Annie takes an intuitive and creative approach to both aspects of her coaching practice, describing her style of coaching as simple, intuitive, facilitative and flexible. Her work is underpinned by an eclectic mix of different approaches and theoretical traditions she has learnt through practical hands-on experience and an ongoing commitment to academic learning.
A bit of background…
Annie Kimblin, MA, MBA, draws on 31 years of experience within the NHS where she held a number of senior positions; in intensive care nursing (Senior Sister), strategic and operational nursing management (Deputy Director of Nursing), and learning and personal development (Head of Learning and Development) at the Oxford Radcliffe NHS Trust.
After successfully completing a Diploma in Coaching and Mentoring in 1999, she set up an in-house coaching and mentoring practice for health care professionals within the Oxford Radcliffe hospital. Here, she gained valuable knowledge and coaching experience whilst working with a variety of managers and team leaders from different professional backgrounds.
Since leaving the NHS and setting up the Looking Glass Consultancy, Annie has worked on coaching contracts in Universities, Local Government organisations, Health Insurance Companies, other NHS Trusts and with private clients.
Reflection
Reflective practice features strongly in Annie’s day to day work with clients; hence the name of her company. She believes reflection is one of the cornerstones of her professional practice because it opens up a coachee’s conscious and unconscious mind to what is actually happening in and around them. The reflective process encourages the coachee to examine and explore a situation from different angles or perspectives and to question or challenge the limiting beliefs, assumptions, unhelpful thoughts and feelings that hold them back and stop them doing what they really want to do.
Building a good working relationship
Another important aspect of Annie’s approach is her investment in the relationship with the coachee. Experience to date has taught her that most relationships work well either because of the natural chemistry that might exist between two people or because both parties to a coaching agreement are committed to the process and invest their time and energy in building and strengthening the professional working relationship or learning partnership that exists between them.