Coaches Corner with Georgina Woudstra
Getting to know Georgina Woudstra who is leading our July workshop on the art of team coaching.
Q: Who or what inspired you to become a coach?
A: I first discovered coaching in the late 1980s and trained with an organisation called Perceptions, where I spent 4 years learning in their powerful and intensive personal development programme. It gave me a huge amount of self-awareness and skills for supporting people on a one-to-one basis to be their best selves. I then discovered coaching in an organisational context in the early 1990s whilst conducting research for a Masters in Change Management. I met the late great Sir John Whitmore and I was inspired by the idea of bringing together business, personal development and spirituality, as I had previously compartmentalised these domains of life. It was this that was the catalyst for me selling my consultancy business to become a full-time executive coach.
Q: What is your favourite thing about being a coach?
A: I believe that life offers us limitless amazing possibilities and that it is us humans who limit ourselves. I wanted to live my life liberated to experience my own growth and potential and I wanted the same for others too. I have a passion for learning and coaching has enabled me to continue learning, undertaking 20-30 days learning a year for the last 25 years! I also love meeting new people and forming deep lasting relationships and I stay in touch with many of the people I have coached, even from 20 years ago. I enjoy the rich variety of organisations and geographies I am privileged to work in and cannot think of a better career.
Q: What is the thing you find the most challenging as a coach?
As I have said, I love learning. However, these days I easily find myself inundated with the latest ideas, concepts and tools for coaching. Clients and coaches ask me about new advances all the time. In all the years I have coached, I have discovered that I am the best tool for my clients, so I try to resist gathering tools for tools' sake, and seek to deepen my practice. The challenge sometimes is not getting distracted by the new and shiny, especially in the growing field of team coaching, and to keep my trust in the coaching process and keep sharpening the saw of applying the ECS Team Coaching Competencies.
Q: What advice would you give to new coaches?
Trust the process of coaching
Practice, practice, practice
Embody the competencies and develop your presence and use of self, rather than gathering a big bag of tools
Reflect on your practice- record your sessions and listen back to them, notice the impact your questions have on your client, notice your way of being, notice what goes on inside yourself
Seek high quality coaching supervision
Take your time!
On this last point (take your time) I find too many coaches are wanting to progress as quickly as they can through levels of credentialing, in order to get the badge. Instead of trying to force the pace, relax and keep in mind these principles and you will get there when you are ready. It’s an inside-out process of growth, not a check-box process.
Tuesday 23 July 2019 (18:15-20:00)
"The Art of Team Coaching" with Georgina Woudstra
Book Here for Georgina Woudstra