How I work as a coach
As a coach, I always begin the coaching process by talking to clients in order to get to know their unique needs and help them achieve their goals, while ensuring their growth and adding value to the companies they work for. If you would like to understand how coaching works, click here to watch the videos below.
At InterComm I offer life and business coaching for individuals and teams as well as relationship coaching. What are the key challenges our business clients may have? Extremely diverse, but usually they want to improve their productivity, time management, relationships with supervisors, colleagues, come up with a new strategy, make a decision about their future work: to apply for a new position or quit their job, gain new skills or prepare for a new challenge? And once they have made such a decision, what do they need to do to make their change effective?
In life coaching clients usually seek my support to change their habits (quit smoking, start jogging or exercising, get more organised, find more free time for family or take up a new hobby). They often come because they really want to change something in their life or to work on their key relationships or emotions. The list of goals is long but even though clients may want to accomplish exactly the same goals, their action plan to achieve it will be unique and specific to that particular person.
Although everybody’s path to fulfillment and success is unique, there is still a process that usually includes these steps:
- Prior to any coaching engagement, I always meet with a client (a free session) and tell them about my work and ethical standards (ICF) while explaining the coaching process.
- Together with the client we analyse their needs and goals for the future.
- With my support, a client sets a goal for a successful future and we plan and agree on the actions to be taken within a specific timeframe (anything between 3 – 12 months).
- I meet with a client regularly to work towards making the desired changes at regular sessions and to track their progress.
- We make sure the new changes take root and become a new habit.
What can clients expect from me as a coach?
- A confidential, trusting and safe setting enabling them (in a partnership with me) to make their own plans and take steps to get there.
- Uncovering the secrets of their better self or of a more successful future.
- Gain more confidence, insight, encouragement and inspiration to work towards accomplishing their goals.
- An empathetic and attentive listener to help clients assess how to get to where they wish to be.
- With my support, clients can unravel their emotions or get rid of limiting beliefs that may be keeping them stuck in their current careers or life choices (e.g. bad habits).
During team coaching (I partner up with Manufaktura Osiągnięć), we work on improving individual and overall team effectiveness; team communication and cooperation; members’ integration and their agreement on the goal as well as their alignment on behaviors needed to reach the goal. Team coaching allows team members to get to know their strengths and weaknesses, identify key team values, model behaviours and motivate them to become the best team they can be.
Have a look at how coaching works
Me as a coach
I’m an ICF-accredited executive and life coach (ACC ICF) and a member of International Coach Federation Global. I graduated from Vocational Studies in Coaching (ACTSH) at the ICF-accredited Mukoid Institute of Communication and Development and from a prestigious ICF-accredited Team Coaching Lab in Warsaw (also ICF-accredited).
In my corporate assignments I mainly coach in English (unless Polish is specifically requested) but in my life coaching practice I usually work in Polish. Eleven years of working for financial institutions (including 8 years as internal communications manager at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London) and PR agencies and my education (MA in English Literature coupled with MBA from West London University) make me fully aware of the various and often conflicting challenges faced by managers and leaders who manage teams and/or projects. My hands-on corporate experience stands me in good stead to support them in accomplishing their goals and in their development.
For me, coaching is a passion that compliments my earlier experiences and competences and makes me an all-rounder to partner with my clients and support them in their self-development.
My favourite topics to work on are: motivation (and specifically when it is lacking, i.e. with procrastination), transforming the way we think about changes, multicultural issues and turning individuals and teams into their very best.
In my team coaching practice I partner up with Agnieszka Polarczyk-Białek – a wonderful person, a great business partner and a super coach). We support and inspire each other, while deeply believing in what we do and in the results we can produce.
As a life coach, I work with individuals and support them in making their dreams come true as well as supporting them in facing the challenges brought about by life. It is invaluable to see clients make profound discoveries or gain new awareness about themselves or about important limiting beliefs that have until then restricted their life.
My clients include foreigners (expats) coming to Poland to live and work, and Poles who dream of going abroad and wish to prepare well for this life-altering experience.
As a strong believer in giving back to society, I also do pro bono coaching. I support teams and individuals working for non-profit organisations (NGOs) affiliated with Sektor 3 (click here to read references from my team coaching) as well as people with disabilities and their families and carers.
As a mother of two (a teenage son with Asperger’s Syndrome and a pre-teen daughter), a wife of a busy radio journalist and a woman who runs her own business and works crazy hours but loves working and doing what she does, I often dream of a better work-life balance. Believe me, I know these intimately: being stressed and in a constant hurry and a feeling of not being able to manage it all and not everything is possible. But I am also absolutely certain that with the right support – e.g. from a coach – a lot of things are possible. Enough to feel happy, content and fulfilled both professionally and personally.
Selected trainings I have participated in
2015:
Joanna Czarnecka: ‘Provocative methods in coaching.’
Zbigniew Kieras: ‘Benefits of archetypes – in search of most powerful questions.’
Magdalena Giec: ‘Four tones of voice.’
Agnieszka Grys: ‘Best practice in group coaching and in handling challenging situations when working with groups.’ (ICF-accredited)
2014:
Jakub Rozbicki (Mukoid): ‘Team Coaching and Action Learning.’
Joanna Zawada-Kubik: ‘Transformational Presence Coaching and Leadership approach.’ (ICF-accredited)
Click here to see all my certificates.
Preamble
ICF is committed to maintaining and promoting excellence in coaching. Therefore, ICF expects all members and credentialed coaches (coaches, coach mentors, coaching supervisors, coach trainers or students), to adhere to the elements and principles of ethical conduct: to be competent and integrate ICF Core Competencies effectively in their work.
In line with the ICF core values and ICF definition of coaching, the Code of Ethics is designed to provide appropriate guidelines, accountability and enforceable standards of conduct for all ICF Members and ICF Credential-holders, who commit to abiding by the following ICF Code of Ethics:
Part One: Definitions
- Coaching: Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.
- ICF Coach: An ICF coach agrees to practice the ICF Core Competencies and pledges accountability to the ICF Code of Ethics.
- Professional Coaching Relationship: A professional coaching relationship exists when coaching includes an agreement (including contracts) that defines the responsibilities of each party.
- Roles in the Coaching Relationship: In order to clarify roles in the coaching relationship it is often necessary to distinguish between the client and the sponsor. In most cases, the client and sponsor are the same person and are therefore jointly referred to as the client. For purposes of identification, however, the ICF defines these roles as follows:
- Client: The “Client/Coachee is the person(s) being coached.
- Sponsor: The “sponsor” is the entity (including its representatives) paying for and/or arranging for coaching services to be provided. In all cases, coaching engagement agreements should clearly establish the rights, roles and responsibilities for both the client and sponsor if the client and sponsor are different people.
- Student: The “student” is someone enrolled in a coach training program or working with a coaching supervisor or coach mentor in order to learn the coaching process or enhance and develop their coaching skills.
- Conflict of Interest: A situation in which a coach has a private or personal interest sufficient to appear to influence the objective of his or her official duties as a coach and a professional.
Part Two: The ICF Standards of Ethical Conduct
Section 1: Professional Conduct at Large
As a coach, I:
1) Conduct myself in accordance with the ICF Code of Ethics in all interactions, including coach training, coach mentoring and coach supervisory activities.
2) Commit to take the appropriate action with the coach, trainer, or coach mentor and/or will contact ICF to address any ethics violation or possible breach as soon as I become aware, whether it involves me or others.
3) Communicate and create awareness in others, including organizations, employees, sponsors, coaches and others, who might need to be informed of the responsibilities established by this Code.
4) Refrain from unlawful discrimination in occupational activities, including age, race, gender orientation, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, national origin or disability.
5) Make verbal and written statements that are true and accurate about what I offer as a coach, the coaching profession or ICF.
6) Accurately identify my coaching qualifications, expertise, experience, training, certifications and ICF Credentials.
7) Recognize and honor the efforts and contributions of others and only claim ownership of my own material. I understand that violating this standard may leave me subject to legal remedy by a third party.
8) Strive at all times to recognize my personal issues that may impair, conflict with or interfere with my coaching performance or my professional coaching relationships. I will promptly seek the relevant professional assistance and determine the action to be taken, including whether it is appropriate to suspend or terminate my coaching relationship(s) whenever the facts and circumstances necessitate.
9) Recognize that the Code of Ethics applies to my relationship with coaching clients, coachees, students, mentees and supervisees.
10) Conduct and report research with competence, honesty and within recognized scientific standards and applicable subject guidelines. My research will be carried out with the necessary consent and approval of those involved, and with an approach that will protect participants from any potential harm. All research efforts will be performed in a manner that complies with all the applicable laws of the country in which the research is conducted.
11) Maintain, store and dispose of any records, including electronic files and communications, created during my coaching engagements in a manner that promotes confidentiality, security and privacy and complies with any applicable laws and agreements.
12) Use ICF Member contact information (email addresses, telephone numbers, and so on) only in the manner and to the extent authorized by the ICF.
Section 2: Conflicts of Interest
As a coach, I:
13) Seek to be conscious of any conflict or potential conflict of interest, openly disclose any such conflict and offer to remove myself when a conflict arises.
14) Clarify roles for internal coaches, set boundaries and review with stakeholders conflicts of interest that may emerge between coaching and other role functions.
15) Disclose to my client and the sponsor(s) all anticipated compensation from third parties that I may receive for referrals of clients or pay to receive clients.
16) Honor an equitable coach/client relationship, regardless of the form of compensation.
Section 3: Professional Conduct with Clients
As a coach, I:
17) Ethically speak what I know to be true to clients, prospective clients or sponsors about the potential value of the coaching process or of me as a coach.
18) Carefully explain and strive to ensure that, prior to or at the initial meeting, my coaching client and sponsor(s) understand the nature of coaching, the nature and limits of confidentiality, financial arrangements, and any other terms of the coaching agreement.
19) Have a clear coaching service agreement with my clients and sponsor(s) before beginning the coaching relationship and honor this agreement. The agreement shall include the roles, responsibilities and rights of all parties involved.
20) Hold responsibility for being aware of and setting clear, appropriate and culturally sensitive boundaries that govern interactions, physical or otherwise, I may have with my clients or sponsor(s).
21) Avoid any sexual or romantic relationship with current clients or sponsor(s) or students, mentees or supervisees. Further, I will be alert to the possibility of any potential sexual intimacy among the parties including my support staff and/or assistants and will take the appropriate action to address the issue or cancel the engagement in order to provide a safe environment overall.
22) Respect the client’s right to terminate the coaching relationship at any point during the process, subject to the provisions of the agreement. I shall remain alert to indications that there is a shift in the value received from the coaching relationship.
23) Encourage the client or sponsor to make a change if I believe the client or sponsor would be better served by another coach or by another resource and suggest my client seek the services of other professionals when deemed necessary or appropriate.
Section 4: Confidentiality/Privacy
As a coach, I:
24) Maintain the strictest levels of confidentiality with all client and sponsor information unless release is required by law.
25) Have a clear agreement about how coaching information will be exchanged among coach, client and sponsor.
26) Have a clear agreement when acting as a coach, coach mentor, coaching supervisor or trainer, with both client and sponsor, student, mentee, or supervisee about the conditions under which confidentiality may not be maintained (e.g., illegal activity, pursuant to valid court order or subpoena; imminent or likely risk of danger to self or to others; etc) and make sure both client and sponsor, student, mentee, or supervisee voluntarily and knowingly agree in writing to that limit of confidentiality. Where I reasonably believe that because one of the above circumstances is applicable, I may need to inform appropriate authorities.
27) Require all those who work with me in support of my clients to adhere to the ICF Code of Ethics, Number 26, Section 4, Confidentiality and Privacy Standards, and any other sections of the Code of Ethics that might be applicable.
Section 5: Continuing Development
As a coach, I:
28) Commit to the need for continued and ongoing development of my professional skills.
Part Three: The ICF Pledge of Ethics
As an ICF coach, I acknowledge and agree to honor my ethical and legal obligations to my coaching clients and sponsors, colleagues, and to the public at large. I pledge to comply with the ICF Code of Ethics and to practice these standards with those whom I coach, teach, mentor or supervise.
If I breach this Pledge of Ethics or any part of the ICF Code of Ethics, I agree that the ICF in its sole discretion may hold me accountable for so doing. I further agree that my accountability to the ICF for any breach may include sanctions, such as loss of my ICF Membership and/or my ICF Credentials.
