ACERCA DE ESTE EPISODIO
What happens when one internal coach is supporting 3,000 employees in a rapidly growing organization?
In this episode of the Coaching in Organizations podcast, Betsy Campbell, Dream Coach at IMA Financial Group, shares how experimentation, collaboration, and group coaching became essential to scaling a coaching culture. From launching an ADHD-focused group coaching pilot to designing future programs around mindful change management, Betsy offers an honest look at what it takes to build coaching programs that truly meet people where they are. This episode explores psychological safety, coaching culture, internal coaching, and how group coaching can support growth and connection during periods of organizational change.
🧠 5 KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Pilots are designed for learning, not perfection: Betsy shares how treating coaching pilots as experiments creates room for iteration, growth, and honest feedback instead of pressure to “get it right” the first time.
- Group coaching often becomes more powerful through connection: What started as a structured coaching program for women diagnosed with ADHD evolved into a space where participants most valued conversation, support, and shared understanding.
- Coaching culture cannot be built alone: Building coaching in organizations requires collaboration across HR, leadership, and learning teams rather than relying on a single coach to drive the culture.
- The best coaching programs start with real human signals: Betsy’s pilot emerged after repeatedly hearing women disclose ADHD challenges during one-on-one coaching sessions, revealing an unmet need for community and support.
- Coaching helps organizations navigate growth and change: As IMA continues to expand rapidly through acquisitions, Betsy explains why group coaching and mindful change management can help employees stay connected, grounded, and engaged.
“Coaching is not a performance. It’s not a movie. Other people aren’t watching it in that way.”
↪️ WHAT WE COVER IN THIS EPISODE
02:48 - Betsy Campbell’s Coaching Origin Story: Betsy shares how a colleague introduced the dream coach concept to IMA after reading “The Dream Manager.” This sparked her interest in coaching. She then found a program that resonated with her.
05:07 - Making the Leap to Dream Coach: Betsy describes taking a leap into coaching without knowing the exact outcome. She made a case for her institutional knowledge and passion for the organization. She eventually became IMA’s dream coach.
06:08 - Developing IMA’s Coaching Culture: Betsy discusses her approach to building IMA’s coaching culture. She emphasizes creativity, experimentation, and collaboration. She works with the HR team to introduce coaching principles to managers and leaders.
08:13 - The Coaching Landscape at IMA: Betsy explains that IMA uses external resources for coaching programs for managers and leaders. She also provides both group and one-on-one coaching internally. The coaching culture is still growing and developing.
09:14 - The Freedom and Challenges of Creating the Role: Betsy enjoys the freedom to create programs based on the organization’s needs. This allows her to focus on what coachees need. However, this freedom can also be challenging due to a lack of pre-defined structure.
10:23 - The ADHD Pilot Program: Betsy noticed many women in one-on-one sessions disclosed ADHD, leading her to create a group coaching pilot. She trusted this pattern because it was repeated often and felt important. The pilot targeted women in their women’s network who were already engaged in groups.
13:15 - Pilot Program Participation and Learnings: The pilot received more interest than anticipated, requiring a cutoff for participation. Betsy learned the importance of checking in with participants who miss sessions. She realized that in future pilots, a shorter duration would allow for quicker iterations.
16:07 - Coaching Program vs. Support Space: Betsy initially planned a structured coaching program with a book. However, the participants mostly wanted to connect and share. She learned the importance of clarifying expectations and distinguishing between a coaching program and a support space.
20:59 - Navigating Individual and Organizational Needs: Betsy sees individual and organizational needs as a Venn diagram, looking for areas of overlap. Group coaching can multiply the benefits for individuals by fostering connection in a safe space. This approach helps serve both the individuals and the organization.
22:25 - Mindful Change Management Pilot: Betsy’s next pilot idea is mindful change management for new employees joining through acquisitions. This addresses the stress of rapid change and the need for connection within a growing organization. The goal is to ground and energize employees during this period of change.
🗝️ KEY THEMES
- Coaching culture in organizations
- Group coaching as a scaling strategy
- Psychological safety in coaching spaces
- Experimentation and iteration in program design
- Internal coaching and organizational growth
- Coaching through change management
- Building connection during rapid expansion
- Coaching pilots and learning loops
ABOUT BETSY CAMPBELL
Betsy has been a proud IMA associate and shareholder since 2012, initially serving their clients and leading a team as an Employee Benefits Account Executive. Prior to joining IMA, she managed EB clients at other Denver-based regional brokerage firms. Her early career included experience in advertising, marketing, and human resources.
Building relationships and supporting others in their growth has always been a passion for her– within and beyond her career. In 2018, She completed coaching training through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching (iPEC) and transitioned full time to the IMA Dream Coach role in 2022.
A graduate of the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, she is originally from Elmhurst, Illinois, and has lived in Colorado since 1991. She loves to ski, play golf, hike, camp, read, and travel, usually with her son Cole and/or her partner Joe and his kids.
She is honored and humbled to help IMA associates become their best selves, whatever that means to each individual. She believes fully in your ability to create what you want in your life!
🤝 CONNECT WITH BETSY
- Company name: IMA Financial Group
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