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We’re delighted to have refreshed and renewed our Charity Retail Coach offer for you over the past month.  We now have two fantastic Coaches – Dan O’Driscoll and Katie Duckworth, each of whom brings their own unique experience to our sector. 

Over the next month, we’ll be highlighting what’s on offer via guest blogs from Dan and Katie.  Our second is here for you now, calling on charity retail leaders to reclaim clarity, confidence, and purpose through focused coaching. We hope you enjoy it – and read our first blog by Dan here

By Katie Duckworth – KatieDuckworth.com

It’s 6pm on a rainy Thursday and you’re still in the office (or dashing home from one of your shops). Your phone and email have been buzzing all day with messages about stock rotation, volunteer schedules, and that drop in footfall.

Meanwhile, you’re supposed to be implementing a new digital strategy, hitting some seriously ambitious targets, and maintaining the sense of purpose that got you into this work in the first place.

It can be overwhelming, I know.

Yet, there’s so much to love about your work

As a charity retail leader, you know the sector is chock-full of opportunities. From collaborations with businesses keen to focus on sustainable fashion, to shops having a more meaningful role in their communities.

It’s an exciting time to be in our sector.

But, the pressures are going nowhere:

• Tighter budgets than ever

• Climbing retail rents and operational costs
• Competition from online outlets and commercial resellers
• Recruiting and retaining fabulous staff and volunteers
• Lower quality donations.

I know how hard you work. How passionate you are. But, how on earth to navigate it all?

How coaching helps

I’ve coached charity leaders from middle-managers to CEOs, supporting them, not just to survive, but to thrive in complex and pressured environments.

These leaders have shared a clear message with me about how coaching has been pivotal. They tell me it provides two essential things:

1. Time and space
2. A confidential ‘critical friend.’

In my experience, leaders find it almost impossible to take the time for their own personal and professional development. (How often do you get that in your work as you rush from one thing to another?)

And yet you’re supposed to be all over everything! And thinking big!

It’s hard to get clarity, direction and self-knowledge when you hardly have time to breathe.

Coaching will give you this vital space. It is purposefully carved-out time to raise your head up above your day-to-day challenges and be curious and creative about yourself and your work.

And it can be lonely being a leader, too. Having a ‘challenging cheerleader’ by your side with whom you can share confidential issues or private worries is truly precious. You get to investigate tricky issues, mess up, learn from failures, and get fresh perspective from someone with no agenda other than to see you shine.

So, what exactly can coaching help with?

• Stepping up into a new leadership role – Area Manager, for instance, or Director of Retail
• Building rock-solid self-belief and confidence in yourself (yes, this is getting in your way)
• Honing communication skills so you facilitate your team to even greater things
• Learning how to delegate better or have difficult conversations (an important part of leadership, but so often put off)
• Navigating a nervous team through big change on the horizon
• Managing your time and energy because, let’s face it, you’re not far off burnout.

It’s a coach’s job to ‘let you know you how it is’, holding up a mirror to the blind spots and assumptions you’d made which, if you’re truly honest, disempower you and frustrate your team.

How handy would that be? If a little scary!

‘Short burst’ 1-1 coaching

I’m passionate about charity retail and committed to supporting leaders to thrive and love their work so they’re even more impactful in their leadership.

In my role with The Charity Retail Consultancy, I have created an intro coaching package to support you in yours.

This bespoke four-week programme includes:

• One 60-minute Zoom coaching session to get clear on priorities and set ambitious goals for our work together
• Weekly 15-minute ‘Critical Comrade’ coaching calls so you stay on track (these can be combined into longer sessions.)
• Ongoing email support so you never need feel stuck or alone (and for celebration, accountability and encouragement)

Your investment: £400

Yep,  I know what you’re thinking!

Are you kidding me? ! can’t possibly invest that much in me!

I get it. Coaching feels like a luxury you can’t afford, right? But truly it shouldn’t be.

The things is, coaching is an investment in the mission, not just in you as an individual.

To carry out that mission you need to be fully supported in your leadership capacity if you’re to lead others successfully and effect the change that needs to happen.

Coaching is not a frivolous jolly. It’s not fluffy.

Yes, you get a friend and cheerleader but I can tell you, it’s ‘tough love’ too! I invite you to think of coaching as a hard-working deposit, a vital investment in the core work of your organisation, rather than a withdrawal from your hard-earned funds.

Coaching will have a tangible effect on the bottom line. (It’s notoriously hard to determine return on investment, but I’ve heard 500%+ ROI. That’s not pocket money, is it?)

In this current climate leaders need a coach more than ever to give them the edge to find creative solutions.

The fact is working with a coach is about taking top performance seriously. It’s about saying “I’m great at my job. I want to be even better and build a happy and productive team while taking care of my wellbeing, building my resilience and honing my leadership skills.”

Ready to take the next step?

Let’s talk

I’d love to invite you for a no-pressure chat about my ‘Short Burst’ coaching programme.

My style is warm, playful and practical, and my approach is simple – happier people create better results.

If that sounds good to you, drop me a line at katie@katieduckworth.com or connect with me on LinkedIn

Let’s have an honest conversation about where you are, where you want to be, and how we might work alongside each other to get you there.

Want practical leadership tips and tools? Check out my 100+ blogs at www.katieduckworth.com

“The experience of being coached by Katie has been transformational.

My skills, capacities and confidence have all improved.

I absolutely love Katie’s coaching style, which she tailored to my needs and situation. She saw me through the highs and lows of a challenging work situation, helping me navigate the complexities and keep going when things were exceptionally difficult.”

Paula Valentine, Save the Children

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