If you are looking for a development professional who will not only stretch and challenge your thinking but also has an easy, approachable style then Matt is the coach for you. He takes time to listen, develop rapport and build trust and I enjoy his calmness which, for me, instills confidence.

I work in Retail but what I find so refreshing about Matt’s approach is that he works in a sector-agnostic way which helps me apply bold, external influences to my day job. We have been working together for over a year now and Matt has introduced me to a number of tools and techniques which have helped me unlock specific challenges and scenarios, as well as bringing a fresh perspective to my day to day working life. I look forward to our conversations as I know I will come away from them thinking and acting in a more strategic way.

Helping our line managers to understand more clearly the link between the way in which they manage and how individuals and teams perform was vital. Through our coaching programme, which Matt Somers developed with us, we have not only been able to achieve this aim but are seeing noticeable shifts in morale, take up of development opportunities and internal promotions. Matt’s approach is practical and engaging and that’s what our people like. They feel he can identify with them. What’s more he makes the learning fun which leaves a lasting and memorable impression.

Its fair to say I didn’t particularly know what coaching was last year. Now, it’s something I would recommend to any leader looking to develop themselves or individuals in their team – and that’s credit to Matt. It’s been an absolute privilege to be able to work with him over the last 9 months – he’s helped me to realise that the answers come from within me. It’s not a ready-made package and it’s not prescribed – coaching is flexible and focused. There are so many things I will take away from this opportunity – a great deal of learning that will resonate for the rest of my career.

This Coaching Skills course was great – one of the best I’ve been on. Even several years later, I realise that I’m still using the competencies I learned on the course and they continue to work. I recommend Matt and his courses thoroughly and suggest that we need his approaches more widely taken up across Higher Education.

It was refreshing to have a programme delivered in such a way that not only made it interesting, relevant and useful and which made you truly think and reflect on what you have done and how you’re going to do it differently in the future.