Stories of Transformation with Spring Coaching

Nnenna Paul-Ugochukwu, Nigeria

"It was enlightening, edifying and transformative."

-Nnena was a pod coaching participant.

[My coach] Rita was honest, sensitive and affirming. Coaching illuminates your blind spots and with the right coach, you get a supportive environment to work on them. 

I made progress toward my goal of building a support system. What stands out is the realization that I have a willing and able community available to help me. I realized that I needed an accountability practice/partnership to support my self-care.

I am now more confident in asking for help personally and professionally. I am also able to delegate better and trust the guidance and direction of my team members, getting more and better work done in turn.

I will continue the practices of pausing and breathing when I recognize internal pushback, as well as having monthly sessions with my sister circle, sort of like a like review of our journals and experiences. It is a reminder of the support available and an avenue to learn, practise and grow. 

Kátia Brasil, Brazil

"When we are together, our lives really change. We change the world."

Versão portuguesa abaixo

-Cofounder and Executive Editor of Amazônia Real, an independent media organization platforming the people and issues of the Amazon. Katia was a pod coaching participant in a Portuguese-speaking pod.

Experience with program and coach: Excellent

My experience with Spring Coaching happened at a time when I was facing professional challenges in dealing with a team of journalists covering the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic and, at the same time, my personal life had to take a new turn to move forward. I needed to say "no" to demands that left me in exhaustion, in pain. The program enabled me to get to know myself and to take care of myself. I faced two wars: the virus and domestic violence. But I managed to end the cycles, and today I am in a new beginning. The experience with the women in the group was fundamental. When we are together, our lives really change. We change the world.

--

Cofundadora e editora-executiva da agência Amazônia Real, uma organização jornalismo independente e investigativo que dá visibilidade às populações e questões da Amazônia (Participante do Pod coaching no Brasil).

Experiência com o programa e coach: Excelente

"Minha experiência com a Spring Coaching aconteceu no momento em que eu enfrentava desafios profissionais ao lidar com uma equipe de jornalistas que cobriam a primeira onda da pandemia da Covid-19 e, ao mesmo tempo, minha vida pessoal tinha que tomar um novo rumo para prosseguir. Eu precisava dizer "não" para demandas que me deixavam na exaustão, em sofrimento. O programa me possibilitou o autoconhecimento e o auto cuidado. Enfrentei duas guerras: o vírus e a violência doméstica. Mas consegui fechar ciclos e hoje estou em nova retomada. Foi fundamental a experiência com as mulheres do grupo. Quando estamos juntas, realmente nossas vidas se transformam. Mudamos o mundo."

Lucie Doumanian, Lebanon

"Something sustainably changes in you after this program."

-Leader at the Social Media Exchange in Beirut, an organization advancing digital rights.

It was a great experience. [My coach] Rita was patient, always actively listening and the questions she used to ask were on point. This program gives you personal growth in a professional environment, which (in the best way) reflects again on your personal life. Something sustainably changes in you after this program and — believe me — you will love it because you are doing it.

I started the sessions wanting to be able to delegate so I can work more strategically. Alongside gaining the trust needed and the ability to actually delegate, I also developed goals targeting time management, strategic thinking, choosing where to put my effort and much more. I reached and surpassed these coaching goals. Some of the things I learned are: identifying my goals, working on unveiling the other underlying issues, creating a step-by-step plan and not jumping to what I won't be able to do if not broken down, taking lessons learned from others' experiences, the importance of having a support group, and much more. During and after the program, I have been able to delegate more, which had positively impacted my time and the confidence of the team. I am also working on a more strategic level, which is more beneficial to the organization. 

I will continue the practices of taking a step back and thinking of where I want to be and how to get there — keep the habit of thinking before taking on more work. When it comes to self-care I am still trying to get more hours of sleep and doing one act of self-kindness per day, which really helps. 

Rebecca Zausmer, UK

"Carving out this sacred space for me has been key to a work-life balance."

-Rebecca is a leader at a social purpose company in the UK.

The program has immense value to me. It was a truly excellent experience in ways that I had not envisaged.[My coach] Amis was a good fit for me and I came out of my sessions more enlightened about myself and with new energy. My goal was to be able to create and maintain a healthy work-life balance, so that I can confidently lead by example and I mostly reached this goal. 

I learned that to achieve my goal, I need to place equal importance on work and life and to consciously design or choreograph both elements. I experimented with different practices to do this. I learnt that when the balance tips, as it always will, I have mechanisms to cope with this and to bring things back on track. There have been tangible results in both the professional and personal spheres. Focusing on the professional, though, I have begun to make changes within our organization that hinge around the wellbeing of my staff, and I am able to do this from a position of personal experience and experimentation.

I will continue to create and protect time for self-care and family. Carving out this sacred space for me has been key to a work-life balance but has also helped in my work productivity. I am experimenting with variations of the pomodoro exercise. My physical practices are easy to forget but I want to continue to do them — they make me feel better throughout the day. This is a great program for anyone prepared to immerse themselves fully to make the most out of the experience.

Paula Collet, Brazil

"It was a joyful and insightful journey. "

-Paula, Individual coaching client in Brazil

Experience with program and coach: Excellent

It was a joyful and insightful journey. The metaphors about myself helped me to see different sides of my personality and to be proud of myself. I became more confident to trust in my intuition and, with a set of tools, to better organize myself with my workload. Breathing and communicating with intention were also great learnings I am carrying with me. 

What was most valuable? To better understand the way I function and to have simple tools to support me to build trust in myself. I feel more confident in myself and in my role.

Tanya Elena Lockwood Fallas, Costa Rica

"I’m now able to take my time to think and rest."

Versión en español abajo

-Executive Director, Fundación Acceso, an organization created to contribute to the strengthening of organizational capacities in Central America. Pod coaching participant.

I experienced a lot of active listening. For me, it was a great learning experience and clarified many doubts I had regarding my leadership style. My goal was to be better able to develop and empower my team to act in a more proactive and creative way, with greater strategic alignment and coherence and with a more holistic vision, and I mostly achieved this goal. I’m now able to take my time to think and rest. Make use of the holistic health fund that I managed to secure for the entire organization.

I believe that everyone with management or coordination responsibilities needs this type of peer coaching. It makes you recognize shared difficulties and the impact that our well-being has on decision-making. Above all, I think it helps us to understand the complexity of our collectives and how we can look for different ways of solving the various challenges we face, that there is not only one way of doing things, that we must be open to listen and propose from the diversity of visions and knowledge. It allows us to reflect on other types of power, from resilience to collective care and prioritization of decisions, as well as to recognize the time, processes and resources that we need to continue to fulfill the responsibilities attached to our roles and values.

--

-Directora Ejecutiva, Fundación Acceso, una organización creada con el fin de contribuir al fortalecimineto de las capacidades organizativas en Centroamérica.

He experimentado mucha escucha activa. Para mi fue un gran aprendizaje y me aclaró muchas dudas que tenía respecto a mi forma de liderazgo organizativo. Mi objetivo personal de coaching era ser más capaz de desarrollar y empoderar a mi equipo para que actúe de una forma más proactiva y creativa, con mayor alineación y coherencia estratégica y con una mayor visión holística, y en su mayor parte he conseguido este objetivo. Ahora, soy capaz de tomar mi tiempo para pensar y descansar. Hacer uso del fondo de salud holística que gestioné para toda la organización.

Considero que toda persona con responsabilidades de dirección o coordinación necesita este tipo de acompañamiento con pares. Te hace reconocer dificultades compartidas y el impacto que tiene nuestro bienestar en la toma de decisiones. Sobre todo creo que nos ayuda a entender la complejidad de nuestros colectivos y cómo podemos buscar formas diversas de solución a los diversos retos que tenemos, que no hay una sola forma de hacer las cosas, que debemos estar abiertas a escuchar y proponer desde la diversidad de visiones y conocimientos. Nos permite reflexionar sobre otros tipos de poder, desde la resiliencia, el cuidado colectivo y las priorizaciones de las decisiones. Reconocer el tiempo, los procesos y retribuciones que necesitamos para seguir ejerciendo lo mejor posible las responsabilidades que están ligadas a nuestros puestos y a nuestros principios.

Leopoldo Maldonado, Mexico

"It was a nurturing, enriching and constructive experience."

Versión en español abajo

-Regional director, Article 19 (Mexico & Central America), an organization defending freedom of expression and information. Pod coaching participant.

It was a nurturing, enriching and constructive experience. It immediately generated a space of trust, always respectful, accurate and based on active listening. My coaching goal was to learn how to delegate and stop being apprehensive, and I mostly achieved this goal. My self-care has improved—I have been able to disconnect and find spaces for personal development. People who take the coaching program can expect to gain a great deal of assertiveness, honesty, solidarity, and empathy.

--

Director de la oficina regional para México y CA, Artículo 19,  una organización que promueve y defiende el avance progresivo de los derechos de libertad de expresión y acceso a la información.

Fue una experiencia nutricia, muy enriquecedora y constructiva. Generó de inmediato un espacio de confianza, siempre respetuoso, acertado y basado en la escucha activa. Mi objetivo de coaching era aprender a delegar y dejar de ser aprensivo, y en su mayor parte he conseguido este objetivo. Mi autocuidado ha mejorado—he logrado desconectar y encontrar espacios de desarrollo personal. Las personas que siguen el programa de coaching pueden esperar ganar mucha asertividad, honestidad, solidaridad, empatía.

Sohini Bhattacharya, India

"I was surprised by how fast I progressed"

- CEO of Breakthrough, a global human rights organization working to drive culture change. Pod coaching participant.

Through Spring’s Pod Coaching offering, I became very aware of how I react to stressful situations, and how physical this stress response is. The program helped me distance myself from this reaction to really looking at it. I was surprised by how fast I progressed from being scared to being able to step into my leadership more fully, owning and even enjoying the more challenging aspects of it.

Naemy Sillayo, Tanzania

"Helped me move beyond where I was stuck."

-Naemy works with the Legal and Human Rights Centre in Dar es Salaam working to empower the public, promote, reinforce and safeguard human rights and good governance in Tanzania. Pod coaching participant.

Pod coaching with Spring pushed me to understand my vulnerabilities and helped me move beyond where I was stuck in my leadership. I realized that having self-esteem is important and necessary in leadership, and that this is not the same as being arrogant.

Nikita Patodia, India

"I won’t hold myself back as I used to do ... And I feel more whole. "

Social justice worker in Mumbai and pod coaching participant

Spring’s Pod Coaching program is a unique space. My work is personal for me, so my personal is professional. I was able to bring both of these sides of me to this space feeling safe and able to freely expressing myself. By being able to show up more fully, I realized what I want beyond career growth.

I shared this Pod space with five brilliant people. Like them, and despite that we all do different work in different countries, the coaching program gave me the space to embrace my imperfect self, to bring my personal and professional life together, and to hear how that works for others. Just being part of the group allowed me to show up more fully, where I could express safely, because it was a very guided and well-facilitated space. It was the perfect space to bring my doubts and questions.  

Because of the clarity I have gained I feel much more relaxed. I’ve been bringing my more integrated self to conversations with my partner, at work and in workshops. I feel I have been able to resolve this conflict, one I’d been struggling with for a long time.

 Read more from Nikita here.