Noticeboard your letters I read with interest Nick Dawes’ article, ‘Be your best’. I’ve been lucky that my authority has provided me and other managers with a coach to see us through substantial periods of change. Initially, I was sceptical of someone coming in, and had the image of some sort of Svengali figure asking me to get in touch with my ‘inner self’. The reality was, thankfully, far from this image and my coach has really helped me develop and grow – and, furthermore, has helped me to lead my service. I’ve found that, rather than panic when I’m presented with a problem and think who could help me (which is sometimes the solution!), I can now come to the solution myself. I could particularly relate to the part about managers no longer needing to be experts in their field. Despite my trading standards background, I also manage a relatively well-resourced food and health and safety team, who often have detailed technical conversations that I am not able to assist with. However, this doesn’t mean I can’t appreciate their work. In these days, when officers are expected to be more resourceful and innovative, and to learn things themselves – often online with no physical teacher – we have to make sure they feel confident in doing this. Sometimes a little time invested in coaching them to be their best can be the solution. All views are my own. Adrian Simpson Food, safety and trading standards manager London Borough of Waltham Forest got an opinion? We want to hear it. Email tstoday@tsi.org.uk or visit TSI’s forum page to add your voice to the discussion. We reserve the right to edit letters. Coached through change