‘The style was both challenging and pragmatic and Piers’ experience at the most senior levels added the credibility and gravitas required for coaching for business leaders. I look forward to working with you again soon.’
‘Mr. Fallowfield-Cooper’s coaching techniques are unique and effective. Like a tool-kit I carry them around with me wherever I go. I highly recommend him to any executive who is interested in improving his or her leadership skills. Inspiring yet very grounded and practical.’
‘Inspirational in his delivery, innovative in his thinking, unique in his approach with outstanding results – Piers has worked closely with the FT over the last few years supporting our mission to be the gold standard in global business news and analysis in print and online. Very few people can maintain good. Piers maintained excellence.’
‘Piers is an entrepreneur quite unlike the stereotypical view. It’s as if he has found the trick of being able to handle the highs and lows of business and of life, and of – as Rudyard Kipling might have said – treating them both the same; as experiences to be savoured, celebrated and welcomed.
He exudes an inner peace which makes him a rarity – a person who inspires by what they emanate, rather than simply through courageous words or dynamic example. But the thing I most value about Piers is the quality of the feedback he has on offer for you if you are brave enough to ask. He possesses phenomenal insight and because he matches and blends that skill with the ability to communicate at a deeply personal level, his advice and counsel always gives a fresh angle and never bears even a hint of judgementalism.’
‘I really enjoy meeting with you as you are always a great combination of optimism, gentle cynicism, a sort of mystic fatalism and bloody good common sense. Truly unique!’
‘Piers Fallowfield-Cooper has been my business mentor and an invaluable guide/advisor since I took up the post of Chief Executive of a global organisation four and a half years ago.
From the outset, Piers ensured that work and family stayed in focus plus the all too easily neglected area of personal growth. His encouragement for me to take a long term view was essential in the first twelve difficult months. There were numerous challenges as the organisation had to undergo substantial change in relation to governance, infrastructure, external reputation and corporate culture. Piers has invariably provided sage and balanced guidance, encouraging me to constantly re-evaluate professional challenges from new perspectives.
Over the last four years Piers has shown great adaptability, using his own professional experience and an array of coaching/mentoring philosophies to ensure that all issues – whether strategic, commercial, interpersonal or personal, were resolved using the appropriate tools. In the long term interest of his client he knows the subtle art of when to be assertive and when to allow clients to be drawn to their own resolutions.
Overall I found Piers to be an exemplary mentor. With his assistance I have been able to perform at or near my best for nearly five years in a very demanding global role. The fact I have done so, exceeded the corporate goals and retained my sense of humour, sense of balance and a holistic approach to my family, is testimony to his skills.’
‘My meetings with Piers are stimulating. He shows a real interest in me and what I am doing. His questions are direct and perceptive – and he finds the weak points in my argument and assertions. Sometimes it is a little uncomfortable to be challenged in this way but the process improves my self-knowledge and Piers is unfailingly supportive. When asked, he gives practical advice worth listening to, based as it is on his extensive business and leadership experience.’
‘I had my first meeting with Piers 3 months ago as I was about to step into a management function for the first time. Faced with the challenge of rebuilding a key business unit, I felt I would benefit from the experience he has gleaned from all his years in the City.
I definitely got, and am still getting, that benefit from my interaction with Piers. What I hadn’t bargained for was how much time he’d spend helping me to rediscover who I really am. He’s helped me learn to harness my own strengths rather than expend negative energy worrying about my weaknesses.
A big change has come of this: I no longer see ‘problems’ but rather I see little hiccups that need to be overcome. This has led to increased drive, increased energy levels and a much higher work rate. My new team is thriving and steadily raising the bar internally.
Having Piers available to discuss issues and ideas is an invaluable asset. He has made a tremendous difference to my approach to things and I can’t recommend him highly enough!’
‘I was a little apprehensive about taking a whole day off work for the first day of the coaching programme, but my fears were soon allayed. The personality profile exercises were both thought provoking and enjoyable and provided the basis for some interesting discussions.
The session was conducted in an extremely professional manner and in very pleasant surroundings. I liked the fact that there were some tangible short-term takeaways tailored to my individual needs which could be implemented immediately to provide the foundation and direction for longer-term personal goals. It wasn’t just about big picture action plans. All in all, a day well spent. I’d definitely recommend it to other people.’
‘I wanted to write to formally thank you for the excellent work that you have done in coaching me on my appointment to the Executive Committee. Even without the benefit of psychometric tests your analysis and instinct about my strengths and development needs was spot on. You brought wisdom and experience to our relationship, and whilst you did a great job in building my confidence and self-belief you did not shrink from asking challenging questions and testing my thinking.’
‘Piers Fallowfield-Cooper worked with the company at a crucial moment when things were going awry. Step-by-step, with tact but also determination, strategic issues were identified and resolved, the Board was slimmed down and started to function better. Since then, we have dealt with issues with equanimity without lurching from crisis to crisis. The company has regained a sense of common direction and is now performing significantly better.’
‘My sessions with Piers have transformed my outlook and approach – not just to my job and career, but also to my life in the broader sense. Even my wife says she has noticed a change in me – for the better I’m relieved to say.
At my best, I feel more confident and capable than I’ve ever felt before. Like I’m playing a different game that’s so much easier than the one I was playing before. I feel I have more time, am making better decisions and am getting to the heart of issues more quickly.
There are times when I revert to old practices and everything starts to feel harder again but I’m able to recognise when that’s happening and, more importantly, quickly respond to it and make the necessary adjustments.
Working with Piers I have learned that if I have knowledge and certainty on the inside I can be completely flexible on the outside – this ability to adapt is what separates the strongest and most successful from the rest.
I have also learned that most people spend too much time focusing on their weaknesses. How much better to identify what works well and do more of it. Since beginning working with Piers I feel much more like ‘an artist’ not just an operator.’
‘I found my off-site coaching retreat day extraordinarily rewarding, enlightening and even revelatory.
I feel that I went from being unfocussed about what I could hope to gain from coaching to feeling clearer about the general approach, what its specific benefits to me could be and gaining a much clearer perspective on my short and medium term future.
We explored a number of techniques aimed at understanding different personality types – something which I would usually be quite sceptical about, but so much of this resonated with what I know about myself, it had great value.
His emphasis on the positive without being sycophantic or avoiding challenging issues was extremely useful and it already has had a positive effect both on how I feel about my current job, my future career and myself in general.
What I found particularly useful was the mix of theory, explanation and straight talking. This meant that I felt really focussed during the day and that some hard truths were very skilfully integrated into the session so that I listened and understood them as opposed to getting defensive.
I really cannot speak highly enough about the value I have already gained from the work I am doing with Piers. I have learnt a huge amount both about the science behind his approach and about myself. I feel that the coaching has come at a really opportune moment enabling me to step up and build on the good work I have achieved so far.’
If what my clients have said resonates with you and you’re ready, contact me to arrange an exploratory discussion or continue reading more about how we can work together…