Out of office: Ian Kinnery

When you’re not supporting entrepreneurs to scale their business ventures, you can be found on the padel court. What drew you to the sport?

My partner Sandy is an active sportswoman, and has been playing padel at quite a high standard for a number of years.

She thought it was something we could perhaps do together – or she just wanted to embarrass me and force me to get fitter…

I used to play a lot of squash at a reasonable level, but that was a long time ago.

Padel is one of the fastest-growing sports in the world, with players across the globe increasingly picking up rackets for the first time.

What makes the game so appealing?

It is fun and not overly physical, so is suitable for oldies.

It is relatively compact, so courts can be built in places that would surprise you – I play in a converted barn, for example.

Most courts can be booked online via an app, so it is easy and convenient to do, and there aren’t any stuffy dress codes or club committees to negotiate.

We have found it very easy to book a court when on holiday, and new courts are springing up everywhere.

The parallels between sporting and business success are very close, with one often informing the other.

Are there any lessons from padel that shape your business coaching techniques?

There are many parallels, some of which can be overplayed, but I am enjoying learning and developing new skills.

I also appreciate the frustration of having to start at the bottom, and it is good to be reminded that learning something new is hard, and that knowing what to do is different from being able to do it well and consistently.

All in all, it’s quite a humbling experience.

Business coaching is an intense process covering numerous entrepreneurial issues.

How does padel help you find a balance and recharge?

Both coaching and business are intense and all-consuming, so it is important to have things that require our full concentration.

It is more than a simple distraction.

It forces my attention away from the day job, and it is also interesting to be the coachee for a change.

Padel has a strong social side, as well as a competitive element.

Do you play to connect with people, or is it an opportunity to challenge yourself and push your physical limits?

At the moment, I am still a novice, so I don’t feel like committing to the social aspect beyond my learning circle.

But the challenge is massively good fun.

If you could step on court and play doubles with any famous figure – in either business or sport – who would it be and why?

Dr Kate Hayes, author of How to Win and the England women’s football team’s head of performance psychology.

I think teams and businesses have a massive overlap, and I’m fascinated by how she gets the team to be so effective and so gracious, both in victory and defeat.

www.kinnery.co.uk