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Coaching Newly Emerging Women Leaders   
May 17, 2007—“You embark on a ride on an ocean which is a little bit uncharted,” said Esther Corona of Mexico, laughing. “Hopefully you have a map to where you are going. You will face storms and you will face good days…It is something that will take time.” This is how Esther described her first year as a coach for a new alumna of a CEDPA training program. She is one of 25 seasoned professionals from around the world who are sharing strategies and improving their coaching skills during a May 14-18 workshop in CEDPA’s Washington D.C. headquarters. Esther, who has been working in sexual and reproductive health for over 40 years, and the other coaches are new additions to CEDPA’s approach to advancing leadership. CEDPA has trained more than 5,000 women and men in over 150 countries, and many of these alumni have received additional technical assistance from CEDPA on an as-needed basis to help them improve their communities. Now, new graduates of select CEDPA trainings will be assigned a coach to strengthen their personal and professional development. This week’s Coaching Workshop brings together the pioneering CEDPA coaches to share strategies and discuss their first year experiences. Sessions focus on addressing client needs, improving coaching styles and improving the program.
“The philosophy of CEDPA’s training is…to make sure the impact of what has been taught is felt in communities,” said Grace Ebun Delano, a veteran reproductive health leader in Nigeria. Grace signed up to be a coach to a Nigerian client, helping to ensure that the new CEDPA alumna could further strengthen leadership skills and advance her community. Her client, who runs an economic empowerment organization in southern Nigeria, identified the need to strengthen financial management skills. The client was about to embark on a new initiative to make small loans to underserved populations, and wanted to make fiscally sound lending decisions. Grace gave her client support in navigating her challenges, and helped identify financial management training and resources. Sometimes, the coaching experience benefited the coaches as much as the clients. Coaches attending this week’s workshop reported improving their own communication skills and ability to guide their clients in identifying all the options they may have. And, many reported deep satisfaction in knowing that had helped someone. Hala Yousry, a CEDPA alumna from 2003, is a coach in Egypt. She joined the coaching program to maintain her connection with CEDPA and give back to her community.
Hala gained confidence and communication skills through her experience as a coach, and she loves that she has helped her client, who is also in Egypt. “It is a gain for everyone to meet someone new in their lives,” Hala said when talking about her client, who she now considers a friend. A benefit Hala was not expecting was that the coaching process helped her to identify a new vocation that she feels “fits” her better. Encouraged by her family, she informally began pursuing a new career path. While Grace and Hala’s clients were relatively close by, other coaches were matched with participants across continents and sometimes across oceans. The coaches and participants established connections through face-to-face meetings (if possible), monthly phone calls and/or email messages. Lessons learned from the first-year coaches are being applied in the second year of the coaching program to improve coach-client matches and better address client needs. Together, CEDPA and its new coaches will help newly emerging women leaders build the self-confidence to lead successful programs and organizations, improving communities throughout the world. To learn more about CEDPA’s approach to advancing women’s leadership, please visit our training page. |
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