Since joining LinkedIn back in November 2008, the knowledge and services I offer has evolved organically into workplace mind health, resilience building, inclusion and team cohesion.
This grew out of coaching unemployed people into work – via the Real Apprentice (2004-2013) and Growing Talent (2013 to date).
To move anyone forward from a place where they feel stuck, you have to make a connection, build confidence and trust to understand where each individual is starting – their blockers and desired goals.
This individual focus is pivotal to secure workplace cohesion especially where neurodivergent and neurotypical brains come together.
Anyone who has experienced adversity in their lives, never forgets the emotions they felt.
Adversity changes your soul. In time, it makes you stronger. More resilient yet years later something triggers a memory of those times, and the emotions come flooding back.
That is the power of our brain. It never forgets anything. It has infinite storage space. We must always be alert to those intrusive emotions returning.
I have written various programmes to teach self-empowerment and growth tools needed to move forward from a position of no control.
Connecting with diverse people from all walks of life on their journey to employment, threw up the clear need for more understanding in the workplace of neurodivergence.
There are so many pressures on managers, they may not realise some of their team are neurodivergent and mistake symptoms for behaviours – which can lead to a whole heap of pain for everyone.
Seeing the pressures of neurodivergence in the workplace when awareness was limited on individuals and the business was the driving force to become a Certified ADHD Coach.
Along with coaching 1:1, I devised two workplace virtual seminars. One to raise awareness for managers and one for non-managers. Both assessed and certified by CPD. Both have been well received across diverse sectors from a leading UK University, manufacturing and corporates.
Simple steps and techniques I’ve developed as a certified ADHD Coach enable workplaces to reduce the risk of burnout, long term sickness, loss of talent even challenge at Employment Tribunal.
NHS waiting lists for formal assessment in the UK are off the scale. Many employees won’t have been assessed. Many won’t have been coached 1:1 to recognise how their neurodivergence shows-up and how they can tame it.
An assessment doesn’t need to be in place to seek out coaching. Steps can be learnt to take control of their brain and work with it – not against it.
Employers can fund this coaching as part of their ‘reasonable adjustments’.
It should be noted a formal assessment doesn’t have to be in place before an employer’s liability kicks in at Employment Tribunal.
Compensation awards are uncapped averaging around £45K. Awareness training or teams and 1:1coaching for individuals is far cheaper and less impact on everyone!
I used to deliver a mental health programme which was reactive. Its title made employers think they were getting trained first aiders in mental health without any consideration about their safety or ability to hold empathetic conversations.
For the last 4.5 years, I’ve been a global I-Act Instructor delivering this innovative programme to countries including USA, Canada, China, Taiwan, India, Germany. In line with ISO45003, this programme teaches proactive and first responder steps as well as how to start, manage and end conversations safely.
How has your expertise and services evolved since you joined Linkedin?