Published in Kingstown College Coaching Magazine 2020/2021
We’ve come up with “Performance Time”, which is time you take for yourself
Recent Kingstown College graduate John O’Connell tells us how he coped through the Covid-19 pandemic and some tips that have helped him through the lockdown since mid-March 2020.
The last seven months have seen a great change in how we all work due to the new arrangement of working from home rather than in an office. With Covid-19, priorities changed within Allied Irish Bank (AIB) to meet our customers changing needs, but the workload remained heavy. To be able to perform in this new environment, I made an effort to take some time to focus on my own wellbeing and ensure I could maintain some balance in all aspects of my life.
Working Structure
I converted an upstairs spare room into my office and I am at my desk at 8.30am most mornings. As best as possible I keep to the normal hours and take an “elevenses” break with my kids (when they were off from school) if the meeting diary allows it. I took up the offer from AIB to take home an office chair, keyboard, mouse and screen, which has made a big difference to my comfort and wellbeing at work.
My Own Fitness and Wellbeing
My first priority was to keep up my fitness through the lockdown. I have always done a fitness class (known by my kids as “Fat Club”!) twice a week with three lads that live local to me. In the first two weeks of lockdown, we moved to the nearby GAA and did the sessions at social distance outdoors. We then transitioned to Zoom, so I had class on a yoga mat on my decking at 6:15am every Wednesday and Friday throughout the warmer months. I also enjoy running and have been able to do 8 – 10 km once a week and 5km on two other days. It was lovely to get out in late June for a virtual charity 5km run with Sarah, my two boys and dog Monty.
As we are on Zoom, our fitness coach offered us a maintenance session at the same time every Thursday morning. This is effectively a 45-minute foam rolling session, working out all the knots and pressure points in the body, followed by a 15-minute breathing meditation. I find this particularly good for addressing any niggles in the body and the mind.
Most evenings, I traded my commute on the M50 with a walk with my wife Sarah. We would do about 3 to 4km and it helps clear the head after sitting at the desk during the day.
It was lovely to get out in late June for a virtual charity 5km run.
As a former amateur jockey, I enjoy getting out on a horse every so often. My sister trains a few race horses beside my home and I’ve gone back riding two horses out on the gallops at weekends. I was called up early one morning in May to ride out before work. Getting out for some physical activity at 7am is a great start to any day and is something I hadn’t done in a long time due to early travelling to and from work.
Now with winter on our doorstep, we are heading into darker mornings and evenings, I’m going to have to adapt my schedule. I’ve been discussing this with my colleagues in work and we’ve come up with “Performance Time”, which is time you take for yourself during the day. Be that a walk or run during lunchtime to get some fresh air and get outside when it’s bright and weather allows it.
Keeping Kids Active
I am blessed with three great children: Lucy (12), Johnnie (10) and Davey (7). It wasn’t easy for them before school holidays and staying focused on home schooling had its challenges, but we focused on English, Irish and Maths predominantly.
The good weather in the first few months was a saving grace, as it has allowed them to be out in the garden and on the trampoline. They’ve been out riding the ponies as well, which has been a brilliant outlet and distraction from TV and Xbox.
From end March, I set up a fit club with them and their cousins (who had cocooned next door) every Monday and Friday evening. I would get them active in the garden doing many mobility and core fitness routines that I do at my fitness class. From March to July, this was the only main structure during the weeks of severe lockdown.
Coaching Course
I’ve always had an interest in Coaching and did enquire about 9 – 12 months ago as to what was involved in getting qualified as a coach.
About two weeks into Covid-19 lockdown, I was speaking to a colleague about coaching and it prompted me to look up and see what courses were available. I discovered a free webinar with Kingstown College the following Saturday that discussed a six-week intensive Advanced Diploma in Personal, Leadership and Executive Coaching. After the webinar and some discussions with Sarah, I enrolled in the six-week course. It started on April 7th, three nights a week 6:30 – 9:30 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, all via Zoom. Every session was very engaging and felt like the fastest three hours of each day.
The course work included: two coaching book reviews; a coaching article review; four peer coaching sessions as a coach and a client (these continued after the initial set); four external client coaching sessions, an essay and two Mastery Coaching sessions, where I coached, was coached and observed.
I will continue on my journey to becoming a coach and adding real value to others in unlocking their true potential and making more possible.
I read Sir John Whitmore’s Coaching for Performance and Jenny Rogers Coaching Skills. Both were very useful and brought to life much of the content covered during the course. I successfully completed all assignments and was delighted with the results I received in July.
In August, I got accredited with the European Mentoring and Coaching Council (EMCC). I’ve continued coaching and I am currently working with two clients, in an effort to achieve 100 hours of coaching to get accredited with International Coaching Federation (ICF). I have over 35 hours complete so far and once that is complete, I will continue on my journey to becoming a coach and adding real value to others in unlocking their true potential and making more possible.
My whole coaching experience so far has been very motivational. From my first coaching session, I put my faith into the models I was introduced to during the Kingstown College Diploma. I was amazed how well each session went and how much my respective clients got from each session. At the end of these sessions, when I’m asking for feedback, I find that the models have really helped the clients get some clarity or increased self-awareness on their issue or themselves. So far, it’s been encouraging that by trusting the process and allowing the client to lead the content really motivates the client to change or get unstuck.
Human Connection and Purpose
A challenge during lockdown has been connecting with friends and family. There are days when I don’t leave the surrounds of my house. To combat this, I make myself get up from my desk and get out. I consciously take the initiative and ring friends and family. I make sure that on a weekly basis I ring or have a social zoom call with friends. I also take time to regularly call my 94-year-old Aunty Mary (a Dominican Nun) and when I was allowed during the summer months, I got to visit her for 30 minutes at a time. I know my aunt gets plenty from my calls, but I get great energy from them too.
As we head into further restrictions, I accept that lockdown hasn’t always been easy. I believe I have remained positive and made the most of every opportunity that was available. My coaching experience has been very enjoyable and a huge help to my own wellbeing and sense of purpose. I’ve just recently finished reading Victor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, which has so many messages about mental strength and purpose. Something we all need in these times.
By John O’Connell
John O’Connell heads up Key Projects in Homes & Consumer, which is part of AIB Retail Banking. After graduating from Trinity with a Degree in Management Science (1999), John’s career to date has been in Banking, (BOI, KBC and AIB). John received a Post Grad in Leading and Managing People, Coventry University (2011). John has a track record for improving individual and team performance, which led to many of his colleagues advancing their careers with his guidance. His interest in developing others led John to pursue coaching and a Diploma in Personal, Leadership and Executive Coaching in Kingstown College (2020).
