Coaching for
Growth
A practice that grew alongside my work in design.
Coaching and mentoring became an important part of how I contributed at IBM, alongside my work as an advisory designer. Over time, I supported people across career stages, roles, and teams.
- Mentoring
- Since 2016
- Coaching
- Since 2020
- Career coaching
- Since 2023
- Organization
- IBM Products · Design Program Office
Where do you want to be next year?
More than a decade of helping people move forward
Since 2016, I've supported more than 30 designers, engineers, and leaders through mentoring and coaching. Some relationships developed over time; others began with a specific question, a career decision, or a challenge at work. The conversations varied in length and focus, depending on what each person needed.
Across different settings
Patterns Next Level · IBM Your Guides · IBM Alumni Coaching Program · Student Service Design Challenge · Michal Sela Forum
30+
What have you already tried?
How I work
Listen first.
I listen to understand what someone is trying to work through, what matters to them, and what might be difficult to articulate. I ask questions, reflect back what I hear, and look beyond the immediate concern.
Clarify the situation.
Together, we make sense of what's happening. I help identify the actual challenge, question assumptions, consider different perspectives, and understand what the person wants to achieve.
Create room for action.
Sometimes I share experience or practical guidance. Sometimes I connect someone with the right person or resource. Often, a useful question is enough to help someone see a different way forward. The decisions remain theirs.
When I began mentoring, I followed IBM's internal mentoring guide. When I started coaching, I followed the GROW model to the letter. It had a lasting effect on me, not just as a coach and mentor, but as a person and designer.
Coaching doesn't stop when the conversation ends
5 team members · 5 online sessions · 2024
In 2024, I coached a team of five through the Student Service Design Challenge. We met online five times. Before each session, I reviewed the team's materials; between sessions, I left written feedback on their Miro board and by email, checked in, and connected them with an expert in their project's domain. I also helped the team maintain momentum through the more challenging phases.
“What really stood out was Tomer's proactive attitude: he didn't just respond to our needs, he anticipated them.”
Ginevra PapiStudent Service Design Challenge participantIn their own words
“Tomer is an incredible listener who created a space where I felt deeply understood and genuinely guided.”
Alicja TrafalskaTechnical Solution Manager at IBM, Certified CoachRead Alicja's full recommendation
I had the pleasure of experiencing several coaching sessions with Tomer, and it was truly a transformative journey. I`ve experienced the very essence of coaching—the magic of transformation!
Tomer is an incredible listener who created a space where I felt deeply understood and genuinely guided. His ability to listen attentively and reflect back with insight made me feel supported every step of the way. The atmosphere of trust and openness allowed me to explore my thoughts and emotions freely, giving me the confidence to grow and evolve.
After just a few sessions, I gained a clarity about my life mission. I have not only redefined the way I see myself but also transformed the way I speak to myself.
This coaching experience has been truly life-changing, and I am deeply grateful for the guidance and support I received.
“The sessions helped me reflect on my strengths and align them with my passions. Tomer, my coach, not only helped me refine my job search strategy and improve my self-presentation, but also encouraged me to look beyond the immediate role.”
Nav SharmaIBM Alumni Coaching Program · Quoted by IBM Alumni“Whether it was discussing design principles, career progression, or industry best practices, his mentorship was always insightful and encouraging.”
Swati AsthanaUser Experience Designer · Patterns program at IBMWhat did you notice?
The human side of the work
What this practice continues to teach me
Coaching has made me more conscious of the less visible patterns that can sit underneath challenges and obstacles. It has helped me become more comfortable working outside my own area of expertise, and more confident that I can still be useful without needing to know everything about the subject at hand.
It has reinforced the importance of listening before responding, sharing expertise without taking over, and creating space for people to make their own decisions.
My design leadership has taught me to look across systems and create opportunities for contribution. My coaching and mentoring practice has deepened my attention to the people within those systems.
The thread connecting them is simple: I want to help people move forward and create conditions where they can contribute through their strengths and interests.
Have a complex problem to solve?
I’m interested in roles where product design, research,
and organizational challenges meet. If your team needs someone who can work across all three, let's talk.