EEP - Funk Companies - Tracy

Share a little bit about yourself and your current professional situation (business size, roles).

I’m currently the Senior Training Director for the Learning & Development department at Funk Companies.  We have approximately 250 employees ranging from Managers to Business Developers, and Recruiters.  The L&D department was created 3 years ago to offer training and coaching to new employees and to create a leadership program for existing leaders.

 What inspired you to explore coaching originally?

In my current role, my leader also happens to be the President of Express Headquarters, so I don’t really have an accessible leader to challenge/hold me accountable.  I am always looking to grow and improve my skills and coaching helps me do that.  Also, it’s helpful to have an outsider looking in perspective since I can get too close to things.

How long have you been working with your coach?

I started working with Marc a couple of years ago, when I joined calls with Cheryl Moreno.  Now that Cheryl and I have switched roles, I ‘ve been working with Marc 1:1 for over a year now.

 How would you describe your coaching meetings?

Open, non-judgmental, informal, yet we still follow a structured process. Each meeting provides a good opportunity to review homework from prior meeting and progress towards quarterly goals, which provides an accountability. In addition, there’s always time to talk about issues that I need help working through.

 What value do you get from these meetings?

Accountability, someone who doesn’t have skin in the game to give a different perspective/opinion, expertise at getting me to see things differently.  The other value is that Marc approaches things from a strategic viewpoint, which is so helpful considering I can get stuck in the weeds of the day to day.

Why does this coaching process work for you?

Forces me to stop and think more strategically vs. just reacting in the moment.  It also creates a space where I can pause, look at what I’m working on, and re-focus my efforts.

What impact has coaching had on you?  How has it impacted your situation?

It has helped me have different conversations with our stakeholders, build better processes, and kept me focused on the things that are important to keep things moving forward towards our vision.

What would you say to someone who is considering coaching?  Why?

If you have any interest at all in professional development, consider coaching.  It gives such a different perspective than the usual accountability of meeting with your leader.  This is completely focused on you and helping you become a better leader.

What do you recommend to someone when selecting a coach?

Find someone who challenges you, who allows room for discussion, no judgement, helps you see things differently. I think it’s also important to find a coach that you feel comfortable being vulnerable with.

How would you compare the cost of coaching to the value or ROI?

I don’t think you can compare it.  You’re investing in your own professional development, which means you’re showing up as a better leader day after day. I also think it sets such a great example for the team that believe personal development is important enough that you invest time and money into it.

 Why do you think many people forgo coaching?  What would you tell them?

I would say that they either think they don’t have the time or don’t have the money.  In both cases, I would tell them they can’t afford not to have coaching. 

What specific skills have you developed in coaching that have had the most impact on you and your situation?

Stepping back to look at problems differently. Whenever it seems that a project is not aligned, I go back to what Marc has shared about going back to the vision, goal, plan, team alignment, and accountability. The impact is that I can identify where we’ve gotten off track and address it vs. spinning in no clear direction.

 If you could change one thing about your coaching, what would it be?

It would be nice if some of the sessions were in-person, but logistically, that’s just not an option.

 Why did you select BLC for your coaching?

I was brought into coaching by Cheryl Moreno.