Episode #36: Jean Balfour – From Spectacular Failure to Becoming a Master Certified Coach

To use her own words, Jean Balfour "spectacularly failed" the assessment of the Ashridge Accredited Coach Training programme.

But this setback fuelled a massive growth journey that led Jean to become clearer about who she is as a person and set her on a path to becoming a Master Certified Coach (MCC).

In this episode of The Coach's Journey Podcast, Jean traces the steps of her career from training as a teacher, to developing leaders for local government, the National Health Service and investment banks, to the work she does now as programme director of Bailey Balfour’s ICF Accredited Coach Training Programme.

She reveals key experiences from her life and work that influenced the way she designed the coach training programme, including the vital learning she took from failing her Ashridge assessment.

This episode gives you the chance to hear a highly accomplished, vastly experienced educator, leadership developer and coach trainer share her views on the secrets to effective coaching and the most pressing challenges facing the industry.

In this episode, we talk about:

The power of cultivating a journaling practice

What Jean learned from becoming an ICF Master Certified Coach and whether credentials for coaches really matter

Looking inwards in order to grow

Moving coaching out of the West and creating global conversations

The step-by-step process Jean uses with clients, sponsors and stakeholders when coaching for organisations

Jean also reflects on what it took to successfully move her coaching practice from the United Kingdom to Singapore, and offers perspectives on how the coronavirus pandemic has shaped the future of coaching.

For more information about Jean, visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeanbalfour/ or her company’s website www.baileybalfour.com.

For information about my wider work and writing, visit www.robbieswale.com, and to buy my book, click here.

Music by My Good Man William: listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4KmeQUcTbeE31uFynHQLQg

To support the Coach's Journey, visit www.patreon.com/thecoachsjourney and to join the Coach's Journey Community visit www.thecoachsjourney.com/community

Things and people we mentioned (that you might be interested in):

- Barry Ennis Funeral Notice: https://funeral-notices.co.uk/notice/ennis/5020856 and Episode #9 where he was the guest: https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-9-barry-ennis-follow-the-fire

- Make a donation to MIND: https://www.mind.org.uk/donate/

- Lara Quie https://www.linkedin.com/in/laraquie/

- ICF Team Coaching Competencies https://coachingfederation.org/team-coaching-competencies

- Anne Hathaway on The Coach's Journey https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-34-anne-hathaway

- Nancy Kline https://www.timetothink.com/nancy-kline/

- The Thinking Environment https://www.timetothink.com/thinking-environment/

- Raquel Ark on The Coach's Journey https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-33-raquel-ark

- Time To Think by Nancy Kline https://www.timetothink.com/books/time-to-think/

- The ICF definition of coaching https://coachingfederation.org/about

- Myles Downey on The Coach's Journey https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-31-myles-downey

- Action Learning https://www.actionlearningcentre.com/about-action-learning

- Ashridge qualifications https://www.hult.edu/ashridge/qualifications/

- The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron https://juliacameronlive.com/books-by-julia/

- Robert Holden https://www.robertholden.com/about-robert/

- Julia Cameron's book about writing and prayer https://juliacameronlive.com/books-by-julia/seeking-wisdom-a-spiritual-path-to-creative-connection/

- The ladder of inference https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_91.htm#:~:text=The%20Ladder%20of%20Inference%20describes,are%20shown%20in%20figure%201

- Coaching for Performance by John Whitmore https://www.performanceconsultants.com/coaching-for-performance-book

- The Inner Game of Tennis https://theinnergame.com/inner-game-books/the-inner-game-of-tennis/

- Mike Toller on The Coach's Journey https://www.thecoachsjourney.com/podcast/episode-32-mike-toller

- Bounce by Matthew Syed https://www.matthewsyed.co.uk/resource/bounce-the-myth-of-talent-and-the-power-of-practice/

- BetterUp https://www.betterup.com/en-gb/

- Ezra https://www.helloezra.com/

- ICF core competencies https://coachingfederation.org/core-competencies

- The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris https://thehappinesstrap.com/

- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/acceptance-commitment-therapy

- ACT for Beginners https://psychwire.com/harris/act-beginners