All posts by David

Strong Insights

By | testimonial | No Comments

In a short space of time David helped me get strong insights into my behaviour and more generally what drives the behaviour of other people. The sessions were challenging and thought provoking. David helped me set up some actions to take to transform several areas of my life and be more confident in taking risks and pushing my boundaries.

Natasha Managarova Business Development

Here are the 9 most common ways I see leaders get in their own way

By | Blog | No Comments

getting_in_the_way

 

Here are the 9 most common ways I see leaders get in their own way:

Perfecting – you hold back from taking action until things are 100% perfect. So you never get to achieve at the level you are truly capable.

Giving – you’re so good at giving to others but you rarely – if ever – accept the help you need to accomplish something bigger.

Performing – you don’t know how to switch off, so you’re exhausted. You want to achieve something extraordinary but you don’t have the energy to achieve at a truly great level.

Emoting – your emotions are your gift but you can get so focused on your own feelings that you feel overwhelmed and don’t take action.

Observing – you’re an expert who spends so much time researching and studying, in service of your big mission, that you never get to really put it out in the world.

Guarding – you’re so good at scanning the horizon for danger that you constantly run on adrenaline. You’re held back by self-doubt and lack of confidence.

Adventuring – you don’t want to say no to any of the amazing options in front of you. You’re spread so thin that you never really make the impact that you’re here for.

Superheroing – you’re so good at solving problems, you unconsciously create new ones, just to solve them.

Peacekeeping – you’re great at solving conflict and you love creating harmony. But you sometimes go along with others’ wishes, or you say “yes” to things you do not really want to do.

 

Do you have a big mission that you’re struggling with?

By | Blog | No Comments

Do you have a big mission that you’re struggling with?
Do you have a big goal that’s been on your list for weeks, months or even years?
Are you resentful of people for standing in the way of what you really want to create?

You’re not alone, I can relate to all of these.

The only way through is to turn the mirror back on yourself. You see, there’s a way you unconsciously hold yourself back from success. It’s a pattern you default to again and again. And, if you don’t take time to look at how you’re getting in your own way, you’ll waste all your time judging and blaming others.

Simply contact me via info@certuscoaching for an free expert confidential conversation to explore how #executivecoaching can get you to that next level of #success.

So Much More

By | testimonial | No Comments
I reached out to David at a time when I was at a loss as to which direction to take my career, feeling somewhat disillusioned with the path I had chosen and seriously lacking purpose. I expected the coaching to be solely focused on shaping a new career path, however, it has been so much more than that! Not only have I gained clarity in my career but my personal relationships are better, I’m happier, calmer, more resilient, and highly motivated to take action in all the areas of my life that I now know are most important to me.

David’s generosity, compassion and determination to help people discover and move towards their dreams is unmatched in anyone I have ever met.

A complete mindset shift and the journey has only just begun. Thank you, David, for the past 6 months plus. Very much looking forward to the next!

Andy Hall-Jones Business owner

I’m in a place I would never have been if it wasn’t for coaching

By | testimonial | No Comments

Sports

After building up a relationship with David over an 18 month period, and talking a lot about coaching but no actions being taken, I decided to give it a go. It’s been just over a year now and reflecting back on that year, I am currently in a place I would never have been unless it was for his coaching. He’s shown me a whole new way of thinking and approaching everyday life from both a business and personal perspective. Not only that but we have developed my leadership skills, and he is continually pushing me out of my comfort zones, its challenging at times, however reflecting back on the process has enabled me to see it was all worth it! I’m very much looking forward to continuing to work with David to see what the future holds.

James Canty, Entrepreneurand Business Leader

Times of great stress anxiety

By | Blog | No Comments

Stressed Businessperson Small

For many business leaders the current crisis is a time of great stress and anxiety.  It is important to recognise the negative impact this can have upon your decision making.  As well as this, people look to leaders to be calm and deliberate in their decisions and actions. Leaders who react to stressful events in highly emotional ways can add to people’s stress and anxiety. Leaders can start by slowing down, taking stock of their stress and understanding what is causing an emotional reaction. Even when facing the demands of a high-profile crisis, leaders must take breaks to reset and refocus.

Being able to talk things through or getting a different view of a challenge is vital. 

Being a leader is one’s natural self-expression

By | Blog | No Comments

Being a leader is one’s natural self-expression. It does not come from learning and trying to emulate the characteristics or styles of noteworthy leaders, or learning what effective leaders do and trying to emulate them (and most certainly not from merely being in a leadership position, or position of authority). If you are not ’being’ a leader, and you try to act like a leader, you are likely to fail. That’s called being inauthentic (playing a role or pretending to be a leader), deadly in any attempt to exercise leadership.

Advice for those working from home

By | Blog | No Comments

WorkingFromHome(small)

As employers close offices in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, here’s advice for how to work from home more effectively during this time.

With people now under social isolation in an effort to slow the spread of coronavirus, employers are struggling with the new reality of establishing protocols for working from home. Productive home workers will be necessary to keep the economy going as companies strive to maintain business continuity. And, staying engaged with daily work could be an important source of stimulation for isolated individuals. But the lightning-quick transition to a remote-work economy will not be easy for everyone.

Even for people like myself who have worked from home for many years, there is the challenge of no longer having the house to myself and having to share resources with other family members working from home.  The first thing to recognise is that work itself may well feel different than before. You may have children or other family members at home that require attention. They might be worried about their health, the health of their parents and grandparents, or the security of their income. If they’re confined to their home, they might feel restless or frustrated.

Business leaders need to recognise that their employees are going through a lot. It isn’t just work as usual but done from home, it’s work carried out within the home environment which normally isn’t an environment conducive to working with its many distractions. Throughout this sudden transition, psychological studies offer insights on how to work from home, both for first-time and experienced remote workers juggling new demands.

Here are tips to help you work from home effectively while social isolation measures remain in effect.

Minimise distractions

Start by choosing a workspace separated from household noises and activity if possible,  ideally a room with a door you can close. Next, work to mentally distance yourself from those disturbances so you can fully engage with work tasks. Communicate to family members that this is work time and as such they should treat it like any normal day at the office and to as far as possible avoid interruption.

Of course, the stress around the Covid-19 can make it tough to stay focused. Creating news-free times to disconnect from the crisis and recharge, for instance by reading a book or taking a walk outside (your once a day exercise). You might also spend a few minutes at the start of each day thinking about why the work you’re doing matters to your clients, co-workers and your organisation.

For those juggling work and childcare responsibilities, it is always best to have a conversation with colleagues so you can best arrange your day when distractions are minimal, such as early mornings or late evenings, to do your most important work, and coordinating with a spouse or partner on childcare duties when possible.

Set outcomes and boundaries

Set daily outcomes for actions you wish to accomplish or project milestones to reach, working through your outcomes with your organisation when needed. Consider sharing those outcomes with co-workers or family members to help you focus. Making public commitments to others about what you will accomplish that day helps hold you accountable.

Studies have shown that remote workers experience a blurring of boundaries between their home and work lives. When you’re working from an office, there’s a natural start and stop time. It’s important to have similar boundaries and routines when working from home. Routine is key, aim to stick to the same schedule each day and if possible, stop checking messages and email when your workday ends (a good practice to keep when things return to normal).

Make a communication plan

Both the organisation and the employees should communicate what the expectations and any difficulties that may arise are. If you’re having trouble executing tasks because of technology or equipment issues you should communicate this to your manager/boss straight away so that everyone is aware of the situation.  Not communicating may give the impression you aren’t working productively. One of the most often overlooked aspects for business leaders and managers living in this new world of working from home, is that they do not work out specific arrangements for when and how communication will continue to flow. If you’re sharing information, reports or analyses, email may be the best way to correspond. But if you’re working with a team to make sense of complex shared information, schedule a phone call or video conference to discuss. For some leaving the video link running might help with both communicating and giving the illusion of a “normal“ workplace, especially if you are use to bouncing ideas off others.

Seek social connection

When working from home, people can experience social and professional isolation compared with employees who work in a company office. Those feelings of loneliness will likely be worse now, as “social distancing” measures cut workers off from their in-person social support systems outside of work as well.

“Staying connected to other co-workers, managers and customers is therefore paramount. While it might be tempting to think of yourself as an island working from home, we need to provide a social and professional support system to each other so that the social fabric that occurs in the corporate workplace is replicated as much as possible when working remotely.

Managers might provide opportunities for informal conversation during phone or video conferences so employees can continue to build healthy and supportive relationships. A company may also create a designated online messaging space for coronavirus-related and other chatter, including news and office updates, personal stories and requests for supplies or guidance.

I do hope this proves useful.  Should you wish to talk through any challenges you face, please drop me a line.

 

Workshop – Immensely challenging and reflective

By | testimonial | No Comments

I signed-up for the leadership re-invented programme expecting a typical workshop-type experience involving theoretical analysis of what leadership should be, cliche stories and passive engagement from most attendees. Instead, I was presented with a immensely challenging and reflective group of sessions in which David regularly pushed the room to think more about the personal influence they could have, challenged our understanding what success means and focused us on how we could perform better through action. David was passionate throughout and able to connect personally with all attendees, not easy in a group setting. Having a one-to-one alongside these workshops enabled deeper exploration in to the trends identified, and despite only having known David for a few hours prior he immediately understood my key opportunity areas and was able to provide helpful and accurate insight. I can’t recommend this experience more highly to anyone aspiring to become a better leader.  

Paul Weaver

Leadership Re-invention Workshop

By | testimonial | No Comments

Testimonial 1: from Prasit Shah, Portfolio Director, Royal Mail

The leadership workshops led by David were far broader than just tools to use in the workplace. They forced a level of sometimes uncomfortable introspection based on how we are conditioned to think, so challenging long held beliefs, behaviours and habits. An immediate impact was a career decision I made after the first workshop. My decision was counter to my usual ‘strategy for success’ as I truly felt I had a choice and therefore considered my options objectively, jumping in the opposite direction to where I would previously.

Testimonial 2: from Clare, Head of Service Delivery

I decided to try this after being offered an opportunity and spending very little time over the past couple of years developing my leadership skills. I was a bit apprehensive at first and didn’t really know what to expect, but I found the group coaching sessions and individual coaching session very useful. David is a great coach, his approach and the techniques he uses work very well. He pushes you out of your comfort zone and I found the sessions challenged me to really reflect and look at situations through a very different lens, which has been hard at times but is already starting to have a positive impact for both me and my team. My focus is now on taking control back, contributing, and making a difference, to become the person and leader I strive to be. I would highly recommend David and coaching as I feel it can make such a difference to you in all aspects of your life.

For more information Contact me