“It is the best course I have been on and the most useful one to me in my entire life, not just at work.” - NCR
“The best course I have completed. It has really transformed my outlook.” - England Rugby
“I’ve experienced dozens of trainings… only three matter because actionable: Manager-as-Coach was one of them.” – PMI
“Miles ahead of any in-house program relating to Coaching that I have been involved with.” - IKEA
“A 10/10. This is the most important four days of training I’ve had in a very long time. This transforms me.” - GE Healthcare
“Then, this year came to me with a gift, a precious and immeasurable gift: Manager-as-Coach training.” - PMI, Switzerland
“I really like the online format. Zoom works perfectly and it is great to be able to attend from the comfort of my own home.” - Killik & Co UK
“An extremely useful and unusual experience and it is really motivating to do everything possible to use it properly.” - Hilti, Russia
“Such an insightful course, the learning has already impacted my management style across the board.” - Royal Free
“I truly believe now that the key to influencing people is by empowering them.” - Alinma Bank, Riyadh
“Our CEO rated the Coaching Skills for Leaders session as 10/10.” - Delivery Partner, Olympic Delivery Authority.
“People always enjoy the courses and often say it is the best training they have attended” – GE Healthcare
“I cannot expressed enough how grateful I am for the opportunity to be part of this training programme.” – Royal Free London Hospital
“A positive, enjoyable and insightful course.” – PMI, Nordics Cluster
“Excellent facilitation. I am amazed by the connect and rapport James could build 'virtually' in just 3 hours.” - Johnson & Johnson
“I honestly have never had such consistent positive feedback from any course” – ESF, Hong Kong
“The experience gave me a broad perspective of how coaching can be a very powerful tool.” - Alinma Bank, Riyadh
“A huge thank you – it was an excellent course.” - Deputy Head
“The reason I believe in coaching and your model is that it makes me be the best person I can possibly be.” – ESF, Hong Kong
“Very easy content to digest. There is a world outside technical life.” – IG, India.
“This is the first time I have used GROW in a group setting and it has been incredibly powerful to see the tangible benefits.” – Royal Free
“Feedback was that it was the ‘best training ever.” - PMI Czech Republic
“I’ll just come right out and say – it was perfect. The things that really matter to me have all scored highly.” – Arts Council England
“I think this course is fantastic – It’s exceeded my expectations.” – Nectar Loyalty
“An excellent course that has made me self-aware of taking a coaching approach.” - England Rugby
“The Manager-as-Coach program helped me to build the right mindset.” – PMI, Poland
“My confidence levels have surged because I feel better equipped to facilitate discussions.” – Royal Free London Hospital Trust
“We have really valued the training provided by you.. It really adds value to people’s life – both work and personal.” - GE Healthcare
“The facilitators were excellent; great mix of humour, information-sharing combined with great modelling.” – Teacher
“The manual was well structured and helpful. I found Carol Wilson’s book very readable.” – Deputy Head
“Very valuable for my leadership development, and a thoroughly enjoyable experience.” - England Rugby.
“An engaging and motivational course. Very empowering and confidence building.” – Nectar Loyalty
“Four years later I am still using coaching almost on a daily basis.” – PMI, Nordics Cluster.
“People who attended the training have been keen to praise the course and are delighted.” – North Somerset Schools
“I have completely changed my approach to management. I could not recommend the training highly enough” – Royal Free London Hospital
“It is rare that one course meets needs/expectations in all areas.” – Arts Council England
“Really positive – much less pressurised and better than previous coaching course.” – Nectar Loyalty
“The Coaching Training was not only useful at that time, it is still the case today.” - PMI
“It’s really been fantastic with the level of practice and feedback we’ve been offered alongside the theory.” - Nectar Loyalty.
“The depth of the course was great and gives hope for real behavioural change across our organisation” – England Rugby
“I cannot recall any other training that has had such a profound and immediate impact on me as this.” – Royal Free London
“There were some significant learnings from the Culture at Work course which have improved my leadership skills” – England Rugby
“I’m very satisfied to have attended to the training, because it definitely help me to be a better leader.” – Philip Morris Products
“This has been one of the most useful courses I have ever taken part in.” – Headteacher
“I feel non-stop like I have to say thank you very much for this opportunity.” – Hilti, Russia
“None of the previous courses I ever attended has brought me such a powerful and impactful method.” – PMI, Switzerland
“Excellent as always! Lots of new tools to take forward and use immediately.” - Kent County Council
“The coaching sessions I held were transformative for me in terms of what coaching can bring to individuals” – PMI, Switzerland
“This has put a whole other angle on coaching for me – like finding the missing part in a jigsaw! Thank you.” London Borough of Bexley
“The best course I have attended – huge potential for personal development and the development of the school.” – Teacher
“I could implement my learning right away and see the impact on people.” – PMI, Poland
“Great pace. Very clear to understand.” – Emilie Diop, Nectar Loyalty
“Great content – a great way to become more confident and adept at coaching.” – Nectar Loyalty.
“Very relevant content and awesome explanation. The training is very exciting and motivating” – Pedro Ramos, Snr Planning Executive
“The most valuable training I have received in my 6 year career- but has also had a profound influence on my personal life too.” – Teacher
“By investing in coaching training for our teachers we are shifting our cultural outlook and enhancing resilience.” – KLASS
“It has been a real eye-opener and a revelation of what a coach is.” – PMI, Switzerland
“The results from our 2017 staff survey were striking in terms of the positive upturn.” – KLASS, Kuala Lumpur
“A huge thank you for setting up and delivering the inspiring coaching course.” – North Somerset Schools
“After five years, I regularly coach people from other functions,” – PMI, Nordics Cluster
“The facilitators were real experts who guided my development without ever preaching.” - Headteacher
“I have improved my capability to the true role of any manager – to develop others and help them to GROW!” – PMI
“The facilitators were inspiring, motivating, challenging, fun and adaptive. Thank you so much!” – Teacher
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Sir John Whitmore
Carol Wilson and Sir John Whitmore
Sir John Whitmore (1937-2017) was the founder of today’s billion-dollar performance coaching industry. Having developed the techniques from Tim Gallwey’s “Inner Game” methods of sports coaching, Sir John coined the name ‘Performance Coaching’ to describe this self-directed learning process, and to differentiate from conventional sports coaching. As the co-creator of the GROW model, he provided the structure which has been adopted by coaches all over the world today.
Our partnership with Sir John Whitmore
After meeting Sir John in 2005, I collaborated with him on several projects over the following years, including a six month train-the-coach-trainer programme for IKEA, and eventually we designed the Performance Coach Training course, which is still delivered every year by our trainers in London. The designation ‘CfPAC‘ (Coaching for Performance Accredited Coach), the credential for this course, reflects the title of Sir John’s book, and recognises his contribution to the design of the course.
Sir John became a dear friend and mentor, and my work with him provided a structure to underpin the coaching style of management I had previously acquired through working at board level with Sir Richard Branson. Both Sir John and Sir Richard contributed Forewords to my book “Performance Coaching: A Complete Guide to Best Practice Coaching and Training”. Having worked closely with both, I was able to see that Sir John’s work systematically identified the key elements of the famously inspiring Branson style of leadership, and made it possible to teach the method to others.
Coaching demonstration with Sir John Whitmore
In 2007, we collaborated to produce a video demonstration of performance coaching. I acted as coachee and Sir John as the coach. He employed a variety of techniques, including active listening, asking thought-provoking questions, EXACT goal setting, the GROW model, and the transpersonal coaching approach, creating empathy and stimulating new insights.
The book which launched an entirely new profession, “Coaching for Performance; the Principles and Practice of Coaching and Leadership“ was written by Sir John in 1992 and is now in its fifth edition. It was the first book about coaching in the workplace, introduced the world to the GROW model, and remains the world’s bestselling book about coaching and mentoring.
Sir John Whitmore quotes
“Coaching focuses on future possibilities, not past mistakes.”
“Coaching is unlocking people’s potential to maximize their own performance.”
“Whether we coach, advise, counsel, facilitate, or mentor, the effectiveness of what we do depends in large measure on our beliefs about human potential. The expressions ‘to get the best out of someone’ and ‘your hidden potential’ imply that more lies within the person waiting to be released.”
“To get the best out of people, we have to believe the best is in there – but how do we know it is, how much is there, and how do we get it out?”