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When Partnerships Need Space to Think Differently
Case Study with Carol Ford: Group & Individual Coaching
The Overview
Bringing organisations together to deliver shared outcomes is rarely straightforward, especially when every partner is facing different pressures.
For Carol Ford, Senior Public Health & Commissioning Manager at Nottinghamshire County Council, LeaderLine Place Collaboration provided something many partnerships rarely make time for: space to pause, reflect and have the conversations that really matter. Carol took part in both group and individual coaching through LeaderLine.
The Challenge
Like many place-based partnerships, the group was working to deliver shared outcomes while navigating different organisational priorities, pressures and ways of working. Although partners regularly met through existing leadership and partnership forums, there was limited time and space to step back, reflect and address the more challenging conversations that can strengthen collaboration.
As system pressures increased, the partnership needed an opportunity to build deeper understanding, challenge assumptions and develop stronger relationships to support more effective joint working.
Carol's Key Benefits from LeaderLine Coaching
Space to think differently
Making the invisible visible
Building confidence
A stronger way forward
For the partnership, the group coaching created a safe and supportive environment to tackle conversations that might otherwise have been avoided.
"It gave us a really comfortable space to have what might have been some difficult conversations."
Although many of the organisations already worked together in different settings, the coaching created dedicated time for this leadership group to reflect on relationships, challenge assumptions and better understand each other’s perspectives.
"It strengthened our relationships. I think I got to know some people a lot more, people I may have been sat around leadership meetings with a number of times."
Alongside the group sessions, Carol found the one-to-one coaching particularly valuable at a time when pressure across the system was high.
Having regular time in the diary to step back and reflect made a real difference.
"It felt like quite a luxury to have that time in my diary every number of weeks, but I found it very useful."
The coaching also helped the partnership openly acknowledge an important reality: different organisations bring different experiences, challenges and pressures.
By creating space for honest conversations, the group developed greater empathy and stronger working relationships.
Carol would absolutely recommend LeaderLine Place Collaboration to other teams, but with one important piece of advice.
"You need to be a few sessions in before you really see the benefit."
For busy professionals, coaching can initially feel like another meeting in an already packed diary. But for Carol and her colleagues, the long term impact became clear.
"Everybody seemed really positive about the experience. You could tell people had really been stretched to stop and think differently."
If your partnership is navigating complexity, competing priorities or the challenge of bringing different organisations together, LeaderLine Place Collaboration can help create the space for stronger conversations, clearer thinking and better collaboration.
Testimonial
"I would absolutely recommend the Place Collaboration Coaching. It gave us a really comfortable space to have what might have been some difficult conversations. It strengthened our relationships. I got to know some people a lot more, people I may have been sat around leadership meetings with a number of times. I feel this will help us work better at making decisions as a group – we have a better understanding of each others perspectives.”
~ Carol Ford | Senior Public Health & Communities Manager at Public Health Place, Nottinghamshire County Council