Sue Mitchell

Sue Mitchell, PhD, MAC, AMInstLM

Dr Sue Mitchell has over 20 years’ experience as a trainer and coach.  Through her unique combination of practical and academic strengths, you benefit from well informed coaching that draws on insights from diverse situations, cultures and experiences to help you gain a fresh perspective, focus, clarity and inspiration. Sue draws on skills from her coaching and training experience and also running a business, leading expeditions and years of scientific research in behaviour and evolutionary ecology, to hone in on the issues, discover patterns, uncover assumptions and understand change and the impact of change. 

Sue is 100% committed to supporting her clients to stretch their boundaries and discover the best in themselves, their team and their organisation.

"Can do attitude" – Sue has a flexible and positive outlook, with a solutions focused perspective, and helps you to develop and maintain a positive approach. Sue is adaptable, responsive and responsible.

"Active listening, non-judgemental and insightful reflection" – to help you gain clarity and focus to develop a strong and purposeful approach.

"Stimulating, challenging, provoking and supporting" – Sue is able to ask probing and searching questions in a supportive way for you to gain a fresh perspective:

·       Raise your awareness by challenging assumptions you haven't realised you are making.

·       Allow you to discover thoughts and knowledge "bubbling below the surface"

·       Deepen your reflective learning and widen the opportunities this brings you.

Evidence of Key Competencies

Specific sectors where Sue has worked as a coach, trainer or facilitator include: government, education, prison service, enterprise, finance, telecoms, engineering, life sciences, aviation, retail, publishing, not-for-profit, small business, sport and the military. Sue has also worked with individuals from all walks of life who contact her directly.

Executive Coaching– 1:1 coaching with senior executives at Director and board level, in the public, private and not-for-profit sectors.  Examples include: 1) contracts for six month and 12 month 1:1 coaching support for directors with strongly technical / engineering backgrounds to step up to a higher level, more strategic role, with meetings twice a month initially to start the process and once a month thereafter. 2) six hours coaching for a newly promoted chief executive in the public sector to balance the higher demands of her new role, support the manager who took over her previous role without doing it for her and set strategy.

Performance Coaching- 1:1 coaching, group coaching and team workshops with staff, first time and middle level managers, and individuals for private coaching. Examples include: 1) six 1:1 sessions with a first time manager, combining tutorial and coaching support to clarify objectives, plan task and people management requirements and identify theoretical and practical learning required to enhance her confidence and performance. 2) three 1:1 sessions over three weeks with a new team leader in a national retail company who successfully achieved her objective to overcome hostility within her team, create alignment and achieve results within a tight deadline.

Career Coaching– 1:1 coaching and workshops. Examples include 1) creating a personal development plan with participants on an emerging leaders programme in a national telecoms company. Sue stretched her clients' horizons to set higher long term aspirations and they achieved their three year ambitions during the six month programme. 2) working with individual clients to plan their promotion or identify a career move and to work to their strengths.

Confidence Coaching– 1:1 coaching. Examples include 1) someone who felt she was putting on a confident face at work that was not really her, and felt stressed, very alone and without friends or a personal life. We used some exercises to build positive thinking and combat negative self-talk. I encouraged her to come up with ideas for reconnecting with herself and other people and held her accountable to carry out her chosen plans between sessions. Through coaching, she transformed the way she viewed herself and her life, and she not only felt confident but was more active socially, built up a circle of friends and gained a promotion at work.  2) Building up self esteem and confidence: my client recognised during our sessions that she had very strong negative self talk that held her back and made her believe she could not try anything new.  She learned to recognise when she had negative thoughts and to change them to believable positive alternatives; to use ways to find inner calm and peace; and to take steps to stretch her  comfort zone. She knew she had my support and my total belief in her positive side.

Management and Leadership Development – through training, facilitated workshops and coaching.

Board Facilitation and Team Development  –  Examples include 1) working with the board of a third sector organisation to clarify the vision, mission, purpose, values, behaviours, forward direction and strategy and developing appropriate communication to bring the management and staff on board.  2) working with the partners of an international consultancy to develop their vision and strategy for growth through aligning personal and organisational values; getting to know each other better; clarifying their capabilities and team roles so they could maximise their strengths; and creating a solid sense of purpose and clarity.       

Psychometric profiling – Sue uses a range of profiling tools that are matched to her client requirements, including EQ-i (Emotional Intelligence), ILM72 (Leadership Styles), MTQ48 (Mental Toughness), Personality (based on a Big 5 model), Engage and 360 degree feedback.  

Training – Sue creates and facilitates highly participatory workshops and courses in a range of topics including coaching skills, emotional intelligence, leadership styles, resilience, mental toughness and peak performance. Sue delivers open courses in Edinburgh through her own consultancy and also in-house tailored courses and seminars. Sue has designed four courses on coaching skills and leadership that are recognised as ILM Development Programmes.

Relevant Career Credentials

Sue's professional approach to coaching includes relevant qualifications, regular CPD and membership of professional bodies (AC, IOD, ILM).

Current coaching, training and consultant positions:

Director & Coach – Aeona since 2006 (Aeona Limited since 2010)

Consultant – Bray Leino Broadskill since 2011

Associate – Gold Performance Coaching since 2010

Associate – AQR Ltd since 2010

Business Mentor – Scottish Chambers of Commerce & Scottish Enterprise since 2009

Committee Member – Edinburgh Branch, Association for Coaching since 2008

Consultant – Spot-on Data since 2004

Trainer – British Sub-Aqua Club since 1988; 

Previous positions have included: NERC PostDoctoral Research Fellow, Max-Planck Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Research Assistant, Expedition Director.