Hi, I'm Michelle.
For more than 25 years, I've led teams across marketing, customer service and operations, working with people from a wide range of sectors and backgrounds.
When you're moving at pace at work, it can be difficult to think clearly. Taking a step back to make sense of challenges and opportunities.
That's why I became a coach.
I enjoy helping people to take time and make sense of complex situations, trust their own judgement and move forward with greater clarity, confidence and results. This might mean making an important decision, approaching a conversation differently or adapting a role as a team or business changes.
Why This Square Peg exists
I'm also passionate about supporting neurodivergent people at work.
Around one in five people may be neurodivergent, yet many workplaces are still not set up to recognise or support different ways of thinking, communicating and working.
Too often, neurodivergent individuals spend enormous amounts of energy adapting and masking to meet expectations and ways of working that make it harder for them to do their best work.
That is where the name This Square Peg comes from.
A square peg is often described as someone who doesn't fit. But I don't believe the person is necessarily the problem. Sometimes the environment creates unnecessary barriers.
People don't need to be forced into the same mould to succeed. With the right support, they can build on their strengths, better understand what they need and find ways of working that support both their performance and wellbeing.
That is what This Square Peg is about: helping people work with who they are, rather than against themselves.
My approach
I'm an ICF ACC Accredited Coach, which means I've spent a lot of time completing recognised coach training and working to the International Coaching Federation's professional standards. It also means I commit to ongoing professional development and supervision to provide a high quality and ethical coaching practice.
As a trained neuroaffirmative coach, I help people understand how they work best, make better use of their strengths and find practical ways to manage the things they find more challenging. This might include organisation, prioritising, communication, energy, confidence or managing competing demands. The aim is not to change the person, but to help them work and succeed in a way that is effective and sustainable.
