#Coaching

Work With The Grain

A lick of paint and it’ll look good as new.

Paper over the cracks; nobody will guess.

It’s just a white lie - nobody gets hurt.

But it’s not true - or it’s not the whole truth.

Don’t you want to be someone who can be trusted? The kind of person people go to for your wisdom and expertise?

Have you spent your whole life worrying that someone will find out you are not as ‘good’ as you have made out you are? Well - time to stop. Time to work with the grain of who you really are, stand tall and live with a healthy rhythm in life because you are using your natural gifts/skills and honing them so you can shine as the best of yourself. And if you’ve lost track of, or never really known, what your strengths are – time to discover them.

Wouldn’t that be nice/peaceful/fun/joy-giving/productive/fulfilling?

I remember a friend once saying that he could write me a CV that would get me any job I wanted. I was horrified. He said that I could then learn on the job and it is what most people do. Really? Not me; I want to sleep at night and get satisfaction and verbal affirmation for doing a good job!

I invite you to have a free call with me if any of this resonates and you want to rise to the challenges that will suit YOU.

Blowing my Trumpet

Nobody likes to hear someone boasting do they? However, when you are looking for a coach with whom you can feel comfortable, most of us would prefer to hear what their past clients have said about them. That way they can see if any of the comments made resonates with them. So here are some extracts taken from recommendations from my former clients. If you feel drawn by anything said and are wondering if a coach could help you in your current situation, please contact me for a complimentary call to explore if I might feel like the right fit for you.

  • I worked with Shelagh over a number of weeks She helped me to unblock creativity at work, improve  communication methods  with colleagues and overcome confidence issues. This was certainly instrumental to me achieving my goal of a promotion, salary increase, better work relations and higher confidence levels. She has a relaxing and warm manner and can help you see options will have beneficial outcomes. Sessions were enjoyable too. A big plus.

  • Shelagh has helped to clarify my often hidden (to me at least) strengths and goals, providing focus, direction and a more enjoyable approach to my work and has equipped me with skills to coach myself.

  • Shelagh is a committed professional with a high capacity to discern and understand the unique strengths and struggles of those she supports. She has the rare quality of walking alongside a wide range of staff and consultants, enabling each to grow through coaching to reach their full potential.

Boundaries

As a coach it is an important part of my work with people to distinguish between the barriers that hold them back and the boundaries that are needed.

For example - there was a mother, whose influence over her adult daughter resulted in the daughter having no boundaries. Whenever what she wanted conflicted with her mother’s wishes, she did what her mother wanted. It went beyond that because her behaviour was inhibited by what she assumed her mother might think.

Who is influencing your decisions? When do you find yourself saying ‘yes’ when you want to say ‘no’? How often do you feel angry at yourself for the way you let others dominate you - even when you know that is not their conscious intention.

The good news is that setting healthy boundaries can be learned. And with the help of a coach (pick me!) you can establish boundaries both in your personal relationships and at work. You will gradually take responsibility for what is within your boundaries and not be laden with those that belong to others. You will be free to make choices that fit with your vision, intentions and values. You will define who you are and who you are not and develop your ‘no’ muscle. Your empowerment will mean you will longer retreat into blaming others or feeling like a victim. You will respond rather than react and deal with others with grace - accepting them for who they are - while persevering to walk tall as the real you.