Little Bear Coaching

Hi, I’m Jane – mum, wife, learning and development professional, qualified ILM coach, avid cross stitcher – and passionate advocate of coaching to support individuals going through periods of transition.  A Transition Coach if you will!  Additionally, a qualified Thomas International PPA Certified Practitioner in DISC profiling.

My journey to becoming a professional coach began 9 years ago upon returning from maternity leave for the first time.  I soon realised that my focus and priorities in life had changed and that I would benefit from support in making those transitions to a more balanced, flexible and family focused lifestyle.  But all the local coaching offerings around me appeared to be very focused on career coaching, promotion and progression so I found myself continuing to do what I had always done.

Fast forward 9 years with a coaching qualification under my belt and a recent second period of maternity leave, I have benefitted enormously from personal coaching and my clearer understanding of what coaching can do for individuals who are looking to make changes to their work life balance or transition from one phase of life to another – be it returning from maternity, long term sick, moving towards retirement – transition can take many forms!

I’m known for being a good listener and a strong communicator who can quickly create connections and build trust. I’m here to support you through your current life transition.  My coaching sessions will be confidential, flexible and fun – empowering you to make the changes that you need to make the most of the life that you have in front of you.

Jane has a natural ability to listen – really listen. I felt our sessions were carefully structured, but I was relaxed and able to talk openly about what was going on for me. There were times when I felt stuck  – Jane helped me to map out alternatives and encouraged me to think differently about my situation. I felt I came up with workable solutions for me and I began to think more creatively about my work in the future.

LR

Why do I think coaching is so valuable?

Through coaching, I can enable you to find the time and space to focus on you.  I can support you to determine what is really important to you, why it matters to you and what you can do to achieve these goals.  If there are elements of your situation that make you feel uncomfortable, I can help you to face these elements and navigate your way through them.  I can help you to see that change, whilst often scary, can be empowering and that tackling change can guide you to a more fulfilling and satisfying situation. 

To achieve all of this, I will work in a way that suits you.  We will start with a free, no obligation, discovery conversation – phone call, video call or face to face.  During this conversation we will explore what it is that you are looking for from coaching and an approach that works best for you.  From a structured programme of coaching sessions to a more free flowing as and when approach I can tailor the experience to suit you. 

What is coaching, what is mentoring and how do they differ?

A coach does not necessarily have to have experience in your line of work or the specific experience that you find yourself in.  The role of a coach is to help you explore and gain clarity on your goals and aspirations – and support you to on your journey to achieving them.  A mentor is someone who may have significant experience in your line of work and is more likely to guide and offer advice and suggestions to help you achieve your goals.  Mentors tend to be more directive whilst coaches are predominantly non directive.  A good coach will travel the line between directive and non-directive depending on the situation and the requirement at the time. 

‘Put simply professional coaching is the best way to support an individual, team, organisation and society to reach its purpose and potential.’ – Definition of coaching by the Coaching Association

‘A mentor is an expert who provides wisdom and guidance based on his or her own experience. Mentoring may include advising, counselling and coaching.’- Definition of mentoring by the International Coaching Federation

The coaching support provided by Jane was very beneficial as it helped me develop skills such as competency writing and also interviewing skills.  Having someone to work with on key aspects of a recruitment process was very helpful.  Additionally, Jane helped me to gain confidence to shadow other teams – this helped me to learn more about the business and determine areas that I would like to develop into.  I would highly recommend coaching sessions with Jane for anyone looking for support with career progression.

JP

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