MINDY McCORMICK
“Deb has an incredible gift of discernment. She can recognize when there’s something more or something underlying or maybe a touchpoint. She navigates that so well.”
When Mindy McCormick, DSW began as the President and CEO of Easter Seals Eastern Pennsylvania, it was a time of transition. In addition to her starting the new role, there were a lot of unknowns for current staff and leadership.
“Deb helped me work through how to get the team on board, how to get them to understand my vision and where I wanted to go, and to bring them to a place where we had a collaborative relationship and approach which helped to move the organization forward,” Mindy explained.
With Deb’s support, Mindy stopped operating in a continual chaos management mode and began to trust her intuition and feel confident in the decisions she needed to make.
“I was able to say, ‘We can implement these really awesome things that are going to be a heavy lift now but will set us up to be better in the long term.’”
As Mindy found out, it can be hard to move into leading the team that you were once a part of. In Deb, Mindy found someone she could confide in, someone who allowed Mindy the space to be heard and share ideas.
“I work best when I can process out loud with somebody else. I don’t need you to tell me what to do. I need you to hear it and let me get it out, so I can process it. I couldn’t do that with other members of leadership because they weren’t at the same level.”
Through one-to-one coaching with Deb and participating in the United Way Berks cohort Deb had created, Mindy found the support and encouragement she was looking for, and she connected with other individuals going through a similar leadership transition experience.
“Moving through a vulnerable cohort group with other individuals has created bonds and relationships that I wouldn’t have had otherwise, even though I already knew some of them. I don't think I would have reached out to them and discussed the things we did if we hadn't gone through that intensive process together.”
Although the cohort doesn’t meet regularly anymore, this group remains significant to where Mindy is today. The support continues and Mindy feels comfortable to reach out to her peers anytime she needs to.
Working with Deb helped Mindy grow her own toolbox of resources, allowing her to engage with her staff better, analyze and assess staff development, and take a holistic approach to growth.
“Deb helped me understand how my position is at that 5,000-foot level. I’m starting to recognize when I'm getting in the weeds and how to get back out of it, along with figuring out what person should be there instead, while I support them at that higher level.”
Mindy considers working with Deb as an investment in her success—both personally and professionally.