Why I volunteer as a coach

Supporting people's development had always been the most rewarding part of Kevin's career, including his work as a Global Service Manager at Zurich. Through our Coaching Programme, he's been able to continue doing just that, first with early career teachers and now with senior leaders. Here, he shares why coaching keeps him coming back.

About five years ago, an organisational change at Zurich meant I no longer had the responsibility of managing a large team. It felt like a loss, because I really enjoyed supporting people’s development.

Coincidentally, an opportunity arose to do a government recognised Level 5 coaching apprenticeship, supported by Zurich. I stepped through that door and really loved it. After I completed the course and received my qualification, I began to coach several staff across the company and through this was introduced to the opportunity presented by the Coaching Programme at Teach First.

Learning to listen properly

The most fundamental skill I have learned through being a coach is that you must be adaptable and not go in with an agenda of your own. You must go in totally open, listen to that person and find out as much as you can by establishing a good relationship.

It's about listening properly and giving coachees that opportunity to talk through things in a way they may not get to elsewhere.

It's the biggest challenge, but getting it right is the biggest joy.

Helping people make connections

Every time something appears meaningful to the coachee then it should be meaningful to you. It’s important in your coaching relationship, and it's important to learn how you can help to support the outcomes they need.

I had a young teacher coachee. She was making connections between always trying to overachieve and how that related back to some previous personal situations. These connections are not always obvious to the coachee. At the beginning of any conversation, the coachee may be unsure where it will go and what they will learn.

So, we need to talk about it, and they get to reflect and think deeply about it. What they realise for themselves helps them figure out those next steps, not through anything I've explicitly told them to do.

Coaching aspiring senior leaders

When you get into senior leadership roles, the coachee can have other dynamics to deal with – the organisation that they are part of, and the responsibilities that they have. Some might ask themselves, “Do I actually want this?”, “Do I aspire to go on to that next level?”, “What is the impact of that on the rest of my life?”

Having that broader discussion about how all these pieces fit together can be complex. You're dealing with so many dimensions, you need to really understand the people you're working with, the environment that they are in.

Why I keep volunteering

Coaching is such a great life skill. You take all the independent pieces, and you realise that you do listen to people differently, you do remove the judgement. It is in that context where you get that glorious appreciation of others.

The fundamental reason why I continue to volunteer with Teach First is to help that individual, whatever their role or profession.

The icing on the cake is you are helping someone who is vital to the whole of our society.

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Could you support teachers and leaders to navigate the challenges and opportunities in their careers, while developing your own coaching practice?

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