I reached a point of my career where pure technical knowledge (leadership and expertise in my field) were not enough to secure my next move upwards. In conversation with our CEO it became clear that developing my emotional intelligence was a critical path for my professional growth.

I have never had formal coaching, but with the CEO’s own personal experience with coaching he suggested that would be the best way forward to my development.

Selecting the right Coach: finding the right experience and focus area were critical in my choice of coach. I had a diverse set of coaches presented as options, ranging from technical leadership skills to performance management. Oona’s profile stood out from others with her vast experience in coaching for effectiveness through what some refer as “soft skills”. In reality, this is one of the most important set of skills an effective executive needs to have. Oona was the ideal choice for my need.

If I was describing the coaching programme with Oona in one word I would say effective, very effective if in two words. With a clear structure set at the beginning of the programme with well-defined goals, the sessions to follow addressed all points in a natural fashion without ever seeming formulaic or impersonal.

Our coaching programme was affected by lockdown restrictions half-way through it, and moving it to phone sessions as opposed to face to face had very little impact. Oona gets to know you really well during the programme, which makes her feedback and coaching very effective.

I went in with a clear objective and can clearly say that we achieved it in every possible way. This is the real benefit of coaching, particularly with Oona, as the tailored content and approach maximises your ability to absorb the content – regardless of what your objectives are.

In my specific case, I became noticeably more effective in our Executive Committee by simply and naturally being more empathetic to my peers. As simple as it may sound, it was only through understanding all the reasoning behind this change that my rational brain could internalise the change.

If you are thinking of starting a coaching programme, I strongly recommend Oona as a coach. Her vast experience with senior leaders provides a wide range of options in your development. If, like me, you need to work on your ability to read the room, influence without trying to influence and overall to improve your effectiveness as a leader, she will certainly help you get there. Oona has a unique way of letting you clearly know your areas of development without making you feel self-conscious. This prepares you for the learning to come and makes it really easy to highlight the areas you effectively developed. Huge thanks to Oona for contributing to my development!