Never too young nor too old to benefit from coaching

I work with adults of all ages, at differing stages of their careers and across a wide spectrum of roles and industries; and not just managers or 'execs'.

Needless to say, many of my clients’ questions, worries, and anxieties are universal. Worries about job security, let alone job opportunities and progression, are not uncommon and not surprising with Brexit-driven stagnation.

Younger clients are fearful of not getting into the job market; others want to discuss options or professions and want neutral guidance and feedback. The more confident or robust types are bolder about moving from one zero-hour contract to another. Indeed, if they work in a growth sector like 'FinTech' and have the right skills, they probably won’t worry about the terms of the contract, nor will they be looking for coaching! Others are overwhelmed by the vast numbers of 'gigs' online which are invariably and sadly mostly out of date or closed already. There is fierce competitiveness and peer pressure among the high achieving Russell Group graduates, and those without higher education may be more at the mercy of the zero hour contracts.

However, this also applies to those adults at later stages of life who are discriminated against by ageism; 'white hairs' often feel unwanted and feel side-lined. Sadly, unlike racism and sexism, ageism has never had a 'me too' moment. However, these behaviours differ wildly from job to job and with different employers.

Between the young and the wiser generations is where I do the bulk of my work. My approach is very similar; the problems may seem larger, such as how do we change culture across an Ambulance Service, but my role is fundamentally the same. I coach clients through change, be it:

• corporate challenges
• takeovers
• culture
• change of management
• redundancies and restructures
• technology
• market shifts
• hiring and firing
• little growth
• legislation

These are common factors that drive the demand for coaching. However, the flip side of coaching is development, growth, and learning for both the individual and the team. And whether you are 23, 37, 48, or 62, the questions below often stimulate deep thinking;

• Are you 'connected' to your organisation?
• What are you trying to achieve?
• What is stopping you delivering?
• How do your colleagues react to you?
• Are you frustrated?
• Is your organisation not performing as it should be?
• Why are you not a team player?
• Can you meet your organisation’s expectations?
• How can you be your best?

As the 'coachee', being able to answer and think about the questions from my website will help you reflect on your synchronicity with the organisation, better fit the role, better understand your role in your team and organisation, and how you can perform better.

My coaching is about the individual being able to contribute the best of themselves to their work; to learn, to be heard, to participate, to grow, to belong, to be supported, to do their best, to develop, to withstand change and threats, to be flexible and robust, to take on responsibility, to be confident, and ultimately to gain satisfaction.

In a perfect world, I would like to engage with many more young people, so they can begin the lifelong journey of reflection. Most often, we go to work and 'like it' or 'lump it'. We may do well, we may not, we may find success and achievement beyond us, we may be a smart high flyer, we may just be who we are. But teaching young people to reflect more would be wonderful, and for the 'senior' clients, there is work to be done in retaining value while simultaneously learning to think about changing perceptions; as well as your huge contribution of wisdom and experience with which to support others.

And one for employers - creating positive team cultures is how organisations succeed.