I’ve had a couple of exciting coaching milestones over the past few weeks.
A qualification was only the beginning
Last month I got the news that I’d successfully passed the ILM Level 7 Diploma in Executive and Senior Level Coaching and Mentoring. A few days ago my certificate arrived which meant I could finally submit my accreditation application to the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). I’ll share more about that once I’ve heard the outcome.
Meanwhile, coaching has become a regular part of my role within the organisation I lead. I’m continuing to coach colleagues from across the staff team and it’s something I genuinely look forward to each week. Having the opportunity to create space for people to think, reflect and develop is a real privilege, and I’ve seen first-hand the difference coaching can make to confidence, leadership and the way people approach challenges.
One of the things I’ve come to realise after completing the qualification is that I’m keen to continue developing my coaching beyond my own organisation. The more people I’ve coached, the more I’ve realised that coaching is a skill that can only be fine tuned the more you do it. Every conversation teaches me something new and every client brings a different perspective.
Taking the next step
With that in mind, I recently shared a Declaration of Interest with my Board outlining my intention to establish a small external coaching practice alongside my role as CEO. It was important to me that this was done openly and transparently, and that the Board were comfortable there would be no conflict with my existing role or impact on the organisation.
I’m pleased to say that Leading in Practice Coaching and Consultancy Ltd is now officially registered.
Learning a different side of business
I have to admit, it’s been quite enjoyable learning about an entirely different side of running a business. Whilst I have experience of leading a charity and all that comes with that, setting up a company has brought its own learning curve. Corporation tax, business banking, allowable expenses, Companies House… it’s a whole thing.
I’ve explored what Business Gateway offers, attended one of their excellent ‘Meet the Expert’ sessions with an accountant (armed with a list of questions that was probably longer than his agenda) and gradually worked my way through everything I needed to understand. For now, my practice will be small enough that I’m going to manage my own accounts and bookkeeping. I actually quite enjoy understanding how these things work before deciding whether I need additional systems or support.
Starting small, intentionally
One thing I have been really conscious of throughout this process is protecting the work-life balance I’ve worked so hard to create.
It’s easy, particularly when you’ve found something you’re genuinely passionate about, to convince yourself that because it doesn’t feel like work you can just keep doing more and more.
I’ve been there before.
During the early years of my career, I probably threw myself into work a little too enthusiastically and eventually had to have a word with myself.
I don’t want to repeat that pattern.
So this coaching practice will begin exactly as I’d hoped it would: intentionally.
I’ll be working with a very small number of executive and senior leaders, completely outside my working hours as CEO. That feels like the right balance. It allows me to continue developing as a coach whilst protecting the time and energy that’s equally important to me.
Building Leading in Practice
In the background, I’ve also been putting together my website pages, refining my coaching programmes and thinking carefully about how I want people to experience Leading in Practice.
One of the more enjoyable jobs was organising a professional photo shoot. I never thought I’d say that but I guess when you find a photographer who is brilliant and completely puts you at ease you have a very different experience.
Most people know me through my work in drugs policy, which understandably doesn’t lend itself to many smiling photographs. Much of what I speak about publicly involves preventable deaths, stigma and the human impact of policy decisions.
Hugely important conversations.
But only one part of who I am.
I wanted these photographs to capture the other side of me too.
The person who’s always happy to talk.
Who believes some of the best conversations happen over a cup of tea.
Who loves being outdoors and spending time in the garden.
The dog also made a surprise appearance. Whether those photographs ever see the light of day remains to be seen!
A new chapter
This feels like the beginning of another chapter.
Not because I’ve suddenly become a qualified coach – coaching has been part of how I’ve led for a long time – but because I’m now creating the space to develop that part of my professional life with the same care and intention I’ve tried to bring to everything else.
I’m excited to see where it leads.