let my manager and the organisation know that I wanted a new challenge and a more senior leadership role. Suddenly doors started to open. I was offered more leadership training and responsibility and then the perfect role was advertised.

Are there new skills or strengths you have developed from the experience?

Sinéad then worked with me on my CV, my application and interview preparation. She also helped me let go of a past experience where I felt the interview for my dream job went badly and the outcome was unfair. I was able to park all of that and just take the relevant learnings – so shift the negativity and see my next interview as an opportunity to have a conversation about the skills I have and how they align with the organisation’s vision for the new position. The interview preparation was challenging and thorough but worth it as I approached the interview with clarity around the value I could bring and potential skills gaps. I found it really helpful to spend time on concrete examples of the target competencies; demystify complex concepts and articulate in practical terms why I was the right candidate for the job. We also worked on how to deal with any curve balls that came up during the interview. This was particularly transformative – through this preparation, I was able to take my time during the interview, roll with any unforeseen areas of discussion and steer the conversation back whilst addressing the question. This was a completely different experience to previous interviews.

What was it about the process/style that worked or didn’t work for you?

I felt listened to and understood. Through questioning and reframing, I began to see things with new perspective . Sinéad has an ability to listen to a complex (and sometimes long-winded) scenario and then get to the crux of the issues. This together with positive reinforcement, allowed me to recognise and articulate my skills, experience and value. The sessions were clearly structured and focussed; there were no tangents and I felt it was all about my agenda. Regular circling back ensured we were still on point and covering issues off completely so that nothing was missed.

Any other comments/observations?

I’ve had coaching previously with a positive/motivational focus. Coaching with Sinéad was different. We worked on tangible goals with feasible actions that led to results. The work aligned with my values and my purpose, identifying and removing my barriers and allowing me to achieve my goal.

What was your main goal?

My main goal was to reflect on the business, find new direction and develop a strategy for the next phase of my business as I near retirement.

Did you achieve your goal?

100%.

What was the outcome?

I achieved my goal. Coaching led me to successfully restructure, refine and sharpen the focus of the business and our products and service offering. The outcome for me personally is less stress and better client experiences; I can focus on doing the work I enjoy that allow me more free time. The outcome for the business is that it is now running more efficiently and more profitable whilst enhancing its value.

As you went through the coaching journey, how did it change things for you?

I developed a real sense of purpose and fulfilment and I now have more peace of mind. I’m excited about the future and I’m approaching it with purpose and rigour. I found the process challenging at times but cathartic in discovering a new sense of self.

Are there new strengths can you see you have developed from the experience?

I have developed more patience with myself and others. My self-awareness and also my self-worth have increased. My relationships have improved, particularly with staff.

Any other comments/observations?

I now have a renewed perspective and a more enjoyable pace of life. And although I have the time and space to enjoy life more, I have a stronger sense of purpose, a renewed energy – I’m reaping increased rewards for less effort and most importantly….I’m happier.