After an excellent group session at CCHQ yesterday, I can thoroughly recommend Janice Lavery to candidates:
Janice combines her professional expertise as a mentor and executive coach in the corporate sector with her insight and knowledge of the Conservative Party, to help parliamentary candidates maximise their potential to secure more interviews and deliver a confident and memorable performance at every stage of the selection process.
via Janice Lavery.
This morning, I coached two drivers via ClubDriving. We began with a demonstration in my car, followed by about 90 minutes each in a Mazda RX-8 and a Honda Civic.
Both drivers were well-qualified — IAM senior observer and RoSPA Gold — and their drives were excellent. All of us found details to improve in the endless struggle to be ever more safe, systematic and smooth.
The RX-8 is a superb car: taught, sporty and comfortable. The power from the rotary engine is exciting at all engine speeds, with a turbine-like delivery. It was a welcome change from the usual inline 4, but I’m glad I don’t have to meet its fuel bills!
Some footage from 45 minutes of tunnel time at Bodyflight yesterday with Chris Shaw of Skyskills and Mark Ryall. In places, it’s quite funny:
My objectives were:
We achieved these. As you can see, I still have far to go, but we’re getting there. Chris is a great coach and I highly recommend him.
During a good session coaching advanced driving this Saturday, I was reminded how useful driving can be in developing a different approach to doing anything well.
We concentrated on personal state management, which ties in with Don Palmers’ Driving Handbook:
At the core level you manage your personal state – that is, your physical, mental and emotional state. Being in a fit state to drive is fundamental to effective driving. No amount of knowledge or skill will allow you to drive safely if, for example, you’re on the verge of falling asleep or distracted by being in a highly charged emotional state.
We usually spend most of our time discussing roadcraft, observation, planning and use of controls: it was a privilege to enable a different kind of transformation.
To drive well, eliminate hurry and distraction. Relax, focus and flow to be safe, systematic and smooth.
