International Coaching Week 2023

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines Coaching as “Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”

I worked in the Education sector for over 20 years, and over that time I had a variety of roles. I was fortunate to also have access to professional development and learning.?As in every industry, there will be training that you go and you sit around calculating the cost of time being out of the office, and there will also be training that is great professional development and networking opportunities.?

However, the most profound opportunity I have had was when the Executive Leader of my previous school provided the opportunity for our leadership team to access coaching.?It was transformational, empowering, challenging, and life-changing! I went away hungry to learn and grow more, and THAT was when I knew I was destined for more than I was doing. It was such a powerful experience that it inspired me to become a coach and I often reflect on that time and how far I have come. I realised that in my leadership roles there was always a coaching element, but I wanted it to become the primary focus of what I did - I wanted to empower others to have the same level of breakthroughs that I had.?

Choosing to take on a coach is courageous.?It requires you to take a leap out of your comfort zone, although I believe it is one of the greatest investments you can make in your life. But that does not mean it will be easy. In fact, if it is, I would dare say you are not doing it right!

Things you may hear my clients say:

• “Oh, great question, I need to go away and think about that…”
• “Oh, I knew you were going to make me go there…”
• “This is challenging…”
• “Before we get started let me tell you this amazing thing that happened since our last session…”
• “I am really proud of how I handled that situation we discussed…
• And my current favourite from last week…. “Holy Shit … that was a mic drop moment!”

An exceptional coach is someone that walks beside you as you rumble through your thoughts to get to the transformation!

What would your transformation look like if you had an exceptional coach?