COACHING IMPACT
An Inside Look at ISPA’s Collaboration with the
International Coaching Federation
BY JAMISON STOIKE
No Time Like Now
COVID-19 HAS CHANGED THE GAME
FOR SPA OWNERS, OPERATORS
AND DIRECTORS AROUND THE
WORLD. Surviving as a spa in 2020
means sharpening your business
acumen and working collaboratively
on solutions, all while being an
effective leader and taking care of
yourself. Doing all of that simultaneously
is no small task, but coaching
sessions with an ICF-
credentialed coach can help.
ISPA has partnered with the
International Coaching Federation
(ICF) to offer pro bono virtual coaching
sessions for its members through
ICF’s “Coaches for Good” initiative,
which focuses on providing coaching
support for free to small business
and non-profits in the sectors hardest
hit by COVID-19, including the spa and
hospitality industries. ISPA members
have been preapproved to receive
support from more than 1,000 ICFcredentialed
coaches worldwide. ISPA
has been given a limited number of
codes to distribute on a first-come,
first-served basis. Each code is good
for two one-hour coaching sessions.
Coaches from around the world
will participate, providing services in
more than 30 languages and working
with clients on a variety of subject
matters. ICF defines coaching as
“partnering with clients in a
thought-provoking and creative process
that inspires them to maximize
their personal and professional
potential.” During your sessions, you
might develop strategies to increase
your professional focus, or discuss
how to energize your team for
reopening through structural changes,
training and communication. ICF-
credentialed coaches are partners,
not dictators; the content of your
session—be it personal, professional
or somewhere in between—is up
to you.
The Coaching Experience
Curious about what to expect from a
coaching session? Here’s what Dawn
MacLellan, director of spa & salon
for St. Andrews Country Club, had to
say about the experience:
How did you feel beforehand?
“I was not sure what to expect. As I began to search through the profiles
of coaches, I felt that I connected with the very first one that I reviewed.
She had some past experience in the spa world. I am not sure
that I had any expectations until we started speaking.”
How did the session go?
“She was amazing! Immediately, I knew I made the right choice.
My mind was spinning with ideas of things that I wanted to discuss. I
shifted gears a bit when I realized her role was to work with both personal
and professional challenges. [I discussed] staying motivated and
motivating my team in these trying times, and she asked questions
that made me think in a way I never really thought about. At the end
she provided takeaways, tasks to complete and ways to evaluate the end
results.”
What advice do you have for ISPA members?
“Find a coach that jumps out at you. At first it may seem overwhelming,
but suddenly the right one becomes clear. Really come prepared
with items you’d like to focus on.”
24 PULSE ■ AUGUST 2020