A Year of Connection, Conversation and Community

As I move into the last few weeks of being the 2017 ICF Global Chair, I wanted to share my reflections on the year. We as coaches, and as members of ICF, really focus on connecting, conversing and building community, and I have had the great privilege of being able to do this throughout the year as your Chair.

Connections

This has been an amazing year of building connections around the globe. It started in January when the new ICF Global Board for 2017, where we had four new directors, connecting for the first time. It was vital that we as a board really connected quickly—thankfully as coaches we have a sense of how to do that.

The Board’s decision two years ago to have our board meetings around the globe really does help the Board connect directly with our members and hear firsthand what coaching in their community is like. What are the positives, and what are the challenges? Our surveys support this thinking; however, hearing it directly is so helpful.

Our first meeting was with the ICF Bangkok Chapter in Thailand. This chapter won the 2016 Chair’s Award and, therefore, it was wonderful that they received this from 2016 Chair – Leda Turai Petrauskiene, MCC. We continued those connections with ICF Host Chapters in Warsaw, Poland; Buenos Aires, Argentina; and Cincinnati, Ohio, USA.

Conversations

The Board held three in-person meetings this year (plus a half day in Warsaw), as we needed time to have in-depth conversations about the future of ICF and the future of coaching. As a strategically focused board, we have many challenges and challenging conversations as we look at where we may grow as an organization. We are truly a diverse board, coming from different parts of the globe, and that adds even more value and layers to our conversations.

On the operational side, I very much valued being able to travel to Lexington, Kentucky to meet our ICF staff. Many of whom are the unsung “back office” heroes of our association. I was able to meet with them all, get to know them and really see the hard work and dedication of our ICF staff. Over the year, I also met with, and got to know, our Regional Support Team staff, some of whom were new this year. Building up regional support in all regions is an important part of our growth strategy. We ended the last membership year with over 30,000 Members, and we have—and will—continue to see that growth in this membership year.

Community

Our conversations continued as we also connected with our member community. ICF Converge 2017 allowed us to relaunch our international conference with great excitement and use of modern conferencing techniques and ideas. The focus was on creating neighborhoods where people could gather, converse, connect and create community.

Over 1,600 attendees gathered in Washington, D.C., where all directly received the 2017 Chair’s Award, which I was proud to offer every ICF Coach in recognition of their contribution and hard work, enabling this world to be a better place and our global communities to thrive. Coaches around the world were invited to share #ElevateICF on Facebook when they received their bookmark representing the award. ICF Converge really did enable us, as a community, to come together, and we look forward to the next one in 2019.

Bringing It All Together

I really enjoyed visiting ICF Chapters and ICF Members throughout the year (including Bangkok, Buenos Aires, Warsaw and London). In South America, my board colleagues went to Peru and Chile, and I met with the ICF Uruguay Chapter. That was followed in October, where we met with chapters in Austin, San Diego, South Florida and the Ohio Valley. I enjoyed the community and conversations I had with ICF Austin, where we had a day of conversation, followed by ICF San Diego, where they launched their new chartered chapter. I also attended ICF Germany’s 10th Coaching Tag—another wonderful example of a growing community. These events reminded me that coaches really do create and value community.

Not only did the Board meet with chapters throughout the year, but we also connected with regional committees, including at the ELM and South Africa Conference. I met with the SE Regional group—virtually, which provided a wonderful opportunity that wouldn’t have been possible otherwise. Finally, I had the privilege of connecting with the vibrant LATAM Chapter Leaders in Panama City, which had moved from Puerto Rico following the hurricane disaster. (You can view some of these moments over on my Facebook page.)

This year we have seen some terrible disasters—from hurricanes to fires, floods to erupting volcanoes—and we have seen how ICF Coaches, and coaches from around the world, have come together in communities to offer support and to help those in need, no matter who they are. It’s these times that make me proud to be a coach, an ICF Coach and to have the privilege of being your ICF Global Chair for 2017. Thank you for that opportunity.

So, here is my question to you: How will you reflect on your past year, and what are you most proud of?

May I wish you all whatever you wish yourselves this coming holiday season, no matter what culture, what country or what faith you hold. I also ask that you permit me to offer my best wishes for a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.