The challenge
When Vicky, a Service Manager at a homelessness charity, approached Homeless Link for Coaching, she wanted to further improve her confidence and capability to better understand and successfully manage challenging situations in her role.
The approach
We matched Vicky with one of our coaches and she signed up for an initial six sessions.
Vicky’s coach has lots of experience in the homelessness sector, having initially developed her coaching skills whilst employed as a coach for two homelessness organisations.
Ensuring a good match with your coach is essential to build a trusting relationship that allows for open conversations. So, we make sure if you aren't happy, you just pay for the first session and so aren’t tied in.
But in Vicky case it wasn’t necessary. The relationship went well right from the start and Vicky signed up for more sessions.
I felt comfortable enough to be as open as I possibly could be…and look forward to future coaching sessions.
The sessions were 45 minutes long over Zoom allowing Vicky to fit them in around her busy schedule.
After each session Vicky received an email from her coach with notes, agreed actions along with links to resources which helped her to develop further on her own.
The impact
The impact of the sessions has been clear not only to Vicky but also to her colleagues:
It has been noticed by several work colleagues the difference the coaching has made to my confidence and delivery in such a short time, to the point that they are asking for help and wanting to know more about these coaching sessions. I have learnt to be kind to myself, I now use confidence building techniques before meetings and use breathing exercises which really help.
In particular, it has made a powerful impact on her communication:
Again, in such a short space of time, there are great differences with my communication, I have learnt to pause prior to speaking, this in itself has allowed me to think before I speak, giving more detailed communication.
Vicky’s coach used various positive psychology and strengths-based approaches as well as coaching tools inspired by CBT to support and guide Vicky on her journey. She said that:
Vicky has been fantastic to work with, she has had a growth mindset from the start, open to applying the coaching tools and trying new things which has resulted in incredible transformation in her confidence, as well as improved communication and management abilities, in a very short space of time
Vicky enjoyed the sessions so much she signed up to a further six sessions with her coach to help continue to develop and progress.
