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On International Coaching Day (ICD) on May 6, 2020, ICF members from 70 countries celebrated the coaching profession with a 35-hour "wave" of free virtual coaching. The wave began in Asia and Oceania and ended in British Columbia Canada. More than a dozen coaches from the Netherlands participated by donating professional coaching sessions.
Magdalena Nowicka Mook, CEO ICF Global, on the ICD:
"Our world is facing an unprecedented crisis, and we need coaches and coaching more than ever. ICF members are meeting the increased need by donating one hour of coaching to a member of their community. ICF coaches are committed to professional excellence and building a better world through coaching. They exemplify these attributes by voluntarily sharing their time and talents with people who can now benefit all the more from coaching."
Dutch ICF coaches about the International Coaching Week
ICD was part of the International Coaching Week (ICW)which this year took place from 4 to 10 May 2020. Below we would like to share some experiences of Dutch ICF members during the ICW.
Dianne Commissaris, ACC coach at BTR Coaching, donated five coaching sessions
"Participating as a coach in International Coaching Week has brought me more connected to ICF Global. Normally that organization feels far away to me. On May 6, I felt part of 'we, ICF coaches'. Because all over the world we were opening up our beautiful profession to those who could use a helping hand. In the sessions I was able to help two people I already knew from my network. The coaching conversation and an hour of special attention made our conversation different from others and therefore more effective. I had a third session with a man I didn't know. It was nice to see that in the limited time available he came to an insight that took the sting out of a difficult dilemma and brought him peace of mind. The fact that these were all online conversations did not detract in any way from the intensity of the encounter. Although I am very much looking forward to 'the real deal' ;-)"
Marco Tieleman, MCC coach from Coaching Rotterdam, gave a webinar for ICF Israel on E-coaching: 'The future is now'.
"A group of colleagues was informed and inspired about the power of e-coaching, Especially in these times when online is booming, they became curious about what written text can add to the existing repertoire of face-to-face coaching. I have regularly organized a workshop to make fellow coaches enthusiastic about e-coaching with the written word. Now 13 colleagues from ICF Israel were sitting behind their screens in another time zone waiting for what was to come. At the end of the webinar, the participants were satisfied and enthusiastic. How different is the energy when I give a webinar than when I get to stand in front of a group. The power of e-coaching is already manifested in the meeting when people write a piece themselves and experience the effect immediately. I look forward to hosting this webinar again soon for the Chapters in Slovenia and Oman."
Adrienne Madsen, ACC coach at My Coaching, donated five coaching sessions to a young entrepreneur during the time of COVID-19
"The year 2020 was going to be an amazingly successful year for a small startup. Contracts had been signed and the "spirit" of the team was at an all-time high. With the lockdown, the business came to a halt. At the ICD, the first coaching session gave the young entrepreneur space to look for new paths and solutions, with renewed energy and motivation."
Tessa van Keeken, coach and ICF member offered a one-on-one coaching session and a group sessions for coaches
"This year was the first time I have participated in ICW. As an Inner Leadership Mentor, I believe that it is super important that, especially in these difficult times, we as coaches make sure that we ourselves stay calm and grounded so that we can serve clients in the best possible way. In my experience, coaches sometimes forget to accept support for themselves, not only for issues they are struggling with themselves but also to recharge their own energy so they can be there for others with full attention and compassion. So to celebrate International Coaching Week, I held a series of healing & reflection coaching sessions for coaches who are open to receiving in order to give. And I am very grateful for the beautiful sharing from the wonderful coaches who participated. We meditated to get back to ourselves and be able to be fully open without feeling like we have to shield or protect ourselves, and had very engaging conversations about how to help others be calm and connected in difficult times."
Hetty Brand-Boswijk, president ICF Netherlands, proud of all initiatives
"As ICF Netherlands, we are proud of the inspirational stories our members shared with us! For the future, we hope to see this trend expand - with virtual coaching, which may have been a step too far for some in the past - so that we can have a greater impact as connected ICF coaches who want to enable positive change!"
ICF 25 years
In 2020, the International Coaching Federation also celebrates its 25th anniversary as a global professional organization for coaches and coaching. ICF is dedicated to advancing the coaching profession by:
- Setting high ethical standards
- Providing independent certification
- Building a global network of accredited coaches in a variety of coaching disciplines
Its more than 39,000 members in 143 countries work toward the common goal of increasing awareness of coaching, maintaining the integrity of the profession, and continually educating themselves with the latest research and the latest practices.
Header image by Freepik
