Category: Coaching

  • Now or later? The best time to work with a coach

      When’s the right time to get coaching for your third sector staff? When David is under-performing so badly he’s about to lose his job? When Leila is totally fed up, demotivated and desperate to leave? When tensions and disagreements in the team are taking up hours of your precious time? Certainly, organisations often bring…

  • Learning at Work Day giveaways

            Today is Learning at Work Day. To celebrate I’m giving away lots of free coaching to charities. If you think your charity would benefit from one of the services below totally free of charge DM me on twitter @katieduckworth or email me at katieduckworth@mac.com (if we’re not already following each other.)…

  • What makes a great third sector leader?

    I began coaching a new client this week, the Chief Executive of a youth charity, and it’s got me thinking about what makes for a great third sector leader. Here are five qualities that, in my opinion, make a leader stand out from the crowd: 1. Agility – great leaders are able to adapt to…

  • Motivation: five easy ways to lose it

      #1. You stop focusing on your goal When you lose sight of where you’re going it’s tricky to keep moving forward with any purpose. Motivation needs a clear motive. #2. You don’t have an action plan No milestones to aim for; no way of knowing what to do next; no sense of progress –…

  • What are Aung San Suu Kyi’s values?

    I was talking to a third sector coaching client yesterday about the stunning victory of Aung San Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy, in Burma’s recent byelection. We’d just finalised a list of her unique set of core values and wondered what Suu Kyi’s values might be? Patience, we could only presume. She…

  • If emails cost 60p

      Were you amazed by the recent rise in the price of a stamp? 60p for first class!? Charities are rightly worried about the impact of this bombshell – from the increase in the price of direct mailing to the cost of communicating with often elderly volunteers who may not be on-line. This price hike…

  • It’s all about people

    Reading the new Third Sector/nfpSynergy State of the Sector report on a crowded rush-hour tube recently, I was struck by the answers to the question ‘what makes for an effective charity?’ Not surprisingly, ‘quality of work and/or services’ comes out top. This is after all what we are all here for. But ‘ability to attract,…

  • Coaching – trick or treat?

    There are absolutely no tricks in coaching. In fact, when you get your third sector staff coached, you’ll experience a bag-load of treats. Here are just five of the reasons my current clients are committed to coaching their staff:  It encourages people to take responsibility for their own learning and actions  Coaching improves individuals’ performance…

  • The power of your thoughts

    A few weeks ago on holiday in Greece, I found myself suspended in mid-air at the top of a cliff – freaking out! My hands were shaking. My legs felt like water. There was no way I was going to abseil down this 70-foot cliff, my absolute intention a few moments before. Now, I was…

  • What is a good work-life balance?

    My third sector clients often seek help with restoring their ‘work-life balance’. They’re mostly very committed. They have heavy work loads, put in long hours and take work home – often. But what are they really asking for? What do they mean by a better work-life balance? Most people would say that a good work-life…