The professional backgrounds of WIN's coaches is equally as varied as the participants, who hail from a range of departments within the media industries of their respective countries. On one hand there is Beth Oakes, a Canadian executive advisor and founder of The Oakes Group; and on the other is Suzanne Moll, a Danish media veteran with a career spanning radio, television and newspapers.
Suzanne Moll shared her thoughts on taking on the role of a WIN Coach after decades in the media industry.
How has your experience as a coach been thus far?
I am amazed at the level of competence of the women. They are very skilled women just waiting for the right occasion to get their careers going.
Since you are paired mostly with women from the editorial side of the business, how do you manage to incorporate your years of media experience into the coaching process?
I have been able to use editorial experience in my coaching several times. In fact, it is difficult NOT to draw from years of working on the newsroom. Many of the challenges prove to be the same no matter which continent you work in.
Were you coached or mentored at any point in your career?
I have been coached and mentored on several occasions and I try to negotiate it in my contracts when I can. Personally, I have turned to coaching and mentoring when I was in a career low as well as on the high. When I was low the coaching was focused on my career. But when I was at a career high I used it to work on my work-life balance; to remember to include my family.
What are your personal objectives as a coach? What do you aim to achieve, beyond the basic completion of the Career Roadmaps?
I work with different media related projects, mostly in Africa. My objective is always to help people become more conscious of their own possibilities and to build their confidence; to realize their potential.
Has your involvement as a coach in the WIN programme impacted your life outside of WIN?
It has indeed. It has made me think that if the capacity of these women can be realized with these relatively "simple" tools, we could make a world of difference, especially if the WIN program were introduced in other parts of the continent.
WIN Coaches engage participants formally on five occasions throughout the 6-months of the programme. The WIN programme's pilot year, and the first round of coaching involved therein, will continue through to the end of 2010.