Jocelyn Lacida
Sometimes, the most difficult events can lead us to unexpected discoveries. Such was the case of our Featured Coach of the Month, Jocelyn Lacida. After losing her husband to cancer, moving her family back to the Philippines, and starting a new job, all in rapid succession, she naturally felt overwhelmed and needed support. That was how she found coaching.
Of course, due to the sensitive nature of her situation, the coach, who happens to be Benchmark’s Julius Ordoñez himself, needed to conduct a long interview and discernment process to determine whether coaching was indeed the right intervention for her. “The opportunity to be coached was such a gift and a blessing to me,” Jo says. “I went through a lot, and the more I shared and processed it with my coach, the more it became a lighter load to carry.” It was such a positive experience for her that she decided she wanted to become a Coach herself to give back to others. “In a way, while helping others, I was also helping myself.”
Because she went through many ups and downs, it allowed her to empathize and really listen to her coachees. “True listening requires restraint, but as a coach, you know that by holding back, you will help them achieve more. The priority here is the coachee and being attuned to what they need. The ultimate reward is when they are able to find the answers themselves. This applies to leaders as well, because all true leaders need to know and practice coaching skills.”
As a person, coaching gave her a sense of fulfilment, maturity, and the humility to accept that you cannot solve all problems—neither are they all yours to solve. It reminded her that what matters more is the journey, not just the destination, because it is in the journey that you grow. This came in handy as she embarked on another journey, moving her family to Switzerland to take on the Global Marketing Manager role in the Nestlé Nutrition Headquarters.
Coach Jo’s reminder to new and upstarting coaches is to truly be in the moment. Tune out the digital noise and all your to-do’s and just be present with your coachee. Don’t worry so much about preparing a list of powerful questions or framework, and instead, let these flow from the conversation itself. Also, have the maturity to manage your own expectations and know that not all sessions will be breakthroughs nor go exactly as planned. Not everything will be under your control, and you need to have faith in your coachee too. It is, after all, a journey and a partnership, and being a coach also means being vulnerable, being authentic, exercising empathy and giving 100% of yourself in the moment. And when you feel that joy and happiness knowing that you’ve helped another person the best way you can, then you’ll know you’ve found your Ikigai.
Community Chat Session
For our September Community Chat, join us as we learn more about Coach Jo’s story and share experiences of Grief and Coaching on Wednesday, September 27, 2023 at 6PM-7PM PH Time via Zoom.
