Taking Coaching to the Streets

Business in the Streets (BITS) is a nonprofit organization based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, that provides educational training, peer mentorship, microfinance services and support to young entrepreneurs from marginalized communities.

According to Toronto’s Vital Signs Report 2017–18, “While Toronto has a wealth of opportunity, we are seeing a growing divide in terms of who has access to those opportunities. Enclaves are deepening, as is income inequality. Increasingly, neighborhoods are divided into rich and poor, with fewer mixed communities. Though we are a wealthy city, we are also a city where too many are being left behind. And we have a long road ahead to meaningfully address the systemic biases in our society.”

Faced with barriers to finding meaningful employment, many of Toronto’s youth are finding the gig economy ripe for opportunity. Enter BITS, which offers an innovative approach to helping young people create their own economic opportunities and navigate the nonlinear career pathways of the 21^st century.

Kyle Monczak joined the BITS team as a program director in 2015, immediately upon graduating from college. In late 2018, he was promoted to the role of BITS’ Executive Director. In this new role, he knew that he needed to accelerate his growth as a leader.

“Growing is often uncomfortable and awkward, and my desire was to approach this experience by ‘stumbling with grace,’” Kyle said. With a passion for taking bold actions and a desire to show up as his best self in his new role, Kyle needed a partner on the journey.

Learning of the benefits and potential impact of coaching, BITS decided to engage with the ICF Toronto Chapter through the Ignite Initiative and  receive 10 hours of pro bono coaching. ICF Toronto matched each BITS team member with a coach by using the coach interest form to determine what attributes they preferred in a coach and by following the Ignite Resource Suite of Tools guidelines. The coaching received was a total of 10 hours of coaching over a six-month period. The organization utilized three experienced coaches for the initiative. The process included an initial coach orientation for the coaches and BITS team, a virtual kickoff session for those involved, and continued check-in calls. The initiative ended with a wrap-up call and meeting with the BITS team.

As a result of coaching, Kyle learned to lead with listening, as opposed to jumping into problem-solving. This shift has enabled Kyle to objectively understand and frame the situations he encounters. He finds that he’s now leading with greater confidence.

Coaching also provided Kyle with greater clarity around his goals and his actions.  He says that he is more intentional in his actions and the “why” behind them; he also better understands how his decisions affect others.

The ripple effect of Kyle’s coaching experience has been evident across BITS. Since Kyle partnered with a coach, the organization has reported increases in funding, the growth of its client base and higher-quality relationships among team members.

ICF Toronto learned many lessons though the initiative. One of the greatest takeaways was to recommend the orientation sessions for coaches with the executive director of the partner organization to ensure alignment with the strategy, vision and culture in which their client works.