We recently connected with Tamara Atkins and have shared our conversation below.
Tamara, so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?
That’s an easy one – I truly sort of “lucked” into it! I came out of college during an economic downturn so needed to take any job. Luckily, I had done some summer work in HR offices and that coupled with my brand-new business degree got me a job in HR. I was not afraid to “try on” every job in the HR department. I quickly landed on Training and Development – helping others learn and grow became (and still is) a real passion. Over the years, I have continued to refine that purpose and now I am much more focused on leadership coaching – still in the realm of HR – but really getting a much narrower focus and purpose.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
Tamara Atkins is recognized by the International Coaching Federation (ICF) as a Professionally Certified Coach (PCC) and has over 40 years of experience in the talent development area, both within and outside of organizations.
She has worked in a wide range of industries – broader energy, technology, healthcare, consumer goods, financial services, oil and gas, retail, and services companies. She has a business degree from Texas A&M University and a Masters in Organizational Management.
Tamara’s coaching style is based on actual business experience and honest, direct communication with clients. She also coaches from a place of compassion, curiosity, courage, and connectedness. At the end of the day, it is about achieving your goals.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
Don’t be afraid to try something you have never tried/experienced before! I wish I had expanded my geographical horizons and worked in other countries as an example!
Work hard – forget about trying to set your career track. That will be taken care of if you just focus on the job/work you have now!
Keep learning – ask people all the time “teach me something” – you would be surprised what you will learn. Take the initiative to build your skills, don’t wait for your boss or HR to point out a class or learning experience!
What would you advise – going all in on your strengths or investing on areas where you aren’t as strong to be more well-rounded?
I think it is important that you “play to your strengths”. Often times running around trying to “fix a weakness” is a waste of time. You do have to figure out how to ensure that weakness doesn’t hamper you – hire someone to help you with marketing if you aren’t a great marketer, take a class and build some basic understanding, etc.
A “fatal flaw” needs to be fixed or change jobs. If you career requires you to make public presentations and there is no way you can get others to do it for you and you feel you will never be comfortable – perhaps it is time to look for another job that doesn’t have that requirement.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.tamaraatkins.com
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamaraa1/
