Nehal Davison
COACHING
I found Nehal to be incredibly insightful. She asked questions that I hadn’t thought to ask myself and these answers were pivotal in the decisions I came to in the end. During every single session I had with Nehal, I made a major breakthrough with a key decision I was struggling to make on my own.
Kristen, New Zealand
Most of us live a full paced lifestyle and zeroing in on our direction and purpose in life can really accelerate our mission. I have had the pleasure of working with Nehal on my personal development journey starting out during the Kiwibank Fintech Accelerator. Here she challenged me immensely on my thinking and connectedness to my values and together we created a robust personal improvement program. Unbelievably grounded, professional and a wealth of knowledge, a fantastic coach.
Alex, New Zealand
I would thoroughly recommend working with Nehal. I had reached a point in my career where I was unsure what my next steps should be, and she was able to help me identify the values that are most important to me and what I wanted to get out of work. I found the questions and activities we worked through and the frameworks we used invaluable in helping to think about my work-related issues in a different way and in gaining a greater understanding of them. I have now clarified what I want to do next, and I know I wouldn’t have got there without Nehal’s coaching!
Aaron, New Zealand
Nehal and I have been working together for the past couple of months and I can honestly say she has completely exceeded what you would typically expect of a coach. Sure, she’s helping me discover what it is that makes me tick and where I want to go with my career, but she has also been a source of inspiration and has helped me find my sanity during some tough times at work (perhaps without even knowing it). She has been super flexible and genuinely encouraging throughout the process and I have really enjoyed working with her.
Ashley, New Zealand
I sought coaching from Nehal because she came highly recommended from a friend and I was keen to work on a number of challenges related to my professional career. I found Nehal to be highly effective as a coach – she is a great listener, extremely responsive, diligent and supportive and encourages you to understand yourself and any challenges on a deeper level. I would absolutely recommend working with Nehal. I felt encouraged to drive for tangible professional goals but overall, I found the biggest takeaway from the coaching experience was feeling more content and at peace with where I am at in my career.
Olivia, New Zealand
Your coaching gives me a lot of energy, and a sense of confidence that I have the resources and the resilience to tackle the challenges I face myself. You are inspiring and I think your energy is very contagious - it helps me feel the same way which is such a great way to leave a session!
Alex, UK
I decided to work with Nehal because I had reached a point in my career where I was feeling a bit stuck and really needed some inspiration. I wasn’t too happy in my job, but I didn’t know how to fix that, or even what was really wrong.
I knew I made the right choice working with Nehal right at the beginning, during the pre-engagement coffee catch-up. Besides having a really warm demeanour, she just seemed to automatically understand the situation. I felt slightly embarrassed that I couldn’t really articulate what I wanted or needed, but it felt like she understood that herself, and asked the right questions to get me to explain. It kind of felt like going to the GP when something isn’t quite right with you physically, and instead of dismissing you, the GP asks a lot of questions and does tests to get to the bottom of the diagnosis. The whole coaching experience was like a treatment pathway for a problem that I couldn’t quite figure out.
Coaching has really helped to clarify things going on in my head. I liked that Nehal sets out a framework around finding your ‘what’, ‘why’ and ‘how’, which resonated with me. During the 6 sessions, we explored areas such as strengths, biases, fears, assumptions, and pathways. I got stuck several times along the way, but I loved how Nehal was always able to change her approach, questions and exercises to help me ‘unstick’ my brain and ways of thinking.
I feel like I have acquired lots of new ways of thinking about myself and my journey. The questions and topics that this coaching raised for me are things that I didn’t even know that I needed to think about. This process helped me get to my ‘what’ and ‘why’, now I just need to work through my ‘how’. I feel like I am better equipped to work through that because I understand more about myself and my drivers.
Lena, New Zealand
The best thing about working with Nehal is how empowering she is. I had four coaching sessions with her and after each one I left feeling ten times better than when I went in. She listens, helps you gain perspective, offers you tools and ideas but ultimately leaves you space to find your own way forward. That was gold for me. My family was facing multiple challenges at the time including two new jobs and some major health concerns. Nehal helped me to make conscious and realistic choices about where to spend my energy and inspired me to let the rest go. There were no gimmicks or cliches but there was so much warmth and encouragement. The insights I gained will be with me for life.
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If any of that resonates, then I would highly recommend coaching with Nehal.
K, New Zealand
I loved your coaching style and the tools you used to help me reflect and see things from a different perspective. You asked powerful questions that made me more conscious and really think about my beliefs, and whether they still hold true today. I loved the image cards, and I left the session feeling super energised and ready to navigate the next big adventure.
Thank you Nehal!
Yvonne, New Zealand
I love my sessions with Nehal. When I first met Nehal, I was still in my first year of work and was feeling disconnected in my role and in my team, and undervalued. Nehal allowed me to feel seen and validated for my feelings, but also motivated me to move past those feelings towards productive solutions.
One of the best bits of coaching for me was when I nailed down and really articulated what I wanted to see change in my role and how that would make me happier. Nehal instils me with the confidence to push for the changes I want to see in my role, and in my own approach to work. I’m now in a new team and am building confidence in my skills and approach.
Nehal has an approach that makes you feel understood and validated, but pushes you to build up. I’ve absolutely loved my experience with her.
Ella, New Zealand
Thank you so much! I really enjoyed the process, feel so much clearer about my professional wants and needs, and feel much more confident about where to go next. You are a fantastic coach and made the process really fun, which I admit I didn’t expect!
Hannah, New Zealand
I highly recommend working with Nehal. She is a great listener and has a unique way of getting to the root of a problem that you are musing over, and helping you to find a solution.
I’ve worked with Nehal for over a year now and am continuing to learn a lot about myself and my authentic leadership style - for example, I am now clear on my leadership philosophy and much more confident to make decisions even when there are risks and the way forward is unclear.
Nehal is patient and flexible, and can easily adjust your session to address a current problem, or help you take a step back and reflect on your overall leadership vision and values.
V, New Zealand
I began my coaching journey not really knowing what I didn’t know. Nehal was un-phased by this, and did a fantastic job of helping me define and ultimately achieve some clear objectives over the course of 6 sessions. Mine was a journey of two halves – the first focused on working through some key tensions in my life, the second was about finding myself and setting a direction for the future after I move back to the UK. Nehal was a constant source of energy, and helped me navigate a diverse range of topics in a supportive and non-judgmental way.
As a result of the whole process, I’ve begun to challenge existing perceptions of myself, and see myself, my values and my strengths in a ‘new light’. Nehal’s exercises provided a helpful framework for this shift (I particularly liked the ‘little yeses’ concept) and the rest was easy. It feels a bit like I’ve unlocked a new version of myself, that I feel empowered to embody in all aspects of my life. I’d highly recommend Nehal to anyone who is looking to embrace their best self!
Catherine New Zealand/UK
When I first approached Nehal, I was in a slightly challenging place from a work point of view. Having worked in social change and public service for 13 years, I was starting to wonder if the changes I was hoping to make were making a difference. I therefore needed a coach with an appreciation of diversity and an appreciation of what I was trying to do, but someone who would also probe my assumptions and keep me honest. I also experience autism so I needed someone who would appreciate that but not be too kind to me because of it.
Nehal did exactly that and more. She has a wonderful coaching manner – gently probing but always giving agency to those she coaches. The sessions are incredibly well planned but also give scope for exploration of “what is on top” for the person being coached. A particular strength of Nehal’s coaching is how she seeks to understand the particular context of the person very deeply. She is a great listener and is empathic.
I found that Nehal’s support was invaluable as I was working through the crossroad I had reached in my life’s journey. I am delighted with the conclusion and could not have reached it without Nehal’s assistance. The skills she teaches are also lasting too – which is shown by the succinctness of this reflection.
I would recommend Nehal without reservation to anyone who was seeking someone who will explore challenges in a diverse but affirming way.
Matt, New Zealand
Nehal's style of coaching and wonderful energy put me at ease by allowing me to explore what I have within me to overcome career hurdles and barriers. We share many commonalities so her ability to empathise was beyond this world. Knowing I was not the only one facing such challenges built the confidence within me to realise my potential and harness my power. Nehal gives the coaching community a good name!
Y, Australia
I took part in Creative HQ’s Lightning Lab GovTech accelerator programme. It was a fully immersive, intense and often stressful environment. Nehal’s visits were a highlight of the programme. Her calm and relaxed manner helped generate a safe space for the team. She created an environment in which introspective discussions felt easy and natural, and gave us tangible things to work on each week. This really helped us function effectively as a team. More generally, Nehal was a pleasure to work with. She was professional, insightful, friendly, understanding... in short, she was great!
John, New Zealand
I decided to engage with Nehal for some career coaching after a job move made me feel even more lost career wise and I was having trouble deciding what I should do next. What Nehal gave me was so much more. She was a patient, insightful, inquisitive listener who asked me challenging and thoughtful questions that really helped me to better understand who I am, what is important to me, what I bring and what I need to be fulfilled. She provided a compassionate and non-judgmental environment where I could freely and comfortably talk about things as they were for me. Her flexible and experienced coaching style meant she could easily recognise where there may be value in diving into something deeper. Ultimately these unexpected conversations were the most challenging, but valuable discussions that I needed to have. I am so grateful for the experience and would highly recommend Nehal as a coach!
T, New Zealand
Coaching for me has been a catalyst for moving into a role more aligned to my ‘ikigai’, to building better relationships with my colleagues and to strengthening my self-awareness muscle. A huge thanks to Nehal for walking alongside me on this journey.
Michelle, New Zealand
Thanks so much for the amazing workshop session. It helped me re-frame my priorities in a more positive way which has enabled me to stop worrying about them and engage in action. I knew that I needed to re-balance my life to enable me to invest more in my spiritual practice, the workshop stirred up some really deep emotions and I was able to harness these feeling to create change. I start on a Buddhist study programme this weekend and all the conditions have come together for me to commit to the programme in a sustainable way. Life changing stuff!
Nicki, New Zealand
Working with Nehal has been such a rewarding and enjoyable experience. I was feeling a bit lost after moving to New Zealand several years ago and decided to try coaching to help me regain purpose in my working life. I had been toying with the idea of a new career path for a long time and feeling nervous about the enormity of the decision and the commitment and upheaval it would involve. Exactly as I’d hoped, Nehal helped me work through a reflective and deeply satisfying decision-making process that has given me confidence and clarity to make a huge change and feel thrilled about it.
From our very first catch up, Nehal listened closely, made me feel comfortable and lit a little fizz of inspiration that steadily grew. She is highly knowledgeable and responsive - always ready with a useful resource and options for where we might go next - as well as warm and funny and someone you can genuinely enjoy talking with about big life questions. The insights I’ve gained about myself through working with Nehal are invaluable and I know I’ll be drawing on them for years.
M, New Zealand
Coaching with Nehal has left me feeling empowered. I have been able to talk about my own interests and my own needs openly and without judgement. I now feel like I ‘know myself’ more and have gained a deeper sense of what’s important to me. I feel more in control of my own life, and feel that if I want to make changes, then I can!
Melanie, UK
Nehal’s coaching helped me identify what I need to have in my career to make it work for me and what practical steps I can take to change my situation. She also helped me to see I need to make some changes in my personal life to create a better work/life balance. It’s been a really empowering and confidence-building exercise which I recommend to anyone feeling like they’re living Groundhog Day. I would highly recommend coaching with Nehal, she has helped me get some much-needed clarity and the confidence to take the next step in my career. Follow what's fun!!!
S, New Zealand
Nehal is a genuinely kind, caring and empathetic person. I really needed someone who could challenge my beliefs and thinking, but in a safe and caring way. Her ability to gently reflect back what I said and prompt (without judgement!) is second to none. Every single session I had with Nehal spurred a ‘penny drop’ moment for me, which was incredible!
Olivia, New Zealand
Nehal provided excellent leadership and career coaching for me, at a time when I needed to better understand my specific leadership strengths and weaknesses and needed clarity on my career direction. She helped me greatly to unpack lots of complicated topics in a way that has given me new clarity on what I bring to the leadership table, what I need to do more work on, and what some of my possible career trade-offs look like. Aside from asking the right questions, Nehal also provided helpful frameworks, materials, and exercises that assisted in exploring these various topics.
Alex, Fiji
Nehal is an amazing coach. I had six sessions with Nehal, all of them energising, revealing, challenging and valuable. I am a very self-reflective person by nature, but Nehal expertly asked questions and guided my reflections in such a way that I had real lighting bolts of unexpected and honest insights into myself, my motivations and needs. These insights allowed me to understand and action my next career steps and, importantly, ignore the other nice shiny opportunities that weren't really leading me where I needed to go. I now have an absolute and focussed sense of what I need to be doing with my career.
I also appreciated the holistic approach Nehal takes to coaching that includes work and home life. Sometimes the challenges we grapple with are about trying to get the balance right to ensure we can sustain our energy to keep doing the mahi that matters to us while also realising the other life aspirations we have for ourselves. By using the tools Nehal gave me, I have become far more able to direct my energy in a more concentrated way without depleting it. I think I'm better for it in all aspects of my life.
Catriona, New Zealand
2019 International Women’s Day, Wellington
Thank you for your presence at International Women's Day. Seeing you yesterday felt very serendipitous, your professional history and vulnerable honesty was inspiring and refreshing to hear.
2018 Public Service Interns Welcome Day, Wellington
I loved hearing about your unconventional career journey yesterday at the Public Service Intern Welcome Day. Your story highlighted the number of opportunities out there.
I heard you speak at the public service intern welcome day today and was incredibly inspired by you! Thank you.
