I’m a third of the way through the practice hours needed for accreditation with the International Coaching Federation after completing my coaching training. While there are still many hours to go, I was reflecting on what I’ve noticed so far from my coaching practice (whilst not compromising confidentiality and the ICF Code of Ethics!).
I’ve noticed that people often come to coaching because of the impact of change. Changes from moving organisations, sectors, roles or taking on new projects. We carry into these new areas our old patterns and experiences. Sometimes our learned strategies don’t work in the new contexts. Sometimes there’s not adequate leadership support to build confidence for change which compounds the challenges.
So what difference can coaching make? I’ve noticed, and had feedback on, how powerful it is to have time to reflect on what’s getting in the way, and what strengths and resources are available. Identifying some incremental changes and manageable actions towards a meaningful goal makes a huge difference. Within a coaching session, I’ve noticed clients go from being overwhelmed to having more clarity about what’s important to them and forming the start of a plan. Body language shifts, shoulders drop and faces relax.
This aligns with our work at Iriss and our innovation model. Part of our support is helping partners move from being overwhelmed by the complexity and scale of necessary changes to perceiving these changes as manageable, incremental, and consistent with their values. This shift is critical for creativity, innovation and imagining how things could be different. Asking the right questions and listening (core coaching skills) can help us make sense of the complexity in our sector.
Interested in finding out more? Iriss is offering free coaching for a limited time. Contact ellen.daly@iriss.org.uk with any questions or for an initial chat.
