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Summary
Introductory session establishing the coaching relationship. Mark posed pre-session questions to surface what Matt wanted from coaching, where he was professionally and personally, and what he'd been avoiding. Opened the themes of impact, influence, and Cayman delivery.
Focus Points
—Clarity on current professional position and what success looks like
—Exploring the link between delivery and perception
—Identifying what Matt had been avoiding or blocking himself on
—Beginnings of a pathway toward SEP (Senior Equity Partner)
Actions
✦Keep a meeting diary: pre-think SEP behaviours before each meeting or call
✦Score yourself after each meeting — what went well, what didn't, how did it feel?
✦Notice and reflect on meetings that went well vs poorly
Your Pre-Session Notes (09/04/26)
—What would make this worthwhile: mindset shift / change in perception — being able to think more high-level, more naturally
—Where I am: strong position at work but a little frustrated. Moving away from unimportant work. Hungry and driven but cautious / overly scared. Lacking clarity on the path forward. Frustration around firm direction and lack of clear leadership.
—Most on mind: promotion + Cayman plan, leadership structure
—6 months: mindset more around senior business owner, feel more confident I belong. Being better at articulating positively. Be in a very clear position for SEP. Cayman underway with measurable progress. More comfortable selling myself.
—Avoiding / blocks: conflicts and frustrations at partner level. Lack of confidence / imposter syndrome. Why do I avoid / find reasons to do everything apart from the one thing that makes the biggest difference? Politics.
Summary
Explored the 'lone wolf' feedback and how to address it structurally. The 'Zorro' framework was introduced — proactively bringing people on the journey before acting. Cayman was set as a live test bed, with delegated RAG-rated MI tracking as the mechanism.
Focus Points
—'Lone wolf' perception — what it means and how to counter it structurally
—The 'Zorro' consideration: who needs to know, contribute or challenge before you act?
—Cayman as a live test bed for a new leadership approach
—SEP vs FEP: differences in mindset, behaviour, targets and impact
Actions
✦Continue diary and scoring, adding the 'Zorro' check to pre-meeting prep
✦Cayman: convene kick-off, delegate RAG-rated MI deck to manager
✦Share Cayman MI deck quarterly with relevant SEPs
✦Commit to Cayman at partner meeting — frame as a shared journey
✦Start your own SEP vs FEP mindset list
Mark's List
◆LinkedIn recommendation request sent to Matt
◆Introduce recruiter relationships over next couple of months
◆Ask Matt to prepare draft CV + LinkedIn profile review
Your Notes (23/04/26 + 27/04/26)
—Execution mindset — move into it. Weekly MI deck, RAG rated. Delegation.
—Arrange kick-off call re Walkers (Cayman lawyers)
—KHO: create MI deck. Arrange kick-off with Walkers. Discuss Cayman budget with MJT to get buy-in.
—Meetings: set up weekly with KHO on return. Try 15/45 meeting structure.
—Reporting to partners monthly. Collab with SBA. Deck. Go into chats with a proposal not a solution.
—Key Takeaways: move to execution mindset. Collaborative — take others along. Go into chats with proposal. Use MI to advertise. Last 20% = my 100%. Reframe. Avoid Zorro — who needs to know? who needs input? Am I giving people the chance to participate?
—Call Tuesday, put in place — MSCH. Run budget past Mark.
Summary
Deep dive into SEP-Matt's behavioural identity. Firm's AI and 5-year plan inertia reframed as an opportunity. Concrete Cayman stakeholder comms agreed. Mark shared a six-dimension SEP behavioural framework for Matt to build his own version from.
Focus Points
—Other end of the telescope: what does the lone wolf who screwed up look like to you as a leader?
—Cayman running — focus shifts to consistent stakeholder communication
—Firm's strategic inertia = opportunity for visible, proactive leadership
—SEP identity: showing up as someone who already owns part of the firm
—The 'last 20%' — not finishing damages leadership credibility
Actions
✦Cayman: advertise weekly MI to sponsor; cascade to Kirsty downstream
✦Short, regular FYIs to Cayman stakeholders — demonstrably not a lone wolf
✦Continue meeting diary and post-mortem scoring
✦Develop your own SEP-Matt characteristics list
✦Draft concrete proposals for key firm business issues (AI, 5-year plan)
Mark's List
◆Provided 6-dimension SEP checklist: Presence, Influence, Visibility, Strategic Thinking, Leadership, Identity
◆To revisit: Matt pitch deck, deliberate visibility actions, MI dashboard beyond Cayman
Your Notes (11/05/26)
—Keep the journal going. Impactful + visible.
—Insight → Action → Identity shift (loop). Time to position myself.
—Lack of trust (e.g. AMO / DCF2) → push to take a step further
—Stop apologising at the start of meetings — replace with a direct, confident opener
—SEP-Matt: behaviours to be impactful, target list 10-20, leadership behaviours — what do I need / what do I need to demonstrate
—KHO: delegate downwards to stop DCF issue happening again
—Shared deck in OneDrive updated weekly — SBA can look whenever, no need to wait till monthly meeting
Summary
Session shifted from identity work to execution. SEP characteristics list reviewed and agreed as a daily self-check-in tool. New themes emerged: CRM activation, time management via PA, and a structured approach to firm strategy. Mark noted Matt has already demonstrated he has taken the lone wolf feedback to heart — the thought bomb on Neil was explicitly called out.
Focus Points
—CRM: move from intention to a structured cadence — monthly connections, meetings, check-ins, BD activities
—SEP-Matt list of 6 refined as a daily self-check-in, not just a reflective exercise
—MI / deck: Cayman execution already underway — extend the method to everything else
—Time management: PA should be managing your diary better than you are doing for yourself
—Strategy: take a first step — articulate the questions and scope, commission competitor analysis, build an early road map toward a data-led vision on firm market share / league table target
—First 10% problem: getting started is the issue — once started, execution follows
Actions (by Monday 7 July)
✦CRM plan: articulate cadence of monthly connections, meetings, check-ins and BD activities
✦Strategy: articulate the questions / scope you want to achieve + key thought-streams to explore + competitor analysis you will commission
✦Refine SEP-Matt list of 6 for use as a daily self-check-in
✦Get PA to take control of your diary
✦Continue mental pre-meeting prep and post-meeting scoring — note anything that stands out
✦Drop a thought bomb on Neil (lone wolf feedback actioned)
Mark's Notes
◆LinkedIn recommendation received — thank you
◆Intro to Graham agreed
◆Bill to be sorted later
◆LMK Monday on progress
Your Notes (06/07/26)
—CRM as priority — 1st Monday everything. Strategy decided by next Monday to MS, monthly basis.
—Weekend work: strategy / finish. Come out 2hrs this weekend. Starting questions. Discuss → 2hrs/week — ICAEW / coffee shop as starting point.
—Non-delivery problem areas: First 10% and Last 20%.
—Monday check-in to MS: CRM plan + Strategy plan. Goal 30/09/26. Start the scorings.
—Question → Answer → Delivery. Look up strategy papers before presenting.
—Soft conversations with SEPs → once half strategy together. Use NW / SBA + PBL + ANO.
—Market share: what is ours, how much do we want, PE firms, partnership with BM / other firms. Buying client lists → taking the risk → M&A team.
—Think like a large firm → risk of not doing anything → indemnify them.
—Determine 10 bigger / 20 smaller — data into Claude → what are they doing / not doing.
—SEP behaviours: 6 sentences → words → letters = acronym. Memorise. Daily point to feed into.
—Learn from failures → mistakes are positive. Not about being 100%.
—Visibility: parked + picked up 1st week July. MI: keep accountable. Consistent format for every update. Not invisible.
—1 Slide monthly → Key Projects. 10 min, 121, RAG rated → to SBA / LCF / ANO. Sub-slides if needed. + Cayman only slide for SBA. Show progress, don't apologise for what hasn't been done — address it.
—Once setup → KHO can feed into it. Recurring Cayman update with SBA → feeds into MI for monthly partnership meeting → gives him something to report at MB meetings. Timing.
—Pre-meeting: deep breath + puff up chest → checklist.
—Leave meetings early — when / how / adding or receiving value → add to meeting checklist.
—Get CW to manage meetings — catch up every Mon morning. Protecting time. Move meetings to make them more efficient. SEP behaviour = showing how I value my time.
Post-Session Actions (06/07/26)
✦Add all key client contacts to Network in system
✦Identify how frequently to contact each
✦Create log types: call, meeting, coffee, lunch, email
✦Use Claude to put together MI pack
✦Use Claude to put together plan/agenda of future items
✦Schedule reminder to update Mark Schreiber next Monday
✦Include work ideas in Grail diary
Expected Agenda
—Neil conversation debrief — motivation perception, bonus, structured counters
—CRM plan review — Friday cadence, first Monday deep session
—MI deck progress — partnership circulation plan
—Strategy scope review — top 50 vision, niches, competitor analysis
—SEP-Matt morning dashboard — further distillation
Your words. Grounded in evidence from the last three months — not aspiration.
1
I challenge without apology
▼I ask the question the room is avoiding. I don't soften a strong view to make the temperature comfortable. The partner strategy meeting on AI wasn't a small win — it was evidence that I can move a room when I back myself.
SEP-Matt does this every time, not occasionally.
2
I finish what I start
▼The last 20% is where credibility is won or lost. I own the follow-up. I write the summary. I don't hand off the narrative at the point it matters most. If I've led something, I land it — fully.
This is the single biggest gap to close. It's also entirely within my control.
3
I make my impact visible before it's asked for
▼I don't wait for the quarterly review to narrate progress. Weekly MI to my sponsor, short FYIs to stakeholders, a monthly one-pager. Not reporting — owning the story of what I'm building.
Whoever writes the summary owns the narrative.
4
I bring people on the journey before I arrive
▼Before I act, I ask: who needs to know, challenge or contribute? The Zorro check isn't a box to tick — it's how SEP-Matt thinks by default.
Lone wolf is the old pattern. Architect is the new one.
5
I run my area like a business
▼Cayman isn't a project I'm managing — it's a business I'm building. I think in firm-wide outcomes. I spot the strategic gap (AI, 5-year plan) and I move into it, not past it.
The opportunity is already in front of me. The question is whether I claim it.
6
I act as if I already own it
▼Not arrogance. Groundedness. SEP-Matt doesn't ask permission to lead — he leads, then invites others in. Clearer, calmer, earlier in the room.
Ask before every meeting: "What would SEP-Matt do here?"
The thread running through all six
You already have the evidence for every one of these. The job isn't to aspire to SEP-Matt — it's to recognise you're already there, and stop behaving like you aren't.
Running backlog drawn from all sessions. Tap to mark complete — state saves to Drive.
✓
Draft CV for Mark to review
High
✓
Optimise LinkedIn profile (Mark has offered to help)
High
✓
Develop your own SEP-Matt characteristics list
High
✓
Forge relationships with key recruiters in your field
Medium
✓
Write LinkedIn recommendation for Mark
Medium
✓
Historic compliance training issue — still to action
Medium
✓
Matt pitch deck — personal positioning document
Medium
✓
Draft concrete proposals on AI and firm 5-year plan — papers that force consideration
Medium
✓
Monthly MI one-pager: pipeline, wins, team activity
Medium
✓
MI dashboard — expand the principle beyond Cayman
Low
✓
CRM plan: articulate monthly cadence of connections, meetings, check-ins and BD activities
High
✓
Strategy: articulate scope, questions, thought-streams and competitor analysis plan
High
✓
Get PA to take control of your diary
High
✓
Drop a thought bomb on Neil
Medium
✓
Intro to Graham (via Mark)
Medium
✓
Add all key client contacts to Network in system
High
✓
Identify contact frequency for each key client
High
✓
Define CRM log types: call, meeting, coffee, lunch, email
Medium
✓
Use Claude to build MI pack
Medium
✓
Use Claude to build plan/agenda of future coaching items
Medium
✓
Include work ideas in Grail diary
Low
✓
Buy second Noble book for work
Low
Before the Session
Complete the day before, or morning of
✓
Review Mark's notes from the previous session✓
Score your meetings since last session — any patterns?✓
Apply the 'Zorro' check: who did you bring on the journey? Who got missed?✓
What's the headline Cayman update?✓
What's one thing you're proud of since last session?✓
What's one thing you're still avoiding or haven't finished — the 'last 20%'?✓
Are there open actions you haven't started — and why?✓
What one thing do you want to get out of today's session?✓
Think about SEP-Matt: which behaviours showed up this period? Which didn't?0 of 9 complete
After the Session
Complete within 24 hours
✓
Write up your own summary of the session — don't leave the narrative to Mark✓
List all actions agreed, with a deadline next to each✓
Score the session: what felt useful, what felt challenging?✓
Update your meeting diary with today's pre/post reflection✓
Send any committed follow-ups to Mark✓
Add open actions to your task system✓
Send any relevant Cayman stakeholder update triggered by today's discussion✓
Ask yourself: what would SEP-Matt do next?0 of 8 complete
Your own observations between sessions — patterns, insights, things that landed. Separate from session records.
Homework / Daily Diary
—How it went. Goals vs success. Score out of 10 — did I act like a FEP or a SEP?
—Spend a minute before meetings — consider how to act as a SEP.
—Summarise how the day went + how it made me feel.
Thinking
—KYC issue → community. Monthly sessions — community service angle.
—Influence / muscle memory. Resets in meetings — what is most impactful.
—MI deck for Cayman vs personal. Visualise myself as MP → what would I be, what do I have already, what gaps need filling.
—Top priorities: Cayman. Influence / perception → MI packs + conscious thought for meetings.
—Who should I look at? Who embodies SEP status?
—How do I make my promotion a no-brainer?
Progress
—Meeting diary and scoring working well. Zorro check becoming a habit — spoke to 2 partners before acting.
—Meetings to set up: KHO + Walkers. See if 15/45 meeting structure works.
—Meeting journal / diary: one word — what's diff between SEP/FEP (behaviour OR mindset). Time before meetings — what do I want out of this meeting.
Zorro Check (self-prompt)
—What's the Zorro treatment? What can I do to avoid it? Who needs to know? Who needs input / decision? Am I giving people the chance to participate?
SEP Behaviours — Working on the Acronym
—6 sentences → words → letters = acronym. Memorise. Daily point to feed into.
—Learn from failures → mistakes are positive. Not about being 100%.
Visibility
—Parked + picked up 1st week July. MI: keep accountable. Consistent format for every update. Not invisible.
—1 Slide monthly → Key Projects. 10 min, 1-2-1, RAG rated → to SBA / LCF / ANO. Sub-slides if needed. + Cayman only slide for SBA.
—Show progress, don't apologise for what hasn't been done — address it.
—Once setup → KHO can feed in. Recurring Cayman update with SBA → feeds MI for monthly partnership meeting → gives SBA something to report at MB meetings.
Meeting Habits
—Pre-meeting: deep breath + puff up chest → checklist.
—Leave meetings early — when / how / adding or receiving value → add to meeting checklist.
—Get CW to manage meetings, catch up every Mon morning. Protecting time. SEP behaviour = showing how I value my time.
—Add MS emails to notebook.
Update to Mark (13 Jul)
—CRM: full contact list compiled with assigned frequencies. 30-min Friday morning review scheduled. First Monday of each month = deeper session. Remaining Fridays = check-in and follow-up.
—MI deck: initial draft sent to Stephen. Kirsty providing missing data by tomorrow. To be refined in Cayman and circulated to partnership next week. Still need to complete calculations for portfolio, new wins and pipeline appendix.
—SEP-Matt: morning dashboard set up with daily prompts. Not yet further distilled — to do over coming weeks.
Neil Conversation — Key Insights
—Perception that I don't really "want" to do Cayman and that my overall motivation is questioned.
—Bonus minimised because they believe I didn't do the one thing they wanted. High bar I set for myself is easy to justify from my perspective but not theirs — others with lower expectations are seen as overachieving.
—Some unpacking needed: was it clearly communicated? Have they moved the goalposts? At least got honest reason from Neil.
—New business allegedly worsened resourcing and margin issues. They haven't seen extra margin contribution and would prefer I hadn't brought it in. Disagree — but need a better way to demonstrate value even when it doesn't align with their goals.
—Key realisation: my counters aren't structured well. I rebut each point individually but collectively they jump from reason to reason. Should focus on understanding WHY they're finding reasons to criticise — not rebutting each one.
Strategy — First Steps
—Initial scope drafted on flight: lift firm into top 50 with £10-15m additional revenue maintaining independence.
—Two main drivers: capitalising on niches (Dubai + Cayman, offshore financial services) and AI impact on pricing models.
—Competitor analysis: 10 above / 20 below. Vision scope: 3-5 years.
—SBA as likely sponsor — heads up Dubai, sponsors Cayman, advocate for changing pricing approach.
—This week focused on Cayman. Strategy to pick up properly on return.
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