Interview with a coach – Chrissie Saunders, Senior Learning and Development Consultant at People Business

Here is the third instalment of our 2023 series introducing you to some of our team here at People Business.  This time we have interviewed our Senior Learning and Development Consultant and experienced coach, Chrissie Saunders. Chrissie is a qualified learning consultant and coach with over 28 years’ experience in learning, coaching, hr and training. She has a passion for people and their development and provides practical, client-focused solutions which help achieve personal and business growth.

Chrissie, what inspired you to become a coach?

I was inspired to become a coach while working for an organisational change consultancy. I was one of their consultants and we would work at a client office or factory in project implementation teams. Our overall role was to partner with clients to improve their processes and behaviours. It was the latter, that I quickly discovered could not be achieved unless we adopted more of a coaching rather than a ‘tell’ approach. I experienced, first-hand, the power of asking the right questions – this seemed to ‘unlock’ their thinking and gradually I could see their behaviour changing. This was very rewarding.

What do you enjoy about coaching people?

The most satisfying aspect of coaching for me personally is when I can see that my coachee has shifted their thinking and tried out something new. I love being able to be part of their journey. Never under-estimate the power of taking time-out, making some space for thinking through a challenge. So many of my coachees are energised at the end of their sessions and tell me that they are ‘so glad I talked about X today’.

What difference does coaching make – how do you know when you are adding value?

This really depends on the coachee and their goals or needs, and in some cases the needs of their organisation. Coaching is tailored to an individual, so by its very nature it makes a difference by allowing this ‘personal touch’ to someone’s development.

Recently, I’ve been coaching professionals who have been made redundant (outplacement coaching) and helping them move from a very negative place to one where they feel much more empowered to take actions and, in some cases, make changes to their career paths. The coachees do understand that the organisation is offering this type of support to be helpful. Particularly in this scenario, both the organisation and employee benefit.

What quality does a coach need to have to be effective?

A genuine interest in others and a willingness to ‘put yourself in someone else’s shoes’. I’m a naturally nosy person (although I like to describe myself as curious!) and this certainly helps when it comes to asking the right questions.

Is there a particular characteristic that a coachee needs in order to truly benefit from coaching?  Is coaching good for everyone?

It really helps when the coachee has ‘bought into’ the coaching especially where it’s been offered to them or in the example of outplacement and redundancy where the situation is out of their control. The best results have come from coachees who are willing to roll- up their sleeves and make the most of the time.

Can you give an example of where your coaching has made a real difference?

Lots of example’s spring to mind! One in particular is a recently promoted manager who continued to work long hours without delegating or coaching others herself. It was hugely rewarding to see her mindset shift. She realised, to be successful in her new role she needed to operate differently and indeed her team needed her to operate differently. She was so much more energised by her promotion after our sessions and we are still in touch today.

What have you learnt about yourself from coaching others?

I’m a typical ESTJ (Myers–Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)) and love to fill the silence! I have learnt to embrace the silence that can come after a question is posed and appreciate that this silence is what is valued by the coachee.

In People Business we run sessions for coaching supervision which are invaluable moments to think and reflect on our own coaching practice and how we can develop further.

If you’re interested in finding out more about receiving coaching with Chrissie, or one of our other experienced coaches, please get in touch.