Background
After 10 years in the publishing industry, I changed career and retrained to work in training and coaching. I have degrees in English and Psychology, professional training and qualifications in training (CIPD qualified), coaching (ILM levels 5 and 7), and stress prevention and management (Certificate in Organisational and Occupational Stress Management). I have three years' part-time training in Transactional Analysis, which provides helpful ways of looking at personality and how we interact with others.
Expertise
People management and personal development training and coaching are my main areas of expertise. I work with people on raising self awareness and awareness of others in terms of behaviour, attitudes and emotions in order to be effective in their working roles and develop their careers. I coach managers at all levels by facilitating and challenging their thinking and providing information (not advice!) which will help them to develop themselves.
I use the Functional Fluency model of communication to help managers and team members to have the difficult conversations which provide clarity and enable productive working relationships.
I have a special interest in women's development, having been a provider of the Springboard Women's Development Programme for many years, and provided career development coaching to women at all levels.
Clients and Testimonials
Previous clients include organisations both large and small in public, private and voluntary sectors. This is a sample of the most recent:
Sony Professional Solutions (Europe)
University of Oxford
Dorothy House Hospice
Vodafone plc
Oxford Medical Ltd.
NEO Performance Materials
Macmillan Education Ltd.
SSAFA Forces Help
I also work on a part-time basis as a Staff Development Consultant for Oxford Brookes University.
Testimonials for coaching - see below for training
"Valerie gave me some managerial coaching recently. Her perception built on many years of personal experience, allied to a sound understanding of the psychology of management, greatly assisted me in managing several highly unusual and problematic issues I was dealing with at the time. I would have no hesitation in recommending Valerie to other managers in the hope that they would benefit similarly."
Wylie Horn, Section Manager, NSMS (Network Systems Management Service), University of Oxford
“I went on a standard management course about four years ago. I must say that personal coaching has proved to be much more useful and has, I think, greater ‘stickability’ because I could learn directly from my own experiences. ”
NHS Senior Manager
“I found personal coaching an excellent way to work through a number of key issues… I now have a tool kit of strategies which will help me face my new future.”
Rachel Reese, Deputy Director, College of Law
“I feel very pleased with the way it went. I feel that I have more insight into why I react as I do in certain circumstances and have acquired some tools to deal with my reactions. I am also aware that this is just the beginning and that I need to go on working at these different ways of thinking if I am not to lose what I have started to understand.“
Project Manager, Publishing
“You are a fabulous listener of great experience and profound insight into the sheer complexity of management and leadership - you've challenged me really interestingly.”
University Senior Manager
Testimonials for Training
“Valerie designed and delivered training sessions for reviewers and reviewees on the University of Oxford Personal Development Review (appraisal) scheme. She worked independently with individual academic departments to tailor requirements to their particular circumstances and cultures. She was always unfailingly prompt, professional in her dealings with all staff and supremely well organized. All her sessions were engaging and well structured and she received excellent feedback from participants at all levels and grades.”
Trudy Coe, Head of Professional Development, Oxford Learning Institute, University of Oxford
“Valerie Fawcett has provided training and coaching for myself and my staff over the past 20 years. A highly-organised professional, Valerie makes a great effort to understand her clients’ needs and delivers training and coaching in a safe and non-threatening environment. Her style is inclusive and outcome-driven. Encouraged by Valerie’s careful relationship-building, delegates feel able to personalise key elements of the training courses and thus gain maximum benefit from the sessions. Her style is entirely appropriate and her manner always professional. “
Sue Bale, Publishing Director, Macmillan Education
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