Episode 23

Ep 23: Coaching Catalysts Conversations: Client-Centred Coaching with Bob Thomson

Published on: 8th January, 2025

Meet Bob Thomson, a coach with an impressive background in management development and education. Sarah and Rebecca sit down with him to discuss his client-centred, non-directive coaching approach and the profound impact of simply being present with your clients. Listen to their insights on the importance of trusting your clients, who are the experts of their own lives. They also explore thought-provoking topics like the shift from being non-directive to client-centred, the significance of supervision in a coach’s growth, and even the nuances of coaching neurodiverse people. Get ready to be inspired and tune in now!

Here are the Highlights:

06:50 How diversifying coaching practice brings shared joy.

08:35 Learn to embrace silence, listen more, and speak less.

12:58 Becoming a supervisor felt like a natural evolution of coaching.

15:19 Choosing between directive and non-directive approaches is essential.

18:59 Transitioning to client-centred approaches through supervision.

21:31 "Don't just do something, sit there."

25:48 Coaching involves trusting the client's autonomy.

About Bob Thomson:

At the end of September 2024, Bob stepped back after eleven years as a Professor at Warwick Business School. One of the highlights of his time there was designing and leading a very distinctive module for their full-time MBA students, LeadershipPlus. In partnership with the school's career coaches and external consultants, the module was highly experiential, helping each student to explore who they are, to work collaboratively in a team, and to consider how they want to act as a manager and leader. He also worked on modules on Leadership, Management of Change, and Organisational Behaviour for students on WBS's Executive and Global Online MBA programmes.

For seven years, he served as a Senior Tutor for half of the final year undergraduates at WBS. This involved supporting students who had mitigating circumstances – sadly, often mental health challenges – which affected their ability to study and complete assessments. He was also for eight years a personal tutor for Foundation Year students, supporting individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds to gain access to a WBS degree programme and hence to widen participation.

Prior to joining WBS, he worked for nine years in the Learning & Development team at the University of Warwick. He created and ran the Warwick Leadership Programme for senior academics, administrators and managers. He also established the Warwick Administrative Management Programme for middle-ranking administrators and managers. He created a staff coaching and mentoring scheme, a competency framework and associated 360-degree feedback process, and a workplace mediation process.

Before that, he worked in learning and development roles at British Gas, Transco and National Grid. He is accredited to use a number of psychometric tools and 360-degree feedback instruments, including MBTI and Spotlight. His first career was as an economist with British Steel and ICI.

Connect with Bob:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-thomson-coach-supervisor/

Connect with us here:

Website:

https://www.thecoachingcatalysts.com

Work with us:

Find out more about our supervision service here: http://bit.ly/coaching-collective

For ICF mentoring see here: https://bit.ly/catalystsmentorcoaching

To book a call: https://tidycal.com/coachingcatalysts/explorationcall

FREE Supervision Experience for Coaches: Listening Partnerships, register here: https://bit.ly/supervisionexperience

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