Before becoming an executive coach, Peter Shaw was a civil servant whose decades as an official spanned several departments and three director general posts. Since switching careers in 2004 and becoming a founder member of the international coaching organisation Praesta Partners in 2005, he has coached chief executives from multinational companies, public sector bodies and charities, as well as permanent secretaries, DGs, vice-chancellors, board chairs and emerging leaders. He is also a visiting professor of leadership development at higher education institutions in the UK and Canada and has written more than 30 books, including Shaping Your Future Leadership and The Power of Leadership Metaphors.
Why did you leave the civil service?
When I was a director general in the education department, I particularly enjoyed mentoring people. The Cabinet Office had also used me to mentor new people into the senior civil service. I really enjoyed seeing people grow and develop. I concluded that coaching is what I’d love to do: it seemed good to move into the next phase of my working life at age 55 rather than 60, so I could build a second career in coaching. Now I often say to people: “What is catching your imagination in your 50s – and how can you turn that into your next career?”
What was your best day in government?
I had 32 years working in government: they were full of days that I really enjoyed and felt were worthwhile. It was a privilege to work with ministers on issues that directly affected citizens. I did 19 jobs in 32 years: I have no regrets about being a civil servant. I would always encourage young people to think seriously about that sort of work, because you learn so much and can make a valuable contribution towards enabling public services to work effectively. Things always go wrong. There are bad days in every month. One of the approaches I sometimes use with people who are worried about things going wrong is: if four things have gone wrong in a week, that’s not been the best of weeks. But if only two things go wrong, it’s been a good week.
Do things go wrong more often in government than in the private sector?
I do quite a lot of coaching in big, global private sector organisations, and many of the issues and pressures are remarkably similar. And if people say: “Oh, it’s harder in the civil service,” I tend to think: “No.” The effect of the market and finances often bites far more quickly and far more acutely in the private sector than in the public sector.
What makes a good minister?
Someone who understands how government works, how public opinion is formed, and who is rooted in appreciating the perspective of citizens. Someone who can see a bigger picture and is not dominated by short-term goals.
Who were some of your favourite ministers to work for?
Some of the ministers I’ve particularly respected have combined clarity and humanity. Of the Labour ministers I have worked with, I particularly admire Stephen Timms, with whom I worked in a couple of ministerial roles. He has always put serving the nation first. He was a cabinet minister, and then he reverted to being a minister of state. He was willing to take a lower role because he believed in the work he was invited to take forward. He subsequently became the chair of parliament’s Work and Pensions Committee and is now back in government as a minister of state. He is somebody of utter integrity who has always been really committed to doing the right thing for people, bringing a strong focus on fairness and justice. He was, at one stage, stabbed in his constituency office and nearly died. He recovered from that showing great bravery. His commitment to contributing to public life is impressive.
I enjoyed working with a number of Conservative ministers, including being principal private secretary for Keith Joseph, who was regarded very critically by a lot of people, but who personally was a very humane and engaging minister to work with. He hated the television and therefore never adjusted to communicating through that medium. In that sense, he was probably the last of a generation. Since then, politicians have had to work effectively with the media.
What’s changed in coaching over the last 20 years?
One big change I’ve been involved in has been the rise in the number of job-share partnerships. It has been a delight to work with many partnerships, including some that reached director general level. It’s a brilliant way for the civil service to retain talent and you get two brains for the price of one. It’s also great to see more men in job shares these days. My colleague Hilary Douglas and I have been influential in building the confidence of managers to draw effectively on the distinctive contribution of job-share partnerships. Many coaching themes remain the same as 20 years ago.
Early in my coaching career, I developed a framework of four themes – vision, values, value-add and vitality – to provide a basis for leaders to think about their future. I continue to use this framework today because it remains just as relevant as 20 years ago. The pressures on people may have changed with technology and faster expectations, but the core of leadership development – knowing how best you step up and add value while retaining your vitality and resilience – has stayed consistently important.
Another shift in coaching has been a move from asking purely open questions, which were shaped by counselling approaches, into a more dialogue-based approach. I seek to engage in deep conversations with executives, exploring possibilities, consequences, risks and opportunities. I see it as part of my role to ask leading questions, drawing from an understanding of the leadership context they are operating in. It’s not about telling them what to do; it is about providing a safe space for them to think through their ideas. I always ask at the end of a session, “What do you take from this conversation?” to ensure they have clarity on their next steps.
How do you help clients when they are in the middle of a crisis?
When people come to me in moments of professional crisis, my role as a coach is not to give direct advice, but to help them explore their options. If people ask me directly, “What should I do?” I make it clear it’s not for me to give a recommendation. Instead, I guide them through exploring different possibilities, seeking to ensure they consider all the relevant issues and risks. I ask direct questions, especially if they seem too focused on one viewpoint, but it’s for them to weigh everything and decide.
I don’t use a set framework for crises. Instead, I seek to help the person identify the immediate problem, the underlying issues, and their emotional and rational reactions. Often, separating these two can make a big difference. I encourage them to clarify what they are personally responsible for and what is the responsibility of others. In a crisis, people often feel the burden is entirely on their shoulders, but by taking a step back, they can see more clearly how they involve others. My goal is to help them understand their role and responsibilities and how they can best contribute, whether that’s informally talking to others or taking formal action.
What are some of the common mistakes new leaders make?
A common mistake new leaders make is feeling like they have to be an expert on everything and solve every problem right away. What’s key is taking time to understand the issues, listening to a variety of perspectives, and not just accepting the “conventional line”. It’s important to hear from different stakeholders and understand where each of them is coming from. New leaders need to get a clear steer on their own boss’s expectations and priorities, and then play those back to the boss or colleagues to check that they’ve understood them correctly. Key is focusing on what must be done in the role and what can only be done by you. Recognising the importance of calibration points is also essential – after one month, and especially after six months. Those are good moments to reassess what has gone well or less well and determine where you can add most value and next focus your energy.
Can you explain how you use metaphors in your work?
When I coach people, I find metaphors really helpful, but I avoid using ones currently used in their organisations because that takes them into a stereotyped perspective. I avoid phrases like “grasping the nettle” or “blue-sky thinking”. I try to uncover the metaphors that individuals like to use and help them develop their application. Often, it relates to sports or other activities they’re involved in. For example, I co-wrote a booklet called Knowing the Score: what we learn about leadership from music and musicians with a director general in the Scottish Government – a chamber music player – based entirely on music metaphors.
I work with someone who is very structured at work. But in his spare time, he plays jazz, which is unstructured and free flowing. We’ve explored how he could apply his jazz experience – going with the flow – to his work and balance the two parts of his personality. I work with several people who enjoy cycling where we often draw parallels from cycling: the Peloton, the slipstream, when to take the lead, when to operate alone and when in partnership and when to conserve energy and so on.
Parenthood provides another powerful metaphor. Recognising that there might be similarities between managing a toddler or a teenager and, say, unpredictable behaviour from a member of staff has often prompted individuals to recognise they have transferable skills. Metaphors help people see how their personal skills apply professionally.
What are three key tips you would give people hoping to climb the career ladder?
Really understand yourself, in terms of what motivates you and what can derail you. Be clear what really matters, in terms of the values that are relevant in the job and the balance between your work and your personal priorities. Be deliberate in building up your expertise and your experience in dealing with different types of situation.
A big part of my job is to help people think about what their next steps might be. What skills have they got that are transferable to different parts of government or elsewhere? The theme of stepping up is a constant one in my work – helping people find their voice at the next level. I had a lovely conversation yesterday with somebody who’s now in an acting senior SCS post and is loving it. We have been preparing for quite a long time to be ready for a more senior role. She’s ready for it now and is finding her voice and is recognising that she is influential. One of the joys of coaching is that you can help people reach the stage where they step up and feel they can make a difference in their next sphere.
What advice would you give the new cabinet secretary?
Be clear what will keep you sane in your personal life through what will inevitably be a demanding situation. Be thoughtful about how you will bring the best out of the civil service to ensure that they are working effectively with the government of the day.