A day in the life of Fionnola

How does your day typically start? 

I’m not a morning person. After a bit of trial and error in my family, we decided, sensibly, that my partner is in charge of the mornings in our house. Everyone is better off this way. Part of my job is to help people to recognise what helps them to be their best selves and where their natural energy flow is in the day, so this is me walking the talk!

How do you structure your workday? Do you follow a strict schedule, or is it more flexible?

There’s not a lot of structure! On any day I could be taking client video calls to pitch a proposal, mapping out a bespoke workshop, or researching a new subject in preparation for working with a new client to help them develop their new 5 year strategy. There are fixed events like school pick up and playdates to schedule in and the odd curve ball like an urgent last minute staff away day to prepare for or dress up day at school. What’s most exciting is that I could be plunged into researching a completely new sector at any given moment. So I’m always ready and kept on my toes. 

How do you manage communication with clients? 

I am usually introduced by email and I try as soon as possible to understand how the client prefers to communicate - in person, verbally, video, whatsapp, email.  If we can work to preferred styles we’re off to a better start. Also, it’s always important to reassure clients early on in the process about confidentiality creating a sense of safety and trust. 

Where do you usually work?

I don’t have a dedicated office and I love working from different places, often in the park or in a cafe. I use mind maps and user journeys to digest new scenarios and plan projects, so can often be found in a quiet corner of the library surrounded by reams of flip chart paper! 

What do you enjoy most about being a Wrkwll associate?

At WRKWLL I get access to amazing clients and the breadth of skills and experience in the team.  It's a place where I feel challenged to meet high standards and get lots of support to do so. It is very reassuring to have a broad team behind me so I can bounce ideas off people, and even pass the project onto someone else as a project evolves. 

I love seeing my clients and their organisations build capability to overcome hurdles and thrive.  I love helping people to step back and look at the bigger picture in order to address the details that will make a difference. I love that I can juggle my time, that some days I can have coffee with a friend during the day and other days I can deep dive into hours of designing a  working session for 100 people or a strategy development plan. 

What kind of work do you do?

I design processes to help clients grow their business, respond to change, develop their people or innovate. This includes work such as strategy development, leadership development, high performance teamwork and innovation consultancy.

I listen carefully and ask questions to thoroughly understand the clients needs and ensure we’re tackling the right problems. I work collaboratively and co-produce content to build client capability as we work.  I also facilitate boards or senior management teams to unpack complicated scenarios and find solutions they can implement.

What’s next for you?

While I’ve had a lot of coaching training and experience over the years, I am finally studying for my coaching accreditation which I am very excited about.