EMCC Accredited Coach/Mentor at Senior Practitioner level

Testimonial for Jan Alen

Over the past 6 months, Jan has been coaching me using the Lifestyles Inventory Assessment by Human Synergistics to enhance my leadership capabilities within my role as a Deputy Principal of a government high school. 

Jan is an excellent listener which makes her an excellent coach. In her sessions, she creates a safe space that allows me to relax and take the time to work through any challenges/situations in a careful and considered way. Jan is well-read and clearly a life-long learner. Her deep knowledge and understanding of educational leadership and relevant organisation psychology concepts and literature makes her an invaluable resource for me as an emerging leader. 

Jan is very calm and wise. Her demeanour and incisive questions during our sessions allows for deep reflection on my personal leadership goals and practices. Jan applies the right amount of pressure to draw out insights that have been hiding behind the surface. 

Jan has been instrumental in my growth as a leader over the past year. Our sessions have allowed me to elevate my focus on personal and professional goals. I would absolutely recommend Jan as a coach – not only to educators but to anyone who is a leader of people.  

The benefits of working with Jan can be seen in my growth as a manger within my school context. My growing confidence as a leader has resulted in positive outcomes for the staff I lead, students and our systems and processes. 

Rebekah Power

Deputy Principal

Clontarf Beach SHS 

Dear Jan

Thank you for coaching me this year in my position as a Head of Department. As I am a novice in this role, your coaching was an absolutely valuable experience for me. You helped me through many difficult situations, helped me to build my confidence, and to reflect on my actions as a HOD. You were always open and listened to my concerns. I felt that you were the person I can trust, can share my ups and downs that I was experiencing. I felt at ease during our coaching sessions.

When I shared the problem with you, e.g dealing with underperforming employees, having a difficult conversations, coaching beginning and new teachers, proving my valuable work to my boss, you always helped me to look at the problem by asking open- ended questions and helping me to develop a plan of actions around it, clear steps and time frames. So I had a clear picture of my actions. Every session, you helped me to reflect on my work. Your positivity always inspired me.

You helped me to build confidence as a leader, to reflect on my strengths, to build the skills I can use now in my role that help me to deal with day to day problems. I feel strong, confident and positive.

I would highly recommend your coaching to other leaders as my experience was invaluable.

Elena Hamilton

 

Head of Mathematics

Orion House Leader (O07-O09)

Experienced Senior Maths/Physics Teacher

 

Clontarf Beach SHS

Ph: 07 3480 4704

Dear Jan,

I would like to thank you for leading me on my coaching journey this year.  As a Head of Department one of the most difficult parts of the job is dealing with underperforming staff.  I was hoping these one on one training session would help me develop my skills in this area. I was very excited to start this journey and looked forward to each coaching session.

As a coach, I really appreciated your kind and friendly approach.  You immediately made me feel at ease and comfortable discussing sensitive issues with you.  Your questioning techniques really helped me to clarify my thinking and solve my own issues.  At the end of each session I had a clear picture of what I needed to do and how to achieve these goals.  During the next session we would discuss what had been achieved and why it was successful, again drawing out my own conclusions.

I found the coaching sessions to be extremely valuable and they certainly exceeded my expectations.  I have gained so much confidence as a leader as I now have the tools to tackle those difficult conversations.  I have used the skills learnt from these sessions to deal with issues and I continue to reflect on my practice with will further enhance my leadership skills.  I have spoken to my principal about how valuable these session were for me.

I would highly recommend other leaders to participate in these coaching sessions to help improve confidence and leadership skills.

Kind Regards

Rachel Barrett

HoD Science

Clontarf Beach SHS

Ph: 07 3480 4704

Testimonials – Jan Alen – 2015-2020

Jan has been working with me and my leadership team for over two years providing coaching and leadership development that has seen us experience significant growth individually and collectively. Her commitment to establish shared expectations coupled with her ability to skilfully build relationships provides strong foundations for insight, reflection and commitment to action. Jan’s deep self-awareness supports her to act objectively and she actively models her own commitment to growth and development through routinely inviting evaluation and feedback. She demonstrates effective approaches and skills that provoke deep learning leading to change. Her coaching has supported us to achieve a common leadership language and strengthen our team performance.

Dorothea Jensen, Principal   (June 2020)

Shailer Park State High School

I have known and worked with Jan since the beginning of 2017 in her capacity as a mentor and coach both on an individual level and as part of a leadership team. During this time she has enabled me to grow and deepen my understanding of myself as a leader and an educator.

Jan’s deep self-awareness allows her to connect with people on a personal level, allowing them to be vulnerable with her and get to the heart of the matter. She encourages guided reflection coupled with planned actions to ensure continuous growth in a manageable way. Her understanding of a multitude of models and techniques allows her to personalise her coaching and mentoring to suit the person and level of experience.

I truly believe that the position I am in today is as a direct result of the guidance that Jan provided to me at a stage in my career where I was struggling to understand my values and beliefs. She helped me to identify my strengths, work on my weaknesses, and as a result find a position that aligned with my values which has enabled me to grow into a very reflective and successful leader.

Katrina Davies, Deputy Principal, Shailer Park SHS (June 2020)

Elizabeth Gill | ​HOD Teaching and Learning.

Palm Beach Currumbin State High School

June 2020

Jan Alen is a knowledgeable and perceptive coach who has been genuine in her connection with me. Due to her incredibly high standard of professionalism combined with approachability; she has guided and supported me to meet my personal growth goals as they apply to my role and to effectively link them with the priorities of the school and Education Queensland.  Jan was very quickly able to establish a relationship of trust and confidentiality which combined with the effective use of our time together ensured that my growth objectives were determined, prioritised and successfully met.

It was evident during my time with Jan Alen that she is the embodiment of a curious lifelong leaner in a professional and personal sense. She maintained and actively participated in ongoing upskilling and knowledge building in order to continue to differentiate her practice and effectively meet the varying requirements of the people she works with.  Jan has an extensive and well-balanced knowledge across a broad range of current and diverse areas that she is able to effectively articulate and link with personal focus priorities.  This ensures that Jan is able to meet the expectations of the teams and individuals she works with and sustain and improve her reputation as a coach and mentor. She was able to make effective and relevant links with current research-based practices and my personal areas for growth.

I had the pleasure of working with Jan Alen for a few years in my role as a Head of Department in a large urban high school in Queensland, Australia.  Jan was working with the Executive Leadership team of my school to build capability within the middle leadership team of approximately twenty Heads of Departments and Deans which I was a member of. Jan Alen was credible in her role due to her work experiences and vast knowledge and ensured that our time together was used effectively.  She was punctual, organised and personable and always maintained a sense of commitment and attentiveness to us as a group and as individuals.

I consider it a privilege to have worked with Jan Alen for a number of years due to the priorities of my school and also in 2019 when I personally requested her support in order to improve my own learning and professional growth. Jan was understanding of the challenges I was facing in my role and supportive of my aspirations. The effectiveness of our professional relationship has been possible due to her ability to provide clarity and encourage personal awareness with regard to my work situation and how I interact with others, including the motivations and history behind my choices. The time I have spent working with Jan Alen has been the most beneficial and successful use of my professional learning time in over 20 years of working within the Queensland Education system. She was able to encourage me to be brave and face the areas I am uncomfortable with and step into new areas of success and achievement.

The first step when I began working with Jan Alen was to undertake the 360 Degree Feedback which allowed for a reliable and consistent source of feedback and a very clear and explicit approach to focus and improvement.  I found this initial stage to be incredibly challenging and I was genuinely fearful of the results. I really hoped that the type of person I wanted and aspired to be would match exactly with how other people found me to be as a colleague and a supervisor.  What arose was that others experienced working with me in a much kinder and generous light than that which I turned on myself.  It was me that needed some honest reflection and to become more aware of my strengths and confident in my abilities. Jan was sensitive and empathetic yet also direct in this initial stage as she assisted me to understand and unpack the version of myself I believed existed, and the disparity with the evidence which was much more positive from others. Once this realisation had begun, amid a few of my tears, Jan guided me to be practical and realistic about not only the system I work within but the necessity to work towards achievable and important goals, both personally and professionally.  Each time we met there was a review of my goals and then an opportunity to reflect and reform in order to move to the next increment in my growth and personal acceptance of my situation. I have begun to become realistic and fairer to myself about the significance and impact of my goals and the overthinking and self-doubt that I have a tendency to engage in has reduced substantially.

Once I determined, and with Jan’s assistance articulated, my specific long-term goal and targeted short-term priorities I was overcome with a sense of control and clarity.  This allowed me to commit to my focus and feel confident in my ability to succeed.  Jan Alen’s wisdom combined with her sincere encouragement brought a practicality and evidence-based approach to my growth and ensured that I was able to make the changes and dedicate the time to the areas that were most important and significant to my development at that point in time.  By ensuring regular checkpoints were determined and a time to meet scheduled I felt supported, my efforts acknowledged, and my progress was seen, heard and shared.  This can be very rare in my role.

I did not ever expect that my time working with Jan Alen would be as momentous and insightful as it has been.  It has been far from easy however her generosity and ability to guide me through each session has enabled me to push beyond what I thought I was capable of and to be clearer in my journey forward.  While I may not be aware of the multiple tools and techniques Jan Alen employed during her time coaching me, I am aware that they were varied, appropriate and specific to my goals.  I tend to go to big and too deep with too many words and Jan was able to assist me to organise my ideas and plans into manageable bites with a clear method determined to create the end result at each stage.  She was able to combine a great sense of humour, honesty, and flexibility to assist me when I was unable to quickly determine a clear path so that I could move forward and provide evidence of my efforts and focus.

Jan Alen has an incredible ability to adjust her support, resources and references to further encourage my growth and increase my effectiveness. By determining a clear goal with a clear outcome each time we met, we were able to collaboratively evaluate the process and the outcomes in order to move towards the next stage of growth. I was able to assess the value of my efforts and the use of my time so that my curiosity and aspirations could be maintained, focussed and achievable. Jan Alen is a fantastically capable and intelligent woman who has encouraged me to question and exceed my potential by being honest in my reflections, focussed and brave.  I have been able to step up and step out and for that I will be forever grateful. Thank you.

July 2020

Heidi Reitsma

Curriculum, Teaching and Learning Manager

 Maroochydore, North Coast Region

Department of Education

Understanding Self

Jan consistently communicates effectively and exercises self-awareness to adapt her behaviours to suit the context of the conversation. She consciously reflects in and on her practice, proactively managing her own behaviours to suit the needs of the client.

2. Commitment to Self-Development

Jan frequently invites feedback from her clients and demonstrates a genuine commitment to improve her coaching and mentoring. She is quick to apply new learnings and eager to keep up to date with evidence-based research.

3. Managing the Contract

Jan expertly establishes and maintains the expectations and boundaries of the mentoring/coaching contract. She operates ethically and empowers clients in making informed decisions.

4. Building the Relationship

Jan always displays empathy and a genuine warmth. She actively listens and skilfully questions, helping to build understanding and trust and acting with integrity. Her diligence, consistency, and sincerity underpin her successful relationship with her clients.  She expertly combines levels of support and challenge in coaching sessions and exercises agility in being attentive and responsive to the client’s needs.

5. Enabling Insight and Learning

Through a range of techniques, Jan raises awareness, encourages exploration and deepens insight for her clients. Using feedback and challenge, a range of questions and remaining impartial, Jan enables significant fundamental shifts in her client’s thinking and behaviour. She expertly adapts her approach and technique in response to information whilst remaining focused on the outcomes.

6. Outcome and Action Orientation

Jan skilfully draws on a range of diverse techniques and methods for building a commitment to outcomes, goals and actions for her clients. Jan expertly promotes approaches to change, identifying barriers and promoting self-discovery. Jan consistently reviews the progress of the client’s actions, outcomes and goals, working with the client to take responsibility for their own actions and learning.

7. Use of Models and Techniques

Jan applies in depth knowledge and experience of models, tools and techniques to help clients deal with specific challenges as well as the overall outcome. She adeptly applies such beyond the core communication skills in order to bring about insight and learning for her clients. Jan also uses systems and tools to improve her effectiveness.

8. Evaluation

Jan establishes rigorous evaluation processes with clients to gather information on the effectiveness of her own practice. Jan uses knowledge gained to comment on themes, trends and ideas related to evaluation processes and coaching/mentoring processes, contributing to establishing a culture of evaluation of outcomes.

PBC has had a long standing association with Jan and her work has been very important to the progress and performance of our school over this time.

Jan’s work in introducing Growth Coaching and other designing leadership development programs has had a tremendously positive impact on the culture of our school. The professional development and coaching training she has delivered to groups and individuals has translated into effective collegial practice that is improving student outcomes.

Jan’s vast experience, extensive knowledge as well as her exceptional ability to tailor differentiate programs ensures that we regular seek both her counsel and support.

Stephen Loggie,

Executive Principal, Palm Beach Currumbin State High School

Jan I just wanted to thank you whole heartedly for our coaching time together. Although it is hard to articulate, you were THE difference in the path I travelled this year in educational leadership. Your faith and belief in me, as well as the support and guidance you gave through the coaching process were the very things that kept me going forward when I felt lost in my professional journey. I now believe I have something unique and special to offer as a leader. Karma did come to me Jan ….in the shape of you, and for that I am truly grateful.

Jodi Fillingame

Southern Gold Coast Schools Coalition Cluster Facilitator

Jan provided a series of 1 to 1 sessions with me as a leadership coach. We focussed on my leadership style and how I could improve my effectiveness as a leader of my team.

Jan has a wonderful ability to make people feel at ease during the coaching. She helped me to set goals for improvement and has the ability to tease out courses of actions for problems by questioning, clarifying and discussion of the key issues.

My effectiveness as a leader has certainly improved through Jan’s coaching. In particular my ability to give my team members feedback, to have constructive conversations and to have difficult conversations has improved markedly. The 360 degree review that Jan arranged for me and our analysis of the results have enabled me to put in place long term goals to increase my effectiveness as a leader not just for our team but for our whole organisation.

John Oxley,
Director, Information Services and Technology
Moreton Bay College

Jan has been my executive coach for the past 12 months. She has the amazing talent to ask the ‘right’ questions of me, that enables me to reflect at deep level on what I am thinking and what I want to do. This enables me to delve into the reasons why people do what they do, and how to get the best out of myself as a leader, along with the people around me.

Her immense knowledge base in regards to leadership has proved invaluable in my learning journey.

Anne Slattery,
Head of School: Diverse Learners
Peregian Springs State School
Queensland

I have been involved in professional development with Jan Alen during the last for 4 years. She introduced me to the GROWTH coaching model and currently works with me as my executive coach. Jan and I have now worked collaboratively in both team and individual situations in order to develop my expertise in the application of the model in my leadership role at the Australian International School, Sharjah, UAE.

Jan has the capacity to listen to the details of a scenario and to ask specific questions that enable me to consider the complexities of the scenario and to reframe it down to a series of clear, concise and achievable steps. She modified questions to assist me in reaching clarity which then enable me to articulate a personal goal. This is a skill that I am now refining and using to promote the professional development of my colleagues.

As a result of my time with Jan, I have developed and refined a skill set that includes developing trust, active listening, empathising and being succinct with management and teaching staff. The work I have done around the GROWTH coaching model has enhanced my ability to focus on a strengths-based approach whilst working with teams and individuals.

Clare MacDermott
Dean of Studies
Australian International School
Sharjah, UAE.

Jan provides a warm, encouraging, supportive but challenging professional coaching service.  She has sublime skills in questioning that enables personal paradigm shifts and insight into the dynamics of a professional team.

Jan’s work has seen the fortification of bonds and new understandings with our leadership team.  The insight gained from Jan’s facilitating and coaching has reduced the frustration and angst, that at times, can undermine high performing teams, as we now understand each other’s styles and our own responses to particular situations.

Personally Jan’s coaching has allowed a growth in confidence, led to a reduction in frustration and the development of strategies to enhance my leadership.

I would highly recommend Jan to anyone who seeking to take up a leadership role.

Jody Clarke
Deputy Principal
Clontarf Beach State High School

I have worked closely with Jan over the last two years to further develop my leaderships skills and to strengthen my skills in coaching staff by engaging in a number of Growth Coaching International programs facilitated by Jan at AIS.

I found Jan’s approach to be tremendously effective.  I always felt that we were mutually working together in a trusting relationship to improve my skills in my identified areas of leadership development.  Jan always asks just the right questions, and I could certainly never get away with half-answers.  She was able to tease out and clarify my thinking by helping me to reflect on ideas and future options. She has a natural flair, worthy of emulation.

Jan has left an indelible mark on myself, the school, not only with the leadership team, but with the broader teaching staff.  Her programs have seemingly simplified, yet sharpened conversations amongst peers and the community and therefore enhanced the quality of our core business.  There has certainly been a shift in our school culture as a result of her work with us.

Jason Milner, Head of Middle School,

Australian International School,

Sharjah UAE

Across three schools, each with their own different contextual demands, Jan has tailored a development program for each leadership team that has seen real and tangible results on individual growth as a leader and importantly a real understanding and cohesion in the teams that created a environment characterised by trust, empowerment and innovation.

Jan’s warmth and interest in people along with an empathic engagement with participants enables an authentic learning environment for adult learning styles to be catered for. In working with individuals Jan is able to facilitate a coaching process that leads participants to self-discovery and self-awareness that enables personal growth

Within three leadership teams Jan has left an indelible understanding of self and others which has led to greater trust and authenticity that has remained long after the program has concluded. The reverberations of which have allowed more efficient and innovative school improvement efforts

James Sloman
Executive Principal
Moreton Bay College

As Principal of two large Secondary Schools, I have engaged the services of Jan Alen as a key component to the leadership development of my Middle Management teams and to build the foundation of a peer to peer coaching culture in my own and in a cluster of neighbouring schools.

Jan tailored and delivered her leadership programs to meet the needs of the teams at both school locations. Jan’s programs included 360 degree feedback, coaching and professional learning. These have been delivered in a friendly and professional manner that enabled staff teams and individuals to develop and learn through challenges and practical application.

Jan’s facilitation of the GCI Peer Coaching programs have focused the team on the fundamentals of coaching, experiential learning and feedback.

It is clear through feedback and by observing her practice that Jan values every individual no matter what their level of experience. Her skill set and her friendly engaging demeanour enables her to work just as easily with individuals as large mixed groups or teams.

Jan has had a lasting impact on the positive leadership culture and growth of individuals in my schools.

Debra Ward,
Principal Forest Lake State High School

The Department of Education and Training engaged Jan to facilitate stakeholder engagement during a review of an established program.  Jan very ably facilitated two forums with stakeholders

The Department was very pleased with the structure, processes and personable approach adopted by Jan in engaging the Department with representative stakeholders. Jan’s facilitation skills were perceptive of our organisation’s values and receptive to stakeholder expectations.  Jan’s qualities as an expert facilitator realised a productive engagement.

What we appreciated most about working with Jan was her ability to keep the engagement on track, reduce distractions, challenge perceptions, keep everyone happy, and deliver a clear way forward. This is what we sought from the engagement process.

Gerard Rooney
Manager, Talent
Human Resources
Department of Education and Training

As the newly appointed Principal to Wellington Point State School, I engaged the services of Jan Alen, from JA Consulting, to work with myself and my staff to further develop our skills in working collaboratively as a team. She conducted a series of well-structured and informative workshops; providing us with the relevant knowledge and skills to actively develop and embed a collaborative team culture within our school. Throughout her involvement, I found Jan to be extremely professional in her manner, as well as dynamic and skilful in her presentation; expertly tailoring her sessions to ensure maximum engagement and participation. I would highly recommend her services.

Margaret Lane
Principal
Wellington Point State School
Queensland

I have worked with Jan for the past 3 years in both a group and an individual capacity.  Her friendly and cheerful approach has made the experience a very comfortable process to engage with.  Jan manages to provide support as well as challenge me to go that step further and through this I have gained confidence in my own abilities and developed skills and capacity to improve my leadership through my engagement with Jan.  This has been a challenging yet engaging process that has led to my growth and development with help and guidance from Jan. I couldn’t have changed my leadership so quickly or effectively on my own.

Terri Vander Spoel
HOD Science , Mansfield State High School

I feel very fortunate that I was able to work with Jan early on in my professional leadership journey.  She navigated me through the results of my 360 degree feedback, focusing on areas of achievement that I had independently failed to recognize and improvement opportunities that would have a marked impact on my leadership skills.  Jan also helped me realize how important it is to spend quality time in both my work and home life in order to be at my personal best. She has a knack of asking just the right questions to challenge standard thinking and generate self-reflection, and she kept me committed by regularly tracking progress.  I firmly believe that I have a greater self-confidence in my own ability to lead, and an increased positive perception about my leadership through the coaching received from Jan.

Peta Wenzel

Acting Head of Department – Senior Schooling,

Mansfield State High School

Jan Alen has worked in our school throughout 2014 delivering the GCI Co Coaching Program to a group of 13 teachers and administrators. Her relaxed easy style coupled with exactly the right level of academic and intellectual demand has led to these staff members towards taking this training through to their everyday lives in classrooms and in working with each other, other teachers, parents and community. The training has changed the conversations staff have into solution focused and improvement focused agendas. The result has been a large number of them starting innovative projects and coaching each other to practice teaching skills that are most likely to produce high level student outcomes. This has happened without pressure and purely in a learning frame. I highly recommend Jan as an educator/ trainer who can move a group of people along gently but relentlessly towards striving for excellence in their field.

Gwen Sands
Principal
Peregian Springs State School
Queensland

‘An Individual Coaching Experience – Asia Education Foundation

Experiencing leadership coaching with Jan Alen over the course of six months has been one of the most rewarding and fulfilling learning experiences in my professional life. Jan was a sounding board for ideas, mentor, coach, advisor and professional counsellor all rolled into one. She has enabled me to realise my leadership and coaching potential and has helped me recognise some of the skills, strengths and attributes that I didn’t even think I had. My overall professional outlook has matured and the flow-on effects are not just observed in my own work, but also that of my team and other colleagues. I thoroughly recommend Jan as a leadership coach’.

Dr Eeqbal Hassim
Senior Manager, Research and Curriculum
Asia Education Foundation

Koto is a non-for-profit social enterprise that empowers at-risk and disadvantaged youth in Vietnam through its holistic training program.

I have had the pleasure of working with Jan Alen, Director of Programs for the Queensland Education Leadership Institute, for the last year. Jan has been instrumental in providing assistance with the establishment of Principal and School Leader capability programs within the Department of Education and Training, Darling Downs South West Region. Jan receives my highest recommendation for her ability to listen, recognise and understand the complex issues associated with leadership and capability development. Jan has brought practical advice and clarity when negotiating program delivery, which has enabled the Region to deliver the right mix of programs and the flexibility to meet client needs. Jan brings a combination of seasoned executive leadership facilitation and coaching skills, along with unique perspectives and listening skills.

Cecily Andersen
Cecily Andersen | Director of Coaching

Jan’s wonderful ability to assist me to drill down to specifics in setting goals and identifying actions is incredible. During the entire coaching experience I have moved from being a person who didn’t believe in his ability, to a leader with wonderful coaching skills, who can get people to move with me towards a vision or goal. The process and experience has been invaluable. I feel very privileged and honoured. Once again a huge thanks to you Jan!

PRINCIPAL
IPSWICH QLD

The leadership team in all schools is integral to the overall success and ongoing achievement of the school. Jan has worked with my leadership teams, assisting our growth and strength as a team. Jan’s supportive, but challenging approach has allowed us to build a greater understanding of ourselves at a team and individual level, as a foundation for effective leadership of our school community.

NEIL JENKINS
Principal
Tewantin State School

Building the capacity of people within schools is a complex and at times problematic goal for all school leaders. I have worked closely with Jan Alen across two very large secondary school contexts, Mansfield State High School and Pimlico State High School. Jan has enabled me, as the principal, to lead my staff in ways that has not only built capacity in people but has built leadership density across both schools. Building upon and further enhancing school cultures that enable shared leadership, encourages risk taking and facilitates collaborative work cultures has been the outcomes of the projects undertaken with Jan.

Jan has an exceptional ability to work with school leaders through structured processes that combines research based methodologies with pragmatic strategies that work within school contexts builds credibility for Jan as she works with groups of school leaders. This, in conjunction with Jan’s interpersonal skills and experience in working with people, works to build strong trusting rapport based relationships with those whom she works with. At both Mansfield and Pimlico that has led to enduring relationships with the staff from these schools

JAMES SLOMAN
Principal
Mansfield SHS

Jan Alen has worked with Sandgate District State High administration and Heads of Department to establish a performance culture at the school. Jan used her excellent facilitation skills and knowledge of developing performance to assist the school to:
• Introduce participants to the EQ policy framework
• Develop a shared vision for what a performance culture would look like
• Develop a shared understanding of what constitutes good performance feedback and why feedback is important
• Model effective performance conversations
• Understand and practise a number of tools including Johari Window, Perceptual Positions, Ladder of Inference, observation and questioning Techniques, giving and receiving feedback and having difficult conversations
The outcome of this work was that participants became confident in their ability to conduct high quality performance conversations and resulted in each teacher having two conversations with their line manager each year. Teachers reported satisfaction with the process and their appreciation of the opportunity to get feedback on their performance and to develop their own professional development plan. Regular Performance Conversations are now part of the school culture. Jan has also coached me at regular intervals over the past four years to stretch and challenge my thinking and approaches to key issues and challenges. I greatly value her insights and support.

JEANETTE GENTLE
Principal
Sandgate & District State High School

I have had the pleasure of working with Jan Alen, as Director of Programs for the Queensland Education Leadership Institute, as well as in previous years when Jan managed the Department’s Leadership and Performance Unit. Jan has been instrumental in providing assistance with the establishment of Principal and School Leader capability programs within the Department of Education and Training, Darling Downs South West Region. Jan receives my highest recommendation for her ability to listen, recognise and understand the complex issues associated with leadership and capability development. Jan has brought practical advice and clarity when negotiating program delivery, which has enabled the Region to deliver the right mix of programs and the flexibility to meet client needs. Jan brings a combination of seasoned executive leadership facilitation and coaching skills, along with unique perspectives and listening skills.

CECILY ANDERSEN
Director of Coaching, DDSW Region

The Australian International School knew that we needed to do something more for our emerging leaders. We needed to invest in their development if we were to deepen leadership competence across the organization and ensure strong leadership pools for future positions.

We have a strongly distributed leadership model and so with the help of Jan Alen we put together a program for twenty of our teacher leaders to develop their understandings of leadership and how essential skills for the future may be developed.

My first thought when considering who we might engage to run such a program was Jan Alen. Whilst I have known Jan professionally for a long time, I am always impressed by how she relates to the participants in her sessions and how she tailors the content of her sessions to meet the needs of different members of the group. Jan is a highly skilled facilitator and always takes a very personal interest in the people in her programs and maintains these connections long after a course is completed.

The results have been outstanding. Our emerging leaders feel valued by the organization and by the senior leadership team; they are focused on understanding essential leadership competencies and how these are developed; and they are actively engaged in a range of projects across our school to continue to make A.I.S. the kind of school we want to be!

ANNETTE WILSON
Principal
Australian International School
Sharjah
United Arab Emirates

As part of establishing a new leadership structure at Caritas College in 2013, it was critical that we also incorporated a rigorous, supportive means of professional learning to develop the individual and team leadership skills of those taking up new roles. I worked with Jan Alen to plan a relevant, customised course to be delivered in our rural context for the newly created leadership team. In the planning phase Jan was readily available, and able to both share her ideas regarding course content and modes of delivery, whilst listening deeply to the needs and desires of our community. In facilitating the course Jan demonstrated such highly skilful, professional and engaging course delivery that participants readily contributed, accepted challenges and shared their learning within the group setting. Jan’s experience in leadership development, adult learning and contextualising her presentation ensured a course experience where mutual learning, personal professional growth and a sense of value for the leadership work being undertaken at Caritas College was experienced by all participants. I particularly appreciated Jan’s energy, deep commitment to professional learning and her flexibility and sensitivity in responding to the needs of the group. The impact of the course has been positive and long-lasting, and has in fact, prompted course participants to seek further leadership development opportunities.

NICHII MARDON
PRINCIPAL
Caritas Catholic College

Your wonderful ability to help me to drill down to specifics and set goals is incredible. During the whole coaching process, I have moved from a person who didn’t believe in his ability, to a leader with wonderful coaching skills, who can get people to move with me towards a vision or goal.

The coaching process has been invaluable. Thank you for this wonderful opportunity, I feel privileged and honoured. Once again, a huge thanks.

Byron Van Der Zee
Deputy Principal,
Ipswich East State School

Jan has worked with my staff at a number of schools. She has tailored each program to meet the specific needs of the staff and/or our context. Most recently we have worked with Jan across several areas. In the first instance, Jan trained our senior leadership team in coaching skills. It was so successful, other key leaders in the school were also trained, and from there, many of our Maths/SCI staff volunteered to complete the coaching program. Jan has also worked with our executive team to strengthen our team’s capability to lead the strategic journey the school is undertaking. In addition, she is working with this team to develop the strategic consciousness and actions of our senior leadership team. Through Myers Briggs we have developed a better understanding of ourselves as leaders, our staff needs and an understanding of how successful teams function.

This year Jan will also begin working with our faculties to develop their understanding of themselves through Myers Briggs and how they operate within their team.

In a school where key leaders have been in place for a considerable time, and who arguably have been ‘PD’d out’, Jan’s style is such that when each session was delivered, the leaders saw the benefits not only for our senior leadership team, but asked to have Jan do similar work with their faculty staff.

Comments such as “I didn’t think I was going to get anything out of this as I have done Myers Briggs before but I haven’t done Myers Briggs like that. I learnt so much about myself and the rest of the team. Can I get Jan to do this with my staff ?”, really summarise the benefit the whole team received.

Jan easily understands the “vibe” in the room at the start of the day and her experience and ability to be flexible meant each time that she delivered, she made changes to activities, changed paced and used “teachable moments” to deliver outcomes that we had hoped for, and sometimes exceed our expectations.

Much has been discussed above, but in addition, she has been able to assist my leadership teams to grow professionally, personally and as a team. Her knowledge of what else happens in other schools allows staff to hear and feel that they are not alone, that many schools are on similar journeys.

It says it all when Jan works with one group and the members within that group ask if she can then work with their teams. Her wide range of skills and experience means that we can use one facilitator who gets to know our staff and our staff can develop trust with her.