Maureen Stapleton
Lecturer in Finance, Rotman School of Management for Career Coaching section
I learned to walk down another street! That was a challenging process for me because I’d spent 25 years in a hard-driving, successful career, largely with one financial firm.
I learned that accomplishment is great but you’ve also got to feel happy and excited about what you do. I had that early in my previous career but lost it along the way through mergers, changing corporate culture and changes in my own value set. My career shift, and I call it a shift rather than a change, brought that spark back!
This was different from all the career development I had experienced in the corporate world which focused squarely on my skill set, fit and my next accomplishment. Sarah’s coaching took me to another level by asking "What do you want to do? What will fill you up? How can you make that happen?"
I know for sure that anything is possible…if it fits who you are, what you need, what you bring to the table, and what you’re willing to invest. Visualization is an important tool. Sarah taught me that by asking "What does it look like, and how does it make you feel?" And, importantly "What must you do to get there?"
Since then, I’m more inclined to ask questions now, and to ask for help promptly when it’s needed. Because I am happier in what I do, I am a more confident leader and more measured in my decisions.
Sarah makes you work very hard to understand your signature strengths and apply them to what you’re doing now. She’s insistent, keeping you firmly on track but in a uniquely supportive way. I felt that she understood the ups and downs I experienced that year, and adapted her coaching process to keep me moving.
What really stands out for me are results. I have a new career, in a new sector, I love what I do, and I won an award in my first year!