Excellent coaching
"I have met many excellent coaches as a senior manager in Hewlett Packard but I particularly liked the type of question you ask because your questions made me go deeper. It has made a difference to how I think. Even after the session I found I was still thinking about the questions. I believe I have made real sustainable change in how I connect with others and in better understanding of myself. This has greatly increased my confidence in what I do and how I manage my business. The business planning has been very valuable as well. I am confident that business growth will increase as a result of this coaching. I would say the value to my business in projected sales is about 20,000 euros – far more than the cost of the coaching."
The coaching has changed my thinking
The coaching has changed my thinking. I know now that when I look for positive intent, I find it and when I find space in my head, I react differently. Asking myself “Is there another way?" usually enables me to find one.
You made a fantastic difference
Working with you made a fantastic difference to how I communicate and to my global career.... The coaching made an immediate difference to my career prospects because in 6 months I was promoted to manage the Asia Pacific region from Melbourne, Australia, and then to VP European Operations. Looking back now, there is no doubt in my mind that this would not have happened without working with you.
Helping me work out my way forward
By listening and asking questions she helped my thinking and made me realise I could find my own answers. The external viewpoint and her approach to my issues was very valuable in helping me work out my way forward.
I am extremely satisfied with the coaching programme
I started working with Alison because I realised I had allowed my career to stall and my reserved communication style was holding me back in some situations which extroverts handle easily. I knew I had the experience and expertise to be successful in a more senior position because I have done it successfully before and I have even more experience and knowledge now. However, for a combination of reasons, I felt I didn't projecting the right image of authority, confidence and credibility in 1:1 and group meetings, client pitches and networking - and I wanted to change that. I am extremely satisfied with the coaching programme.
I’ve become much more focused on the speaker
At the start of the course as I told you I had poor listening skills. I listened to the first few sentences then would immediately start thinking of what they need to do. I’ve become much more focused on the speaker, letting that help me know how best to respond. I’ve gained confidence that by listening, I’ll be able to respond appropriately.
I’ve found that it enables faster intervention because the staff member feels supported
(The Coaching Skills training programme from Alison Haill) has given me more skills. It’s enabled me to say harder things while still being supportive therefore it is more productive. Where there are concerns I’ve found that it enables faster intervention because the staff member feels supported so we can act before the situation escalates.
I got very concrete advice
Alongside the coaching process, I valued the very concrete advice about better personal communication skills - in presentation skills and a better command of business writing. Results I got included further sharpening of my methods. Even after decades of experience as a journalist and as a professional in the communications field, I learned a lot of new hints and angles to communicate better. The results saved us time: I gradually took less time in drafting to achieve a good end result. The workshop and then individual work was an excellent combination.
She totally transformed my approach
Giving presentations or even brief overviews of our business at networking events, I had always attempted to do this ‘off the cuff’ with little or no preparation. For a recent presentation, however, I knew I had to address this and prepare thoroughly. Alison offered to help and she totally transformed my approach, mindset and message.
I really feel the difference
I really feel the difference, specially in contacts with others - I started to "manage" the situation instead of being the passive element of the landscape
I get a lot of thanks from colleagues at work
I'm glad I did the coaching and I wanted to THANK you. I work better. I'm more confident. I get a lot of thanks from colleagues at work, and today my boss was really satisfied with a presentation I did which was synthetic and clear. At home also things are better. I keep on doing the exercises that maintain the success.
It was more than presentation technique that we got from you
Most of all it’s the confidence for speaking and doing presentations that was the biggest benefit of working with you - and 10 years on I’m still living on that! Before your programme I was always very, very frightened about speaking in front of a group, even in speaking to my staff. It was more than presentation technique that we got from you: we practised and practised - in front of an audience and in front of the video, all to do with the job...
I feel far more confident
Many thanks again for your help last Monday evening. I wanted to be challenged and to get some advanced presentation tips. That’s exactly what I got. The presentation I did the next day went extremely well! I got just what I wanted from our session. I have been practising further since then, remembering everything you taught me so when the first meeting takes place on Monday I feel far more confident and am sure they will all go well.
I think Coaching is more effective than a course
I think Coaching is more effective than a course. A 2-day course is interesting but when I get back in the office I easily go back to many of my old ways. I worked with my coach over six months so I have changed my processes and habits in many ways – how I structure my planning, how I manage stress and problem situations, how I approach new projects and how I co-operate with my colleagues.
Very Effective Coaching…
The coaching I had from you was very effective and I was very happy with the results. I found the coaching supervision useful and valuable too. The coaching for our Senior Leadership Team was way past what we could have expected as regards meeting our needs. … Regarding the meeting with our internal coaches, I have been really pleased with the immediate results of yesterday’s meeting. I very much appreciated your handling of the below-the-line moments and feel it was a very useful session.
Leadership & Confidence
Having the space to discuss aspects of my job and leadership, in confidence, was extremely valuable. And the depth of reflection that was possible is due to the mix of questioning and feedback from my coach. Without Alison’s commitment, engagement and the process itself – not a superficial process, it was demanding even exhausting – it would not have been so useful. She realised that for me going deeper and addressing the underlying stuff would engage me more and result in more insights and change. I did not want a sticking plaster approach and I didn’t get one
Feeling the difference…
I would like to thank you for my great course in your company. I’m really grateful for all the tips concerning my behaviour, non-verbal communication and presentation skills – they were all very useful. I really feel the difference, specially in contacts with others. I started to ”manage” the situation instead of being the passive element of the landscape. Some people are astonished….I am specially satisfied that the course turned out to meet my real expectations. It is also the result of your professionalism which allowed you to adapt the content to my needs. It is very busy and stressful time for me but I keep your advice in mind and I keep on improving, I hope. Thank you one more time for your energy, optimism and a lot of helpful advice…
Stop putting it off…
Apart from getting some good techniques for use in meetings from my coach, the benefit (of Executive Coaching) was in spending time on tasks and decisions I had been putting off as too difficult or not urgent enough to deal with. With things where I wasn’t sure what to do next, after the conversation I left with nothing standing in the way. It gets clarity. I’m forced to think more deeply. Normally in a 1:1 we tend to leap to the first solution but that doesn’t happen because the coach probes more and challenges me – so I fully think through implications, consequences and options, and choose better solutions
A positive impact…
It was good “to speak openly, share my feelings about job issues, bounce ideas against you, think about actions and prepare action plans. You asked good questions and challenged me. I see you are an expert coach. You do what you say in your book and it’s had a positive impact on me. I knew I could trust you. When things get me down I need a way to put them into perspective and get clarity about values and authenticity. It’s prompted me to be the leader I aspire to be. And I can see the benefits for my team in getting clarity, and improving levels of engagement and trust.
Alison’s no-nonsense approach
Alison’s no-nonsense approach to having me get results is the main reason that my business has moved on so strongly and so quickly.
Guiding and Fun…
I just wanted to say thank you for the DISC workshop on Tuesday. I thought the way you ran it was great. The objectives came through very well and people enjoyed it. I enjoyed it. I already knew you to be clear and firm-handed in a positive way and you were warm, you were guiding and you were funny! People are already taking action as a result
