“What I valued most about my coaching sessions with Mike is his ability to balance empathy whilst still challenging me to consider alternative perspectives. I connected with Mike’s strength-based approach and appreciated starting our sessions with focusing on personal successes since our last coaching session. One of the biggest impacts for me was exploring my personal strengths and values and discussing strategies as to how I react to other people who share different values to my own. Mike provided the appropriate amount of personal examples and excellent analogies (‘choosing to get on the bus!’) which helped me connect to our discussions. Mike always pushed me to come up with outcomes, even when I wasn’t always sure what I wanted the outcome to be! Mike always took the time to explain the rationale for new coaching tools & techniques which I have since taken with me to my own coaching conversations. Mike has an ability to establish rapport quickly and create a positive environment, which for me meant I was comfortable to explore my goals and challenge my usual way of thinking. My main takeaway from our coaching sessions has been making a conscious effort to choose how I respond to a certain situation, rather then just reacting. This has meant that I really challenge myself to consider what my outcome is in many situations and has had a positive impact on my professional and personal relationships.’