Clayton Glen: coaching executive talent to be ‘even better’
Developing your 'licence' to overcome challenges, pinpoint opportunities and enhance your leadership impact.
About me:
Driven by a 25 year passion for developing and engaging people in business; my career has spanned corporate HR leadership (in FMCG, Automotive and Professional Services), venture capital funded technology start-up HR leadership (Mobile Music / Technology) and international HR consultancy leadership; together with international HR consultancy execution, project leadership, and executive / team assessment and coaching. I have also lectured a localised MBA HR Strategy module and set related assignment and exam papers for Cardiff Business School.
As past Chief Executive of HDA Associates, a 40+ year old London-based HR consultancy and as current owner of ImaginativeHR, a well-established UK and international HR consultancy with over 150 associates, I have been fortunate to partner with many world-class organisations across most sectors, (in 35 countries across all continents), to deliver people solutions which creatively align organisational, team and individual interests.
I have lived and worked in the UK, the USA and South Africa and have had accountability for the UK, Continental Europe, the USA and Southern Africa during my career.
With significant experience and empathy partnering leaders across most sectors, (see clients below), I have a particular passion for supporting the digital, creative and media sectors, senior start-up leadership teams, senior women in business and HR professionals at all levels.
Promotion of coaching, coaching cultures and mentoring networks:
Over the past 15+ years, I have been an active and passionate proponent of the impact and potential ROI of both executive and team coaching and the value of ‘consciously developed’ coaching cultures; following my career path shift from HR leadership to HR consultancy in 2003.
I have scoped and managed innovative and impactful executive and team coaching assignments and projects on all continents, (delivered physically and / or virtually by teams of ICF, AC, ILM and EMCC-accredited professional associate coaches and facilitators), have been nominated for related team coaching awards, (e.g. here) and have researched the impact of effective coaching via a range of studies, (e.g. here).
I also co-developed an international voluntary HR-to-HR mentoring network in 2013, (see more here); focused on a) providing early-career HR professionals with the opportunity to absorb learned experiences and wisdom, b) providing seasoned HR director-level professionals with the (‘give-back’) opportunity to practically develop their mentoring skill and c) developing unique enduring relationships based on mutual learning, dialogue, experience-based guidance, challenge and trust.
One-to-one coaching objectives:
Working face-to-face, virtually and / or telephonically, subject to individual preferences; I coach senior leaders, to C-level, to:
- enhance self-awareness
- develop and refine leadership behaviours and success strategies
- nurture and refine stakeholder management strategies
- develop effective delegation and personal efficiency practices
- promote idea-generation, innovation and out-the-box disruptive thinking
- develop decisiveness and discipline
- enhance personal impact and effectiveness
- develop and reinforce self-confidence
- develop executive presence
- resolve challenging stakeholder conflict
- make and communicate difficult decisions
- embrace ethical, respectful and distributive practices
- develop cultural awareness
- reinforce authentic personal / leadership narratives and brands
- develop evidence-focus
- follow through on specific leadership commitments
- build a legacy
- achieve work-life balance and remain healthy
I develop a comprehensive coaching brief focused on addressing a prioritised list of salient ‘transformational’ coaching objectives. Once clear traction is evident on key transformational objectives, programmes routinely shift to as-needed ‘tactical’ focus on e.g. upcoming key / high-stakes pitches, presentations, meetings and challenging conversations.
One-to-one coaching style:
Each one-to-one coaching relationship is underpinned by the following 8 commitments:
- Results orientation – getting to the gist and ensuring that the engagement remains outcomes-focused throughout
- Honesty – facing up to the truth and being blunt where it supports the coaching engagement
- Energy – maintaining traction on progress via unbroken challenge and encouragement
- Value-add – maintaining traction via a commitment to adding value throughout the engagement
- Positivity – developing coachee confidence through optimism of what is possible
- Judgement – providing perspective; knowing when to challenge and when to reinforce
- Flexibility – being able to seamlessly pivot, given any changes of direction sought by the coachee or required, given contextual developments at any time, (including pivoting from coach to mentor/ advisor, as required)
- Sensitivity – active listening and sensitive questioning; not losing sight of the coachee’s humanity, views, needs and fears in progressing towards tangible results
I place importance on providing thorough post-coaching follow up notes, shortly following the conclusion of each coaching session; including summarising key outcomes and reinforcing agreed next steps. I also routinely encourage clients to seek ongoing support between sessions, to aid the learning process, embed learning and encourage ‘energy’ throughout the programme duration.
One-to-one coaching tools and personal differentiation:
My coaching ‘toolbox’ includes an array of assessments *, tools and techniques, tailored to each client’s specific needs; flexibly building self-insight, providing structure for problem solving / opportunity creation and introducing reflective space to encourage creative agility.
(* I routinely incorporate the powerful self-awareness generated by Lumina Spark and Lumina Spark Coach in my coaching)
I have a particular interest in exploring and developing:
- personal ‘agency’
- personal resiliency (‘pushing through’)
- influence via achieving personal ‘licence’
- purposeful progress (vs success by lucky breaks)
- the role of high value networks
- disruptive thinking
- high road vs low road choices
- accurate attribution and sequence-acknowledgement
- evidence-based thinking
Professional coaching commitments:
I subscribe to The Global Code of Ethics for Coaches, Mentors and (Coach) Supervisors, endorsed by the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC), the Association for Coaching (AC), the Association for Professional Executive Coaching and Supervision (APECS) and the International Mentoring Association (IMA). The Global Code of Ethics is aligned with the EU registered Professional Charter for Coaching and Mentoring, drafted in accordance with European law.
Appreciating that my journey as an executive coach requires firm commitment to ongoing professional development (CPD); per the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC) Competence Framework, I commit, as a Senior Practitioner to using reflective practice with supervision to identify salient points / sensory detail, both in my client interactions and across my practice – implementing and evaluating specific behavioural changes to my practice on an ongoing basis.
My qualifications and professional memberships:
- BA degree in Psychology
- Advanced Business Programme (Hons)
- MBA (University of Wales), and have lectured (part-time) in Human Resources Strategy on the same programme.
- ILM 7 Diploma in Coaching and Mentoring
- Accredited Lumina Spark Assessor
- Accredited Thomas International DISC PPA Assessor
- DDI Interaction Management ® (IM) Facilitator
- Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (FRSA)
See a list of organisations I’ve supported below:
Addison Lee, ADP, Arla, Arriva, Assurant, Bunzl Plc, Bwin, Cazenove, Celerant (Hitachi Consulting), Coca-Cola, Comedy Central, DfT, DHL, Dixons Carphone, EA Games (including EA Sports, DICE and Bioware), EMAP, EMI, England Rugby, ES Global, Expedia, Fairtrade, Fed-Ex/TNT, Fiat, Fidelity, Framestore, Fuse Media, Game, Gluru (KareHQ), Harley Davidson, Henkel, HMRC, Holland & Barrett, Honda Motors Europe, Honda Racing, Honda Finance, Honda UK, ISFE (The Interactive Software Federation of Europe), ITN, JP Morgan, Kambi, Lehman Brothers, Liquidnet, Macmillan, Marie Stopes, McAfee, Mizkan, MTV, NHS, NuvoTV, Porsche, PostNord, Qantas, QinetiQ, Roche, Saga Plc, Shire Pharmaceuticals, Shopzilla, Sohonet, Sony Music, Technicolor, The Global Fund, TUI Group, TUI Airways, Universal Music, Virgin Money, Virgin Trains, Willis & others.
See a list of ImaginativeHR’s recent and current clients here.
