What was going on in your business & life when you began to work with Megan?

My name is Karen Mitchell. I'm Chief Exec of Cumbria Action for Sustainability, otherwise known as CAfS. We're a charity, I have about 40 staff, and we have a turnover of just over a million. Our vision is Zero Carbon Cumbria, which is economically, environmentally and socially beneficial for everybody. We do this by working with communities, organisations, businesses, and individuals to help inspire and support them through that transition from high carbon to low carbon living and working. 

I also have another hat that I wear, which is Co-Chair of something called the Zero Carbon Cumbria Partnership. This is a collaboration of around 80 organisations, many diverse organisations from across Cumbria, and we're all working together to figure out the complexity of the pathway to net zero carbon by 2037. 

When I first contacted Megan, I was drowning. Cumbria Action for Sustainability had been growing like topsy, we'd more than doubled in size in a couple of years, and it was difficult to keep up with the pace of change. I was absolutely drowning in emails, I think I had something like 1000 unread emails at that point. I felt that my productivity was low, that I was unable to give any time at all to the issues that really needed some decent time and space to think about the kind of deep stuff. I felt I was drowning in management stuff and I didn't feel I was doing leadership. Yeah, and it was not an enjoyable experience. For me, I've had that Sunday evening dread for Monday mornings, which isn't something that I was accustomed to, because I've always loved my work. So yeah, I really needed help.

What hesitation or concerns did you have about working with Megan?

My first concern about working with Megan was whether I was worthy - whether I was worthy of the cost to the organisation, bearing in mind we're a relatively small charity. But my Trustees were very supportive and they knew how important it was for the Chief Exec to have a coach, so that was helpful. I guess the other concern was just the time, I was drowning in stuff, tasks I had to do and I just thought oh my god it's another hour out of my time several weeks in a row. I just wasn't sure that I could give it the attention and time that it would really need.

What specific results have you achieved?

Since working with Megan, I have got a lot done. It's been brilliant. I've got a new finance and resource manager who's absolutely fantastic. I've got a new marketing manager who's also absolutely brilliant. I've initiated a major rebrand of the organisation, which I'm incredibly excited about. I've got my emails under control and I've got a much better way and system for planning long term, medium term, and short term. I feel like my productivity is much better than it was when I first started. I'm also clear about my delegation to staff. Megan has also helped me through unravelling some specific knotty issues around staff relations and performance management.

One of my favourite things that I did with Megan was to go through the process of defining my personal mission statement, which really helped me think about what my rewards are from doing this job, what it is that sustains me, the approach that I take to things, and the principles that I apply to how I work. I just found it really useful and a powerful way of helping ensure that the job I do is one that I actually really enjoy. So I just feel, also actually as a result of that, that you know what, I'm pretty good at my job. So that was a really helpful process.

What did you like most about working with Megan?

What I've really liked about working with Megan is that she gets it, she gets this sector that I'm working in, she gets how crucial tackling climate change is, and she gets the complexity of it and the pressure that comes with trying to make a difference there. So, not only have we got the kind of day-to-day pressure of managing an organisation, but then there's this other much bigger thing that we're trying to fix, which is scary and really tough. She just innately gets that, which is brilliant. She asks fantastic questions and she's brilliant at capturing your responses. So she was just so good at listening to me speak when I was trying to understand what the issue was myself; she was really good at capturing the essence of an issue, and then feeding that back to me, and then bringing in all sorts of tips and advice and processes that we could go through. She also provided material that was really relevant to my situation, which I can still draw on. So all of that was fab. She's also just a lovely person, and she put up with my swearing, and at times crying. She was just great to work with. I couldn't recommend Megan more highly.

What was the biggest thing that you took away from working with Megan?

The biggest thing that I took away with me, after working with Megan, is that I can do this job, and I can enjoy it again. So that's been a massive, massive relief, actually. Also, I feel very clear that Chief Execs really do need a coach or somebody that can take on that role, if not a professional coach then somebody who can be that trusted sounding board, that can be that mirror. Also, that there are tools and tips and books and all sorts of sources of helpful information out there and there's absolutely no shame in using those or asking for help. I'm really keen to now try and embed this whole culture of coaching through the rest of the organisation because I have found it so personally valuable.

What do you think would have happened if you hadn’t worked with Megan?

If I hadn't hired Megan, my confidence would have continued to disintegrate. I think I would have relatively quickly ended up in burnout and I think I would have ended up resigning because it was a thought that was starting to come into my mind before I contacted Megan.

Who would you recommend to work with Megan?

I think you should work with Megan, if you're in a leadership role of any kind, and it might be a role that you feel is actually going well at the moment and working with somebody like Megan can help you do even better. And if it's going badly, well then you definitely need support. I would also love to see people who like me work in the environmental sector working with Megan, because we've got a really tough job to do. We're trying to save the planet basically, and we need all the help that we can get.