Reference 1:
Graham was my mentor over a 2 year period, at the end of which I was able to realise a career goal of moving to the US to a significantly more senior position. Graham’s coaching drove my career progression forward more than any other factor in the last 5 years – each session resulted in a step change in performance in our area of focus. As we built out our relationship, Graham was quickly able to get to the core of my issues – often their true causes, rather than just the symptoms. He consistently provided level-appropriate, pragmatic, immediately implementable solutions alongside broader frameworks to work on until our next session. This came with thought-provoking insights and advice. Graham challenged and pushed me in ways that no-one else was in a position to. My confidence, performance and purpose were all noticeably enhanced across our sessions – reflected through top rewards in my annual review, placement on a high-potential programme and subsequent transfer overseas. Our areas of focus included: executive presence, communication, issues resolution and bringing the best out of teams, as well as frameworks for thoughtful career progression, setting goals for impact and focus areas for successful leadership. I quote many of our sessions and Graham’s advice in my day to day work, and find myself continually using the tools we worked on. Due to the trust we built and the guidance provided, I cannot recommend Graham’s mentorship highly enough.
Reference 2:
I can say without hesitation that being mentored by Graham changed my life. Stuck in a rut when I first met him, I was in a senior management role, which I had outgrown. I didn’t know how to go about getting that next role that would challenge me in a way that would allow me to use my strengths and be fulfilling. Graham completely reset my attitude to risk. He showed me how we can be overly cautious when assessing the personal risks we're willing to take and helped me recalibrate – for the better – how far I was willing to go. He also showed me that success was first and foremost about having fun in what you do. He is a very effective combination of being incredibly sharp and insightful, professional, personable, challenging and fun. What I most enjoyed from my mentoring with Graham was the way he challenged me to step outside of my comfort zone to do things I didn't imagine myself capable of. As a result of our mentoring relationship, I quit the unfulfilling job I was in with no idea of what I was going to do next. A first, I went travelling on my own for 6 months, during which time I trekked to Everest Base Camp. I also worked in a ski resort – where I happened to meet my future employer who offered me a more senior role than the one I left! I think that if I'd tried to get that kind of role by the traditional route, it would likely have taken me 3 to 5 years to do it. The mentoring also had a more profound impact. It laid the foundations for me to find the courage and confidence to not languish in that new role when I realised that it wasn’t right for me and take the leap into self-employment. I am now happily self-employed and have never been more fulfilled in my life. I would whole-heartedly recommend Graham as a mentor to anyone ready for powerful change in their life.
