Working with Deb is transformational. I hired her at a very important time in my career and at my foundation, shortly after being promoted from within the organization by our new president. I took on the role of program director at a younger age than many of my peers in the field and I sought out a coach to help me have the confidence to “own” my strengths, and to become an even stronger manager and team member within our organization.
From the very first time I spoke with Deb, I knew she was what I was looking for—someone who would give it to me straight and push me beyond my comfort zone to try new ways of working. She did just that, and so much more. She constructed my 360-degree review carefully and methodically, with a high degree of attention to me and to my reviewers, creating the perfect conditions to enable me to quickly absorb and integrate the feedback. She brought the same care to my Myers-Briggs and FIRO-B assessments, which together gave me invaluable insights into the way I think, feel, and make decisions. Deb listened deeply on every call, engaged me in role-playing to help me see situations through multiple lenses, and was exceedingly responsive—above and beyond any reasonable expectations for coaching—during high-need times. In total, she gave me the tools and skills to actually transform the way I think about almost every interaction I have. The result has been better communication and more productive relationships with my staff and with colleagues inside and outside the organization.
About nine months into our coaching relationship, I brought Deb in to facilitate two days of work with the three members of my team. Learning about our different styles of interacting through a FIRO-B team exercise created a waterfall of aha moments that strengthened and deepened our relationships and commitment to our team. She also walked us through a series of decision-charting exercises that helped us create new tools and processes for more effective work within our program and in collaboration with others at the foundation. That work lives on today and has had ripple effects across the organization.
The time I worked with Deb also turned out to be a significant period for me personally, as I became pregnant with my first child. Deb helped me prepare myself and my team for maternity leave, which allowed for a very effective transition. Several months after returning, I was promoted to a new role at the foundation as part of the senior leadership team, a position I feel much better prepared to take on because of working with Deb. I enthusiastically recommend her to anyone looking for a true transformation!
Sharon L. Alpert
Senior Director of Programs and Strategy
Surdna Foundation
New York, New York
