Coaching Client Feedback & Case Studies

WHAT MY COACHING CLIENTS SAY

Kostas is a senior leader in a large global services business, who worked on his personal and professional development in our coaching sessions:

“Alongside the work that I had to complete while studying on a two year MBA course, I worked with Matt to help me become more comfortable with uncertainty and resilient in day-to-day challenges of running the operations of an international services business.

Over 18 months, we had several sessions that helped me in many ways. I’ve become more willing and skilled at expressing myself, learned to be self-aware as well as more attuned to others around me.

Matt has a great style that is engaging and helps make every session purposeful. I strongly recommend Matt’s coaching for anyone looking to develop themselves.

 

Kostas, Yorkshire

Ben is a professional cricketer who wanted coaching around his leadership development as he studied a Masters in Sports Directorship:

“I wanted to work on various aspects of my leadership surrounding my role as a cricket captain. This style of coaching was new to me as a sportsman and I found it both beneficial and refreshing.

We were able to cover topics around my captaincy and challenges such as making decisions that impact close friendships and managing my relationships from both a playing and captaining viewpoint.

I have found Matt excellent at reflecting my thoughts and helping me find solutions that fit the needs of my career specifically. Having a sounding board for my thoughts and ideas has been very useful, and especially interesting to hear input and ideas from someone outside the ‘bubble’ of professional cricket. We have been able to find solutions to some issues I’ve faced which I’m looking forward to implementing in pre-season.

Matt’s ability to act as a mirror for my thoughts whilst summarising and offering thoughtful questions and ideas has been very beneficial. He has also taught me how to implement this style of coaching into my own leadership practice at cricket, which has added a further dimension to my captaincy and ability to help people around me.”

 

Ben Brown, Professional Cricketer (Club Captain, Sussex County Cricket Club)

Joanna was in a senior professional services role and wanted to explore her options on the same career path and alternative career paths. The coaching process enabled her to get clear on what she wanted from the next stage of her career and supported her in carving out a great sideways move position:

“After 15 years in one area, I was looking for a change of role and a new challenge.

Matt helped me to examine what I really wanted from my job, and also to recognise what I had to offer in a new field. With his help and support, I was able to secure a job working for the same employer in a project management role. This is exactly the field I was interested in and offers me the challenge that I want alongside the balance that I need.

Working with Matt gave me the time, space and confidence to consider my requirements, skills and options and ultimately to make the right choice for me.”

 

Joanna Bromhead, Senior Role, Professional Services Firm

HD is a cricket commentator, coach, and former international cricketer who I coached around his personal and leadership development:

“I was a little apprehensive about getting an executive coach at first but, after my initial meeting with Matt, that was laid to rest. The trust and ease I felt when in his company allowed me to explore some very personal questions and issues.

Within a few sessions, I had already developed clarity around things that had plagued me for years.

I will hopefully continue to use Matt in the future and recommend anybody that is hoping to explore this avenue to give Matt a call.”

 

HD Ackerman, Cricket Coach & Commentator

David is the former head coach of London Bees women's football team and a football consultant. We worked together to explore his leadership style and to enhance his broader professional development:

"I hadn't undertaken executive coaching previously and if I am being honest I was a little sceptical. Matt soon changed my opinion through his easy-going demeanour, engaging manner, honesty and openness.

After each session, I was able to look back and see that he had enabled me to think differently or more in-depth about my situation and the challenges I wanted to discuss. At no point did Matt force his ideas or opinions on me, rather he posed questions to tease out my own thoughts and opinions.

I found the whole coaching process rewarding, even enjoyable and I would recommend it and Matt wholeheartedly."

 

David Edmondson, Football Consultant

I worked with Simon when he was working at DWF & planning a significant career change into lecturing & social enterprise. He had this to say about my coaching programme:

"Throughout my career, I have worked with a number of coaches so I knew that coaching could be an effective personal development tool. However, when I engaged Matt as my coach the true power of coaching was really unlocked for me.

Matt was open, professional, empathic and organised - his non-judgmental style really forced me to seek answers /solutions to challenges I thought I did not know the answer to, which is where the real power of coaching lies for me, finding the answers for yourself.

I made significant improvements in the areas I wanted to focus on and I put that down to Matt and his coaching style.

As a personal and professional development tool, I found Matt's coaching the most effective process in my 20 plus years as a professional. Highly recommended."

 

Simon Price, DWF

Katie, a 7-year qualified commercial lawyer in London, wanted to explore options for a career change out of the law. Katie quickly identified another career path that highly motivated her, and the coaching resulted in her securing a job she loved in that field:

"After working in law for several years, I reached the stage where I knew I needed a change of direction, but had no idea how to bring this change about (or even where to start!).

I therefore consulted Matt for some guidance, having read up on his own experience and his style of coaching, and I was ultimately so glad that I did! He has a really open, down-to-earth style which puts you at ease and helps you to clarify your thoughts. After four sessions, I found that I had a renewed sense of purpose and much more defined idea of what I wanted from my working life. 

Using the techniques and prompts Matt demonstrated during our sessions, I was able to identify my particular strengths and needs in terms of potential careers and ultimately found the area that I wanted to move into. I am now looking forward to starting a new job in a few months' time and am hugely grateful to Matt for giving me the tools and helping me find the confidence to get me to this position."

Katie, Commercial Lawyer, London

Paul heads an athletic development team at a professional football club, who I coached around his leadership development:

“As someone who works in elite sport, I found this form of coaching very different from what I am used to. However, I must say that the work I have concluded with Matt has been very eye-opening.

 

For me, Matt's skills are being able to simplfy the issues and challenges I faced in my job, assist me to reframe these issues and to challenge my own thinking, which resulted in greater clarity in my decison-making”

 

Paul White, Head of Sports Science & Athletic Development (Academy), Stoke City Football Club

Rachel was a senior barrister who came to coaching after several years out as a full-time mum. She was seeking to return back into the work place & balance this with family life:

"Having never had coaching before I was unsure of how beneficial it would be. However, having been away from work for a number of years due to family commitments I felt very unfocused and at a loss as to how to return and indeed what form of work to return to.

A friend suggested coaching and I engaged Matt as I felt his legal background would give him some context for our work together.

When I started the sessions I had barely any focus and low confidence. However, with Matt's assistance in helping me to work through the challenges I was facing (some real and some perceived) I found that focus and crucially the confidence that I was lacking.

If you want a coach that will tell you what to do and what to think then Matt's style will not suit. His strength is in giving you the space and direction to answer your questions for yourself.

After only 3 sessions I had a newfound enthusiasm and a real sense of direction. Soon after our last session I was offered a fantastic job opportunity, something I would not have thought possible before I started the coaching.

I then had 3 subsequent sessions to work on my confidence and these have also been hugely beneficial.
The investment of time and money has been very well worth it and the coaching has been of huge benefit to me in my return to the legal profession. I can highly recommend Matt and his coaching style."

Rachel, Senior Barrister

Jack was a 2.5 year PQE lawyer at Clifford Chance in Amsterdam who was looking to make his next career move. He wanted to determine which roles he would enjoy most and get clarity on his strengths and areas of development:

"As a lawyer with 2.5 years PQE, I felt ready to look into different career options within the law. I wanted a role which matched my profile as well as greater awareness of my strengths, what I enjoyed and what I perhaps needed to develop in order to succeed and be more fulfilled in a job. Coaching seemed to be a useful means of dissecting and working on this.

Matt's professional and unassuming demeanour coupled with his structured approach enabled me to really investigate freely and candidly what elicits my enthusiasm/passion, what I don't enjoy or find meaningful and what I needed to work on in order to derive greater satisfaction. As a consequence, I am now more self-aware, but, most importantly in my case, self-confident. Matt also provided very constructive and practical support in looking at my CV, sample cover letters and LinkedIn profile to ensure I was presenting myself in the best possible light.

In terms of tangible outcomes, I applied for a number of jobs during our coaching sessions and progressed to final rounds in interviews for a number of the largest financial institutions. I also secured a number of firm offers. I am now very happy to be in my dream job working on fulfilling assignments and realising my full potential. This was certainly made possible with Matt's support and focus. The coaching was a very rewarding experience in my case and I recommend him most highly."

Jack Parker, Legal Counsel, Bank of England

Duncan had recently become head of department for a regional office of a leading national law firm. He was keen to explore the benefits that executive coaching could provide in a challenging new role and we worked together over a 6 month period:

"Matt's approach has unlocked my thoughts on a range of issues which are important to the role. Together we have explored areas which I knew needed attention, and which were taking me out of my comfort zone, and areas where I was confident but have been able to develop.

My experience of a number of issues and situations has been taken apart, investigated and put back together with pro-active strategies for addressing particular concerns or areas of development, allowing me to turn them into positive opportunities. Those strategies have been reviewed and developed during our time together.

The process has allowed me to become confident in areas where I was not, and to challenge my perceptions and those of others, which has been particularly useful.

Being able to spend 2 hours each month in an environment which gives me the freedom to explore my inner self has been liberating, inspiring and very enjoyable. The fact that Matt understands the issues we discuss, both because of his experience as a lawyer, and because of his questions, facilitates the freedom to explore issues, and to expand my focus, making the most of what is proving to be a very useful opportunity to concentrate on myself.

Rather than worrying about particular issues, I now find myself analysing situations in the way I do with Matt, coming up with strategies to challenge and develop my approach."

Duncan Hope, Partner, Irwin Mitchell

Francesca was a junior lawyer at a leading law firm who came for some coaching on specific development areas, including greater confidence around public speaking:

"I was keen to use this transition to re-evaluate my goals and focus on some key career development areas. Matt's approach to coaching really helped me to answer my own questions on how I wanted my career to progress and how I was going to go about doing this.

Public speaking was a particular development area that I had asked Matt to focus on, and by breaking down my experiences and working with him to come up with solutions to improve I was able to walk into situations that I had once avoided with much more confidence."

Francesca Kinsella, Solicitor, DWF

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