We’re delighted to welcome Jo to as a Consulting Partner, working with us as a specialist coach.
Our founder, Emma Conroy said, “Having personally worked with Jo, back when Inclusive Consulting was just a pipe dream, I can vouch for her amazing coaching skills and ability to help find solutions.
As a result, Jo has been part of the Inclusive journey from the very beginning. It’s fantastic to have her on board. Bringing her warmth, insightfulness and expertise, Jo perfectly complements our mission to build diverse, inclusive and happy teams.”
We took five minutes with Jo to get to know her a bit better…
What’s your personal “why” behind what you do?
I love working with people, helping them achieve their dreams and be the best they can be.
How did you get into coaching?
I initially trained as a coach 17 years ago and the skills I learned supported my work as an HR manager. Throughout this time, coaching was the aspect of my role that brought me the most satisfaction and had the greatest impact on the people I was working with.
A couple of years ago I decided to focus on coaching and deepen my skills and knowledge in this area.
I began studying the subject at masters level, and as a result, have gained a far deeper knowledge of the psychology that underpins coaching as well as a range of tools and methodologies that can be applied in a range of one on one and team coaching contexts.
What’s the biggest misconception about coaching?
It may not be a misconception but there can be confusion about the differences between counselling, coaching and mentoring.
These boundaries are blurred, but generally; Counselling tends to look back, reflecting on earlier events and the impact they could be having on current thoughts, feelings and actions.
Past events and relationships are something we often reflect on and raise awareness of during coaching, but the aim of the work primarily is forward-looking. We consider changes that can be made to support a transition away from old patterns, behaviours and ways of working, in the service of achieving new goals.
Coaching is work between equals, looking together at a situation and finding the best way to work through it.
Mentoring most commonly is work that takes place between someone experienced in a specific area and someone with less experience. It’s the process of sharing and discussing challenges, with the mentor providing insight on ways to navigate a path in order to reach goals.
What are the typical problems you help clients solve?
It is hard to list them as each client brings their own unique situation to the coaching work. The areas we look at together can include a combination of very specific or more general career challenges, workplace relationship concerns, low confidence (which can include physical and mental wellness goals) and handling difficult conversations, networking and presentations.
What is it like working with you?
I would say I listen deeply, without judgement and to more than just words. I have a deep interest in the unique story everyone has to tell. At the same time, I am aware we generally need to work at a deeper level and get beneath the story, to understand motivations, assumptions and beliefs. Some of these assumptions and beliefs may be faulty, and my coaching style is often around awareness-raising in order to deconstruct and then rebuild with a clearer view of reality.
What’s a surprising fact about you?
I’ve been vegetarian for 36 years but I still love the smell of bacon.
To find out more about Jo’s services, check out our pages on coaching, mentoring and wellbeing.
