Partner Story: Erin Buttermore

Where were you born?

Hobart, Tasmania

What did you do before becoming a coach?

10 years in the private sector in travel and tourism, followed by 10 years in leadership and executive roles in the state service. This covered a range of portfolios including education, climate change, trade and international relations, business and skilled migration, Antarctic, and food and agribusiness. My last corporate role was with Blundstone, looking after their European distributor network.

What do you enjoy doing in your personal time?

I like to keep busy! I’ve recently become an empty nester, so I’m embracing my newfound freedom. Together with a group of close friends, I regularly go to concerts, comedy gigs, art exhibitions, trivia nights, games nights, hiking, kayaking, vineyards, cooking classes, yoga and the gym.

Origin Story: What inspired you to become a coach and facilitator, and can you share one unforgettable moment from your early days?

On my last day as Executive Director, Trade and International Relations, six different members of my team asked me if I would coach them. I was stunned. I didn’t know the first thing about coaching! This inspired me to enrol in my first coaching course, so I could actually help people.

Superpower: What kind of work do you focus on and makes you unique in your profession/what’s your superpower?

My superpower is asking good questions. In my consulting and coaching work, asking the right questions and listening deeply to the answers is the key to finding the way forward.

Learning & Growth: How do you stay inspired and continuously improve your own knowledge, coaching or facilitation skills?

I am working towards a PhD in Coaching Psychology, exploring interventions for the impostor phenomenon. And yes, I do appreciate the irony of getting a PhD in the impostor phenomenon!

HR Perspectives: What’s one misconception you often encounter from HR or L&D managers about leadership development?

That one-to-one coaching is too expensive. The return on investment far outweighs the cost.

Bad Habits: What’s one particularly destructive/negative behaviour that staff, leaders, teams or organisation can do to undermine achieving their goals?  

Micromanagement. It is usually well-intentioned and rooted in a deep-seated fear of not doing enough, but perversely, it is a fast track to lowered morale and productivity for your team, and burnout for you.

Humour in Tough Times: Can you describe a time when humour helped defuse a tense leadership challenge?

In leadership workshops, I have sometimes (jokingly) suggested people pair up and say to each other the horrible, negative, critical things they say to themselves. People begin to laugh out loud as they realise the horror of saying anything half so mean to someone else.