I was working as part of a National Trust team to support an HLF-funded project with local authorities when I first met Spencer Clark, one of the team leading an important strand of work within the wider initiative.

 

It wasn’t his day job and he was stepping out of his comfort zone to complete the work to a pressing deadline. Having volunteered to support the project more widely, I was asked to work with Spencer to support him in developing the brief.

 

Through a series of 121s I explored the task and Spencer’s concerns at completing it and worked with him to identify the barriers. He felt out of his depth so we also focused on what skills and experiences he could bring to it, rather than what he felt he lacked.

 

“I went into this task with a lack of confidence. The brief needed defining and I didn’t feel I had the right set of skills to do that and then move forward to lead the work,” said Spencer, who works for East Cambridgeshire District Council. “But Amanda helped me build confidence through gentle challenge and support. She also provided a check-in point for the times when I wasn’t sure of the next steps.”

 

Spencer and I talked for just a few hours, but it was enough to help him move forward and to recognise the importance of his own role in the wider process.

 

Victoria Stacey, project manager for Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “Through working with Amanda, we saw a big difference in Spencer’s confidence levels. His approach to this piece of work changed and he also felt able to lead on areas that were new to him. It gave him self-belief that the whole project has benefited from.”