ICF Winter Newsletter
President’s Message
2021 is a year of new beginnings!! We are optimistic that this year will bring wellness, joy and growth for our Chapter, our members, and the Atlantic communities that we serve.
The ICF Atlantic Board would like to welcome and express gratitude for our members who have stepped up as new Board Members. We welcome Patsy Whitten, Director of Communications (St. John’s, Newfoundland & Labrador) and Firas Zaytoun, Director of Professional Development (Halifax, Nova Scotia) to the Board. Learn more about Patsy and Firas in this newsletter.
This past year has been a transformative and challenging one for so many of us. We have been stretched, with massive change across most facets of our lives. As coaches, we have refocused our priorities on those areas that have the biggest impact. We have found ways to connect with other coaches and clients around the world through the power of virtual platforms and video.
Our Board has been focused on executing our Chapter’s vision. We are grateful for our members support and engagement in our regular monthly virtual professional development events. These events have had attendees across the globe all the way from Singapore to California, and the numbers are growing for each event. We have established a strategic partnership with CPHR Atlantic, and the four Atlantic provinces have invited their CPHR members to participate in a thought leadership market study on coaching. We look forward to having MQO Research lead the study in February/March to learn more about the perceptions in Atlantic Canada on coaching.
You have likely seen the new branding from ICF Global (example above in the heading of this newsletter). We are excited about the new branding that ICF Global has recently launched. Over the upcoming months, ICF Atlantic will update our website and materials to align with the ICF Professional Coaches branding. We encourage you to do the same using the member branding toolkit from global in your signature lines, websites, social media, etc.
ICF Atlantic is committed to making coaching accessible to all Atlantic organizations. We are excited to launch a pilot pro bono coaching initiative focused on nonprofits, led by coach and member Gail Boone. Many nonprofits have experienced a dramatic cut in funding and reduced revenue for programs, and they could use some coaching! We encourage our members who can volunteer to offer pro bono coaching to do so. Every little bit counts! Read more on this new pro bono coaching pilot from Gail in the newsletter!!
Let us know how we can support YOU! - our members. We are committed to your success as professional coaches. Your Board is committed to you and to growing the awareness of coaching within Atlantic. As coaches, we are all advocates for how coaching can support our organizations and the individuals in our communities to prosper and live their best lives.
Susan Power, ACC
President, ICF - Atlantic Chapter
susan@powerupleadership.ca
Welcoming Our New Board Members
Patsy Whitten, ECPC, PCC, EQAC
New ~ Director of Communications, ICF - Atlantic Chapter
Patsy Whitten Coaching, patsy.lifebydesign@gmail.com
As a dedicated business owner, Life Coach and Emotional Intelligence Assessor (EQ) Patsy supports her clients in finding clarity on what they REALLY want in their personal and professional lives. Her clients are individuals who feel stuck, uninspired and unmotivated but ready to take the necessary action to get their groove back.
Understanding that emotions drive people; people drive performance, she looks to inspire and enable people to bridge the gap between thinking and doing and to activate positive change in their lives. Her warm, direct and practical approach provides space for clients to become more aware, more intentional and more purposeful in the development of their own personal roadmap to truly live a “Life by Design”.
Patsy is an experienced Executive Director with more than 20 years’ experience in Senior Management, Organizational Growth Development and Self-Employment. She is trained and accredited as an Erickson Certified Professional Coach from Erickson Coaching International (ECPC) and a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coach Federation. She is a Network Leader and certified EQ Assessor (EQAC) with Six Seconds - The Emotional Intelligence Network and certified to administer the individual SEI Emotional Intelligence Assessment, the 360 SEI Multi-rater Emotional Intelligence Assessment and the Brain Brief and Brain Talent Profiles.
Firas Zaytoun
New ~ Director of Professional Development, ICF - Atlantic Chapter
Thinking Career Coaching and HR Consulting, firas@thinkingcareer.com, www.thinkingcareer.com
Firas is a transformational talent strategist. He partners with leaders to help them link business decisions to people and culture by developing, improving, and reinforcing strategies, structures and processes that build capabilities and drive organizational culture to achieve business results. Firas has extensive experience in leading organizational cultural transformation and helping people through the transition during organization restructuring and implementation of new operating models.
He is the Learning and Development Manager at Dalhousie University, and in his role he designs and implements learning solutions for employees in leadership development, career management and performance development. Although his coaching experience started over 6 years ago, Firas has obtained his ACC in November 2020 believing it is an important milestone in his career.
Firas enjoyed a successful career with large and complex organizations in multiple industries between the United Arab Emirates, where he spent over 12 years of his career, and Halifax where he currently resides with his wife. Outside work, as an introvert, he likes to spend his time with family and friends, watch soccer and formula 1, and he loves Italian food!
Announcement: ICF Atlantic Pro Bono Coaching Pilot Project
The ICF Atlantic Executive is excited to announce a pilot project aimed at supporting small not-for-profit agencies during this challenging time of COVID 19.
We are looking for coaches interested in offering pro bono sessions to an agency working with those in need through poverty, homelessness and/or food insecurity.
We have established a small volunteer working group to help manage logistics and provide participants with a coach / agency assignment and all of the information needed to take part.
Your commitment is to engage and deliver up to 10 pro bono sessions over a period not to exceed six months; to keep a record of the number of sessions; and to complete an evaluation form at the end of the pilot. Even if you can only participate a few hours a month in this pilot, please reach out to learn more.
We will follow up and provide additional details in an individual letter of invitation to ICF Atlantic members. However if the meantime, if you are interested, please reach out to Patsy Whitten (NL) at patsywhitten65@gmail.com OR Gail Boone at gailboone@ns.sympatico.ca
Membership Corner
ICF Atlantic’s new website is now up and running! Check it out at www.icfatlantic.com or www.icfatlantic.ca.
What’s New?
Helpful new resource for ICFA members: “ICF Atlantic Credentialing Handbook”. Everything about ICF’s credentialing process, all packaged within one handy document.
One of the main perks of being an ICFA member is being able to connect, network, and collaborate with other ICFA coaches. ICFA has put together a simple ICFA Coaches directory that is available only on our “Member Area” webpage. Now, members can find out who the other member coaches are, either in their area or in another province! This directory is different from our “Find a Coach” page, which is public and is geared toward those looking for coaching services. If members wish to opt out and not participate in this member-only Directory, please send us an email at icfatlantic@gmail.com.
There is new “Promo Code” available to ICFA members for exclusive pricing on the Professional Development events. If you are an ICF Atlantic member, please email icfatlantic@gmail.com to receive this code.
New! Member Spotlight
ICF Atlantic is trying out something new. Every newsletter we will be shining a spotlight on two of our member coaches. We are kicking off this initiative with spotlights on Tammy Carroll and Stewart Pollard. Check out their stories!
Stewart Pollard, PEng, MBA, CCMP PCC
Stewart has been a member of ICF Atlantic Chapter since 2017. Originally from P.E.I., Stewart has experience living in several provinces in Canada, but for the last 15 years, has made Quispamsis, New Brunswick his home.
According to Stewart, his varying experiences across Canada helped him recognize the uniqueness of each region, as well as understand regional differences better. The connections he has made have also been invaluable.
Stewart’s coaching journey was not linear, but each step formed the building block for the next. Initially, Stewart followed his passion for how things are made by becoming an engineer in the aerospace industry early in his professional career. It did not take long for this passion to evolve into an interest in process improvement and finally change management with the realization that at the heart of any successful initiative were the people involved. What began as “coachy” conversations with executives to facilitate behavioural change, led Stewart to his true calling, executive coaching.
Over the last year, Stewart has experienced what many coaches and consultants have seen, a sudden drop in coaching, speaking, and consulting engagements early in 2020. As his business has recovered, he noticed that the focus has changed with many of his clients. His coaching is now focused more on self-management, resilience, and personal growth as the last year has proven overwhelming for some. He has also discovered that the experience of the last year has underscored the importance of “balance” in his own life.
When Stewart is not working or spending time with his family, his form of relaxation is home renovations and any activity associated with water. In his words, he’s a “waterbug”!
Fun Facts about Stewart
Q: Something unique or interesting?
A: Rebuilt the entire hardwood staircase in his home during the pandemic!
Q: Favourite “Binge-worthy” TV show?
A: “The Queen’s Gambit”
To find out more about Stewart and what he brings to his clients and our coaching community, visit his profile on the Find a Coach page.
Tammy Carroll, PhD
One of the newest members of ICF Atlantic Chapter, Tammy brings a breadth of experience and expertise to ICFA’s coaching community, both as an internal and external coach. Originally from Bouctouche, New Brunswick, Tammy now resides in Dieppe, New Brunswick.
She has been working with the Government of Canada since 2002 in positions such as personnel psychologist and senior consultant in conflict management. She also has her practice in organizational psychology and leadership. In her works, Tammy uses evidence-based approaches as a trainer, consultant, and coach. She is also currently working on getting her coaching accreditation with ICF in tandem with formal coaching certification through UBC’s Organizational Coaching certificate program.
When asked how this last year has impacted her coaching, Tammy stated it was challenging at the beginning. It required more personal resilience and adaptation to a new “virtual” workplace reality, which obviously enhanced and sharpened what she already knew and taught in her resilience workshops! She also became more convinced that virtual coaching can be just as impactful and interesting as face-to-face coaching. In her words, “virtual coaching has made the world more accessible”.
When Tammy is not working or spending time with her young family, her form of relaxation is… working! Tammy is passionate about human behaviour in the workplace and is continually reading, researching, listening to podcasts and in general furthering her knowledge on the subject.
Fun Facts About Tammy:
Q: Something unique or interesting?
A: Youngest black belt in Karate in Atlantic Canada at 10-years old!
Q: Favourite “Binge-worthy” TV show?
A: “Billions”
To find out more about Tammy and what she brings to her clients and our coaching community, visit her profile on the Find a Coach page.
How to get the most out of your ICF Atlantic membership:
Exclusive “Member Only” webpage on the website. ICFA members should have already received the password to access this page, but if you are a member and still need it, please email us at icfatlantic@gmail.com. This area contains content that is exclusive only to ICFA members.
Submit your Profile and Headshot for the “Find a Coach” webpage by accessing your exclusive “Members Area” page on the website, completing the form and emailing your headshot to icfatlantic@gmail.com
Submit a blog! Share your story, knowledge, or expertise. Simply access the “Members Area”and fill in the form.
Reminder: How to become a member of ICF Atlantic Chapter and reap the benefits!
As of May 2020, your membership to ICF Atlantic is free if you are a member of ICF Global. To confirm your membership of ICF Atlantic Chapter, be sure to select ICF Atlantic as your home Chapter on your ICF Global profile. If you haven’t done so already, just follow these easy directions to make ICF Atlantic your affiliated chapter:
Login to your ICF Global profile on the ICF Global website
Click on your Name on the top right of your screen
On the left side of the screen, at the bottom of your profile summary, click on “Edit Profile”
In the box on the right-hand side of the screen “My Account Links”, click on “My Chapter Affiliations” and follow the directions. That’s it!
As a member of ICF Atlantic you will receive these benefits:
Exclusive member rates to Chapter Events, virtual and in person coaching cafes.
Opportunities to host webinars/workshops and have the cost of CCEU’s for qualifying webinars and other educational offerings subsidized by the ICF Atlantic Chapter
Access to events that feature an engaging speaker on coaching topics as well as offering opportunities to network, learn and collaborate with colleagues.
Special events, such as panel discussions and International Coaching Week celebrations, are held periodically for fun, networking, and community building.
Access to use the ICF Atlantic LOGO to use on your website or marketing material
Able to vote at the ICF Atlantic Annual General Meeting
Opportunities to submit a blog article to be published on the ICFA website.
Get involved with an ICF Atlantic committee. Include your voice in building and shaping our chapter and coaching community.
Have your name, photo, and coaching bio featured on the ICFA “Find A Coach” website page where clients can find you for hire
To volunteer or to get more information about becoming a member, please send an e-mail to icfatlantic@gmail.com
Sign Up: ICF Atlantic’s Next Professional Development Event February 25, 2021
Reflective Practice: S.T.A.R.T with Brian G. Bachand
February 25, 2021
12 pm - 1:30 pm AST (11 am EST & 12:30 pm NST)
CCEU 1.0 Core & 0.5 Resource
Bio:
Brian G. Bachand is living proof that life is an evolution. His own journey from being a priest to then an executive in New York City, Toronto and now founder of his own company - revolution evolution.
Brian served as Executive Director at both NYU Langone Health and University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, raising millions from investors. As Partner in Executive Search his mandate was on global recruitment for VP – CEO roles within NFP and Private Sector.
Brian believes when we ask the question, “What do I desire?” – the truth will intuitively lead us to embrace what is in our heart and evolve us forward.
Session Details:
SURRENDER
THANKFULNESS
ATTENTION
RELATIONSHIPS
TRUST
The gift of S.T.A.R.T. has two aspects for our 60-minute session. First, there is an educational component for participants to learn about each of the five S.T.A.R.T. areas. Second, there is an opportunity to have a condensed lived experience of the method and time at the end for reflection and questions.
For more info and to register on Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/reflective-practice-start-tickets-138265025413
P.S. There is new “Promo Code” available to ICFA members for exclusive pricing on the Professional Development events. If you are an ICF Atlantic member, please email icfatlantic@gmail.com to receive this code.
Call for Nominations – ICF Atlantic Board
The ICF Atlantic Chapter Board of Directors is seeking several new members to serve on the Board of Directors. These positions are for a 2-year term, beginning after the Annual General Meeting scheduled for June 9, 2020 at 7pm AT.
Interested Candidates Must Be:
A current full member, in good standing, with ICF Global and the ICF Atlantic Chapter
Available to join in a monthly Board meeting conference call of 90 minutes that generally is scheduled on the third Thursday of the month from 12:00-1:30 pm Atlantic time.
Willing and available to assume a leadership role on the Board to help guide and implement a specific role or strategic direction of ICF Atlantic. On average, this requires 4-6 hours each month in addition to the monthly meeting.
There may be some seasonal variances to time required; and, available to attend in person, expenses paid by ICF, a full day orientation and meeting day (this could also be a Zoom call depending upon Member and public health requirements). The date to generally be scheduled in September at a time mutually agreed upon for maximum participation
Please let us know of your interest in joining the ICF Atlantic Board of Directors by providing the following information to Brian Duggan, Past President c/o icfatlantic@gmail.com
Name, city and province
Nature of your coaching practice (Part time, full time, internal, external, areas of focus etc.)
Length of time and involvement as an ICF Member (Global and/or Atlantic/other chapters)
A sentence about why Serving on the Board of Directors interests you.
Any additional interests and skills you bring that may support a non-profit Board of Directors.
If you are unsure how you could contribute to our Chapter by serving on the Board, and would like to be involved as a member or a volunteer to support the Board, please state this in your expression of interest.
Feel free to reach out to icfatlantic@gmail.com with any questions.
We look forward to hearing from you.
ICF Atlantic Board