Do-s and Don’t-s for Career Break Return Women Lawyers
Here is the link to my latest blog on behalf of Oxford Women in Law (OWL), founded in 2014 as a network for Oxford Law Alumni of all genders. It covers the do-s and don't-s of career break returners in law and includes my top tips for overcoming the most common...
read more
How returning to work typically affects child sleep
Latest Blog post in conjunction with Little Sleep Stars on the challenges of and solutions to a return to work after maternity leave. https://littlesleepstars.com/stories/how-returning-to-work-typically-affects-child-sleep
read more
Solving the Retention Crisis for Women in Law: The Profession’s rude awakening after a half century sleep walk
International Women’s Day, March 8th 2019 There is much to celebrate today, International Women’s Day 2019, reflecting on the last 100 years of women in law. I was at the Temple Women’s Forum last week, doing precisely that, with the likes of Baroness Helena Kennedy...
read more
Mental Toughness: A Choice We Make
Follow the link below to my latest guest blog for Truth Legal on Mental Toughness https://www.truthlegal.com/mental-toughness-a-choice-we-make/
read more
Women in Law: Rising to the Challenges
Link to article for The Criminal Bar Association Criminal Bar Quarterly - see from p.28 onwards. https://www.criminalbar.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/CBA_Winter_2018.pdf
read more
Wellbeing at Work: What’s your Strategy?
Barristers in the grip of a mental health crisis According to an article in The Guardian (6.5.18), Barristers in England and Wales are “in the grip of a mental health crisis”. A survey for The Bar Council reveal that nearly half of participating counsel said they...
read more
Making a Career in Law work: Priorities & Planning
Link to most recent blog for The Law Society https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/news/blog/making-a-career-in-law-work-priorities-and-planning/
read more
Former death row lawyer aims to help women achieve their goals: Yorkshire Post, 12th Nov. 18
https://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/business/meet-the-former-death-row-lawyer-who-aims-to-help-women-achieve-their-goals-1-9440065
read more
Confidence Breeds Confidence: Guest blog for GPS Return, 1st May 2018
As a Corporate and Executive Coach specialising in coaching lawyers, I note with interest how clients’ words and tone on occasion betray an under- confidence not immediately associated with the profession.
read more
You are Worth It!! Guest blog for GPS Return, 6th March 2018
https://www.gpsreturn.co.uk/tips/worthit
read more
Stop Saying Yes, Start Saying No: Guest Blog for The Law Society, 10th July 2018
https://www.lawsociety.org.uk/news/blog/stop-saying-yes-start-saying-no/
read more
Clarity, Connection and Confidence: Coaching Tips to Inspire and Get Results
I spoke recently at the Leeds Launch event of Women in the Law UK. The theme was Clarity, Connection and Confidence. Delegates, particularly those at a career crossroads or “deciding to decide” on promotion, said they found it an inspiring piece, Here then, a summary...
read more
Coaching or Mentoring: Which is right for you?
Coaching and Mentoring: An established need for Women to support other Women I have recently delivered coaching workshops to several membership groups for female lawyers. Notably, the Women in Criminal Law and Women in the Law UK groups have, as part of their...
read more
Choosing Positive over Negative: Making a Conscious Choice
Unconscious Bias An American Business School Case Study undertaken in the Noughties examined perceptions of men and women in the workplace. An identical (and truthful) story about a successful venture capitalist was told to the students with only one detail changed to...
read more
The Digital Age: A Help or Hindrance to our ability to “Own” Time?
There can be no argument that the digital age has made the world a smaller and more accessible place, and that opportunities, in particular for women, to work flexibly within the work place have improved immeasurably with the rise in remote working and the so called...
read more
First Year Reflections: Acorns, Oak Trees & Icebergs- 10 Top Tips to Get Your Business Started
A year ago to the day, on 14 August 2017, Nikki Alderson Coaching launched. And what a year it’s been. A year in which I’ve had opportunity to grow, both as a woman in business and personally. Reflecting on the gains and areas of stretch that I have experienced, here...
read more
Making a Career in Law Work: Getting your priorities right and action planning
A Legal Career: Where are YOU headed? As a former criminal barrister, practising at Broadway House Chambers for the best part of 20 years, and dealing with heavy weight Rape and Sexual Offences cases, I have direct experience of managing the competing interests of the...
read more
Positive Mind, Positive Outcomes
Helpful Habits & Behaviour? Have you ever examined whether the habits and behaviour you have formed over time actually help or hinder in getting to where you want to be? If you consider how you might adopt a different approach, how might that also effect a...
read more
Improved Wellness at Work: Tips for a happier life in law
"Busy-ness" I recall one morning, on one of the last occasions I was enjoying the usual robing room banter with Bar colleagues waiting for my case to be called on at Bradford Crown court, overhearing countless lawyers greeting one another. It caused me...
read more
Increasing Work Place Performance and Assertiveness: Mastering the Art of Saying “No”
Saying "Yes" to prove a point As a former criminal barrister, practising at Broadway House Chambers for the best part of 20 years, I am all too familiar with the expectations of a profession which can lead lawyers to say "yes" to work undertakings simply to tow the...
read more
Busy 24/7 Lives
2 24/7 Living Listening to the Radio today the Arcade Fire song “Everything Now” stopped me in my tracks. How many of us are wrapped up in this pressure-laden world of clients needing “everything now”, where we’re on call 24/7 because we’re accessible to them, and the...
read more
Coaching Female Lawyers: Women Being Women
Old School Senior Female Lawyer Role Models International Women’s Day has doubtless caused many a working woman to reflect on their experiences to date. As a senior Rape and Serious Sexual Offences Prosecution Barrister, I experienced nearly 20 years of life as a...
read more
The Beast from the East…Tamed : Turning challenging Snow Days into Business as Usual Productivity
Understanding Urgent/ Important As we enter the grip of Day 3 of The Beast from the East, as a working parent, I totally understand the competing emotions of enforced time to reflect, spending time sledging with my nearest and dearest, and the nagging thoughts of what...
read more
Barrister to Corporate and Executive Coach: Calling Time at the Bar
Criminal Barrister Background I have 19 years experience as a Criminal Barrister practising in Yorkshire, working from Broadway House Chambers, Bradford/ Leeds. From the outset, I had no hesitation in developing my practice in an unconventional way, with a...
read more
Your USP is You: Knowing your own worth and how to get it
You’re Worth It! Gender Pay Gap As a 40+ year old woman, having taken extended maternity leave and experienced the perceived “negative impact” on career progression and income, I wasn’t surprised to learn the gender pay gap in UK for women in their 40s is around 25%...
read more
Sea Change
Changing and Learning During the two and a half years that I have been on extended maternity leave I have been learning so much about little people, and indeed myself. The unconditional ease with which you prioritise, as though your life depends on it, another human...
read more
24/7 Businesses: Finding Focus from Fog
Everything Now Listening to the Radio today the Arcade Fire song “Everything Now” stopped me in my tracks. How many of us are wrapped up in this pressure-laden world of clients needing “everything now”, where we’re on call 24/7 because we’re accessible to them, and...
read more
The GROW Coaching Model: Goals; Reality; Options; Will/ Way Forward
Golden Acre Park, Leeds Crunching through the reddy-brown autumn leaves in Yorkshire’s Golden Acre Park today whilst my youngest delightedly scooted through muddy puddles, we came across a freshly dug mole hill. To him, it was huge, and an opportunity to scramble up...
read more
Life isn’t about waiting for the winds to change; it’s learning to adjust your sails
3 Helpful Hints to safely navigate significant change & new challenges in business Planning is key 1.A goal without a plan is just a wish - Antoine de Saint Exupery I started my coaching business whilst a full time mum working in the nooks and crannies of time. In...
read more
Business Coaching: An introduction, and the benefits
Coaching defined A conversation between 2 people during which the Coach assists the Coachee move from where they currently are to where they want to be, more quickly and effectively than if they had acted alone, thereby supporting the Coachees achievement of...
read more
From Barrister to Business Coach: A “Koru” Case Study of Personal Growth
Yorkshire Barrister with Global Credentials Hailing from Sheffield, reading law at Balliol College, Oxford, and completing Bar Finals at the Inns of Court School of Law, London, naturally developed in me a strong work ethic. A Criminal Barrister in Yorkshire for...
read more