Weaving together strands of knowledge, insight, and expertise

A 2008 graduate, John Lucy reflects on how, through Mastered, he has been able to weave together the various strands of knowledge, insight, and expertise he garnered throughout a varied career, to better himself and to help others.

What were you doing before the Mastered Programme?

I had been an HR Director of various organisations across of range industry sectors (aerospace, energy, pharma, accounting) for 20 years and all of my roles had involved rapid growth, coupled with some form of organisational and cultural change. I had always ‘coached’ people at various levels but I was wholly self-taught, relying on instinct, good will and chance! At the time of doing the Mastered programme I was the HRD for a major international law firm. The role was very generalist and involved the usual HR elements – resourcing, reward, learning and development etc. – as well as general management and change management during a period of major growth and transition for the firm. A significant element of this involved coaching those associates who had been identified as having ‘partner potential’ through the admissions process.

What direction/(s) have you gone in since finishing the Mastered Programme? And what are you doing now?

Despite telling all of my coachees they need to own and take responsibility for their career, I have never planned my career. So, I have continued to do much the same as before within different law firms – it can be a difficult sector to leave once you pass a certain point, it may well be the organisational equivalent of Stockholm Syndrome. The common denominator with all of the firms I have worked for has been driving business and cultural change, managing transitions, and leadership of a sizeable (50+) HR function on an international basis, as well as my coaching role. In addition to those on partner track, I have also coached a wide spectrum of people through a range of situations e.g. career/role transition; personal dilemmas, performance challenges etc. Intriguingly, I worked with an Olympic gold medallist who wanted to transition from the sporting world to the business world and the CEO of a small charity that was also undergoing significant change.

What impact did the Mastered programme have for you?

I was fortunate enough to do my coaching accreditation on a 1:1 basis with Anne Scoular. Therefore, it will come as no surprise to those that know Anne, that I found it exhilarating and terrifying in equal measure. It was tailored to my preferences, and I found it the most intellectually stimulating period of my career. Indeed, it provided me with the type of challenge that I need at that time and it encouraged (forced?) me to reflect on what I had done, what I was doing and how I was doing it – in order to do things better in the future. Consequently, it was a catalyst for change for me personally and professionally.

What are some examples of things you have done differently since the Mastered programme?

First and foremost, I have encouraged a lot of people to attend the programme and experience it for themselves. Secondly, it has changed and enhanced my skills as a coach in the more ‘formal’ coaching scenarios. And thirdly, it has allowed me to use the skills I have developed as a coach in other areas of my business and personal life.

What was the most valuable thing/(s) you got from Mastered that you are using now?

Building on my answer above, the programme not only equipped me to conduct my coaching assignments in a more holistic manner, but also allowed me to use the skills that I was developing – listening, challenging, collaborating, unlocking knowledge and potential, how to encourage people to be more open, inquisitive and courageous etc. – to very good use on a day-to-day basis. It enabled me to embed these skills, so that they became intrinsic to the way in which I worked. I also found that I have used them in social circumstances when dealing with family and friends. As I was also training to be a mediator at the time, I found it fascinating at the degree of overlap in skills required to be a successful coach and a successful mediator. As my supervisor told me at the outset of my mediation training, and in more colourful language than I have used here, ‘No-one is interested in what YOU think, you’re there to get a deal…’.

Where do you see yourself going in the future?

I have recently semi-retired. Consequently, I am moving away from the all-consuming HRD roles and I will be looking to do more interim roles, projects and, of course, hoping to continue with my coaching.

Anything else you would like to say?

The Mastered programme has allowed me to weave together the various strands of knowledge, insight and expertise I have garnered throughout a varied career, in order to better myself and to help others. There can be many dark moments in a long HR career – the redundancies and dismissals, helping individuals and organisations dealing with transition not to mention the trauma of everyday life or major global events (terror attacks, pandemics) etc. but, the pleasure I feel from helping someone unlock, or fulfil, their potential never lessens and many of my most memorable career moments have been the simple, but genuine, ‘thank yous’ I have received along the way from the people I have worked with.

About John

A 2008 graduate of Meyler Campbell, John Lucy reflects on how, through Mastered, he has been able to weave together the various strands of knowledge, insight, and expertise he garnered throughout a varied career, to better himself and to help others.