Advising

Coaching and advising serve different purposes. Coaching unfolds over time. It explores what is happening on the inside — the patterns, beliefs, pressures and assumptions that may be getting in the way — and helps people access more of their own strengths, intelligence, judgement and intuition.

Advising is typically more immediate and focused. It looks outward. The question is not what is happening inside you, but what is happening around you: what the situation calls for, what other people are responding to and what needs to be handled next.

You may be facing a significant decision, an awkward relationship, a delicate situation or a choice where every option has a downside. You understand the context, but you are not completely sure how to proceed.

Some decisions are difficult to discuss freely inside your own organisation. The issue may be commercially sensitive, politically charged or personal. Even an experienced leader can get too close to it to see the whole picture.

In those moments, it can help to have a confidential sounding board: someone who understands the realities of leadership, the dynamics of senior teams, and what it is like to make consequential decisions when smart people have different interests, perspectives and agendas.

The aim is not simply to apply more logic to the problem.

Difficult decisions are rarely black and white. They involve people, loyalties, emotions, consequences and competing responsibilities. Part of my role is helping clients see beyond the obvious arguments, recognise where their own thinking may be biased or constrained, and reconnect with their own judgement and intuition.

Sometimes the answer becomes clear quickly.

A single conversation may be enough to bring clarity to a decision, confirm what the person already realises, or give them the confidence to act on something they have been reluctant to handle.

At other times, a situation can benefit from two or three conversations to examine it from different angles and allow a more considered decision to emerge.

Some clients return periodically when a new challenge arises, or when they have reached a conclusion about something significant but want to test their thinking before acting.

This can be especially valuable when the decision is a difficult one — for example, ending a working relationship with someone they respect or care about, while recognising that the situation can no longer continue as it is.

In those cases, advising can help a person become clearer not only about what needs to be done, but also about whether the decision is consistent with their responsibilities, their personal values and their own sense of integrity.

If you’d like to know more, please get in touch. We can have a confidential 30-minute conversation, at no charge, to help us determine whether my service is right for you.