When I contacted Matt, I had some challenges at work and I wanted to be more assertive in how I communicated and thought about myself as a professional.
I questioned myself a lot and held back.
It was a challenge to express and represent myself. To hold my head up and say ‘this is what I’ve done’ and ‘this is what I think’. My confidence was knocked back a bit, because it was a very different environment than I was used to. The way people talked to me was different.
I felt I didn’t have the tool set, or way to stand up for myself and be more confident in the way I talked to others.
I was just responding to things as they came to me instinctually. And that didn’t really work in terms of communication.
I was looking at my future, where my path was leading, and I wanted to be prepared for that and make it happen.
So I decided it was time to consciously work on my communication confidence.
I knew this wasn’t going to be a joyride, that I’d have to do the work.
But my worry was...
What if this doesn’t really help me?
What if we don’t find the right way to talk to each other?
Would it be wasted time and effort?
But at the same time, I knew I had to try something new. Also, it would be a valuable investment into myself and my future.
It felt a lot of money, but it brings so much more value to your life, that it’s a really good investment.
The structure Matt’s built with the program was very good. Like building blocks that build your confidence up. It felt very intentional.
It was reassuring to know it was a process, and we were going through the steps. I knew there was a goal, a reason and a focus on progress. And I remember thinking it was such an interesting experience.
It was uncomfortable at times, but I always felt guided by Matt and heard and seen. So I never felt like I was pushed into the deep end and told ‘to do this or do that’.
Two exercises have really stuck with me and I keep going back to them.
A way of stepping out of the picture and seeing it objectively.
They help me reevaluate things in my head as I go. It makes me more conscious of the way I respond to things, the way people talk to me, and how these things play out.
Moments I felt ‘Oh, this is new and it’s better’.
I noticed very early on, things started shifting in the way I talked to people.
How I thought about communication and progress in my work.
Matt asked questions that were very impactful and I still think about them days or even weeks after.
I have this document with all the different things we worked on. When I look back at them, something will catch my eye and I’ll think ‘oh yeah, this is very good to help me reframe my way of thinking’.
I use this to make myself more confident in certain situations and build myself up. They’re good exercises to do from time to time. I use them as a toolbox.
There was a lot.
Matt has a very unique way of catching and thinking about things. It’s like he has the conversation going in his head, and another mind that also analyses what’s going on, the bigger picture.
He’s able to jump in and say ‘hold on, this is important, there’s a bit of information you’re leaving out’. He’s very observant and can spot things which I would glide over. Perhaps because English is my second language, my mind isn’t operating at the level where it can analyse what I or others say, in the way he does.
I know if I have any issues or a challenge in the future, I can reach out to him and he’ll help me find a way to tackle it.
Yes, of course!
I was definitely surprised how far reaching this is, way beyond what I imagined it would focus on.
I know we were mainly working on communication, but the things Matt gave me have had an impact on everything else in my life.
It’s not just my work, it’s my personal life, and changed the way I think about myself.
So it has impacted a lot more than my professional progression.
This was a bonus.
Another surprise was how quickly I started to experience results. I could feel my way of thinking change and the way I speak to other people.
Working with Matt has given me confidence again.
Which is something I’ve been exploring with other experts for years.
So it was great to take a different approach that actually works.
It’s basically changed the way I view myself and the way I see my place in the world.
One thing that’s immensely valuable is my relationship with my bosses.
I can stand up for myself more, and I feel a more valuable part of the team. That’s because I can represent myself and express my opinions and not be worried about how it will be perceived.
I used to build these things up in my head to things that they were not.
Now I get a say in how things are done.
I’ve been trusted with certain projects, and have more of a leadership role in terms of how they’re run.
Before I felt kept on a short leash, told what to do and how to do it. Now I’m asked, ‘tell me how you want to do this’. And we do it that way.
I’ve been using this toolset for communicating with my peers, bosses, and clients.
These relationships in my professional life. That’s the most tangible result of doing this work with Matt.
This might sound a bit too much, but I feel more content and proud of the work I’m doing.
For a long time I’ve always been looking for the next step. So anything that I’ve done already was water under the bridge - what’s the next thing? The next boulder to climb?
But working with Matt has made me realise the things I’ve already accomplished have meaning and worth. I should carry them with me, not leave them behind.
Be mindful of the value I can bring as a designer.
Reminding myself - ‘this is who I am, this is what I’ve done’. So I guess my confidence comes from my ability to think of myself as someone who has achieved a lot already.
I’m still ambitious and want to move forward with bigger things, but at the same time I have this backpack of achievements that I carry with me. It’s made me a lot happier about my relationship with work.
To anyone considering doing this I’d say - Just do it.
It’s a great opportunity, an investment in yourself.
Anyone working with Matt would have results because I know he would find a way of getting to them.
As a coach he’s excellent. The way he works is so structured and meticulous.
He made very good observations and pointed out things I’d missed. He found ways to restructure and think about situations.
It’s an interesting mixture of fun and challenge and very insightful.
Even though our work together has ended, I’m still growing with the tools he gave me. I can still use them and improve and become better.
This is definitely something I would recommend to anyone.
And it’s something you can keep coming back to and utilise later on.
I don’t know of anyone who’s done this sort of coaching, but I think it’s immensely valuable.
Matt definitely made me question things about myself. If you go into this with an open mind and the willingness to dig deep, then it pays off.
This is an opportunity to grow in lots of areas not just communication.
