I am currently immersed in writing an essay as part of my work towards a coaching qualification awarded by EMCC UK (EMCC Practitioner Award). To be honest, writing this assignment has been daunting, and I have prevaricated and delayed starting for far too long. Although I have written lots of professional documents, for lots of purposes over the last few years, this is the first academic written assignment that I have produced for almost twenty years.
Writing this essay, I am reflecting on how much I have learnt since I started the course back in September 2023. It has been fascinating to enter a new world of coaching and to meet lots of other professional coaches. There is such a lot to learn, but I have always loved learning new things. Here are some of my key takeaways so far:
Whilst I thought that I had lots of coaching experience from my roles in school leadership, being an external coach is very different. However you look at it, in my educational leadership roles, there was always an imbalance of power which fundamentally changed the nature of the coaching conversation. Now when I am working with coaching clients, there is equity in the relationship. My role is to be a non-judgemental listener and to help the client arrive at their own solutions to their problems.
I have found the spectrum of coaching styles fascinating. Previously, I had been more familiar with the ‘coaching the problem’ approach and had experienced using the GROW model and other similar problem-solving models. Now I have learnt more about ‘coaching the person’ and this has allowed me to develop more strategies which I believe are useful to the client. Sharing observations that I have noticed, whether it is how something is said, or the body language, is powerful and can allow the coaching to work at a deeper level.
I have learnt that I must let go of my desire to be helpful and to find a solution to the client’s problem. That is not my role as coach. I don’t want to clutter my mind with my own thoughts – instead I aim to be totally present for the client and enable them to reflect and identify their next steps.
I am currently enrolled on The Lead Without Limits: EMCC Practitioner Award in Coaching facilitated by the amazing Katherine Powell, and supported by a brilliant tutor Sarah Fox. I would 100% recommend the course, if you are interested in pursuing some deep learning about coaching.
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