Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham https://unique-u.de/home/ Executive Leadership Advisor & Coach - Speaker Tue, 01 Nov 2022 16:12:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 What is your SUPERPOWER and how can you use it? https://unique-u.de/what-is-your-superpower-and-how-can-you-use-it/ Tue, 01 Dec 2020 22:15:22 +0000 https://unique-u.de/?p=1588 Der Beitrag What is your SUPERPOWER and how can you use it? erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • What is your SUPERPOWER & how can you use it?

An interactive session to help you work through the positive power of being unique & how you can step into your superpower.

In a world where we need innovative and ground-breaking ideas fast, to really have a hope of putting the breaks on Climate change; we need everyone to be the most empowered form of themselves. This will enable us all to contribute to achieving amazing things together. We each have a unique set of talents & personal values. Couple these with our life experience & personality & you have a unique & amazing specimen of a human being. YOU!

But what does this mean & how can this be an advantage? If we can all start playing to our strengths & the things that fill us with energy, then we can contribute in any situation… including innovating to make the world a better place.

Let’s take the courage to throw off our invisibility cloak, stand up, be counted as the amazing, creative & whole human beings that we are.

This session will help you:
– identify your personal values and start using them to align your decisions;
– look at your strengths in a new light and find ways to start consciously developing them further;
– see your life story from a new perspective to uncover the power it holds.
– use these elements to decide what is important to you and where you WANT to invest your time and energy to create your own unique Superpower!


Click here to send me an email to request the dates for the next session.


Previous Attendee Feedback:

It was a great session, I got many things to think about my journey and decisions I am currently making.
Thanks for making that possible!!

I really learnt a lot from that session, it was very inspiring and eye-opening session for me. Since then, I have been thinking of what really my intention and expectation is from what I do and what I really want to achieve in my life, and I also learnt the importance of knowing exactly what values are important to me would help me what I really want to be and what to do, honestly it was a super awesome session for me, many thanks Sarah!

I had an amazing group coaching session with Sarah and must say it was insightful and important for my personal life and career development. After the session, I learned more about myself and how to share my life story and use it as a way to create connection with people. During the session Sarah also provided me with tips and recommendations on how to develop a roadmap towards achieving my goals for the next 12 months.

Der Beitrag What is your SUPERPOWER and how can you use it? erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> Say No with Confidence https://unique-u.de/say-no-with-confidence/ Tue, 01 Dec 2020 14:07:26 +0000 https://unique-u.de/?p=1505 Der Beitrag Say No with Confidence erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Say No with Confidence

Say NO with confidence!

What the session will enable you:

  • to make an empowered choice (yes or no);
  • to say no assertively;
  • to manage difficult discussions.

I will challenge much of what ‘we’ all accept to be ‘true’ about what will happen if we say ‘no’ to something someone else asks of us.



I used to say YES to EVERYTHING:

  • taking on more work;
  • doing things for others (even when I knew I did no want to do it);
  • helping others managing difficult situations.

I did not stop, I did not consider what saying YES to others meant about what I was saying NO to for myself. I got frustrated, drained and saw no way out…until one day I saw, I always had a choice! Say yes or say no! AND when I say YES to something someone else wants what am I saying NO to for myself?

OR

When I say NO to someone else what am I saying YES to for myself? Sounds simple but still I could not master it. The reason was I was telling myself a story that:

  • other peoples needs and feelings were more important than my own;
  • people will only like me if I say YES to everything;
  • if I say No it will end in conflict and I avoid conflict at all cost.

This story is a lie & in this session I will help you discover the story which is holding you back from making a conscious & empowered choice one decision at a time!

Click here to send me an email to request dates for the next session.

Photo: Jon Tyson – Unsplash

Der Beitrag Say No with Confidence erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> Cognitive diversity https://unique-u.de/cognitive-diversity/ https://unique-u.de/cognitive-diversity/#respond Thu, 29 Oct 2020 20:08:34 +0000 https://unique-u.de/?p=1319 Der Beitrag Cognitive diversity erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Cognitive diversity

Cognitive diversity

What am I missing? Different perspectives.. surely not!

Cognitive diversity is the inclusion of people who have different ways of thinking, viewpoints & skill sets in a team or group-Forbes 2018. Every single one of us is UNIQUE. We have individual strengths, values & life experience which contribute to how we see..everything. Our perspective.

I see every perspective as an opportunity to learn. I am not saying individual perspectives are right or wrong. The opportunity in sharing diverse perspectives is to see a broader range of possibilities.

So how do we UNLEASH this opportunity ? In my view we need to:

  • Get attracted to diversity & engage a diverse group of people (this is not a check-box exercise);
  • Create safe & inclusive environments for deep discussions;
  • Offer what we think & feel to others clearly;
  • Listen with curiosity.

It is about creating a culture where meaningful discussions are more important than being right. I believe the organisations which lean into cognitive diversity are fighting for equality & will create sustainable solutions for the future…

If we do this then just maybe the ’s of diversity, inclusion & equality can die out with our generation. To me, that would be AMAZING! What do you think?

Der Beitrag Cognitive diversity erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> https://unique-u.de/cognitive-diversity/feed/ 0 Does your invisibility cloak really protect you? https://unique-u.de/does-your-invisibility-cloak-really-protect-you/ https://unique-u.de/does-your-invisibility-cloak-really-protect-you/#respond Thu, 29 Oct 2020 20:01:55 +0000 https://unique-u.de/?p=1315 Der Beitrag Does your invisibility cloak really protect you? erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Does your invisibility cloak really protect you??

Does your invisibility cloak really protect you?

Often in life we try to be invisible. To ‘avoid’ embarrassment or conflict, or because it feels uncomfortable to get involved etc..

I get it! These are ‘valid’ reasons, aren’t they? But what choice are you making as you pull the hood of your invisibility cloak down lower?

Does your action make you feel proud or content? If not, what are you feeling? Discomfort or perhaps, shame, or frustration?

The negative emotions indicate that something about the action (or in-action) you took is not aligned to your personalvalues or beliefs.

What was it about that situation you wanted to hide from? What was it about choosing not to engage (& be seen) felt easier in the moment but left you feeling uneasy?

We make over 30,000 decisions each & every day. We cannot get involved in everything but we do always have a choice what we get involved in & share what is important to us.

Getting outside your comfortzone feels uncomfortable, so those situations when you want to pull on your invisibility cloak are those you can grow the most from engaging in. What is important to you about that situation?

Say openly what you see or think, without judgement & see what happens! Go on I DARE you!

Der Beitrag Does your invisibility cloak really protect you? erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> https://unique-u.de/does-your-invisibility-cloak-really-protect-you/feed/ 0 Leaders how can you be ok being the least knowledgeable person in the room https://unique-u.de/leaders-how-can-you-be-ok-being-the-least-knowledgeable-person-in-the-room/ https://unique-u.de/leaders-how-can-you-be-ok-being-the-least-knowledgeable-person-in-the-room/#respond Thu, 29 Oct 2020 19:54:47 +0000 https://unique-u.de/?p=1309 Der Beitrag Leaders how can you be ok being the least knowledgeable person in the room erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Leaders how can you be ok being the least knowledgeable person in the room

Who wants to stand up & be seen as the least knowledgeable person in the room?

Most of us just shrink at the mere thought of it… but this is what some companies are championing!

I am sure you have heard the term groupthink! Research clearly shows that once someone who is seen, either as more senior, or more knowledgeable, shares their view then others are less likely to challenge them, or ask a question which might contradict!

So some companies are encouraging those in the room who are new or have little prior knowledge of a subject to say what they see first & ask questions. This can help shift from re-inforcing what is known today, to curiosity & listening if there might be something unknown which could be better…

This highlights to me how we miss opportunities each & every day by not asking that question which might make us look silly, or saying something which just looks blinding obvious to us (so they must have already thought about it…right?).

What methods do you use to challenge ‘group think’ & really engage the potential of cognitive diversity? Leaders what does this mean for you? Can you be comfortable being the least knowledgeable person in the room?? I would love to hear your thoughts!

Der Beitrag Leaders how can you be ok being the least knowledgeable person in the room erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> https://unique-u.de/leaders-how-can-you-be-ok-being-the-least-knowledgeable-person-in-the-room/feed/ 0 What opportunity does emotionalintelligence bring to the workplace? https://unique-u.de/what-opportunity-does-emotionalintelligence-bring-to-the-workplace/ https://unique-u.de/what-opportunity-does-emotionalintelligence-bring-to-the-workplace/#respond Thu, 29 Oct 2020 19:46:47 +0000 https://unique-u.de/?p=1299 Der Beitrag What opportunity does emotionalintelligence bring to the workplace? erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Emotionalintelligence

What opportunity does emotionalintelligence bring to the workplace?

In my view it is a game changer, so tune in. I worked in a male dominated tech industry for 17 years. I was receiving this info & not always allowing it in. Perhaps scared I would be laughed at, or cause conflict, or scared to be seen as different? It is relevant & I think holds the key to unleashing creative solutions to the problems we face today.

If you have high EQ it is a STRENGTH, it does make you different & you can use it to help yourself & those around you. You are receiving info that others are not. I ask you to do one thing. NAME IT!

‘I sense frustration (/anger..) from you, what is here?’ – open, direct, honest, curious!

Say it without judgement or the need to be right. Say it because you are curious to understand what this sense is telling you & observe. It changes the energy in the room in any discussion.

I believe that if we can enable meaningful discussions about important topics within cognitively diverse teams, we can solve anything. By ignoring it there is little chance of discovering the best solution & mistakes will be made. What do you think? How can you tune in more to your EQ & get curious about what you might discover?

Der Beitrag What opportunity does emotionalintelligence bring to the workplace? erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> https://unique-u.de/what-opportunity-does-emotionalintelligence-bring-to-the-workplace/feed/ 0 Values https://unique-u.de/values2/ https://unique-u.de/values2/#respond Tue, 21 Apr 2020 18:44:05 +0000 https://unique-u.de/?p=1265 Der Beitrag Values erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Personal Values

What are personal values and how can they help me?


We all hold certain values as important to us. Whether you know the words to name these values by or not, they exist within you!

Personal values are the things that when you are living your life holding these values in front of you, you feel content and these same values when you try to ignore or dishonour them (mostly unintentional) you feel uncomfortable and often stressed.



I have learnt a lot about these things in the last few years because I personally came to a point in my life where things overwhelmed me. I did not know why but looking back now, with the learning I have, I can see clearly; I was dishonouring the things which were important to me! But why did I do this? Well part of it was my upbringing, I learnt to please others which got stronger over time and meant I learnt not to listen to my own needs.

But let’s not oversimplify there is never one clear answer, why sometimes we can get so far off track it is all about our experience of life and those small decisions we make on a day to day basis.

If we use our personal values to guide each daily decision we make (at work and at home; about 35,000 decisions per day -as quoted in various internet sources) then over time this has a big influence on our experience of life; how content we feel, how much we feel happiness and love and how much we feel we contribute.

However, when we don’t listen to our own needs and values over time these daily decisions mount up to stress, anxiety and in the worst-case breakdown.



So how does one find their own personal values? Where can you start?


A lot of what we do in coaching is helping people identify these values and start using them to guide what feels right in life.

If you don’t know what your values are, you are not alone!

In fact, to date I have only had one client who was able to name more than two of their values straight off when we start coaching.

The simple way to start is by looking at a list of values and seeing which of the words resonate with you. When I say resonate, I mean you feel something positive in your body, it is generally more a feeling than a thought, i.e. you need to listen to the core of you, your instinct. Again, a lot of people find this difficult to tune in to; however just because you may have learnt to tune it out or not trust it, does not mean it is not there. It is!

Just sit quietly and listen.



The kind of questions to ask yourself are:


  • What about this value is important to me?

  • How does this value show up in my life?

  • Where am I honouring this value currently in my life?

  • Where am I dishonouring this value in my life? How does that feel?

  • If I truly feel this value how does this lead me in my role (as a leader, or a parent or partner choose whichever fits or think of each in turn).


This is where you begin to see that you are the same person with the same core values no matter if you are at work, at home, out with friends! Your values may show up in different ways, but they are still there. This is often why leaders who pretend they are someone else when they walk in the door at work and do not honour their values end up feeling stressed because they are not being true to themselves. There may always be things we see that we ‘need’ to do but as soon as we say that we are not leaning into our values but, probably dishonouring them in some way.


It is your saboteur talking when you say I need/ must/ should/ ought to…. I say “generally” because there are always exceptions to this as in fact your values can sometimes contradict one another. In these cases, it is very useful to know which ones are your strongest.

So, going back to your list of ten personal values, the next step is to put them into a priority list. Again, don’t think too much about this just listen to your instinct, it is not a maths test at school and will not be perfect but just give it a go.

Look at the top three and go back to the questions above and check they are roughly correct. If they are, then try and live into these values and see how it feels. When you have decisions to make think of these values and see how they inform that decision and then how you feel once you make that decision.

It can be useful to have some simple tools to help you think more often about these values and get more conscious about the role they are playing. It is like building a muscle or starting a new habit you need to consciously choose to invest in it and remind yourself otherwise it cannot help.

Ideas for tools are listed below but use whatever is fun/ interesting to you and fits with your life:


  • Keep a diary with these values in them and ask yourself some questions each day about how you honoured these values,

  • Talk to a friend or partner (or even your kids, who are generally best at being brutally honest) about the values you have identified and why they are important to you. Ask whoever you choose if they also see these as values you live your life by.

  • Write them, draw them or paint them and stick them up on your fridge and spend a minute contemplating them when you get your tea or coffee in the morning.

  • Start using the words you identify with your values to start voicing them more in conversation, especially when it comes to justifying your decisions to people; then see how that feels.



Just as our physical features give us our unique appearance, the articulation, prioritisation and clarity of our values determine our individual identity.

from Co-Active Coaching: The proven framework for Transformative Conversations at work and in life – Henry Kimsey-House, Karen Kimsey-House, Phillip Sandahl, Laura Whitworth.

I am sharing this to help as many people as possible start living a more fulfilling life and because I cannot possibly coach every single one of you. This can be a lot to do on your own so find a partner to do this with to make it fun and let me know if you have questions!

If you do need coaching support to lead you through this process and go in more deeply to start challenging how you values show up each and every day them book in a free sample session so we can get to know one another using this link.

Good luck, take care & stay healthy!
Sarah x

Der Beitrag Values erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> https://unique-u.de/values2/feed/ 0 Stones https://unique-u.de/stones/ Tue, 25 Feb 2020 17:00:30 +0000 https://unique-u.de/?p=1120 Der Beitrag Stones erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Stones

What do YOU have in common with a stone on the beach?

Have you ever wandered along a beach and suddenly a specific stone or a group of stones catch your eye?

Perhaps you recognise how many different looking stones you are walking over or see that one area of the beach is completely free of stones and the next area covered? So why are these stones all different? Perhaps one, or all of the following spring to mind:

  • Size

  • Shape

  • Colour

  • Texture

  • Origin

    Where did this stone come from and what journey did it go through to land precisely here on this beach?

I began thinking about this on my recent visit to the seaside and these questions sprung to mind as a parallel metaphor to help explain why we, as human beings are all, unique.

Bear with me…

Imagine a cliff erodes and falls into the sea. What happens to all those fragments? They fall into the ocean and over a long period of time get worn down by the waves and other stones. They may be split or change shape and get spread around the world by tides and currents.

Similarly for human beings…

even if there are two genetically identical babies born, they will have different experiences of the world through upbringing and interactions with others and incidents. A significant part of who that person becomes will be formed through their experience of life, the same way that a stone changes over time. The core of the stone and the core of the human will, in most instances remain intact but where they end up and how they get there will be different for everyone.

This is why each & every human being and each & every stone (found naturally) on the beach are, unique.

  • Each one of us holds ourselves accountable to a different set of personal values which are derived from our parent’s upbringing, culture and experiences.

  • Each one of us has a unique personality and has different things which we are naturally good at.

  • Each one of us has a different passion, the things which excite us, and this can change with time and with experience.

  • Each one of us has a life story we have lived through which can alter our behaviours and values and sometimes even our physical or mental abilities.

All of these play a role in who we are today. All of these are the reason we are unique in this world.  So why do we judge ourselves and each other because we are ‘different’? If, when walking along a beach and happen to notice the diversity of the stones the common reaction is one of curiosity or wonder?

How do we get to a point of wonder when looking at ourselves in the mirror and celebrate our own uniqueness?

How do we stop worrying about our differences and step out from the shadows to live the most fulfilling form of our life and contribute what we feel good about? How can your own uniqueness be your own personal super-power (as it is the thing that only you have)?

We are all on our own journey in life and if you are now thinking how best to answer any of the questions in this article then please reach out to me for a free of change, sample session to see how coaching will help you unlock your power.

Additionally, I challenge you next time you walk along at the beach or in a park to find a stone which represents you and post it on my linked in page with a short explanation. Here’s mine…

I found this stone and thought it summed me up pretty well because:

  • it is not perfect and smooth, neither am I;

  • it seems to have many layers, so do I;

  • it has a hard exterior but is soft to touch, I have can have a polished front but am more complex underneath;

  • it is multi-coloured, I love colour/ diversity in everything I do;

  • it looks like it has had a long and perhaps difficult journey to get here to this beach, now; so, have I.


You could be a stone’s throw away from learning how your life can become a little easier by leaning into …. Yourself!

Der Beitrag Stones erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> Key Ten: Employee development https://unique-u.de/key-ten-employee-development/ Tue, 19 Nov 2019 14:28:46 +0000 https://unique-u.de/?p=972 Der Beitrag Key Ten: Employee development erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Key Ten

Employee Development / Growth

This is a mix of Key One and Key Nine…

Know what development is appropriate for which members of your team. Not everyone will be a born leader who wants to take over your job and needs developing to do that role.

Others will be happy in the job they are in and for one of many reasons may not want to change roles. These are people who need appreciation and you need to get creative in their development. Do not put them on a shelf and forget about them otherwise you will wake up one day and they have switched off and it can be very difficult to switch them back on again..

Development does not just come through training; think outside the box and find opportunities to stretch your teams experience in other ways.

One of your colleagues may need help with something one of your team is good at so ask the individual if they would be interested in getting involved.

A lot of managers struggle with sharing resource due to the structure of how organisations are often set up but if your employees are good enough you will motivate them by showing how much you value them to offer them in part to another team, this is a form of recognition that can be clearly seen.

Don’t let the fear of loosing someone stand in the way of finding them an opportunity for development.

You should watch them grow and move on with pride; this is your badge that you are a good leader… even better if you can put yourself out of a job because the successor you have developed is so good.

Der Beitrag Key Ten: Employee development erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

]]> Key Nine: Team strengths https://unique-u.de/key-nine-team-strengths/ Tue, 19 Nov 2019 10:25:52 +0000 https://unique-u.de/?p=959 Der Beitrag Key Nine: Team strengths erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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  • Key Nine

Know your teams’ strengths and play to them

If personnel reviews are only used to discuss what someone needs to improve, they will struggle to feel valued and thrive in their role. Challenge yourself to look for ways to acknowledge your teams’ strengths and try to focus their tasks around playing to these strengths. This will help your employees be engaged and feel valued.

For example, if one of your team is great at thinking outside the box and being creative then you don’t ask them to do data gathering and analysis.

Likewise, if you have a space in your team you should define the skill sets your team might be struggling with and positively go out and look for a candidate to fill these skill gaps in your team.

Please don’t do a bums on seats approach and hope that anyone can learn anything… there is a reason we are all built differently!

As a manager your job is not to teach people talent. Your job is to help them earn the acolade’talented’ by matching their talent to the role. – First, Break All the Rules by Markus Buckingham and Curt Coffmann

A tool I like for understanding someones strengths is the Clifton Strength finder from Gallup.  Gallup also provide a substantial amount of material to support leaders on discovering their own unique strengths and how you can support a team in discovering their strengths.

Der Beitrag Key Nine: Team strengths erschien zuerst auf Unique-U Coaching by Sarah Needham.

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