Before Being Coached
I had been an FD for a couple of years. I really wanted to continue my development, and not get stale. The standard courses didn’t meet my needs, plus I had been on many already.
I wanted to try a coach which offered a very personalised way of developing. I could fit coaching into my busy schedule and not have any wasted time.
It tool me a little while to convince HR and the MD to signoff this approach, when the business had a number of in-house courses. The fact that I had been to many of these courses already and thus I was not likely to learn much more from courses helped.
I chose an FD coach, as they have a finance background which gave me coaching plus access to an experienced FD to bounce ideas around with.
The Coaching Sessions
I focused on key areas I really wanted to improve – leadership, managing people and board politics, and strategical thinking.
The sessions were really focused on what I wanted to explore and learn and they really made me think.
The Effects of Being Coached
I always thought I was okay in each area, but with discussion and greater understanding, I felt I developed my skills in each area quite a lot.
It was really satisfying looking back at the progress made.
I am now getting even more out of my team, am more confident in the leadership role and contemplating a step into an MD role.