Amy Wilkins was eager to change her outlook on life. As a team lead at her organization, she felt that a change in pace was more than necessary. She felt ineffective at her job and began to question her next career move altogether. From fighting for her team to be heard within her larger organization, to feeling wary of the support coming from her leadership, Amy’s concerns at work continued to expand.
Looking for someone to help guide her and help her discover a new route, Amy took a step to better herself by hiring an ICF Credentialed Coach, Terry Yoffe, PCC. Amy was tired of merely going through the daily motions of her job, and she desperately wanted to enjoy her career.
When Amy began her coaching experience, she started to describe it like probing. Instead of telling or offering advice, Terry would help Amy discover what she needed to do and what actions to take. Then Terry would help keep her accountable. Terry and Amy collaborated on many exercises together, and these exercises caused Amy to think in ways she previously hadn’t. But one particular exercise stood out to Amy. Terry asked Amy to identify the most important players in her organization by putting them on a chessboard. “It was fascinating because when I did that exercise, the people I thought were going to be the most important were not the most important people. And I was able to really hone in on, ‘Who is it that I need to influence in order for us to have a new place within that organization?’ Not just me, but my entire team.” Terry then held Amy accountable to act on her findings and begin building relationships with these individuals, which she would report on during their coaching sessions.
“Sometimes she would push me in places, and I’d be wanting to fight about it. And then I was like, ‘Nope. The coach is always right.’ I just really had to trust that the coach is right, and I trust that she’s guiding me to a place where I need to go, and that she’s committed that I discover it for myself, so that it becomes part of who I am, moving forward.”
By working with an ICF Credentialed Coach, Amy experienced a shift in mindset. She saw how important it was for her to build alliances with others in her organization—not just for herself, but also for her entire team to cease new opportunities within her organization.
“When I was going through the coaching process in the early stages, my relationships started to shift fairly quickly within my organization. And while it wasn’t a known thing, necessarily, that I was being coached, I was definitely finding a new voice, and a new place within the organization.”