Another Amazing Year in Coaching
Definition
International Coaching Week (ICW) is an event that powerfully highlights the coaching profession within countries across the globe. Since 1999, International Coaching Week has been educating the public about the value of working with a professional coach and acknowledges the results and progress made through the coaching process. This is an annual celebration that allows members of communities to access pro bono coaching services from certified coaches. It is also a great networking and learning opportunity for coaches to enhance their coaching skills while helping individuals and organizations maximize their potential.
ICW in Kenya
During ICW 2018, Kenya took part in the celebrations, and over 35 certified coaches volunteered their time and resources to offer pro bono coaching services. It was an opportunity for the International Coach Federation Kenya Chapter to impact the society positively. There were over 300 participants and eight established organizations who benefited during the ICW activities in Kenya. The interest in professional coaching was undoubtedly lit.
The ICW Breakfast Launch Event
The official commencement of ICW 2018 in Kenya was ignited by the Breakfast Launch, which was held on May 7 and attracted over 70 human resource practitioners, senior managers, leaders, coaches, lecturers and entrepreneurs. Five high profile speakers within the coaching and management disciplines attended the launch.
Thoughts from IHRM
One of the key speakers was the Executive Director of the Institute of Human Resource Management (IHRM) Dorcas Wainaina, who spoke about the value of coaching among organizations in Kenya with a focus on human resources. She articulated the exigent need for all human resources personnel to become certified coaches, as this will add value to the organizations they serve. She also expressed IHRM’s willingness to partner with ICF Kenya in the journey of advancing the coaching profession in Kenya.
Imagine a World with No Soft Skills!
Julius Kipng’etich, Ph.D.—the CEO of Jubilee Insurance Holdings—was also a key speaker during the breakfast launch. He spoke about the value of soft skills in a career world that is leaning towards automation. He mentioned that coaching is such a skill that will be in high demand in the future work environment. He emphasized that the ability to empathize with the human being is a concept that machines may not master.
The Panel Discussion 
The key highlight of the Breakfast Launch was the panel discussion. Emily Kamunde-Osoro, president of ICF Kenya; Eileen Laskar, former ICF Kenya president; and Julius Kipngetich were some of panelists responding to queries from the audience. The moderator, Mary M’MKindia, did a brilliant job facilitating the question-and-answer session. It was indeed an interactive session that had a number of participants engage in thought provoking conversations, such as “How coaching could be introduced in the Kenyan education system?”
Corporate Coaching Clinics
It is through the gift of coaching that eight corporates and institutions and a total of 300 employees experienced coaching. The clinics took place May 8-10, 2018. There were two categories of coaching clinics: the “Activate” initiative for those clinics being held at organizations that do not have internal coaches and the “Accelerate” initiative for those organizations that already have internal coaches and on their growth path towards embedding a coaching culture. Three organizations benefited from the Activate initiative while five organizations went through the Accelerate coaching clinics.
Successes
It is evident that ICF Kenya is well placed to be the thought leader in coaching matters within Kenya. Many human resource practitioners and leaders inquired about ICF certification.
For ICW 2018, ICF Kenya attracted 14 partners and sponsors, including media partners who contributed immensely towards ensuring the week was a success. The social reach through Facebook, LinkedIn, Thunderclap, Twitter, Nation TV, K24 and KTN was over 69,000, the highest reach ever for ICF Kenya.
Challenges
There were many learning opportunities during the implementation of the ICW plans. Some of these aha moments included unavoidable challenges such as lack of sufficient funding for logistics during the week. This was an opportunity that tested our fundraising skills and in some cases we fell short.
Conclusion
At ICF Kenya, we thank all the coaches who volunteered during the ICW 2018 events. Without them, the evident level of success may have not been achieved. It was indeed a mutual partnership between ICF Kenya and its members, and it offered ICF Kenya a chance to reflect on the journey as a young, but very vibrant, chapter. More professionals in Kenya and beyond are now joining the ICF Kenya community. We celebrated another amazing year in coaching, and ICF Kenya is grateful for being a part of a larger community that is equally passionate about advancing coaching in the world.
Kathleen Lihanda
Kathleen Lihanda has worked as a Leadership Coach and operations manager in The Leaders Guild Program at Tangaza University College for four years and is well aware of the duties involved in managing teams and operations. As founder and Career Coach of My Career Identity, Kathleen has direct professional experience in youth programming, including pathways to employment, leadership development and entrepreneurship. She enjoys using her strong communication skills to initiate collaborative opportunities. Her experience as a director in the ICF Kenya Chapter and leader in Tangaza University College confirms her global leadership qualities.
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As a budding ICF Chapter in Kenya, we are committed and excited to share the coaching experience and expertise with others. The commitment and camaraderie among our Board directors, members and partners has been inspiring! Thanks to all who made the 2018 Coaching Week successful!
great article Kathleen! Thank you for sharing the ICW celebrations and learnings so passionately, indeed it was an exciting time seeing all the impact we created as the Kenya Chapter in creating coaching awareness. Looking forward to yet another exciting ICW in 2019.
Great article Kathleen. Thanks for such a well put recap and for giving a balanced view.
Congratulations on a job well done. You offer a model for other chapters. This is very impressive to from a new chapter.