Coaching provides a space for reflection and sensemaking – exploring what feels challenging, what feels hopeful, what needs to change – and structured support to turn insights into action.
I have trained and been working as a coach for many years. My approach is particularly informed by the systems-psychodynamic model, in the tradition established by the Tavistock Institute. This is a framework that supports clients to consider the ways in which their inner life interacts with the environment they inhabit, in order to become more effective leaders – professionally and personally.
The work I do with clients focuses on:
- The role of emotion: acknowledging the relational aspects of leadership and teamwork, and helping people to understand and effectively manage the impact of their feelings on their relationships and performance at work.
- The connections between person, role and organisation: recognising that individuals operate in complex systems, and supporting them to successfully navigate organisational dynamics.
- What is going on below the surface: illuminating what is unspoken or unconscious, revealing the client’s blind spots and helping them to address issues that might hold them back if left unattended to.
Overall, this approach to coaching helps people to develop the confidence and skills needed to take up their organisational role, and builds their capacity to learn through reflective practice. I primarily work with clients who are navigating professional transitions and dynamics, but also with individuals who are drawn to this approach of considering what’s going on both above and beneath the surface as they work towards what matters to them.
There is no single model for a successful coaching relationship. Everyone is different, so I tailor my approach to suit the needs of individual clients and organisations. For some people, that will be a fixed number of sessions over a specific time period. Others benefit from a more open-ended engagement, with regular points to evaluate how the coaching is working. However, every coaching partnership follows a similar arc. We start by establishing the outcomes you would like to achieve, explore what it will take to get there, and then use our time together to reflect on progress and design experiments and actions that can help you move forward.
The best way to understand what coaching is like is to experience it, which is why I always start by meeting with potential clients for a consultation session. This gives me a chance to explain in more detail how I work with people, and to find out what you are motivated to work on. It also gives us both the opportunity to see whether the relationship is a good fit, as this is fundamental to the success of the coaching engagement.
Testimonals
Alex’s coaching style is brilliant, I left every session feeling clear on what action I needed to take and buoyed up by our time together. I liked the fluidity of the sessions and the fact I was enabled to set the agenda. – Katie A., Chief Executive Officer
Coaching sessions with Alex have been incredibly valuable for me. It has made a world of difference to me to have a safe space to articulate my thinking at this early, vulnerable stage in my leadership journey… It has helped me to move closer towards the belief that there is an authentic, distinctive mode of leadership that I can make effective on my own terms. – Amy P., Chief Executive
I’d recommend Alex as a coach without hesitation. She has an instinctive sense of the right balance between asking what I want to focus on each time we speak, and knowing exactly what questions to ask to get me to clarity on what I’m trying to do or what’s not working. It’s been brilliant working with her. – Alex E., Founder and Executive Director
I took up coaching with Alex because I was overwhelmed by what I felt were competing priorities and demands in my personal and professional life. The sessions with Alex helped me to break these different components down in order to understand what the challenges were, and ways in which I could proactively make positive changes to address them. Alex’s manner and style is completely non-judgmental and made me feel at ease in talking about some things that I hadn’t shared with anyone. I would highly recommend Alex as a coach and mentor. – Rebecca C., Programme Manager
Coaching with Alex always leaves me feeling empowered and full of possibility about what I can achieve. She is highly empathetic and able to get to the heart of the issue quickly – challenging me at the right times and in the right way to help me overcome the unhelpful beliefs that may be blocking my progress. I always leave sessions with a number of actions and an enthusiasm to get going with them straight away. – Nehal D., Programme Director
Alex Glennie | Coaching and Consulting 