Hilary Cotton likes to work with people who want to make a difference - in their work and to the world around them.
She is a mathematician by background, giving her a precise, astute mind that can spot inconsistencies in people's thinking easily. Over twenty years of working with teams and individuals, she has developed an organisational know-how (she has an MBA) and profound insight into how people tick (she is trained as an executive coach). She is keenly realistic about what works in practice, as well as wanting to challenge people to identify and move beyond the assumptions that hold them back.
She has worked extensively on development programmes for women, and for the last three years was the National Vice-Chair of WATCH (Women and the Church) for which she continues to take a lead in the parliamentary work campaigning for women as bishops.
We're not there yet: let's get moving.
Recent projects:
- With Aston Organisation Development, developing team-based working in NHS Trusts. By setting objectives and standards, being clear about everyone's role, talking about how things really are, and sharing responsibility, not only does more of the right stuff get done to a better quality, but relationships within teams and between teams improves, and people feel better about themselves and their work. The majority of NHS staff are women, and there are increasing numbers of women in senior roles who are challenging and changing the culture to one that is more effective through combining humanity with robust systems that actually work.
- Being a coach to Directors of two national charities, giving them a space where they can think, reflect, learn and get feedback from someone with no vested interest except in them finding and giving of their best to the organisation and those it serves.
- Developing leadership skills for clergywomen as they take on more senior roles, including preparing for women becoming bishops.
- As an Associate with the National School of Government, helping women to prepare for the step up into senior leadership: to be aware of their abilities and confident in using them, to speak up, take a broader view, make good judgements when there is insufficient information, and be duly accountable for successes and failures.
- In South Africa, developing leadership skills amongst clergy in the Diocese of the Highveld, where they work tirelessly to support those affected by HIV/AIDS and build new relationships between those with disparate histories but the same dreams and ideals.