At the crossroads

Coaching for what comes next

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Does any of this sound familiar?

  • “It’s the right time to put some thought into whether or not I am on the right path.”
  • “I have a goal, and I want to make sure that I am giving myself the best chance of achieving it.”
  • “I feel stuck. I know something needs to change, but I can’t work out what.”
  • “I have a sense of what I want but I just can’t seem to take the first step.”

You don’t need to have the answers before you reach out. Coaching will help you to identify the changes you want to make, and to commit to your next step.

Individual COACHING

At the crossroads

Coaching for people at a turning point

This is coaching for people who feel stuck or uncertain, or are planning to make a change. Whether you’re facing a big life decision, navigating a difficult transition, or simply feeling disconnected from what you really want, this is a space where we slow down, look honestly at where you are, and start building the clarity and excitement to move forward.

What we explore together

  • What matters most to you, and why
  • What the next step might look like, and what’s been holding you back
  • How to move forward in a way that’s genuinely you
  • The stories you’ve been telling yourself, and whether they’re true
  • How to build on your strengths, to take on new challenges

How it works

Single Session

A focused 60-minute session for when you need to think something through with a trusted guide.

Coaching Programme

A structured series of sessions over 3–6 months for deeper, sustained work. A true partnership with continuity and momentum built in.

Specialist Coaching

Project & Programme Manager Coaching

“What got you here won’t get you there.”

Marshall Goldsmith

Project management is a profession where you’re expected to lead before you feel ready, and to keep moving when the path isn’t clear. The skills and qualifications that got you the role will take you a long way, but challenges will keep on coming.
Coaching can help you understand what each new role demands of you, and how you can set yourself, and your team, up for success.



From qualified to confident

This is coaching for project managers who are finding their feet — building the confidence to lead, developing their own style, and learning to handle the messy reality of projects that don’t follow the textbook.

We might work on:
– Leading a team when you don’t feel senior enough to
– Managing stakeholders and difficult conversations
– Building confidence in your decisions under pressure
– Being effective, not just following the process

This isn’t about retaking your exam – it’s about becoming the PM you want to be.

From manager to leader

Moving into programme or portfolio management is more than a step up — it’s a different kind of role entirely. The technical skills that made you a strong project manager matter less. Strategic thinking, ambiguity, influence without direct authority, and leadership presence matter more.
This coaching supports that transition — and the ongoing development of programme and portfolio leaders who want to lead with clarity, credibility, and confidence.

We might work on:
– Making the shift from delivery to strategy
– Leading through influence rather than control
– Building your profile and authority at a senior level
– Navigating organisational complexity and politics

About Elaine


Professional Coach · EMCC Associate Member

I’m Elaine – a professional coach working with individuals who are ready to get curious about where they are and where they want to be.

I spent many years working on projects and programmes at the University of Oxford, leading complex work and helping people navigate uncertainty, competing priorities, and multi-stakeholder decisions. Despite focussing on IT-related change, the hardest challenges were rarely technical. They were about relationships, expectations, and gaining enough clarity to take a confident next step.

I realised coaching would be a useful skill in that context, and gained the qualifications and experience required to become an Associate Member of the EMCC (European Mentoring and Coaching Council). Whether I am coaching in the workplace, or coaching for life’s transitions, my coaching is about creating a space where you can think more clearly, be honest with yourself, and start moving.

Something worth knowing: I work under the EMCC’s ethical framework. If coaching isn’t the right fit for what you need, I’ll tell you.

You can contact me on elaine@eaitken.co.uk, or send an enquiry using the form below.

Ready to have that first conversation?

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Free 30-minute session

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