Katrina Chan Coaching

My coaching specialisms

Any of these resonate?

You struggle to find your voice in a sea of dominant personalities
You're overwhelmed by leadership responsibilities
You log off work exhausted, demotivated, uninspired
You want clarity around your career goals/direction

I work with women of colour wanting to create change in their career, e.g.:

to be more confident
to get that promotion
to improve their leadership
to explore or embark on a new career path.

What can you expect after working with me?

You understand yourself better: who you are & who you want to be
You feel confident and energised
You're not holding yourself back from going for promotion or leadership roles
You're clear on your professional goals & have a plan to get there

Client testimonials

I have coached people across sectors ranging from Automotive to Accounting, who've been in various roles from Project Management to Consulting:

"My thoughts were often so muddled that I struggled to get to what the problem was and therefore work through it. I felt like I had a big wall in front of me that Katrina helped me break through and work through the mess. My confidence has improved and seeing how I can impact a situation positively has really helped me day to day."

"I felt very comfortable opening up and felt heard. I liked that you asked in each session whether I feel comfortable with challenge - it's nice to have the option of being supported or challenges. Personally, I like to be challenged and felt like your points steered me in new directions in a gentle way, which is perfect. I really liked our work using metaphors!"

"Over all I was very happy with the sessions and don't feel Katrina could have done anything more. "

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Frequently Asked Questions

Please use the form above if you don't see an answer to your question

What is coaching?

"Coaching is unlocking a person’s potential to maximise their own performance. Coaching helps them to learn rather than teaching them." (John Whitmore, in Coaching for Performance). To be the best at work and be the leader you want to be, sometimes you have to take stock, reflect and grow.

As a coach my role is to help you explore a topic, figure out what you want, and support you in crafting a plan to achieve it. I don't offer suggestions or advise on what to do. I provide a "safe container", a rare opportunity to say what you truly think, however knotty or abstract your thoughts or emotions might seem. But I will also ask lots of questions! I'll help shine a light on new or different perspectives, blindspots or options. My aim is to gently get you to a new place of awareness or thought. I will always focus on your agenda, and your journey to change.

How does coaching differ from mentoring?

A mentor is normally a more experienced or knowledgeable person in your field. They will use their past experiences to provide guidance, instruction or advice. So they usually will have the answers to your questions.
A coach however stands with you - it's a co-created, equal partnership. A coach will ask questions to explore someone's present and future state rather than diving into the past. You are the driver of your own journey/car. A coach is sat next to you in the passenger seat to help you navigate.

Why you?

I am qualified in executive coaching: I qualified with the global, well-renowned AoEC (Academy of Executive Coaching) in their triple-accredited practitioner diploma. I also hold a psychology degree. Over the last few years, I have designed and facilitated leadership development programs for first-time managers through to C-suite execs. Before that, I led teams of up to 25 - so I have experienced the ups and downs that comes with learning how to manage people/teams.

I've had a diverse career journey so far... I've been an individual contributor and a manager of managers. I've worked in fast-paced scale-ups as well as big corporates. I'm used to handling external client relationships as well as internal stakeholders. I've been in consultancies and agencies. A coach doesn't need to have shared the same sector/industry/experiences as their clients, but it can be helpful to share some common frames of reference. My former experiences have grounded my understanding of what it takes to deliver and lead, particularly in times of uncertainty.

Why do you have a focus on women and people of colour?

The lived experiences of people of colour in the workplace as a minority are often very different from the experiences of white colleagues. For ethnic minority women especially, it takes a disproportionate amount of energy to perform at work. We're told to be louder, more assertive, have more "gravitas". But after a while, it feels personal. You start to feel "less than". We put on a mask to fit in and be recognised... Does this resonate with you too? I hear you. You're not alone. This Broken Ladders 2022 report found that 61% report changing themselves to ‘fit-in’ at work. We fight to be 'seen': 42% reported being passed over for promotion despite good feedback (compared to 27% for white women).

As a coach, I know I won't change this landscape overnight. But I'm passionate about doing my bit to support fellow women of colour. We all have tremendous potential & talent, but we don't always feel like we do. That's why I want to focus my efforts on nurturing and cheerleading women of colour.

I'm interested - how do I get started?

We'll have an informal complimentary call - if you're interested, please contact me via the form above. Feel free to share a couple of sentences about you & why you're interested in coaching, plus a few timeslot options that would work best for you. I'd be happy to share more about fees at this stage.
During our call, we have up to 45min to learn more about each other. I can also talk you through what coaching is (if it's new to you) and my coaching style, answer any questions you may have and to help you decide if you want to proceed with coaching sessions.
If you decide to go ahead, we'll discuss what works for you. I offer packages of 3 sessions or 6, rather than one-off sessions, because I believe it takes time & consistency to build momentum and make real progress. I try to keep my coaching accessible to as many people as possible - please let me know if you are currently unemployed or in other financial circumstances.