Phil is a facilitator, executive coach, and co-founder of STEPSTONE Consulting with over twenty-five years management, leadership, and people development experience. During the last eighteen years in learning and development, Phil has delivered hundreds of programmes in Ireland and the UK for leading private and public sector organisations.

Over the previous eleven years with the Bank of Ireland group he held various management roles in the retail business. His sectoral experience includes financial services, SMEs, professional services, government, and retail. Phil has taught management at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. His focus areas include: culture, leadership and management development, facilitation and coaching.

Phil holds an Honours Degree in Business, a Masters Degree in Business Administration, a Graduateship in Marketing from the Marketing Institute of Ireland, a National Diploma in Personnel Management and a Graduate Diploma in Executive Coaching. He is a member of the Irish Institute of Training and Development (IITD) and the Marketing Institute of Ireland (MII).

Phil is a Prosci Certified Change Management Practitioner and a certified NLP Master Practitioner (Neuro Linguistic Programming).  He is a Certified Everything DiSC Workplace® Facilitator and is certified to administer EQi Bar on Emotional Intelligence.

Interview:

Q1. What do you do, and why? 

The quick answer is Learning & Development. I am a trainer, coach, mentor, and lecturer… which makes me sound like a jack of all trades. However, a more accurate answer is that for 20 plus years I have been helping individuals and organisations maximise their potential. I do this through a range of complementary and often overlapping approaches which focus on the development of essential knowledge, attitudes, skills, and habits that help to build the confidence and abilities of those I work with.

Firstly, I develop and deliver training programmes, workshops and webinars that cover a broad spectrum of what many call soft essential skills.

In my roles of Executive Coach & Mentor I help individuals address the day to day and strategic challenges they face in navigating their careers and workplaces.

I have been lecturing part time in Business Policy for 20 years with the Institute of Public Administration IPA to final year students doing their Bachelor of Business Studies. I have also lectured in Strategic Management for many years. 

Why? I believe the services I provide, the processes, tools, tactics, techniques, models, and insights, help make a real positive difference to people and their work lives. By giving them coping skills, and sustainable advantages which help them stand out from the crowd and do the right things the right ways. Thankfully the feedback I receive supports these beliefs.

In addition, I really enjoy what I do. In fact, I love it … which is a real win for me!

Q2. Tell us a little bit about the work you currently do with Engineers Ireland? 

I am very fortunate in that my relationship with Engineers Ireland goes back many years. Around 12 years. It involves delivering Open & Inhouse Programmes as well as modules on Certified longer Programmes and bespoke work.   

Things started off with me delivering Negotiation & Influencing Skills Programmes and over the years the range of Programmes has grown and expanded. I now work on the Essential Skills Certificate & Diploma Programmes, as well as providing training on: Leadership & Management, High Performing Teams, Dealing with Challenging Clients & Conflict, CRM (Client Relationship Management), Customer Service & Emotional Intelligence.

Added to the above, I deliver the following to others: Coaching & Mentoring Skills for Managers, Communication Skills, Sales Skills, Time Management & other Face to Face / Virtual Programmes and Webinars.

Q3. What changes/trends do you see these days? 

The biggest change for me in training and development has been on HOW the sessions are delivered. Out of necessity, I had to quickly learn to deliver sessions virtually working with Zoom, MS Teams, Webex, etc. While I personally miss training rooms, flip charts, and post-it notes, the use of virtual breakout rooms accompanied by good levels of interaction and discussion have made virtual deliver very effective and engaging.

What changes? Recruitment Retention and Development of talent are of significant importance, and I see a lot of people who are receiving professional development to help them progress in their career within their current organisations to help serve this goal. A popular topic is Leadership & Management Development with the need to manage oneself and others effectively being to the forefront.

I am also experiencing increased popularity in Programmes that cover Emotional Intelligence and working as part of / managing effective teams.

Q4. What is the most interesting thing that you have learnt or has happened when delivering training? 

What’s obvious to you may not be obvious to others. Of course, over the many years of delivering training in venues, I have experienced people being on the wrong course in the wrong rooms and run out only after some considerable time. It is vital to state clearly what the Programme is as people arrive in room.

It is important for both the participants and I to bring open minds to training sessions so that we can absorb new ideas, concepts and get best value. However, having an open mind is contagious when it comes to introductions. If the first participant to introduce themselves to the group states that they don’t have a specific wish list for the session, but they do have an open mind, others seem to like the sound of it and the flood gates open. Others will now say that they also have an open mind which doesn’t help me identify the areas of key focus.  There is a need to be crystal clear about wish lists.

The topics/agenda for a training session is like an A La Carte menu. It’s rare, if never, that you want everything offered. You decide what you want from the day…. you pick and mix to suit! 

Q5. When you are not delivering training/working, what do you like to do to unwind/do in your spare time? 

The truth is that myself, my couch, and my TV became old friends during Covid, but thankfully we have had a bit of a falling out and now we see each other far less frequently. 

Healthier unwinding involves trying to hit my 12,000 steps with regular walks accompanied by a combination of coffee, family, friends, dog and of course, Spotify. I love DIY even though on occasion it doesn’t love me.
 
Covid reminded me that I have a back garden and it’s become a favourite place to read the paper, have a coffee and stay up to date with the nicer aspects of news. 
 
I am married for 30 years, and I am very fortunate to have a fantastic wife, three amazing kids, and a dog and a cat with whom I try to spend as much of my spare as is possible.