Time and Energy Management
I can help you to overcome your nagging doubt, that persistent inner critic. You can feel more resourceful and confident, learn new habits or behaviours. Whatever your situation, you can find solutions that suit you. As a professional coach, I can guide you and provide you with tools.
People supported through coaching or mentoring programmes are more focussed and confident. You can achieve more, experience greater personal and professional satisfaction, contribute more to your team and organisation.
I’m Dr Margaret Collins, one-time Academic and professional coach. Because of my experience in universities, research institutes and in business, I can help you explore your choices and career progression using a combination of coaching and mentoring skills.
Below I’ll describe four ways you can work with me as a coach or mentor.
Ways to be coached or mentored by Margaret
Below are four, customisable coaching and mentoring packages you can choose from.
Package 1: Choosing or Changing Career
Coming to the end of your contract, PhD or postdoc? Deciding what to do next?
During a series of four coaching sessions we will explore your career options. Maybe you’d love to stay in research or maybe not. Perhaps you know you don’t want a postdoc contract but you don’t know what else you could do or where else you can go. We will explore your strengths and career choices using a range of reflective tools and assessments.
When you’re feeling lost or unable to see what you could offer an employer I could introduce you to Schein’s career anchors or maybe John Lee’s motivated skills. When you just don’t know what you want to do we might explore what “ikegai” means for you and translate this into a career exploration strategy.
I will help you to understand your preferences, to describe your transferable skills and map them to different possible career choices – and yes, even to improve your interview skills.
Let’s figure it out together!
Package 2: Ready to Rise
You’ve found a job or a role you love. You’re ready to settle in, make an impact, even seek promotion.
So how do you progress?
In a series of six coaching sessions we will create a career progression plan for you.
Sometimes we think we know the rules of the game. Often we are so busy keeping our head above water we’ve even forgotten that we need a game plan. So what exactly do you need to be noticed by your line manager? How do you get noticed without appearing arrogant? Is it helpful to find a mentor and just how do you do that?
When you’re so busy just doing stuff, what does it mean to begin to think like a leader, act like a leader? What skills is it helpful to develop at this stage? What do you need to create opportunities and be ready when they appear?
A combination of coaching and mentoring might make your path to progression smoother and less stressful.
Package 3: Overcoming Overwhelm
You’ve a great job? More likely you have several.
Researcher? Lecturer? Administrator? Cook – Cleaner – Bottle-Washer?
In eight coaching sessions, we will explore how to overcome overwhelm and create a greater sense of choice and calmness. We know that many women juggle different personal and professional roles and frequently prioritise activities that contribute less towards promotion opportunities. We’re more likely to volunteer – or be volunteered – for service-oriented roles – stuff needs to be done and women are often the ones who do it. At home, women are far more likely to have more caring responsibilities and manage a greater proportion of the household tasks. It’s just exhausting.
During our work together we will prioritise activities that restore your health and vitality. We will make time for rest before we reprioritise your schedule, managing your energy before we manage your endless to-do list. I can’t promise we can make time to finish everything but you can learn to prioritise and give your focussed attention to the tasks that are most important. We can explore more effective ways of delegating or even asking for help. If it’s necessary we can find ways to say “No” and mean it or to say “Yes” to something more important.
If you’re at the point of wondering if you’ve got what it takes to progress or whether it’s time to give up and move on, give yourself the chance to reflect on what you want, what you need to live a life that feels good for you.
Package 4: From Imposter to Empowered
You’re in post and you’ve made your mark. Others trust you. You maybe doubt yourself.
In twelve coaching sessions, we will explore how you can develop confidence in your own leadership and potential.
Many people feel self-doubt, constantly nagged by their inner critic. They’re cartain they’ve been lucky and sometimes not quite sure how they reached this point. They’re working hard, holding it together but only just. It might all fall apart sometime soon and they’ll be found out. Looking up the career ladder can feel daunting – sometimes we’re not sure how to get there or even if we want to!
During our work together we will uncover your strengths, prioritise activities that develop self-confidence and reduce self-sabotage or playing small. We will explore how you can use empowering archetype energies to embody your vision and inspire others to work with you and for you, allow you to communicate with clarity and presence.
We will reduce the impact of your inner critic, manage any tendency to unhelpful perfectionism and if needed, build your professional profile. Developing an effective network within and outside of your organisation can make a huge difference to your perspective and your prospects and can be an important part of our work.
Then what do you need? Time management, prioritisation or managing stress? We can explore more effective ways of dealing with overwhelm, delegating and even asking for help or support – at work or at home. Making time for you, for fun and for a life that make you smile will also be high on our agenda.