Neil Johnston Case Studies

Coach to Coach

When even the experts need a helping hand

Who does a career coach turn to when he needs a mentor, or when he has a client with some deep-rooted personal problems?

Managing Consultant and Career Coach, Andrew Jenkins, is in no doubt: the person he can depend on for a clear-sighted perspective and practical assistance is Neil Johnston.

When Andrew established his own coaching and recruitment business after four years in the industry in Tasmania and Victoria he was vitally aware of the need to establish a network of professional advisers who could provide support and honest feedback to ensure he stayed on track.

“Neil fulfils dual roles in my professional life: first, he mentors me in my own personal direction as well as acting as a referral point for clients I may be dealing with who sometimes have personal issues which are holding them back from achieving their work goals,” Andrew says. “Neil has impressive strengths in both these areas which make him an ideal facilitator and life coach.”

Find out how an experienced coach is helping Andrew achieve his career goals.

From good intentions to strategic direction

Working with at risk young people is not easy and it’s not for everyone says Mary-anne Evans, co-ordinator and founding member of Oenghus. Finding a skilled strategist to guide the good intentions of the executive members into formulating a five year plan with a clear strategic direction for the organisation was even tougher, she says.

That was until they found coaching professional Neil Johnston.

Oenghus (a Celtic word meaning ‘journeyman’) was formed in Tasmania about five years ago to support young, at risk people with practical, hands-on programs to steer them through some of life’s big challenges. Executive members include educators, business professionals, health and community service workers and community volunteers.

“We were all there with the very best intentions but Neil challenged us to really look at what we were doing, why we thought it was necessary, what we were doing that was different and how we wanted Oenghus to grow and develop,” Mary-anne said.

“After 12 months working with Neil, Oenghus was revitalized: we had a clear strategic direction, we were focused, we knew what we wanted to do and how we were going to do it.”

Read about the qualities Neil brought to the process

Turning an unhappy group into a cohesive team

Turning an unhappy workplace group into a cohesive, harmonious team is one of Neil Johnston’s strengths. So Carolyn Nichols, a senior manager with Skills Tasmania, knew just who to go to when she was faced with some difficult team issues.

Carolyn says that when she took on the role of Manager Training Agreements she found that a rapidly changing work environment and entrenched personality conflicts among some employees had led to a breakdown in team relationships which required urgent attention.

“Skills Tasmania has an important role to play in managing training agreements put in place between apprentices, trainees and their employers,” she explains. “We are responsible for administering and registering training contracts, sorting out any problems and ensuring that all parties abide by the guidelines.

“When you’re dealing with external and internal clients you have to perform at your best and that wasn’t happening because of the internal team conflicts.”

She admits she gave Neil some particularly tough cases to deal with, including employees who were inherently suspicious of the motives behind the team development and coaching program.

“Neil overcame their resistance and got them to open up to him. They responded to his personality, his caring nature and his independence. They realised he wanted to help them and that paved the way for an honest discussion and some great results,” she says.

Find out how Neil solved Carolyn’s workplace challenges.