The British Council, who promote British culture around the world, are regular clients of Management Futures. We have a contract to coach new Country Directors of the Council’s 109 offices worldwide. Tony Jones, Director of the Council’s operation in Libya, recently wrote about his experience.

Coaching sessions with Tony Betts of Management Futures have been a life enhancing experience. Really! Coaching has helped me to hold up a mirror to some of my shortcomings as well as enabling me to get a better appreciation of other people's concerns. It has helped me work through some complex issues on the work front. Some behaviours have had to change but you can't change something unless you yourself understand why it has to change.

In the sessions I am expected to do most of the talking and Tony Betts comes in from time to time with questions that encourage me to reflect and to work out solutions and strategies for myself.

Here's just one example I can share with you. Coaching has, I hope, made me a better listener. No longer do I start to construct my response while the other person is speaking and no longer do I seek to match (or even cap) their experience with one of my own. I make note of the words they employ to get their messages across and summarise that message back to them to show I have been truly paying attention. It shows respect for the speaker.

OK, OK, so some of you reading this will be thinking "‘yes, mmm, fairly obvious stuff", but I assure you a whole stack of people out there still behave the way I used to. Not you, of course!

We talked a lot in the coaching sessions about changing behaviours gradually. I suspect it's too early for colleagues, customers and family to notice any dramatic changes, but some reports have suggested I’m a calmer person better able to cope with pressured situations at work and at home.