Fempower coaching: together we move forwardView Larger Image “ I’ve learned that people will forge

Source: https://foundationoficf.org/fempower-coaching-together-we-move-forward/ Author: Jirina Kiatlertpongsa, and ICF Bangkok FEMpower Committee “ I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou I personally have a better insight about coaching through the above quote from the great American poet. I feel that through coaching, anyone could have that sudden moment of inspiration or an epiphany with their coach. We might forget the questions asked; we might forget the answers we gave, but…..we would never forget how we felt after the coaching session.

Women’s Roles During Pandemic The ‘Fempower’ project is one of this year’s CSR projects by ICF Bangkok Charter Chapter. It was initiated based on many stories and research on how the pandemic has affected many lives, especially women who are mostly back into traditional roles due to an inevitable situation of schools and nurseries closing down.

That together with other restraining situations might cause women’s professional growth to be put on pause and adversely impact their mental health. Without a doubt, we know how important it is to provide a safe space for women to rejuvenate their thoughts and to find the next best notion or at least to “feel heard” in this unprecedented time. Spontaneous Responses With that intention, the project was officially launched on June 14, 2021. We could not believe the spontaneous responses we received. In the first week itself, we had 109 women and 90 ICF Volunteer Coaches register themselves to be a part of this program. Throughout the year, there are several projects that make an impact on our society. It was such a joy to learn that this one is one of the many which received a wonderful reaction, and that we could move ICF Global’s vision one step closer.

We kicked off the program with orientation for coachees and cleared all the doubt in coachees’ minds, keeping in mind that 70% of the participants would be experiencing coaching for the first time. And, for coaches, we also provided supervisor coaches, who are at the PCC level, as a support for new coaches to overcome any challenges. Coping With Uncertainty In the process, we, together with volunteer coaches, learned to cope with uncertainty. With full collaboration from everyone involved, the results have come through– 90 coaches have provided more than 300 hours of coaching which, in the nutshell, has benefited many lives.

“Even it was such a short period of Time, every minute spent with the coach has helped me catalyze the idea to move forward to reach my goal in the session and after. The coaching session was a safe space for me to ponder and knowing myself better” – Coachee in Fempower project

On two special Sunday nights during the month of July, to add the flame of learning and inspiring, we invited seven guest speakers on Facebook Lives, both men and women, to share their insights and the secret sauce to have a positive mindset. The two sessions have received more than 2,000 views so far.

ICF Bangkok Charter Chapter wants to engage and cultivate a sustainable community of ICF Volunteer Coaches in the region. Though the project ended on July 31, the spirits of all volunteer coaches are still running high; and we look forward to consistently communicating the value of coaching, as we believe, coaching is an integral part of the society.

Contributing to this article are members of Social Impact Team, ICF Bangkok Charter Chapter