Emma Birdsey – Case Study

For Emma, an Interim Assistant Director of Data and Insights and qualified coach, the transition back to work brought unexpected questions around confidence, identity and how to navigate being both a senior professional and a new parent.

A conversation with Emma Birdsey, an Interim Assistant Director of Data and Insights and qualified coach

Although Emma understood the power of coaching professionally, experiencing it as a coachee during her own transition gave her a different perspective entirely. Through coaching, she found space to reflect, challenge her assumptions, rebuild her confidence and develop a more compassionate view of herself during one of the biggest transitions of her life.

I’m an Interim Assistant Director of Data and Insights in the housing sector and a first-time mum.

Alongside my leadership role, I’m also a qualified coach, so I was already familiar with coaching and the impact it can have.

When I returned to work after having my daughter, I was stepping back into a senior leadership role while learning how to navigate life as a working parent for the first time. Although I was returning to a workplace I knew, I was returning as a different person,  with new responsibilities, a different perspective and a whole new set of priorities.

My immediate reaction was that it was a fantastic opportunity.

As a coach, I know how powerful coaching can be, but it’s surprisingly rare to have dedicated space to be coached yourself. I approached it with an open mind and a real sense of curiosity about what I might learn from the experience.

What particularly stood out was that the coaching was specifically focused on supporting women returning to work. Despite being one of the biggest transitions many professionals experience, there is still very little structured support available at this stage.

When you return after maternity leave, you’re navigating how to thrive professionally while adapting to the demands and realities of caring for a child. There is no instruction manual for that. Having dedicated support felt incredibly valuable.

Like many new mothers, I was feeling overwhelmed.

I was stepping back into a senior role after almost a year away, at a point when a lot had changed within the organisation. At the same time, I was adapting to life with a baby and trying to find my confidence again.

There was a lot of uncertainty. I was balancing work responsibilities, childcare, sleep deprivation and all the practical and emotional adjustments that come with becoming a parent.

I think one of the biggest challenges was confidence. I knew I was capable, but after being away from the workplace for so long, I found myself questioning things more than I had before.

I’m much kinder to myself.

I have a greater appreciation for everything I’m balancing and a much more realistic perspective on what success looks like at this stage of life.

The coaching helped me recognise that I wasn’t just managing a demanding role. I was also learning how to be a parent, navigating childcare, adapting to a new identity and carrying a whole new level of responsibility.

Instead of focusing on what I thought I wasn’t doing well, I became better at recognising what I had achieved and the strengths I was bringing to both work and home life.

Perspective.

The ability to step back, challenge my assumptions and look at situations differently has stayed with me long after the coaching finished.

The conversations didn’t just help me in the moment. They gave me tools and ways of thinking that I continue to use whenever I face challenges or moments of self-doubt.

It was a really valuable experience.

As coaches, we often spend our time helping other people think differently, but that doesn’t mean we’re immune from getting stuck in our own thinking.

Being on the other side of the coaching relationship reminded me just how powerful it is to have someone create space for reflection and ask the questions you wouldn’t necessarily ask yourself.

It reinforced something I already believed professionally: coaching helps people reconnect with their own insight, experience and ability to move forward.

Be open-minded.

You don’t need to know exactly what you want to talk about before you start. In fact, some of the most valuable conversations come from simply bringing what’s on your mind and being willing to explore it.

I found Laura incredibly easy to talk to. It felt like a safe, unbiased space where I could speak openly about what I was experiencing without judgement.

Sometimes just saying things out loud helps you see them differently. Coaching takes that one step further by helping you understand what’s really going on underneath and what you want to do about it.

Absolutely.

Returning to work after maternity leave is a major life transition, yet we often expect people to simply pick up where they left off.

The reality is that you’re navigating a completely different landscape. You’re balancing new responsibilities, managing competing demands and often dealing with a loss of confidence, even when you’re highly capable.

Coaching provides space to make sense of all of that.

For me, it was an opportunity to reflect, rebuild confidence and develop a healthier perspective on both work and motherhood. I genuinely believe more organisations should invest in this kind of support for parents returning to work.

Emma’s experience highlights why maternity return support matters.

Even highly experienced leaders can experience uncertainty and a dip in confidence after parental leave. Providing structured support helps organisations retain talented people, accelerate successful transitions and create an environment where returning parents can thrive.

Investing in coaching is about recognising the scale of the transition and giving people the space, support and confidence to succeed.