Date & Time
21 January 2020
IHRP was proud to partner with the International Coach Federation (ICF) to host an Experiential Coaching event on 20 January 2020, which was attended by 27 of our IHRP Certified Professionals.
Ms. Suman Balani, EMCCC, PCC, 2019 President of the ICF Singapore Chapter started the event by sharing with our certified professionals that coaching is partnering with the individual in a thought provoking and creative process to maximise personal and professional potential, with the essence of coaching being building capacity in the individual.
Diving further on the topic of coaching, Suman quoted Sir John Whitmore: “The coach is not a problem solver, a teacher, an advisor, an instructor, or even an expert; he or she is a sounding board, facilitator, who raises awareness and responsibility.” Coaching is a process and partnership that provides a safe space for the individual to accelerate forward, she said.
Impacts of coaching which Suman covered included:
- improved team functioning
- increased engagement
- increased productivity
- improved employee relations
- faster leadership development
Benefits of coaching also spanned increased productivity and building positive people. One success story showcased was GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) where their end goal was reducing cost and strengthening accountability through coaching. A coaching centre of excellence was created, and they took on a mixed-modality model where credentialed external coaches and internal managers/coaches were mobilised. Ultimately, they were able to achieve what they had set out to, through the positive effects of coaching.
The highlight of the event was the interactive laser coaching sessions – where our certified professionals had the opportunity of selecting an ICF Credentialed coach for a one-on-one coaching session. During the 30-minute laser coaching session, our certified professionals shared their issue, and with the coach’s expert guidance, started thinking about their issue from a fresh perspective and set specific goals for next steps action planning. During the wrap up group plenary, several participants stepped forward to share their positive reflections on their first-hand coaching experience.
What our Certified Professionals said:
“It was an enriching and fulfilling session. Time was well spent on this session. Coaching is an important and useful skillset that every management staff should equip themselves with.”
By Irene Woo, IHRP-SP, General Manager, HR & Shared Services at Volkswagen Group Singapore
“I have been exposed to coaching before and this event was a validation that coaching is relevant and impactful for individuals and organisations.”
By Kelly Ho, IHRP-SP, Vice-President, HR, NTUC Income Insurance Cooperative Ltd
We would like to express our gratitude to ICF for co-hosting the event together with IHRP.