My Coaching Approach
I work with clients at various levels (students, front line staff, junior/mid/senior managers, C-suite) and across various industries from construction to financial services, fitness and fragrance and flavour industry, from education to professional services, tech start-ups and not-for-profits.
In the professional space, I support my clients to reflect, review and strategically organize their thoughts which then enables them to make more considered decisions in their operational and leadership roles.
Recent client examples: Givaudan (APAC), Credit Suisse, Levi Strauss (HK) Ltd, BETATYPE, Little Miss Macarons, INSEAD, WiFA, PACTA inc., Forward3D (APAC & RU), Swire Hotels, Ignite Innovation, 121 Fitness HK, Pfizer, CISCO, Expedia Inc., Foursquare, EarthWatch Ltd. (HK).
In the educational space, I provide career coaching to all students, and specialize in dissertation coaching to mature Master students completing their dissertation. I provide them with the space to consider the rigor of their argument, guide them through the structuring process, and most importantly, to be comfortable with writing in an academic style.
I have worked with students from University College London (UK), Birkbeck University of London (UK), INSEAD (Singapore and France), University of Science and Technology (Hong Kong), Waterloo University (Canada) and CityU (Hong Kong).
A specialist in the field of coaching, I define coaching as, “providing that quality of attention that enables another person to have the confidence and clarity to reach and humbly manage their potential now and in the future”. I have developed a reputation for being prepared, patient and thorough, a sharp listener and a good strategist for the way the conversation, or process, needs to be designed to ensure buy in.
I believe coaching is one of the few places where someone else outside their immediate circle believes that another person has potential. Many people might perceive this as a form of narcissism; for the minority it’s an alternative way of valuing and building on their strengths, while maintaining integrity and continuing to be competitive in an ever-competitive market.
Who I work best with
Professionals who are confident, humble and have an empowering mindset. They already know what it takes to get where they are - that is why they are leaders in their various fields and roles. Yet, they are still keen to develop themselves on a professional and personal level and have that neutral space to reflect, review and strategically organize their thoughts which then enables them to make more considered decisions.
My Coaching APPROach
Every challenge brought to coaching is multifaceted and complex. Knowing whether I’m the right coach in those moments, my client and I are negotiating my permission to coach them and their readyness to participate on something which is often vulnerable to them. The client wants to check what technical expertise I’ll be bringing to the conversation, and once they have the evidence they need that I’m working with them from a seemingly robust knowledge base, our rapport deepens.
Universally, all coaching has a similar structure, though the approach/steps will vary according to the mindset and attitude of my clients, who are motivated to self-direct their own learning.
An intention/goal: It’s okay to have a big goal and revise after Day 1 as clarity continues to emerge of what it is you really want to achieve through coaching.
Exploration of the current challenges: It’s okay to explore past experiences and how they may be impacting on how you behave and perform today.
Awareness of blocks affecting progress: It’s okay to have blindspots and then acknowledge what’s in your control so that you can take charge of and make changes.
Identifying possibilities: It’s okay to take time out and have that space to discover different strategies to handle your challenges using your available resources.
Taking action: It’s okay to decide on a different action to the one you thought you might take during coaching because you’re equipped to make even better decisions and take the appropriate action in the moment.
Feedback and celebration: It’s okay to reflect on what’s worked, what needs improvement, and celebrate your own successes of progress.
Fundamentally my approach to coaching is about having nurturing dialogic conversations, which is underpinned with the following and supported by my broad coaching education:
Listening to the verbal (choice of words, sentence construction, tones, narrative) and non-verbal clues.
Providing a safe, confidential and trusting space for the clients to talk through their challenges.
Asking challenging, provocative yet respectful, questions by listening to what’s been said explicitly and non-explicitly.
Sharing connections (similarities and differences/conflicts), frameworks, experiences, and case studies that offers alternative perspectives to enable further development.
Responding thoughtfully and with empathy to what’s been said, and without judgement (to the best of my abilities).
Developing rapport and trust in the relationship, and showing vulnerability when appropriate.
Pacing my clients at a speed, which is most comfortable and appropriate to them.
Holding each client accountable to their actions alongside their goals and aspirations.
Moving my clients through different states of experiences which overall enables them to make better decisions that’s aligned to their potentials and aspirations.