‘She led me into the dusty corners of my own mind and heart’

19 April 2024    By Alison Maitland

Photo by Mika Baumeister on unsplash

Coaching is a deep and personal experience, and it’s not always easy to represent its full impact in words. So it was validating to receive this client’s testimonial that articulates clearly why it is such a powerful process.

Her words capture the essence of coaching: that it is a partnership where we search for, and uncover, the answers that lie deep within you, to find clarity about how you can be the change you want to see.

“I went to Alison for guidance on how to consolidate several newly acquired skills into something beneficial that I could offer to other people. Through careful questioning and genuinely deep listening, she led me into the dusty corners of my own mind (and heart) where the answers I was looking for were waiting. Each session was led with skill and kindness that not only nurtured, but which sparked new forms of curiosity. I came away wiser. I can honestly say I felt I was in extremely good hands.” Continue reading

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How to strengthen workforce resilience in a turbulent world

14 Feb 2024    By Alison Maitland

You’re a leader with influence. You’re aware that people across your organisation are anxious about the future, facing the interconnected challenges of climate change, biodiversity loss, conflict, polarisation, and rising living costs.

What is your role? How can you best support their resilience and sense of agency?

Here’s how a group of leaders at 3M, the US manufacturing company whose brands include Post-it notes and Scotch tape, responded.

Read more in my LinkedIn article here.

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Eco-anxiety at work: What employers need to do

14 Dec 2023    By Alison Maitland

Rising anxiety about the climate and environment is affecting not only young people but workers of all ages. How should employers respond? In this report that I co-authored for The Conference Board, a business think-tank, we show how companies can begin by:

  • Finding out how prevalent eco-anxiety is in your workforce;
  • Engaging leaders across functions to provide joined-up responses;
  • Acting to mitigate climate change through organizational strategies;
  • Demonstrating evidence of pro-environmental actions;
  • Validating eco-anxiety as a healthy response to what’s happening;
  • Creating channels for employees to voice their concerns and hopes;
  • Equipping managers to have conversations with employees about eco-anxiety; and
  • Providing ways for employees to take collective environmental action.

You can download the report for free here. I welcome your feedback.

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Are you a man who wants to see gender equality?

29 Sept 2023 Are you a man who wants to see gender equality at work? Perhaps you’re unsure how best to step in. Or you’re finding it harder than you expected to make headway. In this LinkedIn post, which attracted lots of interest, I summarised Do’s and Don’ts that stood out for me from reading Professor Elisabeth Kelan’s new book “Men Stepping Forward”. It’s packed with practical advice and I highly recommend it. Continue reading

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Active Hope elicits our best response to crisis

19 June 2023  By Alison Maitland

I’ve been facilitating “Active Hope” workshops for a wide range of groups over the past few months: diversity & inclusion professionals; climate campaigners; executive coaches, and more. I’ve experienced first hand how these sessions open up profound conversations about our concerns for the planet and our dreams for a better future, helping people to shift from anxiety, or overwhelm, or powerlessness into positive action.

I first encountered the book Active Hope while training as a climate coach with Climate Change Coaches. Inspired by what I read, I took the Foundations course and then completed the Active Hope Facilitator Training earlier this year. Continue reading

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Co-coaching for ocean conservation

28 Feb 2023 By Alison Maitland

How can coaches best collaborate to bring diverse perspectives and extra value to organisations? Here are some thoughts based on an enjoyable assignment I carried out recently with fellow coach Max Comuzzi for Blue Ventures, a social enterprise whose mission is restoring ocean life in 13 tropical countries.

Blue Ventures does crucial work with vulnerable fisheries and small-scale coastal communities who are often at the sharp end of climate change. Sir David Attenborough has described its work as “a model for everyone working to conserve the natural life-support systems of our troubled planet”. Continue reading

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Inclusion and sustainability are interlinked

20 Dec 2022 How are inclusion and sustainability interconnected? In this video discussion about inclusive leadership hosted by fellow coach Priya Hunt, I explain why we need different thinking from business as usual, and as broad a mix of perspectives as possible, to make the shifts essential to deal with the mega-crises facing our world.
That means that leaders should consistently be asking: Whose voice is missing? What perspective have we not thought about? How can we bring different ideas into our decision-making? It’s what Rebekah Steele and I call harnessing “the collective superpower” of diversity in our book INdivisible.
Rebecca Jones and Garry Browne shared their experience on the business importance of inclusion and how to make it happen in practical ways, and the conversation flowed thanks to Priya’s skilful facilitation.

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How to engage people in complex challenges

My LinkedIn post of 11 January 2022

How can we engage more people in the complex challenges facing the world?

I recently finished watching the Royal Institution Christmas Lectures, led by Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, on viruses and how science is fighting back. They were brilliant: interactive, entertaining, mind-expanding. There are surely lessons here for involving more people in tackling climate change and social injustice. Continue reading

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How the online world is literally a leveller

My LinkedIn post, 7 Dec 2021

Have online meetings affected your perspective of height and status?

I recently attended a physical gathering where most people hadn’t seen each other for nearly two years, except on screen. Real life was evidently a sudden reminder of our differences in stature, as several people commented on my height in relation to theirs. Continue reading

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The power of visualisation in coaching

My LinkedIn post, 23 Nov 2021

Are you a turtle or a dolphin today? It was the notices at our local pool directing children to their “Turtles” and “Dolphins” swim lessons that prompted me to ask myself this question.

Dolphins and turtles are two of my favourite sea creatures. I see turtles as wise, steady, focused, often swimming alone, while dolphins are curious, fast, agile and gregarious. Continue reading

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