I was lucky to work with Patricia recently - we agreed on a package of four coaching sessions which took place over six weeks and consisted of four one hour sessions, one to one and online. It was great to have regular sessions booked into work towards - I work well to a deadline so having a session on the horizon was a great motivator and moment to aim for.
What coaching was like
Patricia’s coaching style is very straightforward and practical, with an emphasis on celebrating achievements of the previous week or two and committing to goals for the next session. When you’re setting up an organisation it’s really important to have timelines in place, with commitments, deadlines, and someone to hold you accountable. A plan without deadlines is just a dream!
"I found the sessions to be really insightful, practical and motivating." – Laura Ford, MA, Sustainability Advisor and Founder of Circulo CIC.
During the coaching sessions, I noted a real shift in my approach to getting things done - it’s so easy when you’re motivating yourself to let things slip or to firefight, with the most urgent things taking precedence over the less urgent things that still need doing but fall down the list. I found that Patricia really helped me to shift that tendency to procrastinate and enabled me to move things forward. She also showed me that I was already doing some of the things that I had feared, which released some of that lack of confidence and empowered me to just get on with it!
Support through coaching
The sessions with Patricia were wide-ranging in the topics we covered.
My goals ranged from needing clarity about how to structure the projects I run through Circulo CIC and how they are funded, to confidence-building and strategising for the future.
Patricia really helped me to prioritise my actions so that I was more able to identify what would progress me towards my goals, what I need help with and what I need to do myself.
Coaching with Patricia helped me to develop my self-motivation and confidence as well as more practical things like prioritising activity and delegating where necessary. She also helped me to recognise the progress I have made, understanding that it’s not always easy to start a new company and that it’s important to celebrate successes along the way.
Benefits and results achieved through coaching
Patricia’s coaching style is very pragmatic, which I really appreciated. It was easy to see the progress we were making, and to acknowledge this progress and be held accountable for future change is really important for me. Coaching with Patricia really helped me to have more confidence in my skills as a leader, and to understand that there are different types of leaders.
"Circulo Community Interest Company is in the early stages of development and working with Patricia really helped me to work out what our offer is to small businesses and community organisations seeking to reduce their impact on the environment, how I can help them, and how I can work towards a local community in which small businesses and community organisations work together to be collaboratively more sustainable." – Laura Ford, MA, Sustainability Advisor and Founder of Circulo CIC.
I would wholeheartedly recommend coaching as an investment in your organisation. It is easy to feel increasingly isolated when working from home a lot, as many of us are now, whilst setting up something new. Patricia really helped me to understand that getting a support network around you is really crucial to not only getting things done but thriving at the same time. I found the relationship that Patricia and I built very nourishing and really look forward to working with her more over the next year.
Circulo CIC helps small businesses and community groups respond to the climate emergency with energy and focus, delivering projects for the Peckham community. www.circulocic.org
JOIN COMMUNITY BRIDGES COACHING PROGRAM
CB is supporting community organisations and their leaders by offering 1-2-1 coaching sessions. These coaching programmes are hosted by Patricia Afonso, CB Director & Leadership Coach accredited by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.
These thought-provoking coaching workshops help you develop a strategic roadmap and greater leadership skills to achieve your professional and personal goals with confidence and resilience.
Contact us today to amplify your business at info@communitybridges.co.uk
Comments