The Coaching Couch: Take Control of Your Career

Significant Insights is excited to reveal our newest columnist Zoe Fenn.

So great to be a part of Significant Insights and support our sector. This column exists to help talented researchers develop the mindset, skills and confidence to progress in their careers. Whether progressing as a technician or as a manager or leader, or a combination of these, you’ll likely need to strengthen and master new ways of doing things, such as managing project teams, building strong client relationships and securing stakeholder buy-in.

Stretching out of your comfort zone is exciting, but challenging. This column is here to help you get clear on what you want and smooth out the bumps that will inevitably occur as you take your career forward.

Every other month, we will discuss a challenge you are facing in your career and suggest some questions and tools to help you think through your challenge for yourself, and determine the best route forward, for you.

Challenges could include:

How do I do more of the work I love? – maybe you feel boxed into a certain kind of project work and would like to pivot into something new, but don’t know how.

How can I become more assertive at work? – maybe you have trouble getting follow-through on work from more junior team members, or always say ‘yes’ and take on too much.

How do I move on from a disappointment? – disappointment is a reality of work, maybe you want to learn how to bounce back quicker and stronger.

We want to hear from you. Send us your career challenges: hello@significantinsightsmedia.com

Zoe is a qualified coach with 15 years of agency-side experience, both as a researcher and a leader and manager. She now runs her own business, You Burn Bright, running 121 and group leadership programmes to help talented researchers become effective leaders.