Starting the day off with meeting up with other coaches in the elevator. My ICF-cardigan bought at a conference many years ago never fails. By its’ clear ICF – logo it signals to other coaches who I am. Without it we could have been five strangers in an elevator, now we turned out to be four coaches heading for converge later on (and one surprised Asian woman who saw us go from strangers to friends in no time 😊). Wearing a good-looking visible logo is a perfect conversation starter (Thanks Sebastian from Seblins for drumming that into me during our BNI-breakfasts) and I am out to network so cardigan does the trick. Ended up in interesting breakfast conversations with lovely Maureen from Canada speaking of how coaching helps clients find their voice and be fully present in their work.
Work life has changed, we are now expected (and willing) to commit to more than simply selling our time – we commit fully and use all our resources, skills as well as personality, to enhance performance and reach results. That means competency development and taking care of employees nowadays must go beyond skills practice and a gym card. Companies need something that actually addresses the whole person, mind and heart. When planning for competency development nowadays companies should be planning for who is to have coaching this year, not if. Maureen’s work was wonderful proof of that.
Since conference registration starts at 15.00 there was time for a walk in the Vysehrat area close by. Conference life is usually moving from room to room in a conference or congress hall that is quite similar to others although every country has its’ touch on it. When travelling I do like to get out and get a taste of the town I am in, preferably not only the tourist parts, a walkabout in the area does the trick for me. Walking the area here took me by a pre-school lovely decorated, beautiful houses and into the Vysehrat area with ancient churches, an artful cemetery and lovely view bringing me to sit down, meditate for a few minutes and realizing how much I need this. Seeing something new, giving myself the time to sit down and think of nothing while brain silently sorts things out. I do tend to make room for that coming to big events. As an introvert that’s my way of charging the batteries and get ready, today’s realization was that I truly need this every day back home too. Easy to forget when living in tranquil landscapes, I still need to take the time to be there.
Lunch and a few hours work on a nearby café, filled my ears with the sound of Prague and a sense of what daily life is here. Everywhere people do their thing. A young mother walking her baby, a lady taking her dog for a walk, business people rushing in for a quick lunch bite, intensely discussing meanwhile or the guy with a day off enjoying a long lunch. All very familiar and seen in every European town and still. There are slight differences in how we choose to dress, how fast we walk, how we react when meeting the pram with the baby or the old person. Nothing big, nothing significant, just a way for me to practice my relaxed presence and widen my perspective.
Another way to widen my perspective is to keep finding something new in the things I am doing. At this conference the completely new is I am volunteering in registration and wow, was that fun! Greeting people, getting them going in their conference experience. Standing there meeting the first-comers I remember my first global conference, the way I challenged myself going there not really knowing anyone or basically anything of what to expect. Glad to be of help to this years newbies – I do hope they will enjoy as much as I do! Definitely signing up for that post again – luckily for me I am already scheduled in registration at the Swedish national coach-conference Stora coachdagen in November. See you there - I will be there greeting you in registration!
Finished the evening off by joining in at welcoming reception, get myself something to eat and stepped into lovely conversations about the ontological side of coaching and how body, mind and emotions intertwine with Natashia who is just starting her own coaching business in health, gym and well-being and Cory with 30 years of executive experience now mixing coaching and consultancy. That’s ICF Converge – everything blends together, inspiring and learning conversations occur in every corner. Tonight I’ll go to sleep pondering the value of being comfortable in emotions, used to having them and having words to describe them. Imagine what it does to you when you don’t. And then think of the stories you tell about yourself. Where are your emotions in them? That’s the kind of philosophical conversation that kept Cory and me going until staff at the congress centre called in management to tell us to go home…