Andy Matheson - Events

Andy Matheson - Events

My approach to my coaching and supervision practice

My own definition of coaching is ’to unleash the potential of people to build the business one conversation at a time’. It took me several years to write that sentence but it is worthy of deconstruction. Firstly I am hugely optimistic about the potential of people. I have yet to meet anyone who cannot be better, or achieve more. If they want to that is. I see it as my job to help them find it. The definition also contains a business context. My approach tends to be very business focused and I am interested in the whole organisation, key stakeholders and deliverables. I am mindful that we are working in service of an organisation. There is also a reference to one conversation at a time which is how I see the relationship. My approach is to create reflective space and to become a thinking partner for people facing tough challenges.

What APECS means to me

I believe that the best people in our profession can evidence regular investment in their personal development. APECS is key to that development journey for me. It is about the networking the events, the connections that act a catalyst for fresh thinking and personal renewal. There is no doubt my coaching questions and approach have changed as a result of attending things like our community gatherings. I can’t point to a single moment that sparked a shift but development here is subtle, a slow burn, almost unnoticed at times.

The value I bring to my clients

My first job with any client is to hold the mirror up and to review and reflect on where they are. There is real value in taking stock and open reflection. Through this process, we discover aims, ambitions, perceived limitations and often paradigms and can talk about these. I have a great deal of experience in areas such as strategic leadership so am able to support clients with tools and techniques to think through their approach to executive leadership. I have also done a great deal of research around executive presence (I published a book on this) and use this research to help build authentic credibility at the most senior levels of an organisation.

Examples of coaching/supervisor work

I have been coaching an Executive looking after a Division that was about to go through a significant merger. The dynamics of the situation were very unsettling with a very high profile discussion involving the future of their organisation. So our coaching had to focus on the uncertain nature of the structure with so many restrictions surrounding the communication process. It was an incredibly complex leadership role and a real test of leading through uncertainty. My client needed to sit back and review this to make sense of the challenges. Key was how to keep their team on board and energised through the vagueness of timelines and discussions. Our coaching focused on a the challenge of how to run the business whilst completely changing it.

I work as a team coach and recently worked with a group of professionals from around the world who had a clear departmental role based on their region but who were not working as a leadership team. My challenge was to work with them to strengthen the team and to build a stronger strategy that they would all commit to. My approach was to start with diagnostics using a questionnaire and interviews with team members and the team leader. I work with tools such as coach constellations to explore the current modes of working and thinking. Through the process we strengthen the commitment to teamwork and built clear team goals/strategies to set the team on a positive trajectory.

Qualifications and Experience

APECS Certified Professional Executive Team Coach

ILM 7 in Executive Coaching & Mentoring - Assessor

Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development (FCIPD)

Level 2 British Psychological Society

Author ‘Leading With Executive Presence