Working 1-2-1

"At the centre of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want."

Lao Tzu

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Working Together

I love working with groups and teams, creating and facilitating events that encourage lateral thinking. But, I also enjoy working one to one with successful people - people who know what they are about, where they are heading and what they need to improve to get there. I also enjoy working with people who aren’t there yet, but have a burning desire to realise their potential.

Personal Coaching

With over twenty years’ experience of senior operational management within the health care industry - public, private and voluntary sectors - I understand the pressures of responsibility that go hand in hand with business leadership: the tough decisions that have consequences far beyond the day to day; the constant demands to achieve more with less, whilst maintaining and improving standards; the challenge to balance compassionate leadership with an imperative to achieve and surpass targets; the lonely moments of doubt and introspection; and the exhausting struggle to balance home life with a 24/7 career.

And as an experienced freelancer – coaching leaders across a broad range of industries - I have a unique insight into the pressures that face small business owners: the weight of accountability that comes with being solely responsible for your decisions; the constant tension between actually delivering your service and finding the time to attract new customers; the challenge of managing unpredictable cash flow; and, of course, the perpetual struggle to maintain some semblance of ordinary life and relationships.

My coaching style draws on all these experiences whilst at the same time creating a safe space for clients to explore the things that matter most to their own journey of success. Executive or small business owner, mature leader or just starting out, finding the right person to talk to can make a big difference – finding someone who not only listens but challenges, and holds you accountable for your words and actions, can be transformative.

So, if you are serious about your personal growth and would like to work with someone who understands the challenges of a tough and competitive working environment, give me a call on 0333 444 9845 or drop me an email via my contact page.

DISC

Research suggests that the most successful people are those who take time to understand themselves. The TTI Success Insights DISC assessment is a computerised behavioural assessment, trusted by millions across the world, that measures preferred behavioural styles across four distinct domains:

Dominance - how you respond to problems and challenges
Influence – how you influence others to your point of view
Steadiness – how you respond to the pace of the environment
Compliance – how you respond to rules and procedures set by others

Each behavioural style is scored on a scale of 0 – 100 generating a unique report that offers insights into a range of individual characteristics and behavioural preferences. There are no right or wrong behaviours, but certain traits may well be better suited to certain types of roles than others.

Individual reports provide comparisons between natural and adapted styles of behaviour which can assist in understanding the extent to which the respondent is adjusting their behaviour to fit in with their understanding of what is expected of them within their role. This in turn can offer insight into the level of pressure a person may be experiencing, and the reasons why, creating the opportunity to explore any relevant support needs.

What are the benefits of DISC?

Greater awareness of individual strengths and challenges within the work environment
Personalised action plan targeting areas most likely to enhance performance
Better understanding and tolerance of individual styles between team members
More objective discussion between managers and direct reports regarding performance in the role and possible support options

For more information on the options available give me a call on 0333 444 9845 or drop me an email via my contact page .

As a leader in a charitable organisation I knew coaching would be beneficial for specific development needs but initial research suggested it was a luxury we couldn't afford. I was fortunate to have Karen recommended to us, who had a very open conversation with us about affordability and put together a package of coaching that exceeded our expectations. The experience left us all with the overwhelming feeling that we couldn`t afford not to use this service, the process of modernising systems took place at such a rate, it undoubtedly saved us money.

Karen Higgins

Chair of the Board of Trustees, Shrewsbury Ark

Karen has been an exceptional character to work with over the last few years and has really supported my business in some difficult phases for me, that have then blossomed in to noticeable developments in my business. She has such a willingness to accept where I am and to ask the tricky questions I need to move me forward and upward at every turn. She has been excellent at turning the perceptual tables on any idea, problem or situation to give me a much deeper and richer understanding of it. She has supported and encouraged me to make the healthiest choices, not just for my business, but myself, so that I am not building one at the expense of the other. I highly recommend her and her approach to anyone looking to improve how their business is working and will continue to work with her myself.

Ben Calder

Owner, Centre for Integral Health

The concept of a personal coach was a foreign one to me until several years ago when I began to access the support of Karen Carpenter Coaching and, quite frankly, I wished I had done so sooner.........Since starting my coaching with Karen I have found the journey to be both humbling and transformational, and have a greater appreciation of the value of an experienced, knowledgeable person guiding and holding you to account. Karen’s firm but gentle and measured approach to coaching has been nurturing but challenging, resulting in me developing an even deeper knowledge and understanding of myself on a personal and professional level - more so with our recent application of the DISC profiling tool, which has helped me see more of myself from an objective point of view.

Ignatius Chikambi

Nursing Services Manager, Private Hospital, London

I regard Karen as an excellent, sincere and knowledgeable coach. Her ability to grasp the bigger picture, while paying attention to detail lends itself well to her coaching style. I felt she was genuinely interested in understanding people and helping them grow. Her open, non directive, non judgment style of interaction during coaching session stimulated thinking and growth. It helped me to look within myself to understand and overcome my weaknesses and maximise my strengths. I would highly recommend Karen as a coach to all professionals.

Dr Rajesh Moholkar

Consultant Psychiatrist, Birmingham

Having never used the services of a business Coach before I was a little apprehensive introducing Karen to my team. However it turned out to be a really good decision. Karen is highly professional, knowledgeable and has the personal experience of working in high pressure environments herself...she has walked the talk. Karen helped my team cope with immense change in our business. It is hard to explain what Karen does, it is both challenging yet rewarding, easy yet hard, simple yet complicated. She helps you realise you actually have all the answers...you just don’t know it. If in doubt arrange to have a chat with her and decide for yourself...thanks Karen.

Jason King

Owner/Director, Bayfield Vehicle Hire

Thanks to Karen`s excellent training sessions and conducting DISC assessments for all our senior management we have been able to change the way we train our staff. The DISC has enabled us to understand our staff in a whole new way, understand how they respond to different situations as well as build teams around them. The DISC assessments mixed with Karen`s unique ability to read between the lines in how this could be portrayed in a business world has been of great value and made us far more focused as a business.

Stuart Danks

Director, DM Recruitment

Karen conducted a DISC behavioural analysis for me in my capacity as a Senior Manager. I cannot recommend this service highly enough for anyone who manages people or teams... or in fact for anyone that has to navigate any kind of meaningful relationship in their life! I found the assessment itself to be really accurate and insightful. I was particularly impressed by the depth of analysis it offered. But I must say that it was Karen`s experience and skill during the feedback session that made the biggest difference from previous personality assessments I have undertaken (there have been a few!). I found that Karen was able to patiently guide me through the results and help me to draw out connections and conclusions that a) I would have been unlikely to achieve on my own and b) are of considerable value for me, both personally and professionally. Thank you so much Karen... I will certainly be recommending this service to my colleagues and wider contacts.

Chris Beane

Senior Branch Manager/Mentor at A-Plan Insurance

I met Karen whilst networking and having originally had a free coaching taster session with her, which proved useful in getting me thinking about where I`m taking my business, I recently underwent a DISC profiling exercise with Karen. Karen took the time to explain the report on my DISC profile so I was clear in its content and meaning and ensured I was clear on the nature of the actions I needed to put in place in light of the findings of my report. It was an extremely useful process in raising my self-awareness and in giving me a clear steer on how I interact with people and how to interact effectively with others - I would recommend going through this process with Karen if you want to be more effective in your dealings with others.

Shaun Philpott FCA

Managing Director, Copia Wealth & Tax Ltd

After several sessions with Karen I`ve noticed a number of subtle positive changes in my approach to various elements of business. Her techniques really do clear through much of the `white noise` and allow for more defined decision making. Sessions are relaxed and comfortable but also provide challenges and rich, thought evoking questions! If you`ve never considered a business coach before, talk to Karen. Highly recommended.

Andy Lawrence

MD, Home Tyre Group

Having Karen as a work coach has been a life changing experience. Our sessions have been transformative and informative, facilitating different thought processes and ideas, which I at times cannot wait to put into action. The skills gained not only allow me to be a better manager but also a great leader. I go away from our sessions feeling a lot lighter and have much clearer focus on my visions and goals. In the end allowing me to achieve amazing results within my organisation.

Kimesha McDowell-Golden

Registered Manager, Home Care Provider, London

From the moment I started talking to Karen via a mutual connection, I knew I wanted to work with her. Her calm manner put me at ease immediately, and from our first conversation to our most recent, she listened - really listened - and elicited profound insights in a very short space of time. Her person-centred approach means that you feel she is starting from you, and building out, rather than imposing frameworks and techniques that don`t necessarily fit (as I`ve experienced with some other coaches). Karen`s coaching guided me to utilise my own knowledge, experience, skills and strengths to solve my own problems by challenging my thought patterns and bringing about a shift in perceptions. Calm, compassionate, professional, reliable and highly adaptable, I cannot recommend Karen enough.

Emily-Rose Cluderay

Practitioner-researcher: arts, health and wellbeing