Why use the "coach approach" in third world / developing countries?

Coaching has a unique paradigm, but much of the foundation of coaching goes back many decades and even centuries. The draw to pursue life improvement, personal development, and the exploration of meaning is true for people across the globe; including the early Greeks, reflected in Socrates’ famous quote, "The unexamined life is not worth living." Since then, people have developed many ways of examining their lives, some useful and some not; some grounded in theory and evidence based, while others are made up and inconsistent in their helpfulness. What persists, however, is that people who no longer need focus on the pursuit of basic human needs -- such as food and shelter -- are beginning to pay attention to higher needs such as self-actualization, fulfillment, and spiritual connection. This is also why much of the world that lives in poverty and on the edge of survival does not concern themselves with dreams and big goals for their lives. Those have to be put on the back burner.

The coach approach can be helpful in empowering local and rural communities within third world countries and others to be more resourceful, but they still need the resources to become available. The NGO’s and nonprofit groups that supply food, water, housing, etc, could benefit from a holistic coaching approach in order to create and empower sustainable changes that the resource-poor communities can continue with assistance from resource-rich countries and foundations. Taking this global and integrative perspective for the power of coaching, we could do much for the view that coaching is mostly elitist and serves the rich and powerful primarily. As such, more and more people have an intense desire to explore and find personal meaning, when the blocks to survival are eliminated and the ability to thrive supplants survive.

How did Coaching the Global Village get started?

At the The International Coach Federation European conference in 2006, it was announced by Ruth Ann Harnisch and David Goldsmith of The Foundation of Coaching that Pat Williams was selected by acclimation as the recipient of the First Global Visionary Fellow.

As a part of the award, he received a small grant to pursue his project: Coaching the Global Village, selected his Wisdom Circle/Advisory Board and have since held three weekend meetings in Washington, DC; Potomac, Maryland; and Estes Park, Colorado.

Read Pat Williams' Thought Paper about the project.

What is a Global Visionary Fellow?

The Foundation of Coaching, an independent non-profit organization supporting coaching worldwide,created a Global Visionary Fellows program to encourage creative thinking and bold action in coaching.

The Global Visionary Fellowship was created to honor those who have made a significant contribution to the coaching profession. The Global Visionary Fellow receives a grant to pursue a project that advances the impact of coaching in the world. A Fellowship is awarded annually.

Pat Williams is the 2006 recipient of this award, and his chosen project is Coaching The Global Village.

For more information, please read the Press Release.

How can I help?

Coaching the Global Village is now seeking additional funds to do pilot feasibility studies using the coach approach with boards of non-profits and/or non-governmental organizations in the USA or developing countries. We have some promising possibilities in Tanzania, India, Honduras,South Africa, Philippines, and Guatemala already. We had three pilot trainings during 2008 in the United States.

If you know of an organization that could benefit from coaching and teaching the coach approach and could pay travel expenses or connect us with a larger funding source, please contact us.