Hosting our annual Fresh Ideas Day at the end of April we had the wonderful opportunity to “get fired up” working with a small group of the Champions to explore a coaching framework model utilising the Windmills portfolio.

Great ideas came out of it and we got some great feedback too.

The Champions that participated represented both the cross section of clients Windmills supports as well as the sectors these clients come from.

Here are some of the comments they made about feeling “fired up” about what we did: 

“I wasn’t really sure what to expect having never been to a ‘fresh ideas day’, so went with a really open mind. It was great to meet with a variety of professionals from across the country and hear about different experiences and approaches that they have had in relation to coaching. It was a privilege to be a part of the development of the new coaching resource. The ‘fresh ideas’ model is something that I will definitely replicate in Shropshire as part of our consultation with schools, partner agencies, children and families in the development of services for the future.  Thank you for an enjoyable day”                                                                                                                      Helen Bayley
TaMHS Project Manager; Family Care and Wellbeing Team – Shropshire Council

"I had the chance to attend the Windmill Fresh Ideas day in April. The day was a great chance to meet the Windmills team in person and also to meet members of the wider Windmills network who work in a range of different sectors.  This breadth of experiences bought a new dimension to the discussions that we had and combined with great facilitation from Peter created a really valuable day.  As a Champion I believe in the value of the Windmills portfolio but it’s also great for my personal professional development to spend a day with like minded people who apply their skills in a range of different contexts.  I left the day on a real high".
Pippa Simpson BSc (Hons) MCIPD, Owner Earlsdon Coaching Ltd

 “Without doubt Windmills is an organisation that walks the talk and lives out its values. I am so grateful to be connected with them and sincerely hope I can strengthen my contribution to their work in the future. Their portfolio of work is excellent and as people they are great to be around.”                                                                              David Harris, FCIPD Deputy Director of Human Resources and Organisation Development
Aintree University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust

The results of the day and our ideas about the coaching framework are still being developed and we will keep you informed via future newsletters. In the meantime however we have used the three stage cycle below to frame a number of powerful coaching questions.

 Here are some of our favourites, aimed at both adults and young people – we’d love you to try them out and let us know how they worked. We’d also love to hear about the favourite questions you ask – please let us know by emailing us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

 Where am I now?

What’s going on for you just now?

What makes you feel good?

If you could describe yourself as a Mr Man character – what would it be?

What energises you?

Tell me a bit about the high/low points in your life? What were the triggers/stabilisers for these?

Are you being true to yourself in the roles you are playing at the moment or are they someone else’s/someone else’s perception?

When did you last feel content with yourself?

What do you want to keep doing in your life now?

 What sort of work and life do I want?

If you knew you couldn’t fail, what would you do?

Stop right now and give yourself the gift of imagining your ideal life.... what would it look like?

If money was no object what would you do?

What is it that excites you?

If at the end of the day you had become the person you wanted to be, what would have happened to you?

What makes you happy and why?

What do you want to take with you to create the life you want? What do you want to leave behind?

What sacrifices are you prepared to make to create the life you want?

 How can I start working towards my vision?

What have you done today to work towards your vision?

What barriers do you envisage?

What do you already know that you will only realise you knew in x years time?

How committed are you to make this happen on a scale of 1-10?

What scares you about doing this?

What new things can you try to make this happen?

What are the milestones you need to put in place along the way?

How will you recognise your success/progress along the way?