Alan Barry Coaching
'From Surviving to Thriving'
My Story
Born and bred in Christchurch, New Zealand, I have the absolute privilege of being a husband (to Fiona) of 25 years and a father to our three adult children.
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In my working life, I held positions with the New Zealand Government's Immigration Agency, Immigration New Zealand for over 35 years, which included representing the New Zealand Government in six diplomatic assignments and leading Managers and staff in New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, the Americas, South East Asia, India and the sub-continent, the Middle East and the United Kingdom and Europe.
As my career progressed, I developed a strong interest in the area of People Capability and a passion for making a positive difference in the lives of people, whether they were staff I led, or key stakeholders and customers groups.
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In 2019, I came to a career crossroads – the choice was to continue along my career path until an eventual and predictable ‘retirement’... or do something different.
Fiona and I have chosen a different career and life path. With an empty nest, in great health (touch wood!) and with a wealth of skills and experience, we have chosen to get off the corporate treadmill, head overseas to pursue our passion for travel and generally look to lead more fulfilling lives at a gentler pace... making a positive difference to other people as we go.
Fiona is a trained English Language Teacher and has always had a dream of living in Spain and whilst this being interrupted by Covid-19, living and teaching in Spain remains her goal. Check out www.gypsiesinourfifties.com for Fiona's account of our adventures!
Importantly though, I have attained the ‘International Certification in Coaching’ through the International Coaching Community (ICC) one of the largest professional organisations for coaches around the world, with more than 14,000 coaches certified in 67 countries. www.internationalcoachingcommunity.com
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As a Coach, my primary aim is to work with you, as you articulate your own purpose in life, guide you as you take more control of what you can influence and for you to set your direction and what you need to do to always be making progress towards what is important….to you.
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One of my favourite concepts is that of putting on your own oxygen mask first before helping others. To me, this is so much more than just an in-flight safety message on a plane, but something that applies across our lives. As individuals we do need a sense of comfort about ourselves – that we have a purpose in life and that we are making progress in all aspects of our lives. This then allows us to be in a great position to look out for and help others – to make a positive difference in the lives of others.
One of my current coaching clients has provided this recent feedback to me...
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“I'm not sure if I can accurately describe how beneficial this process has been and how grateful I am for your guidance and support.
Working with you through this process has been amazing and I will always be grateful for your help and patience! You have helped me look at my life, not just my career, through a different lens. By focusing on my values you have helped me recognise what I find important, and the aspects of my life I need to adjust / improve so they are more in line with my values. I have a long way to go but feel like I've made some big gains over the last couple of months. I am starting to first identify what is important to me, and making sure my decisions are aligned to my values, not only in my career but in life in general, which will make life much more rewarding. I feel like my energy is starting to change, you have helped me learn to reframe everything, I am now much better at focusing on the positives, and am not worrying (so much) about things I can't influence”.
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This is what I love doing and this is what I want to do…..with you. This really gets me out of bed each morning in the belief that I can make a positive difference to others.
As I embark on big changes in my life, I would love the opportunity to work with you and help you create the kind of life that that you want – the one that gets you out of bed in your morning with a spring in your step and where you truly believe you are making a difference!
If you're ready to make positive changes I'd love to hear from you.
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Alan Barry
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