Dr. Kym Harris-Lee
- World-renowned authority in emotional intelligence, leadership development & career management strategies
Dr. Kym Harris-Lee Biography
Utilizing principles of emotional intelligence, Dr. Kym Harris-Lee (Dr. Kym) helps leaders take bold action to authentically achieve MORE!™ visibility, connectivity, influence and success without compromise. Dr. Kym is an expert at helping leaders deepen their understanding of themselves and others, while cultivating an appreciation for the importance of balancing results with authentic relationships.
Dr. Kym is a board-certified executive coach, speaker, and author with expertise in emotional intelligence, leadership development, and career management strategies. Her 27-year career in Human Resources and Talent Development represent leadership and executive roles in higher education and corporate organizations. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Rutgers University, a master’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resource Management from Nova Southeastern University, and a Doctorate degree in Organizational Leadership from Argosy University.
Dr. Kym is the author of From Life to Lessons – Living and Leading with Emotional Intelligence and a contributing author to three books:
- A View from the Top: Exceptional Leadership Strategies for Women (The Issue of Competence – More than Performance)
- Breaking the Barriers: A Woman’s Toolkit for Success (The Gift of Feedback – A Strategy for Success)
- The Young Professional Woman: Breaking into the Business World and Succeeding (Lessons from the Future – A Letter to My 25-year-old Self)
Dr. Kym’s second book Unmasked & Real – What it means to be Emotionally Intelligent will be available 2020.
Dr. Kym is a dynamic speaker who shares her experiences through colorful, humorous, and moving stories that entertain and impart powerful lessons about work and life. She delivers conference keynotes, facilitates conference breakout sessions, leads EQ strengthening experiences for teams, and contributes to organizational leadership development initiatives as an executive coach.
Dr. Kym is originally from New Jersey and has enjoyed life in Atlanta for twenty-five plus years. She and her husband, Bernard, split their time together between Atlanta, Georgia and Montgomery, Alabama; and she is the proud Auntie of four brilliant and beautiful nieces – Kalila, Zakiya, Sydni, and Adeera.
Dr. Kym Harris-Lee
- World-renowned authority in emotional intelligence, leadership development & career management strategies
Strategies for Coaching Professional Women of Color
Session length: 90 minutes
Every coaching client has a story. Their story is made up of personal and professional experiences that inform how they see the world and how they believe they are seen in the world. professional women of color have dual experiences that cannot be detached from one another. They experience their careers as women and as women of color. This is a duality that cannot be ignored in a coaching relationship. It is the filter through which they view the world. The filter has shades of positive experiences that serve them well. They also have negative experiences that are laced with stereotypes, biases, and microaggressions which leaves them feeling like they don’t belong.
While this is not true for all women of color, many do find themselves faced with the challenge of navigating the tendency to be overlooked or discarded as a result of belonging to two underrepresented groups. The lived experiences of professional women of color must be considered and addressed, not dismissed by the coach, for the coaching relationship to progress successfully.
The intimacy of the coaching relationship requires trust. Trust is built on relatability, perspective, objectivity, and accountability. A coach does not have to be a woman of color to successfully coach a woman of color. The coach, must, however, facilitate a process that helps remove the client’s mask and bring down her walls. It’s the only way to open the door to vulnerability, which is needed to advance the relationship.
A successful coaching partnership requires a willingness to hear their story, understand their perspective, and demonstrate empathy. This is what will move the client toward her goals and the outcomes the organization may have for her. This session will provide insight into the things a coach should consider in order to achieve successful outcomes when serving professional women of color.
Key Learning Takeaways
- An Understanding of the unique needs of women of color in a coaching partnership.
- A greater appreciation for the role empathy plays in coaching women of color.
- Strategies needed to establish a coaching partnership in which both partners are relatable to one another.