Case Studies
- Case Study 1: When Confidence Shapes Everything
- Sector: Financial Services
- Organisation: Investec
- Client: Alex C
- Engagement: 9 to 12 months of 1:1 coaching
- Focus: Confidence, Professional Performance, Mindset
The Situation
Alex came to coaching following something that had shaken both them and the wider firm. They had failed a professional financial examination, something that had never happened to them before in their career. For someone who had always achieved, this single experience landed hard. It knocked their confidence significantly and the ripple effect spread into their day-to-day work: their interactions with clients, their approach to managing investment portfolios, and their sense of their own professional identity.
This was not simply about passing a resit. It was about recovering a sense of self-belief that had taken a serious hit, and doing so in a high-pressure environment where performance is always visible.
The Work
Alex and Kirsty worked together for twelve months. The first nine months involved regular coaching sessions focused on rebuilding confidence from the inside out: exploring the beliefs sitting behind the setback, developing practical strategies for managing pressure, and reconnecting Alex with the strengths and instincts that had always been there.
The final three months were more spaced out, reflecting the shift that had already taken place. The work in this phase was about consolidation, ensuring Alex felt genuinely self-sufficient and steady rather than reliant on the coaching relationship to stay on track.
The Outcome
Alex passed the examination. More significantly, the shift that took place through the coaching was noticed not just by Alex, but by managers and partners across the firm. The change in how Alex showed up at work was visible and remarked upon. And the impact did not stay in the office: Alex reported that the work had changed how they showed up in their personal life as well.
“What a journey it has been. I cannot thank you enough for what you did for me. It changed my life.” Alex C, February 2025 | Investec
- Case Study 2: Clarity, Confidence and a Smoother Transition
- Sector: Media and Broadcasting
- Organisation: BBC
- Engagement: 1:1 coaching and team transition support
- Focus: Self-awareness, Performance, Transition into New Team
The Situation
A BBC presenter came to coaching at a point where they wanted to work on themselves: how they understood their own patterns, how they approached their targets, and how they could shift their outcomes in a more positive direction. Alongside this individual work, there was also a practical challenge on the horizon. They were moving into a new production team and wanted that transition to feel settled and purposeful from the outset.
Kirsty has worked with a number of managers and individuals within the BBC across different engagements, supporting people at various levels with performance, leadership, and ways of working.
The Work
The coaching with this individual combined personal development with practical preparation. Together, they explored self-awareness, identifying patterns that had been getting in the way and building a clearer picture of what this person needed in order to do their best work. They also worked on how to approach targets with a different mindset, one that was more strategic and less reactive.
As the transition into the new production team approached, the work shifted to focus on making that move as smooth as possible, setting a strong foundation from day one and ensuring the individual felt clear, confident, and ready.
The Outcome
The individual arrived in their new production team with a clearer sense of themselves, a stronger relationship with their own working patterns, and a more intentional approach to how they pursued their goals. The transition was smooth and settled from day one.
Notably, the issues that had been arising in the previous team linked to this individual were no longer present in the new team. The ripple effect of the coaching extended beyond the person themselves: the whole team benefitted from the change in how they showed up, communicated, and worked alongside others.
The shift in mindset translated directly into better outcomes in their work, and the wider team dynamic improved as a result.
“Understanding myself better and changing the way I approached my targets made a real difference to my outcomes. I arrived in the new team feeling ready.”
- Case Study 3: From Absence Management to Promotion
- Sector: Professional Services
- Organisation: Confidential (Accountancy Firm)
- Engagement: Structured 1:1 coaching programme
- Focus: Absence Management, Performance, Role Clarity, Career Progression
The Situation
A member of staff at an accountancy firm had been placed on a formal absence management plan. Their absence levels had become a concern for the business, and the situation had been ongoing for between three and six months before coaching began. The individual was disengaged, uncertain about their role, and struggling to find their footing. For the business, the costs were real: lost productivity, management time, and the uncertainty of how the situation would resolve.
Without support and early intervention, situations like this rarely improve on their own. Absence can become entrenched, performance concerns grow, and the financial and human cost on both sides continues to climb.
The Work
Through a structured coaching programme, Kirsty worked with this individual on the things sitting underneath the absence: clarity about what the role actually required of them, confidence in their own ability to meet those expectations, and practical strategies for managing their workload and energy in a more sustainable way.
The work also focused on re-engagement, helping this person reconnect with what they valued about their work and build a clearer picture of what they needed in order to thrive rather than simply cope.
The Outcome
The individual was removed from the absence management plan. They returned to full engagement in their role with genuine clarity and renewed confidence. Their manager noted a marked improvement in the quality and consistency of their work.
Shortly after the coaching concluded, the individual was promoted.
For the business, the outcome meant avoiding the significant cost of a prolonged absence management process, a potential capability procedure, or the recruitment and onboarding of a replacement. The investment in coaching paid for itself many times over.
“Coaching gave me the space to work out what I actually needed. Once I had that clarity, everything shifted.”
