You’re called the “ Mother of coaching “ how does that feel and what responsibility does this come with?

It feels great because I started coaching in 1974, most people I have worked with haven’t even been born by that time. I feel honored to be the “ Mother of Coaching “. My students started calling me that, they said you are like our mother but not just that you are the mother of coaching.

Everyone seems to be a coach these days, do you feel the industry needs to be regulated?

The International coaching association and others have those responsibilities to uphold the standards of the coaching industry. For me the ultimate goal is for every human to have the basic understanding and skills of a coach, as far as I am concerned we can’t have too many coaches in the world. Not everyone will be a coach by profession but everyone should have that growth mindset.

What’s your advice for new coaches?

It depends on what their goals are, we can’t have assumptions, I would ask a coach what are your goals for 2022, what are your goals for yourself and your clients, I would then share what I would do in their shoes but would encourage them to keep in mind we are different people. We come from different backgrounds and have different experiences. Having clear goals is the most important for establishing a baseline which can then be invaluable for yourself and your clients.

What should an individual look for in a coach or mentor?

It’s interesting you would ask that question, it’s a critically important question. I wrote a chapter about this question in my book “ Transformational coaching “ looking at style, energy, how you learn and grasp concepts, how you respond to homework. I believe you should always look forward to seeing your coach or mentor. Your coach needs to be someone whom you want to develop from and glean from their knowledge and expertise.