The person behind Kinetic Coaching

Name: Steven Johnstone

Role: Development Coach

Steve has over 20 years of experience within the education sector, predominantly spent within higher education (HE) , and is currently a senior leader for one of the largest college-based HE providers in the UK. Originating from a sport and exercise science background, Steve progressed into teacher education and professional development. His current research interests are associated with graduate employability, having created a conceptual model linking scholarship, engagement and employability (SEE). The SEE model has at its core, a commitment to reflective practice and self-development.

Steve is passionate about helping people to better understand their potential, evidenced throughout his professional career, sports coaching background and current research interests. Steve is an Accredited Senior Practitioner with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC), and is committed to relevant competency and ethical frameworks. He attends coaching supervision as per the Global Code of Ethics and all necessary insurances are in place.

Coachees will find Steve to be a calm, approachable and engaging coach, with exceptional listening skills. He adopts a flexible, responsive and eclectic approach towards his coaching, supported by basic principles and assumptions. These consider the coachee to be a healthy functioning individual, who through positive engagement and heightened awareness can bring about change and better understand their potential. 

Alongside the continuous development and maintenance of any coaching relationship, Steve presents an integrated approach towards coaching drawing on a range of coaching principles and techniques in service of the coachee. Well considered intuition and timely interventions enables suitable challenge within the coaching conversations, while maintaining a non-judgemental and safe environment.

Steve is comfortable working with a wide range of individuals, at different stages of their professional career. Greater impact is likely with those individuals displaying an open-minded, engaging and reflective nature. When working with organisations, Steve will ensure a good understanding of organisational systems, so as to enable the coaching to work within relevant boundaries while considering roles, spheres of influence, regulation and cultural conventions.

A number of Steve’s coachees, access coaching to support them with career development opportunities, entrepreneurial pursuits and lifestyle changes.  In addition, Steve can support organisations with the design, development, review and evaluation of bespoke coaching and mentoring programmes.

Some of Steve’s recent coachees have provided the following feedback:

'I love working with Steve. Who says you need to work with someone for months to get the results you require? In the short period of time we have been working together, Steve has helped me to dig into the areas of my business that are barriers to my success. Through challenge, support, great use of metaphors and being very curious, Steve has helped me to reset the foundations of my business, gain excitement about what I’m doing and leave every session full of energy and determination to make a difference. Thank you very much!'

‘This [coaching] has made my job so much easier. You have opened my eyes, realising that I have so many transferable skills, which I have not been using. All you have been doing is rooting around the suitcase of my brain. I now feel more in tune with where I want to go and how I want to go about it’. It’s been empowering, I’ve taken ownership and it’s been liberating’

‘I would have paid thousands of pounds for that session. I do know that this was one of those moments that I will not forget and all you did was listen and ask me one question. When I think back, all I see is you listening to me’

‘There was one session that was a massive turning point for me, a light bulb moment so to speak! Who would have thought a simple question could have a profound impact on my decision to stay with the organisation and develop into a position I have wanted and strived for over the years’

‘I just wanted to thank you for the coaching session this afternoon, I felt that we achieved a good rapport of trust and it was a valuable session. I talked about an issue that had been a cause of considerable frustration for me for some time and rationalising it by talking it through, and considering it through your questions, I feel enabled me to work out a course of action which I hope will change the situation. I feel empowered by the process and that we achieved much more in this first session than I expected. 

In addition to coaching itself, Steve also contributes towards the sector through the development and delivery of new coaching and mentoring courses as well as engaging in research projects.