STORIES

BRONWYN H. BRYANT, MD
Associate Professor,
Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
The University of Vermont Medical Center

Reason for Attending
I was interested in moving to a leadership role and I wanted to develop skills that would increase my leadership effectiveness. During a conference presentation, I learned that being a leader coach helps with communication, performance, engagement—and many other important attributes of leadership. It intrigued me to learn more.

Why Core Skills for Coaching: Academic Medical Centers
I had looked at other coaching courses, but Core Skills for Coaching: Academic Medical Centers stood out for four reasons:

• Provided the new skills and techniques are designed for immediate, practical application
• Unique focus on academic medical professionals
• Meeting on Fridays worked well with my busy schedule. The weekend after each session gave me time to reflect, and it was easier to create time in my calendar on Fridays than it would have been to clear my schedule for a full week
• Able to attend virtually

Impact
This program teaches a whole new mindset to approach the work that we do every day, one that’s a lot more satisfying, connecting, and creative.

One of the most valuable things I learned was to approach problems with more curiosity than just a “fix-it” attitude. I now ask more questions instead of immediately providing the answers. Together, my team and I are able to leverage each others’ strengths to find solutions.

I’m also now better at saying no. Core Skills for Coaching gave me the skills to understand when a problem isn’t mine to solve and the language to coach others so they could better solve their own problems. My door was always revolving with people asking me questions all day, which left me little time to do my work. I learned the skills to slow my revolving door, empower others, and improve my balance.

With the skills I learned in Core Skills for Coaching, I have transitioned from a hands-on problem solver always doing the work of others, to a leader.