Marie

My reason for seeking an empowerment coach

Ever since I started working for UN at headquarters level, I kept hearing “You have to go to the field”, so I started telling myself and others that I really needed to go to this mysterious place – a non HQ duty station, preferably a least developed country. The only problem is that nobody tells you how to get there… and in a working environment that is defined by precarious contracts and strong competition, many people warn you against exchanging a job that has given you a certain level of security with a position in a field office that might run into funding problems at any moment.

I had been talking about “going to the field” for a number of years but for different reasons I never actually left HQ. I contacted Annika as I felt I needed to dedicate some time to figuring out what my next step in life should be and to discuss ideas with a neutral person that would not judge me or have certain preconceived ideas and/or expectations. I wanted to explore what was really holding me back from making this move – that would not only impact my professional life but also my personal life.

My reason for choosing Annika

 A good friend of mine recommended Annika and I didn’t hesitate to contact her as I had heard many good things about her positive vibes and coaching approach.

My experience of working with Annika

My coaching experience with Annika was amazing; she is an excellent listener who always asks the right questions. We met through Skype – which at first I thought might be difficult but it worked out really well. Annika always gave me space and time to reflect and her questions prompted me to look at things differently and made me think – but what if…? And could I not…? Certain exercises, such as the Ikigai exercise, made it clearer to me what my strengths and values are. I also found it very helpful that Annika documented/visualized certain exercises. Even months after the coaching I sometimes go back to these files to understand the process I went through and appreciate where I am at now.

My outcomes 

I resigned from my UN job in Europe and started a position with a different UN agency in Asia. The coaching really helped me understand what I wanted in life – and to what extent I am influenced by other people’s expectations of what I should be doing. I might have taken the decision to leave HQ anyway but the coaching reassured me that I had taken enough time to reflect on why I was seeking this challenge and gave me the extra bit of courage to actually resign from a more or less stable position. Having gone through the coaching gave me the security to know that even if things wouldn’t work out, the decision was well considered and at least at that moment in time it felt right, both rationally and emotionally.

My advice to others seeking coaching

In my view coaching is a great opportunity to pause and think through possible decisions. Talking through things that seem impossible, suddenly opens up new perspectives. I often keep myself so busy that I don’t allow myself the time to actually stop and think if what I am doing is what I want to be doing Coaching has helped me find time to dedicate to that.