Penny Barkas

Management & Leadership Coach

As a manager with many years experience, working my way up from team leader to operations management, then Head of Customer Contact Centres and finally to director level, I offer an authentic, realistic and informed insight and perspective.

Whatever my role, at its core was the commitment to nurturing talent, encouraging growth and supporting people and managers through difficult, challenging and often complex situations, whether personally or operationally.

Professional Credentials

Learning to lead others (and let’s face it, sometimes manage others) through difficult situations is a challenging task. The knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to lead effectively are often greatly under-estimated. It is nearly always way more complex than you ever imagined it would be!
From my first leadership role up to Director level, I owe much to those that helped me. But there were times when help wasn’t at hand and I, like many others, had to learn the hard way. That can mean mistakes and as a leader, those mistakes can also affect others around you. I’ve made a few…

The support and development of new leaders and managers has therefore always been my top priority. Perhaps selfishly, if you have effective leaders in your team, you can get on with your own job! But I also believe that seeing and celebrating the success of others is a reflection of your own leadership style
I use my experience to support new managers as well as established leaders, helping them to identify and tackle obstacles (personal or organisational) and quickly facilitating their success, and that of their respective teams

Having consistently built effective management teams across a variety of industries using my coaching, mentoring and development skills in real environments, with real deadlines and achieving real objectives, I never felt the need to gain a coaching certificate
If a certificate is important to you, then you will need to look elsewhere. If it’s not, then I can offer you and your teams honest, empathetic, constructive support that is direct when it needs to be, more subtle when it’s not, but always effective

Penny took me on a journey of seeing what my life and career could actually be like - but did it in a way that enabled me to see it for myself.

Penny quickly identified my strengths and worked closely with me to build confidence, knowledge and experience. I am now a Group Head of Customer Experience and effectively manage the customer journey with a WWPD approach - what would Penny do!

I have carried out all my own coaching and leadership in every role since, all of which I learnt from Penny.

Penny supported me through various projects, coaching and mentoring my development into a senior manager. When I look back on my career and the people who made a difference, I always remember Penny.

Penny Barkas

Management & Leadership Coach

Professional Credentials

Do you want to move a situation from ‘problem’ to ’perform’?