Going from strength to strength at work and play – meet People Director Carole Gibbs

Fractional People Director Carole Gibbs clearly thrives on variety.  In her professional role she likes to help a variety of companies go from strength to strength, and in her downtime she competes as a triathlete for team GB in her age group.

In what way has People Puzzles helped you to thrive? 

It has given me the confidence to go into a range of clients, because I know that I have expert support around me.  There is always someone in the team who will have been in a similar situation and faced similar problems who is willing to share their experience and advice. Having that resource means that it doesn’t matter what I am faced with; I know that I can deal with anything.  I have learnt that on any single day going into a business, I can make a difference with the ideas and thoughts I am provoking in the clients’ minds.

Have you had one stand out moment when you have felt lucky to work with People Puzzles? 

I haven’t had just one stand out moment.  However, I love and have loved all the clients I have supported.  The part-time relationship makes a difference, as there is none of the day-to-day dross that comes with a corporate job and therefore none of the boring bits!  The clients want help with the exciting parts. This can be challenging, but also interesting as you must elevate yourself and the senior leaders out of the quagmire by focusing on where they are taking the company and how they will lead their organisations in that growth direction.  It is a privilege to be in that place.

What have you found most meaningful about your work with People Puzzles and their clients? 

I have a couple of clients who are really starting to get involved in an ESG agenda.  It is new territory for all of us.  It is fascinating to think about the whole journey from what that means now to what that looks like in 3-5 years’ time.  There is a long way to go with the world and individual clients, but I want to help people on that journey.

What areas are you passionate about outside of your work?

I am a triathlete and for the last 5 years, I have competed for team GB in my age group.   My winter training regime of swim, bike, run and strength training is about 8 hours a week and, in the summer, about 12 hours. I have been lucky enough to compete in races in Australia, Switzerland, Poland, and Spain. There is a great community spirit within the triathlete world, which I would not have been able to enjoy without a part time role with People Puzzles.

What excites you most about the next 5 years of your career with People Puzzles?  

I really like doing development programmes with senior teams. As a company grows it is exciting to help senior leaders step up and improve their leadership capabilities. I enjoy developing senior teams and getting them to consider the impact they can make when they focus on great leadership.  In the last year I have led more training and development activities with line managers and first-time managers.  Often in small companies these functions have had no training, so it is exciting to bring that to small teams who relish the exposure to learning and thrive on it, whether that is a leadership programme or Patrick Lencioni techniques.