Coaching for Science Leadership

How can Coaching for Science Leadership help you in your career?

What is Coaching?

Coaching is a supportive, thought-provoking and creative process the purpose of which is to help you to maximise your personal and professional potential.

Coaching will usually involve you reflecting on your situation and agreeing to actions between sessions; actions will be designed and chosen by you and reflect your reality.

This balance of reflection and action is an essential ingredient of your coaching success.

How could coaching benefit you?

Coaching can help you:

Improve your leadership style and how you influence others, including managing upwards
Understand your own personal impact and self-awareness
Manage your own or others performance
Resolve communications challenges with others (e.g. line mangers, individuals who report to you, peers)
Develop your career (e.g. changes in career direction, coaching around interviews)
Manage your use of time and reduce stress in the workplace (including work/life balance)

Coaching through CSL

The CSL coaching service is led by Martin Bloxham, an Association for Coaching trained coach.

Martin has coached many scientists and engineers, particularly those in the environmental and natural sciences. With his experience of working with thousands of scientists through the CSL programme and his background as a scientist, he has a good understanding of the challenges that scientists face, whether in academia, research, in government agencies, the corporate sector or NGO’s.

Martin can draw on a pool of accredited coaches to meet individual need and to support larger coaching requirements

Testimonials

‘Thank you for the four great coaching sessions you delivered. They have not only been helpful, but also, instrumental in me successfully negotiating my recent promotion.’

‘Martin has helped me a great dealt with my personal development. I am very pleased with the sessions, as they have allowed me to go in depth into some aspects of self-esteem, trust and leadership that will improve my performance at work and help me be a better person.’

‘My coaching sessions with Martin were great. I really enjoyed them and particularly appreciated how he tailored each one to my needs. I feel that Martin’s coaching helped me to think more strategically about my work and what I need to do to get where I want to be.’

‘I really respect that your coaching is based on your experience and being a scientist, so the coaching and guidance you provide is both applied and relevant to science.’

‘I found the sessions to be relaxed and enjoyable, which has created an environment where I feel comfortable to be challenged without judgement.’

How could coaching benefit me?

Coaching can help you:

Improve your leadership style and how you influence others, including managing upwards
Understand your own personal impact and self-awareness
Manage your own or others performance
Unravel communications challenges with others (e.g. line mangers, individuals who report to you, peers)
Develop your career (e.g. changes in career direction, coaching around interviews)
Manage your use of time and reduce stress in the workplace (including work/life balance)

How does it work?

The coaching partnership is a supportive, thought-provoking and creative process the purpose of which is to inspire you to maximise your personal and professional potential. Coaching will usually involve you reflecting on your situation and agreeing to actions between sessions; actions will be designed and chosen by you and reflect your coaching agenda. This balance of reflection and action will be an essential ingredient of your coaching success. As your coach I will be committed to serving you to the best of my ability, I will be direct, honest and straightforward with you.

Are the sessions face to face or online?

They can be either. If you are some distance from your coach, then online is the preferred option. However, face to face can be arranged if you are within 30 miles of the coach.

Is face to face better than online?

For many, online is the only option. In our experience online coaching (via Zoom, Teams etc) provides a safe and highly focussed environment and most clients are very happy with the outcome from their coaching sessions.

How many sessions do you suggest?

We suggest blocks of 4 sessions. This allows for a reasonable commitment from you and allows the coaching relationship an opportunity to develop. Single sessions can be provided under specific circumstances (e.g. interview coaching)

How long are the individual sessions?

Each session is 90 minutes long. The gap between sessions is normally 4 to 6 weeks.

Is coaching like counselling?

No, the coaching relationship is not counselling or any type of therapy. If the coach feels that coaching conversations are drifting towards the counselling or therapy space, they will have a conversation with you to discuss options moving forward.

How confidential are the coaching sessions?

The coaching relationship is entirely confidential (within legal limits). The coach will not at any time, use any information given during coaching except as requested/agreed by you, with the exception of for the purposes of professional supervision (where your identity/identifying details will not be revealed). The coach will not divulge that a coaching relationship exists without your permission.