For the duration of the covid lockdown I’m offering free weekly group coaching sessions to all Mansfield and Ashfield 2020 members. That’s one hour a week of live coaching, encouragement and guidance to help you to navigate the challenges of this unfolding situation as effectively as possible for yourself, your business and those around you.
We’re all facing extremely challenging and genuinely scary situations, rapid changes and great uncertainty. Mindset is the biggest factor affecting the fortunes of businesses and organisations in times like this and how we come out of it. I am offering coaching to support you to have the best mindset possible right now to deal with this in the best way possible.
You are all experts at what you do. My expertise is helping people be on top of their game even when conditions are far from ideal. Since joining M&A 2020 last year I have been welcomed, met some great people and done a lot of business. I have a lot to be grateful for. This is an opportunity for me to pay it forward. It’s not entirely altruistic. My business mentor used to say to me “teacher teach what you need to learn” While I am keeping myself in good shape to deliver this for my 2020 colleagues, it’s supporting me as well and keeping me connected with you.
Sessions are on Wednesdays 11 am – 12 noon on Zoom.
Every week you can join with this link: https://zoom.us/j/274280432
If you need help getting started with Zoom let me know. If you want to try it out but can’t make that day/time let me know.
Come and join, we can do this together!
Contrary to what you might think, coaching is for winners and leaders. Coaching supports people who are great at what they do to be even better. Think about elite athletes. They employ coaches and 80% of the work coaches do with elite athletes is around mindset. Coaching is for people who are at the top of their game, for people who are motivated to be their best and committed to stretch and grow and reach their ambitions. Coaching provides an environment and guidance to give clients space and support to think clearly, learn from experience, develop and strengthen skills, come up with new ideas, make strategic plans, stay focused and motivated.
Over recent weeks we’ve all faced a lot of new, uncertain, scary and practically difficult situations. For many businesspeople lockdown has demanded urgent fire-fighting. As leaders, business owners and entrepreneurs you’re probably well equipped to do what’s necessary in an emergency, and I’m sure you’ve been doing it.
It’s important now to think about sustainability because it looks like we might be in this for the long haul.
While the tests challenges and uncertainties continue it’s vital to look after yourselves as well as your businesses so that you can keep going and do what you need to do.
Great leaders and new businesses are also forged in such challenging times. I’m already hearing of innovations in different industries. As long as you are in good shape to make the most of it there will be opportunities for your businesses to not only survive this but to find innovative ways of doing business and ways for you to grow and evolve personally.
I want to support you in ongoing self-management so that you can not only get through this but also be able to find and embrace opportunity and come out strong on the other side.
All 2020 members are welcome regardless of your business type, your role, how covid is affecting your activities and whether you have experience of coaching. You don’t need any prior preparation, just turn up, however you are on the day. I’ve often had clients tell me they thought they had to be “ready” to work with a coach (a bit like cleaning before a cleaner comes). Not true, the point of coaching is to get help dealing with stuff and it’s the coach’s job to help you do that. If you are unsure and would like to know more before attending feel free to give me a call.
In the sessions I’ll ask coaching questions that will help you find your own answers for your particular situations, I’ll set exercises to cultivate a helpful mindset and guide you to make plans to support you in the week ahead. You will have opportunity to ask questions and share your experiences.
Even if you are coping well it’s likely you’re experiencing spikes of fear, worry and worst-case scenario thinking. You might be finding it hard to manage your thoughts and stress levels. When we’re in this place we don’t make great decisions and can’t access our creativity. We need our creativity and decision-making capabilities right now so in the sessions some of what we’ll be doing is around calming the nervous system and getting a more empowering perspective. I’ll teach you clear thinking techniques to use between sessions as and when new challenges come up.
As leaders and business owners it’s easy to feel you have no choice but to keep pushing on and come up with all the solutions right now. However, you can only go on firefighting for so long. You can’t look after others, your business or other responsibilities if you are falling apart at the seams. I will help you prioritise self-care, think of the airplane oxygen mask analogy. The responsible adult must put their own on first.
As for all coaching it is a confidential non-judgemental space. You can contribute or simply listen. Have a pen and paper to participate in the exercises and note anything of value to you. You can turn up to any session to try it out and see if it’s for you. You will get most benefit by attending weekly.
I began my coach training 28 years ago and practised “on the side” at first alongside my day job running architectural glass business, Juicy Glass Ltd, for 15 years. Since selling that business 12 years ago I’ve been coaching entrepreneurs, business and corporate leaders and teams in a wide range of sectors. Through vast experience (I gave up counting at 1000 people coached) I came to understand that when an individual is expertly supported to be in the best shape possible, they can apply their know how most effectively to whatever they choose to do, regardless of what business, role, sector or circumstances they are in.
So, these days I provide transformational coaching to help my clients make a bigger difference and enjoy life more.
I offer one to one and group coaching to professionals looking to create a new chapter and I provide bespoke programmes for organisations.
‘I have worked with some very talented coaches before, but I do not believe I have experienced any as connected, insightful and committed to my wellbeing as Sarah. I believe she almost saved my happiness, life and passion.”
“As a believer in constantly evaluating your own performance, managing your potential and maximising your understanding of yourself, I recognise you need a coach, mentor and critical friend. To operate at the highest levels it is easy to lose sight of the real “you”. Sarah is a brilliant individual who can understand the stresses and dilemmas of your leadership journey. I was amazed at her insightful thinking, honesty and genuine experience, which translated into my world. Sarah gave me the tools to unpick my emotions, discover my thoughts and remaining ambitions but most of all restored my confidence in my ability to lead, live and enjoy my role as a Leader, Husband and Father. Truly inspirational, talented and authentic, highly recommended.” Allen Graham At the time of coaching Allen was CEO of Rushcliffe Borough Council
‘I cannot put into words very easily just how much strength your work has given me.’
“Sarah took me through a series of very well designed (individually tailored) exercises which got right to the heart of my needs. As a consummate professional, Sarah has the ability to hold the space with great encouragement and integrity whilst coaching you through layers of resistance and unhelpful patterns to emerge revitalised the other side. Finding a renewed motivation and deeper commitment towards ever greater authenticity, presence and creativity to unlock even more potential and balance whole life needs…highly recommended” Nina Dauben CEO Nottinghamshire Community Foundation
“As leader of a small organisation it’s very important to take some time out as a team and to reflect and learn from each other. Our organisation has had a busy and tough year and we needed to remember the importance of what we were doing but also to stop beating ourselves up for not “performing” to some impossible standard. Sarah took the time to understand our needs and lead us through some great, clear exercises which both celebrated our achievements and gave us some tools to help us keep that “negative” voice at bay.”
“I highly recommend this process for your team, it really helped us focus on what we were doing and why and develop us as colleagues.” Michelle Bowen Director UKYA
“Sarah, I think you’ve got some magic, some weird voodoo magic that you sprinkle on us and I think a lot of that is to do with the way you look after yourself, because you always seem to come to these sessions so full of joy, happiness and calm and balance. I find you really inspiring.” Stuart Hollis Hollis Photography
Website www.sarahmcnicol.com
Email [email protected]
Phone 07740068145