“As coaches, we naturally work in line with our client's mandate. And I think it's also our task when we are really present to perceive what resonates between the lines and if necessary, to mirror it back.” What happens when what is resonating between the lines is the client’s view of ageing? Before we start exploring ageing with other people, we p…

Do you ever go into a job or situation feeling there is a mis-match between what you’re being asked to do, and what you feel able to do? Do you ever look at other people and think they are like the swan, serenely gliding over the challenges of life whilst you're struggling to stay afloat? You’re not alone. In fact, you might be surprised to discove…

Of all the roles in the British armed forces, what is the role of the military chaplain? It's a very important role. Chaplains work with people who have work in demanding situations - sometimes even taking life. We want them to behave in ways that reflect the values of our society, in ways that are morally responsible, even under the pressures of a…

The nature of modern warfare is changing rapidly. Whether its deterrence, peacekeeping, or active combat, service personnel need, more than ever, to be adaptable, insightful, skilful and able to recover quickly from set-backs. Thank you for joining me again as I speak to a fellow traveller in life, and the world of coaching, Dr Chris Mackel. Chris …

How many CVs do you have? If you’ve applied for a variety of jobs you probably have several, tailored to your prospective employers. I expect you put them in different formats - chronological, skills based, or a hybrid. What they all have in common is what you can do. But what’s on the CV that other people have on you - the one that reflects who yo…

One of the more demanding areas to explore in coaching, and in life in general, is how we live out our values. Values don’t just deal with questions of pragmatism - what’s useful or effective - they reflect what we stand for. And to stand for something, usually means that you will find yourself standing against something else. Your values are likel…

On a scale of 1 - 10, how happy were you yesterday? If the first facet of our gem of the thriving life is a life going well, the second is a life feeling good. But what does the good life feel like, and in what should we invest in order to get it? Since "happiness" is a very flexible term that could encompass anything from joviality, to delight, to…

What drew Bryony Rowntree to coaching? In particular, what led her to coaching women making the transition from maternity leave back into the workplace? In this episode, originally recorded in September, 2024, I speak to coach, trainer and facilitator Bryony Rowntree. We explore Bryony’s story of parenting, living in Tanzania, working as a live-in …

What do 95% of people fear more than death? The stress that goes with public speaking! Guest expert Tom Wright draws on his experience as a theatre director and coach to bust some stress-inducing myths and to manage the challenge of stress in daily life. It’s quite a thought that surveys indicate people rate public speaking as more scary than dying…

How are you today? And how do you know? In their book, ‘A Life Worth Living, a guide to what matters most’, Miroslav Volf, Matthew Crausman and Ryan Mckinally-Linz give us three facets that are almost universally held to be important elements of a thriving life. If your life is going well with desirable circumstances, feels good, and is lived well …

What’s the different between a pilgrim and a tourist? I think it was theologian and scientist Alister McGrath who mused that whilst a tourist may visit a place looking for an experience, or a memory, or perhaps a souvenir, the pilgrim sees his or her journey as a search for transformation. My own journey to develop a high level of expertise in coac…

What makes you want to do what you do? How much of it is down to natural skills you possess? Have you been shaped by experiences that have opened up possibilities that you previously didn’t recognise as available to you? Do you have a driving inner conviction about your place in the world, or the kind of world you want to live in? I’m Geoff Ashton,…

"You know, there's a saying that I love, which is when you heal your inner world, your outer world starts to change....For me, HR isn't just about policies and procedures. It is about people and meeting people where they are at. And when you've done that inner work, you can show up with more empathy, more clarity, more presence. And that's where th…

What will you be doing at 10 o'clock tomorrow? Will you be caring for someone studying, fulfilling your vocation in a voluntary capacity, relaxing or working? And if you are in a job, how do you feel about it? How do you feel about where you are now, and the direction of travel your career is taking you? There are various reasons why we might want …

Join Heather Simpson in conversation with Geoff Ashton as they review a four year coaching programme developed to support primary care workers in the face of the Covid crisis. Discover how Heather and her team rapidly developed a coaching offer tailored to the diverse needs of primary care workers in England, and further developed this as the pande…

Origin stories. You will be familiar with the genre - it’s the story or account of how a character or a group, came into being. What happened that brought them about? How did they get their superpowers? What are their unique or enduring characteristics? What was it about their origin, that contributes to their legacy? So what about Coaching York? W…