Individuals
Executive Coaching
We draw on our skills, experience, knowledge and intuition to help clients transition their style and approach.
Taking an exploratory approach to challenges, intentions and perspectives, we support the creation of new possibilities along with the tangible plans and techniques to make them a reality.
Topics for coaching can be broad, or narrow. Often leaders will have specific areas they want to move forward in, and these are focussed on along with emerging topics.
Common themes for coaching include:
Flexibility of Leadership style
Engaging and energising teams
Delegating and empowering others
Managing complex stakeholders
Influencing styles and strategies
Communication skills and strategies
Time optimisation
Strategic thinking and planning
Decision process and clarity
Confidence and power
Balance and wellbeing
Application of energy
Career management
...and many more!
Our Approach
A combination of reflective exploratory questioning, sharing of models, tools and techniques along with the input of ideas is our general approach in coaching sessions.
Perspectives, beliefs, intentions and preferences of self and others will be explored, and approaches developed to discover new ways of seeing, thinking, feeling and doing.
An extended first session is often used to assist us to really get to know you and understand your world. We are interested in your past experience, where you are now and where you want to be. We will also explore the context within which you operate, who is in your network and how they influence your success.
This will include exploring:
Personal Awareness
Personal Impact
Personal Balance
Personal Power
Personal Responsiveness
How does it work?
In this first session we will help you formulate your goals for the coaching activity (these do not need to be static). These goals will be regularly reviewed so you can make sure you are moving forward as intended. In each session, we will work together to create a plan of activities, new approaches and different ways of being and doing. We will support you to experiment with these new approaches and perspectives and find those that get you the results you want, in a way that is congruent with who you are.
Core Coaching Sessions are generally 2 hours, and topics covered are a combination of planned areas of focus, and current presenting challenges and opportunities. There are always clear actions at the end of each session, and these are reviewed at the next session. Sessions are generally a month apart, and this can vary.
Input is sometimes required between Core sessions. These can take the form of:
Unicorn Coaching can take place face to face or by video call, whichever you prefer.
Tools and Techniques
A wide variety of tools, techniques, materials and knowledge are available, including various psychometrics. As we are also Leadership and Management trainers, we incorporate this wealth of knowledge into the coaching sessions.
Additional Options
This is a deep dive into different aspects of your ideas and business, mapping out connections, and creating areas for short-, mid- and long-term focus.
Conducting live interview sessions with those in your immediate orbit offers a different window into your style, approach and activities. Information gathered is collated and shared with you. You are then supported to explore these different perspectives and identify adjustments you may wish to make.
It can be helpful to get direct feedback on how your style plays out in different situations. Wendy can shadow you in some of your meetings with others to give you access to this specific insight.
Leadership & Individual Coaching
The broad approach is in line with our approach to Executive Leadership. We meet each individual where they are and take an approach that will support them to achieve desired transitions and outcomes.
How does it work?
The Unicorn Coach guides you through a structured process so we can build a clear and thorough picture of your current position, history and aspirations for the future.
We work with your inner and outer world:
From here, we work with you to create a plan of activities, new approaches and different ways of being. We support you to experiment with these new approaches and perspectives and find those that get you the results you want in a way that is congruent with who you are. There are always clear actions and approaches to work with between sessions, and progress in regularly reviewed.
Connecting to your real life
It can be really helpful to involve the line-manager with the coaching experience. They can then support individuals to make the changes in their day to day activities and provide support and encouragement, along with feedback on any differences they have noticed. We encourage the sharing of high level goals and discussion of progress; there is no need to discuss the detail of what happens in the sessions. The content of sessions are confidential, and the outcomes are for all to see!
We would be very happy to discuss how Coaching could benefit you and your organisation. Please contact us for an informal discussion about our approach and how that might fit with your needs.
Coaching can be used as part of:
Leadership & Management Development • Development Centres • Training • Performance • Wellbeing
Personal Development
Working in an ever-changing environment, you need to be able to flex your style to suit different team members, clients, managers and colleagues. Unicorn can support your development of a spectrum of approaches and techniques, allowing you to respond to each individual and situation in the most advantageous way.
Our Approach
Unicorn can support your transition to a Performance Culture where people:
Performance
Collaboration
Creativity
Influencing
Coaching
Leadership
Vision
Strategy
Negotiating
Analysis
Connectivity
Time optimisation
Engagement
Inspiration
Direction
Stakeholders
Personal Energy
Delivering
Our focus is very much on developing your style, in a way which is congruent with who you are. We will support you to try out different approaches so you can get the results you require in a way which works for you.
360° Review and Enhancement Programme
As each individual is unique, it makes sense for their Enhancement Programmes to also be unique to them. 360° Review will provide invaluable insight, allowing the creation of a comprehensive Enhancement Programme to advance individual capability, capacity and career growth.
Unicorn works closely with Managers to connect individual programmes to organisational goals. This grounds session activities into day to day organisational life.
How it Works
Individuals invite people in their network to review how they experience them on a day-to-day basis. They do this by filling in a web-based questionnaire. It is helpful to understand what colleagues really value as well as anything that doesn’t work so well for them. From here, they work with their Unicorn Coach to create your bespoke Enhancement Programme.
Benefits
This detailed, specific and rounded review allows individuals to really understand how they are experienced by others and how they impact on them. From this position of increased personal awareness they can choose to make adjustments to their approach and focus that will further enhance personal impact and effectiveness.
Unicorn 360° increases:
Personal Impact
Personal Balance
Personal Power
Personal Awareness
Personal Responsiveness
Confidentiality
Who says what remains confidential – so the focus stays on the activities and different approaches, rather than who gave the individual insights.
To find out how 360° could benefit your organisation, contact Unicorn for an informal discussion.
Training
Unicorn training programmes always focus on how techniques and approaches can be applied in ‘real world’ environments. We support delegates to discover new approaches and assist them to shape their application in their unique environments, ensuring they get the changes in outcomes they are looking for.
Courses are offered in a wide range of areas, including:
Assertiveness
Coaching Skills
Communicating with Impact
Conflict Management
Effective Meetings
Influencing Techniques and Strategies
Interviewing Skills
Managing Change
Managing Performance
Managing Teams
Marketing
Media Training
Negotiation
Presentations with Impact
Personal Presence
Problem Solving
Sales Skills
Stress Management
Time Optimisation
Wellbeing
Personal Responsiveness
Unicorn Trainers have a depth of experience in a wide range of areas, going well beyond that listed. If you are interested in anything you can’t see on the list, please get in touch with us as it is very likely that we will be able to help.
Contact Unicorn to find out more about the courses you are interested in.
Training can be part of:
Leadership & Management Development • High Performing Teams • Engagement and Motivation • Performance Culture • Wellbeing • Collaboration • Culture Change
Inclusive Leadership
Inclusive leadership is about creating an environment where people feel valued, respected, heard and able to contribute. Inclusive leaders recognise and embrace different perspectives, experiences and ways of thinking, ensuring that people have a genuine opportunity to participate and succeed.
Unicorn has developed our own Inclusive Leadership Model which can be used for Selection Assessment or Development. We utilise certain psychometric instruments to test individuals’ demonstration of these aspects in their day to day activity.
Organisations perform best when people feel they belong, have a voice and can be themselves at work. It helps build trust, strengthen collaboration, encourage diverse thinking and improve decision-making. It also enables leaders to draw on the full range of talent and perspectives within their teams.
At its heart, inclusive leadership is about creating the conditions for everyone to contribute, while recognising that different people may need different support to thrive.
ILUM: Inclusive Leadership Unicorn Model
Connection
social connection – invitation & engagement – openness & sharing direction & information
Creating connection with team members by being approachable, available, emotionally inclusive and authentic. Inviting their contribution and encouraging their engagement. Enabling connection between the organisation and its members by sharing direction, plans, information, and expectations.
Conversation
involving others – humility – exploratory approach - courage and skill to challenge
Enabling effective and honest conversations by creating psychological safety, listening and ensuring people are heard. Being humble and open to feedback and being influenced to alternative perspectives. Exploring difficult situations, holding safe space for difficult conversations while remaining emotionally neutral.
Curiosity & Confidence
self-inquiry – seeking new information – resilience – self-directing – self-belief
A leader must have confidence in their own conviction, and be able to work independently as well as with and though others. Taking a curiosity mindset enables them to stay open to incoming information and thoughts and ideas outside of their own perspective. Proactively challenging the status quo, as well as personal bias requires a level of comfort with change and ambiguity.
Community Culture
Embedding systems and processes – systemic fairness – ensuring accountability & delivery – share power
Inclusivity needs to be systemic within an organisation and embraced by all aspects of organisational life. This requires a leader to follow up and ensure follow through. Moving intent through to action requires accountability and focus on delivery. Creating community also involves sharing power, allowing others to make decisions and initiate their own approaches.