Director, Coaching Course

James Mackay, MSc (Econ), PhD, C.Psyc

My work in coaching, assessment, and management development focuses on individuals and how they reflect on - and meet - the challenges of their environment, and shape a rewarding career: the experience, talents and perspectives they deploy; reading, and communicating with, the organisational culture; and evolving so as to achieve fulfilment over time, whilst achieving what roles require. To this I bring a background in the private and public sectors, including general management, fused with a range of theoretical insights from several disciplines.

As a coach and Corporate Psychologist, I have acted as a consultant to senior managers in eighteen private sectors, and in central and local government and the NHS; this has often radiated outwards to include group and corporate projects. Very much an internationalist by upbringing and inclination, I have worked with organisations in the U.S., France, Italy and Holland.

As a coach, I favour a ‘joint exploration’ approach, identifying with my client the best strategies for interacting with, and influencing colleagues, the work group, and the organisational culture. Constant themes are leadership, strategic career development, personal ‘re-branding’, and the alignment of individual, role and corporate objectives. I have a particular interest in ‘the art of the possible‘: how a client can successfully challenge, and make progress within, the parameters of the organisational culture.

Examples include:working with the M.D. of a major corporation over a number of years, focussing on strategic and leadership issues; helping a newly appointed Director of a Government Department to improve her strategic networking and to acknowledge and act upon, her ambition; shaping the development of a Director in a utilities business, so that he evolved from noted deal-maker to a leader; acting as coach and advisor to the newly appointed Chairman of a printing group, helping to address organisational change and leadership within a robust and hard-hitting culture .

Recent projects include:

• Coaching Directors: in the FMCG, Fine Arts, Cosmetics, Confectionery, Utilities, Printing, and Rail sectors; in Central Government and the NHS
• Co-designing and co-directing the Tavistock Institute of Human Relations course in Coaching for Leadership and Professional Development
• Evaluating candidates for the CEO role in an oil company
• Board appraisals in the Legal, Rail, Travel and Health sectors
• Designing, and helping to implement, an O.D. strategy in the Health sector.