Why did I invest in this programme?
I’m clear about my natural strengths as a leader – particularly in building an environment of trust, listening to and enabling others. I wanted to build on those strengths plus develop some new leadership approaches that come less naturally to me, like being more challenging and being direct.
Why VoicePrint coaching as a leadership development tool?
When I talked to Connor about my goals, we identified that leadership coaching using a tool called VoicePrint would be particularly useful. The VoicePrint framework sounded of real interest as it specifically focuses on influence and impact. Coaching would then help me focus specifically on my own leadership style rather than attending a generic leadership development workshop.
What was useful about my VoicePrint coaching sessions?
The coaching sessions re-enforced some things I previously had an intuition about, plus increased my self awareness. The VoicePrint tool gave me a useful common language to explore my habits with Jo, my leadership coach. We explored the impact of my typical communication style on my leadership, including the importance of not relying on a limited range of influencing methods.
The VoicePrint tool highlighted an array of 9 ‘voices’ that are available to me and when I can best make use of them to achieve better outcomes. Jo also helped me to think about different personalities – particularly ones that I have found more challenging in the past – to apply my learnings to real life incidents.
Now, the key thing is for me to apply these new learnings in my new Global leadership role, and I look forward to continuing my exploration of my VoicePrint profile and the areas I covered with Jo.
Feedback on my coach
Jo asked me some challenging questions that really caused me to reflect. What’s great is that she was friendly and pleasant in her approach, and she gave me enough time to feel comfortable in making those reflections.
What I would say to other leaders considering VoicePrint coaching?
I would definitely recommend VoicePrint coaching to other leaders. Spending some time to understand and digest the VoicePrint framework before your coaching is a good idea so you can quickly get into your personal communication habits and development goals. To get maximum impact, some ongoing coaching is also a great idea and I’m looking forward to working with Connor over the coming months to concrete my new habits in my new role.To find out more about our coaching, click here.
