Coaching for AHUA Members

Coaching

AHUA offers a dedicated coaching provision for our members. Whether you’re stepping into a new senior role or navigating complex challenges in an established post, coaching can offer valuable, tailored support.

Support When You Need It

  • Transitioning into a new role: For new Registrars, Secretaries, and COOs, coaching provides a safe, confidential space to reflect, plan, and build confidence as you settle into the demands of the role.
  • Navigating complexity and change: For more experienced colleagues, coaching offers a valuable opportunity to step back and reflect—whether you are handling challenging situations, adapting to a changing portfolio, or exploring future career directions.

Experienced Coaches Who Understand HE

AHUA maintains a register of experienced coaches, each with a strong understanding of the UK higher education sector and particular expertise in working with senior professional service leaders and members of AHUA. All coaches have been selected for their ability to work at depth with complex leadership challenges.

Easy to Access, Recommended for New Members

We would strongly recommend that all new AHUA members take advantage of this coaching offer as part of their induction into the network. To date over 140 members have accessed the coaching support over the last 10 years. 

 

 

I cannot recommend the AHUA Coaching experience highly enough. Starting a new role in a new institution is always challenging and my coaching seesions with Andrew provided me with the time and targeted support that I needed to effectively manage the transition. The coaching is undertaken in a safe yet stimulating coaching environment, with a real focus on how to adapt your thinking and learning in the real world. I was very grateful to AHUA for this invaluable opportunity..
Clare Jamison, University Secretary at Ulster University

How to access coaching

If you are a new AHUA member, new in role, have been offered coaching in your welcome letter and wish to go ahead:

* view the Coaches’ profiles and contact one or two of them for an initial chat and to see who might be a best ‘fit’ (you will need to log in to see the profiles); coaches contact information is included in their profiles.

* once you have chosen a coach, please inform them and arrange the date of your first session directly with your coach.  Your coach will advise the AHUA office of your coaching agreement.

If you would like to discuss the process of selecting a coach, the AHUA’s development consultant, Robin Henderson, would be happy to support you in this process.  Please contact the AHUA office for his details.

At a certain point in one’s personal growth training becomes less relevant, and one has to look at other ways to develop. Experience is of course essential but equally so is the value of an independent voice. A voice that invites you to reflect and helps you classify your development needs and opportunities. For me this is the space where coaching has been so valuable and irreplaceable. Leadership is lonely and someone to hold up a mirror and yet not to judge you is an opportunity unmatched by any other development process. It maybe that you are faced with a new work challenge, a change of setting, or new role but those events are never easy and in my experience the user of a coach has for me been an excellent way of getting beyond the hurdle and heading to success..
Mark Milton, Chief Operating Officer at University of South Wales

Resources

AHUA Coaching and Mentoring
Scope of working arrangements