Coaching for teams and organisationsBad managers are expensive, good ones aren't accidental.
Your engineers just became managers. They're good at the technical stuff. That's not the problem.
The problem is they've never had to give feedback that lands, handle conflict without making it worse, or hold a team together while everything is on fire. And nobody told them how.
You don't have time to shepherd them through it. You have your own fires. And there's no undo button for the damage a struggling manager does to a team while they're figuring it out.
I coach newly-promoted engineering managers at startups and scale-ups: the ones handed a team and a vague brief and quietly terrified. I get them effective fast.
Why this matters to you
Bad management is expensive. Turnover, disengagement, missed deadlines, people leaving because their manager made them miserable. That cost lands on you. A good coaching investment at the point of promotion is the cheapest insurance available.
I've spent six years coaching founders, CTOs, and engineering leaders through this. I know what this transition looks like, I know where it goes wrong, and I get to the actual problems fast.
How it works
Typically structured as a block of sessions per manager, depending on what they're navigating and how fast things are moving. Sessions are remote, one-to-one, by video or phone, and focused entirely on what's live and real for them right now.
No-bullshit, direct coaching focused on what's live and real. Not theory, not generic frameworks.
I only take on clients I believe I can actually help. If I don't think coaching is the right tool for your situation, I'll tell you.
Who I coach
Newly promoted EMs
Engineers who just became managers
Promoted into people leadership, handed a team, no playbook. The transition is harder than anyone tells them. I get them effective before the damage compounds.
Growing engineering leads
Managers who've been winging the hard bits
Been doing the job a while but avoiding the conversations, struggling with conflict, or losing people they should be keeping. Same no-bullshit approach, different starting point.
Growing Heads of Engineering and Directors
Managers growing into the big seat
The job just got bigger: more scope, more org politics, more stakeholders expecting answers. The skills that got them here aren't always the ones that keep them there.
Why work with me?
If you're a CTO, Head of Engineering, or L&D manager looking to coach a cohort rather than one person: the economics are different and the conversation is different.
The cost of bad management at scale is not abstract. Turnover in a mid-level engineer costs 6-9 months of their salary in recruiting, onboarding, and lost velocity. Disengagement is slower and more expensive. A newly promoted manager who handles conflict badly, gives terrible feedback, or loses people who should have stayed. That bill lands on you.
Coaching at the point of promotion is the cheapest intervention available. I work with companies coaching anywhere from 2 to 10+ managers at a time, in whatever format fits what you're actually dealing with.
Pricing
Every team engagement is scoped around what you're actually dealing with: number of managers, what they're navigating, how fast you need them effective. There's no fixed price list because there's no fixed format.
We always start with a conversation. From there we agree scope, format, and cost. I'll provide whatever documentation your finance or L&D team needs.
Ready to talk? Get in touch with how many managers you're thinking about and what they're dealing with.
All engagements are subject to my disclaimer and terms.
Real managers saying real things
Promotion
"By September I'd been promoted to Director of Engineering -- much faster than I'd expected."
I asked Valerie to be my career coach when I joined Speechmatics as a senior team lead in January 2024. We had regular sessions during the year, and by September I'd been promoted to Director of Engineering -- much faster than I'd expected to achieve. Val's coaching was a huge part of my ability to hit this goal.
She's helped me identify the ways to be most impactful, organise my thinking when facing complex problems, and navigate challenging interpersonal struggles. Above all, she's helped me see clearly my strongest traits, which I may not have seen in myself otherwise.
First EM role
"She was my first manager when I began the EM role and she was truly transformational."
I am thrilled to recommend Val as an exceptional leader and mentor. She was my first manager when I began the EM role and she was truly transformational, guiding me in ways that shaped my career path. I have sought her support as a professional coach on a number of occasions since, and her influence continues to have a positive impact on my journey.
What sets Val apart is her unique ability to blend insight and coaching. She skillfully draws out my own insights while complementing them with her extensive experience, creating a powerful learning environment.
Leadership growth
"I have learnt more from working with Val than I ever thought possible."
When applying for my first EM role, the recruiter told me, "Oh, you'll talk to Val first. She is something special." He could not have been more right. Ever since that first Zoom, Val's energy, expertise and passion have been a guiding light in my career.
She is authentic, tough, compassionate, and absolutely will not give you an easy ride. I have learnt more from working with Val than I ever thought possible.
New leadership role
"She coached me through the practical issues and emotional regulation needed to excel."
I've always believed that when you move into a new situation, the best thing you can do is reach out to people who have been there and done it. Little did I know when I reached out to Valerie the huge impact it would have on me.
She coached me through the practical issues and emotional regulation needed to excel in this role, and avoid traps common with people moving into more leadership-oriented positions from technical backgrounds.
If you are moving into a leadership role from engineering, or are in such a role and struggling, I can strongly recommend Valerie as a coach and mentor.
