How Action in Change can help you
A professional approach
A very significant aspect of my approach relates to my background:
A very significant aspect of my approach relates to my background: it is very deep and rich in terms of training, development, coaching, mentoring and facilitation.
Most significantly my first mediation training was back in 1993 so I have had many years of experience of interpersonal mediation, working within the community, businesses and organisations and also within teams.
My personal journey
My own personal journey has been a challenge in many respects: having to cope with several redundancies, and all the emotional stress and anxiety that goes with the process, has given me many ‘pinch point’ experiences at a personal level where I have had to navigate difficult conversations.
The benefits of having to pivot and be resilient are that I have experienced a wide range of working environments at first hand including the military, small to medium sized businesses, charities, the voluntary sector, local authorities, sport development and education. The changes I have gone through have honed my understanding of how to build and maintain effective and worthwhile relationships, and the significant benefits of doing so.
A recurring theme
Within this range of employment sectors, one of the most common themes that I experienced in all of them was the number, and frequency, of incidences where difficult conversations were either not had, or were held in a manner that left the situation worse than before the conversation took place.
What I gained most from all of this, and which is of use to you, is considerable experience of case studies, examples of situations, how they were handled, and the damaging consequences when they were handled badly. So much of this experience came about during team development sessions, after training events, during breaks and lunchtimes, or in the post-event follow up. The result was something that simply gnawed away at the very heart of me.
Discovering coaching, teaching & training
I first came across the subject of coaching during my Masters in Training and Development, studied at Bristol University. It struck a very deep cord then, alongside a major shift in thinking - a move away from a focus on ‘teaching and training’ to learning. An issue understood by those in education, but the layperson may just say it is semantics.
I am very clear in my own mind of the difference between the two, and ever since then I have orientated my role, and the work that I do, to ensure those organisations, managers, teams, and individuals I work with all achieve something significant.
