Communications coaching

Preparing for board positions/on-boarding

Women in Leadership Programme

Services include individual leadership communications coaching to improve performance and personal impact skills; coaching and training in groups for pitch preparation or presentations; individual and group training in behavioural awareness and influencing skills to improve confidence

Effective communication skills are the cornerstone of successful leadership. Clear and unambiguous verbal and non-verbal communications help to motivate and influence others. We are judged more frequently and often more harshly in a highly visible society where everything and everyone appears on social and digital media. Knowing how to deliver a message to an audience, being self-selecting in the content we give others, understanding how we are perceived in front of a few people or in front of thousands are all considered in communications coaching. Core communication skills can be taught and small changes in language, delivery and behaviour can have a dramatic effect on confidence and the perception of our competence.

"My coaching sessions with Anita have been invaluable, enabling me to present effectively and persuasively at board level by equipping me with better communication and presentation skills. I can’t recommend her highly enough." Finance Director, arts organisation

As boards become increasingly inclusive and organisations look beyond established networks to recruit suitable candidates to contribute to effective governance and represent stakeholder interests, so the need for coaching can become more imperative.

We work with individuals to prepare and become an effective member of a board. Board members are usually selected for a specific set of skills or knowledge. We offer coaching in broader behavioural and leadership skills to build confidence and personal impact. This usually includes developing an understanding of board dynamics, improving communication skills and the use of effective language. Advice on internal and external communications techniques and strategies is often included to help build and manage reputation. Becoming more accomplished in the behavioural aspects of leadership helps to improve the perception of competence and boosts confidence. Some of the areas we focus on include:

Delivery: effective articulation, how to personalise language to make you more believable
Content: shaping convincing arguments, being concise, crafting a message
Handling pressure: strategies and techniques to become more effective
How to interject: getting your point across
Personal impact: first impressions and how to manage them
Conflict: dealing with difficult questions or scenarios
Presentation techniques: how to build gravitas, inject personality and individuality
Stakeholder communications: understanding the role of the board in communicating with all the organisations' publics
Reputation management: individual reputation, board reputation, organisation reputation and how they all work together

I established a Women in Leadership Programme to meet the challenges of gender diversity for businesses and individuals. The programme provides coaching in communications and key leadership skills training to build confidence in the workplace, to help meet promotional goals and build resilience. I work with graduates, middle management levels and women right up to board level.

Confidence is a result, a tool-kit of skills and self-awareness that turns thoughts into action. Improving confidence can be achieved through training and practice. Levels of confidence can dip soon after entering the workplace, as Bain & Company discovered.

In 2014 Bain published findings from a five year research project surveying over 1,000 men and women at all career levels. Over time the report showed that women’s ambitions drop more than 60% while men’s stay the same. See full report: http://www.bain.com/publications/articles/everyday-moments-of-truth.aspx

Course objectives

Examine limiting behaviours that can prevent women from making the desired impact in the workplace
Understand the perception of behaviour and gender stereotypes that can influence attitudes towards success
Discuss the required language, attitudes, behaviours and leadership skills required for women to succeed in complex organisations and corporate environments
Understand influencing skills, learn how to become more effective, and to manage stressful situations
Use the camera as a mirror to bring awareness of physical and communications challenges candidates may have; examine the content of narrative, identifying strengths and weaknesses
Explore the imperatives of performing in a 1-2-1 interview situation as well as a group panel situation, managing difficult question and answer scenarios
Develop understanding of how to frame your message, articulate well, manage an audience, when to use humour and the importance of non-verbal communications

Clients include women from the London Stock Exchange, Royal Navy, GSK, Starwood Hotels, Standard Chartered, Lloyds Banking Group, Bayer and Olswang

The Confidence Gap: a one day course for women leaders aiming for board level

From Boardroom to Question Time

Join the latest one day course in our Women in Leadership Programme series on Thursday 12th January to gain key leadership skills and boost your confidence through behavioural awareness and communications expertise. You will work with experienced coaches Alex Turk and Anita Hamilton and a small group of women to develop your leadership style, understand the importance of influence and to improve your personal impact skills through a filmed Question Time style debate.

Courses are held at the prestigious think-tank Asia House in New Cavendish Street in central London. We limit the number of participants to a maximum of 10 to allow for individual development. Recent attendees include senior women, either at board level or identified talent aiming for board positions, from the civil service, financial services, digital companies, corporate communications, the armed forces, the media, major energy businesses and across the arts sector. The cost is £695 and includes lunch and all refreshments.

To find out more about the course, next dates and availability contact anita@hamiltonconsulting.org.uk 020 8742 0566

This one-day course is run in partnership with the leading executive coaching firm in London, White Water Group. The aim of the session is to provide emerging women leaders with skills in communications and an understanding of the behaviours that support women's success in the workplace. Course content is based on the original principles established in my Women in Leadership Programme and is delivered by my coaching partner Alex Turk and me. Participants receive feedback on communications and personal impact and take part in a filmed debate loosely based on the popular BBC current affairs TV programme Question Time.

Participants have included women from the Royal Navy, the BBC, RBS, the insurance specialists Beazeley, Condé Nast, 7 Digital, Dulwich Picture Gallery, London Stock Exchange Group, the Home Office, BNP Paribas and Barclays.

See an overview of the course here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LN7zlCjnaY