Gary Coulton

Folks always ask me what exactly I mean when I talk about psychological safety. Here's a crystal clear explanation right from the source. Don't overthink it; just do it! #psychologicalsafety #leadership #redteaming #redteamthinking

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What Rory Sutherland calls 'Sudoku Problems' is a beautiful way of conceptualising how complex problems need to be tackled differently. A team working together — or a good generalist for that matter — can be more powerful than dividing the work into component parts to be tackled separately. From Ep.4: https://lnkd.in/eZM-QAZw #problemsolving #leadershipcoaching #creativity

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Nature’s Blueprint for me is about re-evaluating, re-setting, seeing things differently. When I set off down the M6 to the Cotswolds, to Annie Lee ‘s Natures Blueprint launch last September I had no idea what I was looking for. What I found was connection and that I belong - to a community, to this planet - and that we thrive only when nature does. It’s the simplest thing. Or is it? Because I consider myself pretty connected with the natural world, and yet my years of burnout and mental health issues were ones where I was disconnected. But I looked the opposite. For instance, I grew my own veg and fruit and tended my garden, but it felt like a burden not a joy, another job to do, a ‘should do’. But after the day, I saw things differently. It gave me the time, space and support to re-look at my place in this world, to feel what I can give back, and what I am given.  So what was the greatest change for me? I now take joy and pride in growing my own food with nature. Simple? Yes, one simple shift. One seed planted. But it germinated and other things have changed over the past 8 months. I see so much now through a different lens. I re-examined my values and found that  wildness, love, making a difference, depth and creativity are all deeply important to me. And now I take my decisions using these values - how can I do things more ‘wildly’? So now I allow and don’t stress about my messy garden, I grow flowers for bees and birds not form and order. I take joy in eating wild garlic and home-grown broccoli (when the pigeons haven’t eaten it). Your shift will be different, but it will start small. And our passion to help everyone do the same, led to me working with the fabulous Zaidha Roscoe and Lucy Williamson to bring Nature’s Blueprint north to Leighton Hall Lancashire, for our Spring event on 31st May. So join us for our Nature’s Blueprint if: - You care about this planet - You have no clue what steps to take to make a difference - You feel helpless and overwhelmed by global crises - You want to reconnect with nature and find out how supporting it supports you - You just can’t find the time and space to think about any of this  - You give a s*%t! Find out more in the chat below, or DM me :)

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Many people don’t realise that writing a book isn’t just about putting words down on paper. To read well, those pesky little words need to be in the right place! Last week, a couple of my clients sent me their draft manuscripts to review, as developmental editing and making suggestions is something I offer them. In the end, I had over 100k words to read over a few days. No mean feat! So, I thought I’d share 6 of the things I look for in a manuscript. 1️⃣ Idea – is it obvious at a glance what the book is about, who it’s for and how it’s going to help the reader? 2️⃣ Structure – is there a clear structure in the book? If it’s a nonfiction book, there might be some sort of methodology or process that takes a reader from what they might be struggling to their ideal outcome. If it’s a memoir style book, then it’s likely there will be stories around particular themes or topics. 3️⃣ Flow – does one piece of information flow seamlessly to the next? I like to think of it like building a house. You have to put the foundations in place before you build on them with extra material. Otherwise, the house – or the writing – will fall down! One of the big dangers that can happen if you don’t create structure before writing is repeating yourself - and that’s one of my bugbears! 4️⃣ Narrative – is there a strong narrative thread running through the book? Are the stories engaging? Are the examples interesting? Do the chapters start with a hook and do you keep my attention? 5️⃣ Consistency – is there consistency around the length of chapters, chapter structure, chapter titles, how stories are narrated, top tips or summaries. 6️⃣ Readability and language – although I don’t focus on copy-editing or grammar, I do look at readability and language. Do I understand what the author is talking about? Is it pitched at the right level? If there are abbreviations, do you tell me what they are in full? Is there jargon that the reader might not understand? Do certain words repeat, and could you use a different word to explain something rather than use the same word again? I hope you find this insight useful. If you have any questions around what I do as a book mentor and coach, feel free to pop them on this post or send me a DM. #educationandsharingday

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Wellbeing in organisations: a systemic perspective is needed... https://lnkd.in/egd6baZ4 #wellbeing #workplaceculture #organisation #business #psychology #coaching

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Thank you, JJ (Projjal) Ghatak for your contributions to the Balancing Act Podcast. Listen in as JJ helps us understand the difference between "improve feedback," and "celebrate feedback" and which type of feedback leads to better results. #BalancingActPodcast #Feedback #EmployeeEngagement

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👑 Hereditary peers, new ideas 👑. Charlie Courtenay , Earl of Devon, rightly says that they bring some diversity into the UK House of Lords, and may also be able to think longer term than politics generally allows. Charlie, have you considered the excellent post created recently, of #FutureGenerations #Minister for Welsh Government ? Might this be a way forward? Derek Walker, do you think this might be a way of bringing longer-term thinking into the UK Parliament ? Secondly, to address #diversity, how about a #CitizensAssembly in the UK House of Lords ? You guys will know how you want to do this, but that would devolve power downwards and outwards, bringing diversity and fresh thinking. #MartinWolf of the Financial Times is keen on the idea https://lnkd.in/eDax-6QP Collaborative Democracy White Paper from Demos https://lnkd.in/erdyC87E Citizens Assembly House of Lords Replacement https://lnkd.in/eiVpknxB Future Generations Minister https://lnkd.in/e2VHySCW https://lnkd.in/e36Wcv8D

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After a particularly challenging week, I realised it was time to hit pause and recalibrate. Burnout is real and exhausting, and I knew I needed a change. That’s when I decided to take a "Clarity Day," and it was exactly what I needed. Sometimes, stepping away from the day-to-day grind is essential—not just when you’re feeling drained, but as a regular practice. This time away allowed me to organise my thoughts, plan for the future, and ensure I’m still heading in the right direction. Here’s what helped me get back on track: ⏰Scheduling the Time- I blocked out a day for myself, free from distractions and commitments. 🌲Choosing the Right Environment- I spent time in nature, turned off my gadgets, and embraced the quiet. It made all the difference. ✨Aligning Values and Priorities- I took a deep dive into what really matters to me and made sure my goals align with those core values. 🌎Visualizing My Path- Creating a mood board and mapping out my thoughts helped me see things more clearly and set actionable steps. 📖Writing a Gratitude Journal- It’s the little things that matter the most when you feel like this. Taking a moment to acknowledge what I’m grateful for brought a sense of peace and perspective. I can't stress enough how important it is to take these moments for yourself. Whether you’re feeling burnt out or not, a Clarity Day is a powerful tool for staying focused and aligned with your true direction. If you haven’t taken one recently, consider this your sign to do so! What else would you add? Want to learn more about how to incorporate Clarity Days into your routine? Book a call with me, let’s chat! Mindset by Pinky- www.bypinky.com #burnout #clarityday #gratitude

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Just a quick reminder to take some conscious deep breaths when feeling overwhelmed with Christmas busyness. Connect with me to arrange a 1-1 mindfulness session or to discuss the benefits of practising #mindfulness in the #workplace #mindfulnesspractice #deepbreathing #calm #busyness #christmasstress #employeewellbeing

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It’s always interesting what comes out of the Listening Partnerships with Rebecca Daniel (ICF PCC, EMCC Snr Practitioner, ESIA) and Sarah Bramall PCC, Senior Prac EMCC, and last week was no different. I posted recently about aligning my services and pricing with my values, but realised I missed out a big one: comfort! Comfort is a massive deal for me - not just in business, but in life. I’m all about pyjama days, fluffy slippers, and prioritising comfort over fashion (though I’m sure I could have both if I dedicated some time to it). I’ve dealt with eczema for years, and leaving clinical nursing where I was often dehydrated, constantly handwashing, and eating erratically, did wonders for my skin. But since the birth of my kids, I’ve developed psoriasis, and that brings a whole new level of discomfort. I’ve thrown emollients, steroids, vitamins and all sorts of weird and wonderful things at it over the past six years and it has been frustrating. But last Friday was the final straw: I realised I needed to change something significantly when showering made me cry. I was in so much pain and I needed to take back some control. I made a drastic decision and decided to reset. I decided to cut out some of the things reported to be linked to flare-ups: caffeine, added sugar, and alcohol. Just for a week. It was harder than I expected. I don’t drink much alcohol, but cutting out 3–4 cups of sweet coffee a day hit me like a tonne of bricks: headaches, muscle pain, exhaustion. My body screamed for caffeine, and I felt ridiculous. How did I let myself get so dependent on something that my body rebelled without it? I’d be lying if I said I don’t feel a bit embarrassed! Here’s the thing though – as you all probably guessed, my psoriasis improved drastically in just five days. So now I need to work out my priorities: keep up the caffeine or slowly reintroduce it and see what happens? I’ll work it out, but what struck me was that constant cycle of frustration and discomfort led me to just keep adding things to my body and lifestyle in a hope that the combination would make things better; sometimes all we need is to just go back to basics. My body craved comfort, fought back when I removed what I thought was comforting it, but is now healing and feeling so much better. What tells you you’re missing something vital? How do you reset to focus on getting to the source of the problem? ________________________________________ 👋 I’m Kat, and I’m here to help. Together, we can use language and communication to cut through the noise and find your voice in a world that looks different after loss. Book a call to find out more: https://lnkd.in/eda4vjhj 🌐 lostwordscoaching.com 📧 [email protected]

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From a 𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜, 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 image to something 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 So I did an experiment. I had an inspired idea about the work I have been doing with clients using Human Design... The idea was to introduce my fabulous colleague Sarah Evans to Human Design (𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘥𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘸 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵) Then I had another thought... ...𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘰𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵 𝘦𝘱𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘥𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘱𝘰𝘥𝘤𝘢𝘴𝘵? We recorded this "𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐥" today and I must admit I was nervous (just like Sarah) but we both had a great time and here’s what she said: >>> 𝘞𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘢 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘴𝘤𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤, 𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 “𝘰𝘩 𝘨𝘰𝘴𝘩, 𝘐 𝘥𝘰𝘯'𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴.” 𝘛𝘰 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘪𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴, 𝒊𝒕'𝒔 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒄𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈. 😍 <<< Of course she is away to "digest" all the information I shared so we will most likely be back with an update on her HD journey. 𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐨𝐝𝐞 75: 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐡 𝐦𝐞𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧   This episode will be out next Tuesday and I cannot wait! === === 🔔 Like my posts? Then, hit the 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐥 on my profile. ⏰ To uncover your boundaries, download my free "𝐁𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐂𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤" - link in comments 📧 DM me to see how I can help you bring more H.A.R.M.O.N.Y. into your life so you can 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞 as a Mum and Business Owner. #humandesignexperiment #podcast #womensupportingwomen

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Carewashing - love a new phrase, especially when it articulates a concept I’ve been trying to explain. Organisations offering wellbeing support to employees is so valuable, and almost always welcome. Except when the organisation is the catalyst for employees wellbeing suffering. The words and actions need to match, and performative actions forming a panacea for a toxic ‘high performance /work hard - play hard culture’ are very quickly seen through by employees. https://lnkd.in/eFCEunhk

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Sustainability professionals tell us all the time that the missing piece in progress is the will do make change, and that while organisations take a lot of comfort in measuring tangible, practical things as part of their climate targets, gauging and leveraging 'belief' feel so nebulous. It can be tempting (particularly on a tough day) to retreat into the numbers and block out the fact that most of the company aren't on board, but it is possible to learn how to develop belief in other people. 🙉 It starts with great listening and questioning, which themselves start with slowing down a little, but it's more than that. It's the ability to listen and ask great questions without being tightly attached ourselves. The real skill isn't what you say, it's what you don't. 🙊 Creating space can feel hard when we want progress now, now, now (and we need it that fast, let's be honest). But it's also not the case that you have to gooooo slooooow 🐌 for hours on end. A coaching conversation can take mere minutes to achieve more clarity and motivation for someone than an hour of talking at a more surface level. And everyone can learn coaching skills. 🙌🏻 If your job was simply to build belief, what might that change about the way you held conversations? 👩🏻‍🏫 ⏱️ Why not try it in your next meeting today?

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Free Conversation Toolkit to download from Conversations Worth Having - how to 'flip' negative conversations using #AppreciativeInquiry

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At Higher Ground Life Consultancy, we believe that being open to feedback is a cornerstone of personal growth. Embracing feedback not only demonstrates your commitment to self-improvement but also shows that you value and trust the insights of those around you. Remember, constructive criticism is a gift that can lead to profound growth and stronger relationships. Let's continue to learn and grow together! #HigherGroundLife #PersonalGrowth #Feedback #Trust #ContinuousImprovement #Leadership

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I was delighted to share '3 top tips for befriending your inner critic' for the Thresholds Ltd blog recently. So many of us are held back by our own negative inner voice, which often can sound like: > I’m not someone who... > I will never be able to... > Who do you even think you are... > You’ll never succeed so you may as well give up > You’re not as good as x, y, z.. What does yours sound like? There are ways we can reduce the impact it has over us, reframe it to be more empowering and even befriend the inner critic. Read the blog for tips on how to do just that. #innercritic #empoweryourself #coachingtips

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Join me tomorrow at 11 AM BST (10:00 GMT) for the first episode of my LinkedIn Live Chats: "The Conscious Chronicles: Unveiling the Stories Behind the Business." I’ll be speaking with Sibylle Stehli, a Chaos Disruptor and fellow member of the Conscious Collaborators Hub. Sibylle has faced immense challenges, including suicidal depression, health issues, an abusive marriage, and bankruptcy, which have driven her transformation towards leading with deep compassion for others. Wondering what makes us conscious collaborators? We make conscious choices and collaborate by blending quantum physics, neuroscience, and spirituality in engaging ways. Our contributors prioritise empathy over profit, connecting with our audience through 27 unique archetypes crafted to resonate energetically with those we aim to support. Curious to learn more? Tune in LIVE to discover how we utilise the Three Levels Deep quiz to gain insights into our potential archetypes. Hope to see you tomorrow.

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Check out Boo Coaching & Consulting latest newsletter - Boosletter if you like😀 Featuring... 💜 How you can join our next Chartered Management Institute Coaching certificate 💜Our Coaching Supervision offer from Helen Smith 💜An overview of Cath Barton's mini wellbeing series 💜A couple of helpful blogs from Amy Rothwell All beautifully curated by our Mission Controller Julia Page! Link in the comments ⬇️ ⬇️ ⬇️ #TeamBoo #Coaching #Leadership #WorkplaceWellbeing

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