Participants in the Academies Certified Strengths Coach course describe how it gave concrete shape to abstract concepts like strengths and identity. One solo coach who felt isolated for two years found community and fresh perspectives with peers. The course exposed them to diverse coaching styles and practical frameworks.
Was really striking to me that I asked that question about like, how do people, you know, how do the strategic people do their coaching? And I got like 4 totally different, totally amazing answers. I feel like that kind of sums up the entire experience for me.
As I mentioned earlier, even this evening, how much I've enjoyed seeing each of you coach We've talked about kind of each of us has our own personality and secret sauce. Yes, there's these competencies, but they show up differently, and that's impacted by, you know, who we are, our story, our style, our skills. It's been just fun to see how coaching can be so effective.
What am I taking away? So strengths and the who is like a really squishy thing. Thing for me. I'm super analytical, like skills make sense to me, strengths feels a little bit more abstract, more nebulous, and the who is like this— it might as well be a black box. But this class has given me just a lot of, a lot of ways to think about it in a way that it doesn't feel so squishy anymore. It feels like it has shape now for me, which is wonderful.
But I've been really struck by this group at just the diversity in style and perspective. And so I've really taken that away. I've really appreciated getting to hear different personalities and different styles go through the same set of markers.
I feel like I've been on a coaching island by myself for 2 years. Like, I don't interact with very many coaches, so I always felt this disconnect and I couldn't have asked for a better recommendation. All of you have given me insights and perspectives that I never would have thought, and I, I really couldn't be happier.
I don't have a favorite tool, but it's just making me reflect on how I want to use all of them and how excited I am about using all of them. I absolutely believe But coaching really is one of the most powerful styles, most sustainable styles of developing others, and I'm really excited about it.
Susan’s ICF Educator Award | The Heart Behind the Impact Katy Montgomery, PCC
