Why did you become a coach?
I studied coaching through the iPEC coach training program and immediately fell in love with it. Most of my career in HR has been advising others. That has its advantages, but with coaching, we don’t advise clients, we help them find their own way forward. Reflecting back to the client, asking questions, and helping them see their own solutions is so much more rewarding than just telling someone what to do. Clients often come up with ideas that are much more creative and effective than anything I could have shared with them. That’s true magic!
What are your special focus areas as a coach?
I focus on coaching leaders at all levels in corporate and non-profit organizations. I especially like to coach leaders that are recently promoted, preparing for promotion, or have some personal traits that are limiting their success at work. I am able to leverage my experience working globally in matrixed organizations, Emotional Intelligence training, and coaching expertise.
What is it like to work with Bright Arrow and Bright Arrow clients?
Bright Arrow is a team of highly experienced coaches that want to support motivated leaders to become their best selves. It’s great to be able to learn from these other coaches and support Bright Arrow’s clients.
What do you believe is important that leaders embody in order to be effective in the future?
Leaders need to have a strong sense of self – know what their natural tendencies are and how they align or don’t align with their own desires as a leader. Leaders also need to be able to understand and motivate others, which has a foundation in Emotional Intelligence – after all, the leader’s success is based on the work of the team they lead. And leaders need to reflect and correct, be willing to examine their current thinking, emotions, and behavior and make changes as needed to get their desired outcome.
What is the best advice about leadership you’ve ever received? OR your favorite quote about leadership?
Several years ago, as a leader of a small team, I was experiencing a lot of frustration with colleagues and people on my team. A mentor was observing what was going on and said to me “you don’t always have to be right.” As I’ve matured in my career, I’ve been working on letting go of “being right” and focusing on “getting it right.” Getting it right means that I know the first time I try something, it won’t be completely on target, but the experience of trying, willingness to learn what worked and didn’t will help me “get it right” over time. I’ve been more open to hearing other people’s perspectives and flexible in adopting their views instead of defending my own. It’s led to more confidence in myself, less friction in my relationships, and better outcomes for the work we are trying to accomplish.
What do you do in your free time?
I love to play tennis, doubles mostly and at the net! I enjoy working together with my partner on the court to take advantage of our individual strengths and try to new strategies during the game. In the winter, I spend time snowboarding. I’m working on keeping up with my daughter and husband on the slopes of Colorado’s great ski resorts. I also am a foodie—I read about food, try new restaurants, and try new recipes all the time. I also serve on two non-profit boards, the Emergency Family Assistance Association, an organization that provides emergency assistance to families in need, and Out Boulder County, an organization that supports the LGBTQ community in Boulder, Colorado and beyond. It’s such a joy to be able to bring my professional talents to these organizations to help them further their missions.
Tell us a little about yourself.
I’m a leadership coach and HR consultant. I love to help organizations become a place where all their employees are motivated and enabled to do their best work. This starts with inspiring leaders who lead with confidence and ease and are supported by strong talent programs. I have 25 years of corporate experience in R&D, Sales and HR at global Fortune 50 companies, scaling software and biotech companies, and even small startups. I am naturally curious and love to solve challenging problems—technical, social, and everything in between. I live in Boulder Colorado with my husband and daughter. I love the sunshine that Colorado gets and enjoy time outdoors in the summer and winter. I volunteer with a few local non-profits and am a constant learner.
Something people are surprised to learn about you.
I started my work career as a chemical engineer! Yep—I studied engineering in college and loved solving technical problems. I still leverage my engineering training –often as I examine HR challenges in organizations. I focus on understanding the organization as a system and how the people and talent programs work together to produce the organization’s culture. As a coach, I find I can relate to engineers and other people with technical backgrounds.
