My relationship with Kay goes back to 2008 when I began taking her leadership workshops.  At one point I was attending workshops and being coaching simultaneously, which reinforced what I was learning in the series being attended.  The experience has been about professional accountability.  In my role as Executive Director in a non-profit, there is a high level of autonomy.  To have someone push me to think about seeing relationships and roles with a new perspective has given me great clarity.  Coaching has clarified and shifted my relationship with my board; there is now a more defining balance between leading and being led.  As a result of coaching:

• I have been challenged to read more professional literature and grown my career as a result.
• Action steps have been clear and I have been pushed to follow through.
• Role-playing upcoming crucial conversations with Kay and choosing specific wording prepared me to be effective in those situations.
• A new environment for staff training has been created as a result of a new and broader perspective on the components that influence the culture and learning.

Though I have had two mentors before, this was my first professional coaching experience, and they are two very different things.  Coaching has pushed and moved me to do things I would not have done otherwise.  Ongoing debriefing on what went well and what was challenging is essential; everyone needs someone like that in their career.  Anyone that is considering coaching should “Just Do It!”  It’s an opportunity to be your best self.  If you are in it for the long haul, you owe it to yourself to invest in yourself to reach your goals.

Tasha Johnson, Executive Director, Dayton Christian Center
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tashajohnson1
https://www.facebook.com/DaytonChristianCenter
Phone: 937-275-7174
Information about this program and donations to this non-profit can be made through:
http://www.daytonchristiancenter.org
Dayton Christian Center has Open ODE Funded Pre-school Programs Available