Coaching Clients

An overwhelmingly positive and useful experience – both career-changing, and life-changing

Working with Anneliese has had a considerable impact on my work life and relationships. I now have a more heightened awareness of how particular situations may be affecting colleagues – and I feel better equipped to recognise the indicators, and make effective use of communication frameworks to respond in a way that minimises friction and promotes good working relationships. This in turn has helped me to be happier and more productive at work.

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The most useful things that I found while working with Anneliese has been the structured way in which we have talked through and analysed interpersonal interactions. This in turn has helped me recognise how relationships can turn sour and has given me a framework for how to address these interactions so that they proceed positively rather than negatively. These enhanced interpersonal skills also enabled me to step into my consultant role with confidence in a way that felt both very empowering and aligned with my values. Equipped with new skills and an increased awareness of how I can best play to my strengths, I can be effective in my busiest work environment yet and able to manage sometimes challenging situations effectively. I found Anneliese’s coaching style really helpful – she seems to be on exactly the same wave-length which made it easy to express myself and explain understand what I needed. The coaching sessions themselves – focussed conversations interspersed with evidence-based suggestions with additional (optional) reading / viewing material following the session – really helped me to turn around my outlook, better understand myself – and understand other people a little better too! Working with Anneliese was a truly career-defining time and I am enormously grateful for her support through what was a very challenging time in my professional life. This coaching was an overwhelmingly positive and useful experience – both career-changing, and life-changing. Thank you.

Dr W., Consultant Surgeon

I now feel I’m in control of my life

I signed up for coaching as I was new to my role which at the time seemed unwieldy. I hoped to use coaching to find ways to clarify my role and prioritise my work, so that I could be more effective. Whilst there are still many ways for me to improve and develop, I now feel that I am in control of my role, and I know what I need to do.

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These coaching sessions have given me the opportunity to think about my leadership style and about how to make the transition between being in the team, and managing / leading the team. Anneliese helped me to identify and focus on the main issues I wanted to address and made me feel very comfortable and able to express what I was finding challenging; it felt like a safe environment to discuss these issues. I also felt that the discussions we had were based on valid information – I very much trusted Anneliese’s suggestions and ideas. I have been able to think about appropriate and effective communication strategies for various situations, including dealing with conflict, and ways of prioritising so that I make the best use of my time. Anneliese also offered me extra information to read outside the sessions. I was unsure what coaching involved when I signed up and I was apprehensive initially, but this coaching has been very valuable for me. I feel I have made positive steps forwards throughout the 12 months, and also have ideas and strategies on how I can continue to develop in my role going forward. I think that when you move up take on a more senior role, this sort of protected time is essential to developing yourself, gaining personal insights, and maximising your potential. It can sometimes be challenging (Anneliese didn’t let me avoid difficult topics!) but it’s also very supportive – and enjoyable!

 

Hannah Perkin, Trauma Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford

A Career MOT!

I arranged coaching with Anneliese after I took on more leadership responsibility at work. Her coaching gave me the opportunity to take time out to how best to fulfil this role. I found Anneliese to be very supportive – she helped me to recognise what I bring, to identify my skills more clearly and to understand more about my own emotions. I appreciated the way she challenged my unhelpful inner critic and offered useful suggestions which enabled me to move forward with my objectives and put together a plan for my future work.

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As part of this ‘Career MOT’ I liked the fact that Anneliese pulled examples from literature, history, philosophy, politics and popular culture rather than from leadership textbooks. Not only am I in awe of her mental library but also it made me see my concerns from a broader perspective, as well as encouraging me to re-engage with my creative side, which I found very valuable. I have noticed that I am happier in myself and calmer and more measured in my relationships at work. I hope this will provide a good example to others and knit my team together more closely. This coaching has exceeded my expectations and I have already recommended Anneliese to three of my colleagues!

 

Dr Sarah Blagden, Consultant Oncologist and Group Leader/ Associate Professor, Oxford

People talk of having a ‘light bulb’ moment of self-awareness; I feel like I have blown-up the power station!

I wish I had had Anneliese’s input years ago!! I came to coaching because I wanted to be better organised and feel in control of my various tasks/work demands; my job entails many tasks, for many ‘masters’, and balancing them was not something I found easy.

Coaching with Anneliese felt incredibly collaborative – like a supportive partnership. She helped me to identify what the barriers were to me taking control of my task lists and challenge those barriers, along with focusing on what benefits there would be to me doing so. This had an enormous effect on my ability to manage my complex and demanding workload. Anneliese has helped me to develop a task management system that has greatly improved not only the number of tasks I complete but, more importantly, how calm and ‘in control’ of my workload I feel.

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While we were working together, I completed my higher specialist training in Occupational Medicine on time and progressed to my first Consultant post. Since commencing work as a Consultant, I believe that the work I did with Anneliese has had an enormously positive effect on my ability to balance the demands of clinical work, with the strategic and managerial aspects of running a department.

This coaching far exceeded my expectations – it has COMPLETELY changed how I view myself. People talk of having a ‘light bulb’ moment of self-awareness; I feel like I have blown-up the power station! I would UNRESERVEDLY recommend working with Anneliese to friends and colleagues alike. It has made a huge difference to my ability to plan, prioritise and complete tasks. I also feel a great deal happier as a person and “comfortable in my own skin”. The knock-on positive effects evident in my personal life is a bonus I didn’t anticipate.

The coaching sessions I had were paid for by my employer. However, knowing what I know now about how valuable Anneliese’s coaching skills are, and how much they have added to both my professional and personal life, I would happily have paid for it myself, twice over.

 

Dr Jane Lloyd, Consultant, Occupational Medicine Surg Cdr, Royal Navy

a key insight for me was about ‘unconditional positive regard for all human beings’

I decided that coaching would be useful because I wanted to know more about how to manage difficult situations at work. Anneliese immediately made me feel at ease and able to explore new ideas and concepts in a way that was positive and empowering. Working with Anneliese helped me to identify possible reasons for miscommunication and poor communication in teams, and find strategies for building and leading teams through clear and authentic communication which references values.

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As a doctor working in a particularly high-pressured environment, this coaching has given me the space and time to think about my own interpersonal style and how communication works in teams. I have also come to realise the importance of self-care and personal well-being – and of maintaining a positive mental attitude. Everything we have done has been relevant, effective and useful – but a key insight for me was about ‘unconditional positive regard for all human beings’ – this was a life-changing concept for me and a phrase I keep in my mind still. I can’t thank Anneliese enough. I use what I have gained from this coaching every day – at work and out of work. I now feel that I am a better team player and a more effective leader – I also feel happier at work in general.

Dr M.N., Oxford

Objectives well and truly met – and exceeded!

Having had “doubts” about coaching in the past, I am now convinced of its value. I have found the whole experience of working with Anneliese positive, self-affirming and extremely worthwhile.

When we first met my professional life was very unsettled. I had been involved in considerable organisational change in recent years, was unsure of my future career direction and had a poor relationship with a line manager.

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The coaching sessions helped me to remain resilient during the last few weeks in my role and to plan the next steps in my career. I have regained my self-confidence, have a greater awareness of my leadership qualities and strengths, and developed a better understanding of how to manage potentially challenging professional relationships. Anneliese is a very good listener, non-judgemental and good at reflecting back. She challenged certain assumptions and beliefs in a positive way and has helped me to feel human again! I have now been successful in applying for a new post and will take the learning points forward into my next role. Thank you Anneliese. Objectives well and truly met – and exceeded!

Barbara Skinner, NHS Business Manager

I was a bit sceptical…but I was in for a surprise

At a time when I was considering a range of career options, I thought it would be useful to work with a coach. I wanted to take time to explore the various possibilities open to me and think about the next steps I needed to take.

In some ways I was a bit sceptical about the extent to which coaching would be able to meet my objectives but I was in for a surprise – it has been absolutely invaluable. Coaching sessions with Anneliese helped me to move forward on my objectives in a way I couldn’t have imagined and prompted my thinking about my aspirations – both personal and professional.

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Anneliese is highly approachable and open, a clear communicator and an attentive listener. It was obvious every time we met that Anneliese remembered what we had done in previous sessions and there was a sense of purpose and structure which I found really helpful.  At the same time Anneliese was always flexible and responsive to my needs as they changed with time. All in all I would describe working with Anneliese as an invaluable experience. Not only have I come away with a much  clearer idea in my mind about the options I wish to pursue for the next stage in my career, I also have  contingency plans in place to cater for different eventualities, and more resilience to manage the inevitable uncertainties along the way. If you’re at a cross-road in your career I would recommend working with Anneliese. For me the whole experience has been very worthwhile – interesting, thought-provoking, focussed, extremely productive and (something else I didn’t really expect) it’s been fun!

Dr Ruchi Baxi, Consultant, Public Health (International Development and Universal Health Coverage)