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Pat Williams wants to build a toolbox—a basic coaching kit that could be delivered to the smallest villages in the most remote parts of the world. The toolbox, he believes, would give people in those places an enduring gift—a chance to use coaching to change their lives.
“Here’s the essential coaching skills that you could use in purposeful conversation with people when you’re struggling with the biggest challenges of your village,” says Williams, whose nonprofit, Coaching the Global Village, aims to use coaching to “create innovative solutions to pressing global challenges.”
The mission makes sense, Williams believes, even if the money isn’t there just yet. “I’m sitting here struggling as most startups. I picked the worst time in life to start a nonprofit, I think…it’s very difficult to get money. But I’m optimistic.”
Williams has just returned from a series of meetings with representatives of the Center for Creative Leadership, which has a “leadership beyond boundaries” program in Africa, Asia and India. Williams says he and the CCL might “create some collaboration on creating that toolbox.”
According to the CCL, Leadership Beyond Boundaries “aims to make leadership development more affordable and accessible in the world…extending leadership development to underserved populations in Africa, Asia and North America, encompassing social sector and educational institutions, as well as young and lower-income populations.”
With a fully equipped coaching toolbox, Williams believes this effort could become a seed that could take root anywhere in the world. “We don’t want money to have to keep going into a program to support coaches. We want to train the local people to understand the coach approach and use it in their daily lives.”
What would a coaching toolbox look like?
Williams says not unlike a very well-reasoned and equipped fishing kit. “You might have some hooks, and some string, and maybe a foldable pole and all those sorts of things, and that’s what this is going to be—it’s going to be a box with modules that people can sit under a tree and teach without PowerPoints and learn how to direct a conversation toward visioning or toward action plans or whatever.”
Williams and Coaching the Global Village have already partnered with NGOs (non-government organizations) in remote parts of the world, with the NGOs using coaching. “NGOs currently using coaching have a better understanding of their clients and can position themselves as experts in their field,” Williams says. “Our partners across the globe are using coaching to generate innovative solutions in partnership with the communities they serve.”
The toolbox would take things to the next step—delivering coaching without the need for a visiting coach. “We’re not trying to train people to be coaches. We’re not trying to provide them with coaches, although CGV would provide coaching to the trainers of the process. Our conduit would be, let’s train somebody in the process and then they train the local citizens to use the process.”
The program would provide follow-up for villagers who take the toolbox, perhaps via Skype—a kind of ‘how’s it going?’ checkup. Williams says he’d be curious to know what form coaching would take in different places—and what different groups or tribes would call it.
“Using coaching skills, we think, in a purposeful way, would make it more likely that people could come up with solutions for themselves that they wouldn’t have thought of otherwise,” whether the problem is drought, conflict, or disease.
Coaching the Global Village will return to Nepal in October with a team of volunteers, but a collaboration with CCL would vastly expand the reach of the coaching toolbox, as the CCL already has operations in places like Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia. “If I could partner with them, it’s just a matter of having a coaching kit that’s brought to the local citizens.”
Can coaching be boiled down to modules packed in a plastic toolbox? And if it can, what are the essentials that you’d pack in that box?
NOTE: The Harnisch Foundation was a founding funder of Coaching the Global Village. The Coaching Commons is a project of The Harnisch Foundation.
There are 10 Responses so far...
Coaching is changing the world. And as Thomas Leonard said, ‘Everyone’s a coach.’
Here are the 8 Foundation skills School of Coaching Mastery teaches to new coaches as well as non-coaches who want coaching skills:
1. It’s all about them
When you get out of their way, they can accomplish more.
2. Validate continuously
Research shows: A 4/1 ratio of Positive/Negative comments makes an amazing difference.
3. Be curious
Ask more than you tell.
4. Fine tune your antennae
Listen for and notice everything.
5. Prime the pump
Silence is an extraordinary tool.
6. Provide scaffolding
Build in systems that make accomplishment easier than failure.
7. Be Big
Greatness is contagious.
8. Have something to talk about
A little wisdom goes a long way.
The skills that will go in our toolbox for Coaching the Global Village include:
Here are the skills that would be taught , so those who learn the ‘coach approach’ could then pass it on to others in a mentoring/coaching relationship AND in everyday communication that encourages and inspires dreams to come alive!!!
Coaching Skills taught: (in a one to two day training)
1. Presence…This is where it all begins. When learning to coach someone else, be really present and focused on the speaker and encourage them to be focused in the moment, speaking about the future they desire or changes they want to make
2. Purposeful listening. This starts with presence and is a focused listening that does not look for problems, but listens for the speakers’ desired future. What do they want? What do they really want? What is being said between the words…….the spaces between the notes as in beautiful music?
3. Appreciative Inquiry. The field of AI begins with what is working well and expanding from there.
4. Focus on strengths and coach the ‘gap’ between where they are and where they want to be. Strengths can be acknowledged and new skills needed can be identified to learn or to get support from others with different strengths.
5.. Ask more questions and avoid giving answers or advice.. Coaching is identified by open ended questions that lead to new thinking.
6. Possibility thinking. A form of ‘brain storming” but encourages the person being coached (the coachee) to come up with new ideas, strategies, etc, and after that then the coach can add some other possibilities without giving solutions nor advice.
7. Maintain curiosity and wonder. A good coach asks questions and avoids advice. A great coach maintains a curiosity and wonder that supports thinking outside the box or normal limitations that are most common when one feels stuck or unable to make changes alone.
8. Creating commitments and accountability. Great coaching does not end until the coach solicits commitments and actions that the coachee agrees to , with a method to measure success and create accountability.
9 Improving responsibility….the ability to respond…..most of us naturally ‘react” and learning to stop, breathe , and think of other actions teaches us to see multiple potential responses beyond the initial reaction to a life event or challenge.
10. Follow through and follow up. Keeping the “fire burning” is one of the keys to coaching. Coaching helps results become sustainable over time and having villagers and staff trained in the coach approach keeps the conversation alive and the changes ongoing. When progress stalls or obstacles arise, coaching conversations can lead to breakthrough and transformation.
I really enjoyed this article and appreciate the way that coaching has traversed the nonprofit sector to improve the lives of people around the globe. This article illustrated the impact and challenges of coaching in this light. I just wanted to share a resource for readers interested in doing more work in the nonprofit sector either as a nonprofit coach or working with other nonprofit organizations which is the Coaching and Philanthropy Project organized by CompassPoint Nonprofit Services. This might be a good forum to further investigate the integration of the important work of coaching into the nonprofit sector. http://www.coachingnonprofits.org/welcome.htm
Cheers!
Alfreda R.McCray
It is fascinating to see how coaching becomes a recognized viable tool for people to improve their lives. Why wouldn’t people from remote villages impart into the wisdom of life coaching? Especially now that the technology is making communication so much more easier.
As the matter of fact, I am planning a trip to Nepal in the beginning of May. As a psychiatrist and a certified life coach, I would like, if I may, to stop by and visit with the Nepal team if there is anyone from the Coaching Village in Nepal before October. My trip is a research trip for my upcoming book, Better Than Cured, talking about how to combine psychotherapy, life coaching, Buddhist spirituality and psychiatric medications (if needed) to help people heal and improve their lives at multiple levels.
If I could help in any way, I would be happy to do it. Please let me know.
Christine. I love the idea of your book and appreciate your comments. Our team of two women will be returning to Nepal in September. They are not there now, but are doing a return visit after a training last year. We will have the project on our website soon and do need funding. We welcome any donations at http://www.CoachingTheGlobalVillage.org as we have other projects coming up in Camaroon Africa, Tanzania, and Ghan.
I thought long and hard before I decided to add my two cents worth. Firstly I think Pat Williams has an admirable mission….
The mission makes sense, Williams believes, even if the money isn’t there just yet. “I’m sitting here struggling as most start-ups. I picked the worst time in life to start a nonprofit, I think…it’s very difficult to get money. But I’m optimistic.”
Pat, let me share a secret: I have been in the nonprofit space for many years – and the money is never there (or I don’t know how to get it whilst doing the work in the remote areas). No money, no marketing agent.
I want to encourage you to continue – because it is when we look back over the years, reflect on the Star-fish story and say “I made a difference to this / that one” — that is when we get encouraged to do it again and again. One caveat though – make sure you have a strong support base – it’s sure is very often a long, arduous and lonely road.
Bless you and take heart Pat, Stay optimistic – look at the pearls of wisdom above.
Thanks for the encouragement. I have been at this since 2005! But I am keeping the fire at least smoldering, ready to burst up in flames when the time is right.
Pat, I started 40 years ago, cutting my philanthropic teeth in the communities of Sharpeville, in the Vaal Triangle & Alexandra – and lately the areas surrounding Pretoria.
I sure know the feeling of keeping the fire at least smoldering! If I can do some more or to reflect on lessons learnt in the trenches – please let me know (I’ve also been all over Africa – Madagascar included) or you can mail me direct.
Pat, I’m very inspired by what you are doing. What a great idea. I’m based in the UK but in India twice a year or so, in the Bangalore-Kerala area usually. Please let me know if I can help in any way during my visits there.
HI Elta…i would love to talk to you or email
how do i contact you ..please write me at pat@coachingtheglobalvillage.org