Testimonials
Denise provides a great balance of thought provoking and engaging discussion with a light hearted touch making the sessions both constructive and enjoyable.
- Executive Manager
It’s been over four years since I had the opportunity to work with Denise as my coach. However, I still regularly think through the areas that we worked on together, and regularly use them in my daily work and life. From the setting of my goals for our time together, to our regular meetings, to the open, honest and encouraging discussions, Denise created an atmosphere where I felt she truly had my best interests in mind. I feel I have a much better understanding and confidence in my strengths, while also being better equipped with strategies to address areas of lesser strength. I also appreciated the way Denise understood me as a whole person, as our conversations covered both the work environment as well as out-of-work areas. I am grateful to Denise for her commitment to helping me grow as a leader, and for all I learned (and continue to put into practice) during our time.
- Manager
Having Denise as a coach was invaluable. She offered practical tools for helping define my short and long-term career goals. I gained confidence through the process and came out with clear understanding of my strengths, weaknesses and a solid plan to achieve my personal career goals.
- Maura Sutherland, Barrister and Solicitor, Alberta Justice and Solicitor General
I always look forward to my conversations with Denise. She is able to strike a balance between listening, sharing her experience/ ideas, and asking the right questions. She leaves with me helpful insights and/or questions to ponder. Denise has helped me in many aspects of my career, from developing staff to career planning. She has been a vital resource to me, both personally and professionally.
- Director
As a new director in the Government of Alberta, Denise helped me get through the difficult transition of being an individual performer to learning how to get things done through other people. At our first meeting, Denise worked with me to identify those areas where I needed improvement. Over the next few months, Denise kept me focussed on addressing those areas even when it meant leaving my comfort zone. Whenever I stumbled, Denise was there to provide me with advice and support. The lessons I learned as a result of Denise’s coaching have made me a stronger leader and will serve me well as I continue to progress in my career in the Government of Alberta.
- Ryan Reichl, Director, Alberta Transportation
“How can we make best use of our time today?” This is how Denise opened most of our coaching conversations together. We’d go on to discuss the ‘workplace dilemma of the day’ or more general topics like team-building, managing fears, and strengths-based leadership. Every time, Denise listened more than she talked. Her open questions combined with great subject-matter expertise left me feeling positive about my abilities and looking forward to taking action. By deftly getting me to answer my own questions she helped me to focus on building strengths rather than fixing weaknesses, and figure out how to get out of a rut. Since working with Denise I have looked for and taken on leadership responsibilities, and enrolled in the GoA Leadership Program. My work with Denise showed me that I could succeed at both.
- Barrister and Solicitor
Working with Denise was a great pleasure. She created a safe environment for me to explore challenging situations, provided inspirational resources when I needed them, yet encouraged me to create my own tool to use to navigate the path forward. Once I created the tool, she played a strong role in encouraging my progress and ensuring I was accountable to myself and the goals I had set. This coaching experience exceeded my expectations.
- Executive Director
My coaching experience with Denise has been so valuable! With Denise’s guidance, I was able to work through some complex challenges and have learned tools and techniques that will serve me well into the future. Denise is knowledgeable and professional, and I have benefitted greatly from her insights. I would highly recommend Denise as a coach!
- Executive Manager
When I started working with an executive coach I came into this experience with doubts about how this interaction could benefit me. Denise created an atmosphere of trust. Her gentle manner in challenging me to grow brought me closer to the answers I’ve been struggling to find. Denise met my expectations about addressing my specific questions and concerns and has been effective in helping me analyze and assess the situations I have brought forward in our discussions. What worked well for me was the set time every second week and face to face interaction. I will probably use the GROW model for goal setting and problem solving for the rest of my life. I am so grateful for Denise’s contribution to my journey in leading and I would recommend her to anyone.
- Manager