Coaching Reading: Creating a new network for our town
Welcome to the Coaching Reading web site. This is the first of many articles where our members will share their experiences of coaching in Reading and beyond, as well as the highlights of what we’re learning as we go.
If you’ve benefitted from coaching or you work as a coach, and you think we may have something to offer you, read on. Here’s a brief taste of what unites us and where we’re headed.
How it all began
Coaching Reading was formed in 2019 when a small group of people got together who all shared one thing in common. They had experienced the benefits of coaching, and they wanted to share this enthusiasm with others in their town.
Our founders understood that for Coaching Reading to operate as a successful and inclusive network, we needed to act collectively. So, all the big decisions – from our purpose statement, to our name, to our day-to-day focus – have been made together, by a growing group of local coaching professionals and enthusiasts.
Working together through the pandemic
There’s a concept called the Ikea effect by behavioural economists that can be roughly summarised as: ‘we value what we shape’.
Coaching Reading has given us all a sense of agency during a challenging period in our working lives. Our work to shape what we can do together has been the glue that has kept us connected.
From early planning sessions over drinks in Carluccios, we have migrated to monthly online evening calls that enable us to discuss the highs and lows of coaching through a pandemic. Although the quality of our snacks have sadly declined as we took our work online, this has been compensated for by the quality of our conversation.
In turn, we have been able to join forces to give agency to others through coaching. Thanks to the tremendous support and foresight offered by Connect Reading and Reading Voluntary Action, we’ve provided months of pro-bono coaching support to over 20 local civic and charity professionals, as they faced the challenges presented by Covid-19.
Created for the people of Reading, by the people of Reading
We aim to support people in Reading through coaching, and we were created thanks to the people of Reading. Many of us became coaches by studying at Henley Business School’s internationally recognised coaching centre, or because local employers had involved us in a coaching programme.
As a group, we’ve benefitted from sharing our learning freely with other coaches in Reading, from the town’s students who created our visual identity, and from the generosity of Reading’s photographers who have donated all the images you see on this site.
What’s next for Coaching Reading?
As a member, I’m one of many who have been drawn in by the spirit of the enterprise. Like others, I’ve found myself giving more to the group than I expected, and gaining much more than I imagined. Together we’re more creative and resourceful than we can be working alone. And we’ve learned to follow our nose and to listen to each other in shaping what we want Coaching Reading to be.
We don’t know where we will be in two years’ time, but we plan to enjoy finding this out together. Please watch this space to see our journey unfold.
So – if you like the idea of contributing to Reading through the power of coaching – please join us. We don’t come with any instruction manual, but we have a clear, shared purpose and many willing hands. And if you know of any not-for-profit organisations that might benefit from pro-bono coaching, please let us know.
Susannah Randall, Coaching Reading member and local coach