Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Parks.
Heather, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I worked in Human Resources for 17 years leading talent development functions for all employees from executives to administrative assistants. I have a passion for people and developing their skills to get to where they want to be.
I served as an executive coach to many leaders over those 17 years and I noticed a theme around people continuously working long hours and felt a bit burnt out. Many of them searching for the next big thing that might fill them up and make them happy again. Most times, when they got there, they were left underwhelmed. I would hear them saying things like:
– “I really love my team, but the culture/leadership in my organization is toxic- I’m not really sure I can help- but I don’t want to leave- what do I do?”
– “There is so much change happening that my head is spinning…it’s feels heavy and invasive. I can’t keep up let alone ask my team to keep up.”
– “I want to move up in the organization but sometimes I feel like a fraud. Some days I have it all together and other days, I feel like I don’t know what I am doing. What if they figure me out? I may never get the promotion.”
– “Did I really just get a 10% budget cut but 3 additional priorities? Who do they think I am? My team can’t take one more assignment…and neither can I.”
They struggled to communicate effectively. They never felt like they could ask for what they needed and be heard. It was a never-ending cycle of trying to follow rules and deliver results but what was lacking was their ability to be who they were as an individual and engage in their work.
I became passionate about exploring the unconscious belief patterns with my clients. I spent years studying the art of coaching, societal behavioral patterns, and corporate cultures. I developed a desire to have an impact on toxic corporate cultures. I wanted to help leaders who were trying to succeed in spite of the what was happening around them. It sent me on a mission to create my own organization deeply rooted in building healthy workplace environments. Now I get to do what I love every day – enable organizations & leaders to create the mindset and skill to engage, thrive and drive positive business outcomes.
Has it been a smooth road?
I don’t think things can always be smooth. I knew it wouldn’t be easy when I decided to make the leap, but I believe that we have to take risks. And that can be scary. It takes courage to say if we succeed, fantastic. If we fail, then we’ve learned something. Then you just have to keep moving forward.
The biggest challenge for me was shifting from working in Corporate America to running my own business. You know you can make an impact, but now you are everything to everyone – sales, marketing, product development. I had to remind myself that there are people that love to do the things that I may not be great at. It’s a lot of what I teach to the organizations and leaders that I serve. We all have strengths, play to those. Find help for the places that don’t fill you up.
Although those challenges exist, it’s worth it. For me when I enter into an organization and run leadership development workshops, consult with the business or Human Resource teams, and work with individuals in 1:1 sessions, I am always reminded of why I choose to start my business.
You have times where people have those “ah ha” moments. They break down in tears because it all finally makes sense. They go out and really engage differently with their teams (and at home) to create a different environment. That all makes it worth the challenges that you may face each day.
So, let’s switch gears a bit and go into the New Dimensions Coaching story. Tell us more about the business.
New Dimensions Coaching is a professional leadership development coaching & consulting firm. We specialize in leadership development workshops, group coaching, 1:1 coaching and team building. We also support organizations in building their talent development functions.
We are most proud of the work we do in helping organizations make radical shifts in their culture. We help them determine what behaviors will drive profitability and how to build strong leaders that embody their mission. We believe that creating stronger more emotionally attuned leaders can make a huge difference in creating happy & successful employees.
What sets us apart is we are not a big box coaching & consulting firm. We work very closely with the organizations and individual employees to ensure that we don’t just deliver a one and done development opportunity. What we know is we can’t train or coach you once and believe that will make difference in how you show up in the workplace. It takes ongoing, sustainable work that is built on a foundation of respect.
Every culture is different. Every person comes to the table with different levels of skill and experiences that drive how they show up in the workplace (and in life). We use a more white-gloved approach to creating long-lasting results without clients.
Oh, and did I mention we’re fun? We are in it for the experience – we’re committed to a movement and transformation.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The Gallup research on the State of Workplace consistently shows year over year that employees continue to be disengaged at work. 70% is a staggering number of people who are searching for another job and actively not putting their full effort into their current place of employment.
I believe this is why the coaching industry is booming right now. People need a safe place to explore their thoughts, emotions and ultimately their behavior. They need a place where they can go and openly discuss their struggles and aspirations so they can create action plans to create the careers and lives that they want.
I believe in the next 5-10 years you will see more group coaching and think tank environments emerge so we can build communities of healthy strong leaders who will impact that Gallup research.
Contact Info:
- Address: 3760 Sixes Rd.,
Ste 126-136, Canton, GA 30114 - Website: www.ndcoaching.com
- Phone: 470.377.3013
- Email: heather@ndcoaching.com
- Instagram: @new_dimensions_coaching
- Facebook: @heatherparkscoach
- Twitter: @Heather_NDCoach
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
