by Lynne Reyes, PCC
Graduate of Benchmark’s ICF Levels 1 & 2 Certification
As one who is passionate for life-long learning, I enjoy reading books of interest, listening to subject matter experts and key opinion leaders, and observing the admirable traits of inspirational leaders and role models.
As a professional certified and credentialled coach, I make it a point to keep learning, intent not just in accumulating knowledge, skill and information, but in equipping myself more deeply so I can give back to the community and the society. every small way I can. After all, I took the path of coaching to pay it forward.
Sept 18, 2025. Benchmark Consulting headed by its President and Founder, Master Certified Coach, Julius Ordonez, brought together in one online forum, 4 of the most brilliant and world-renowned Master Certified Coaches. The first time the announcement came out, I knew it was one forum I didn’t want to miss. It is not every day that you get to listen to 4 of the most respected global coaches and there I was, glued to my seat the whole morning, listening to them intently and writing down some of my most significant personal reflections.
MCC Stephen Cluney talked about our varying state of mind, what impacts them and what state of mind we want to operate from. In the final analysis, this reminded me that our minds are constantly subjected to stimuli that can get us into a joyful, motivated or calm state or to one that is bothered, detached or frustrated. Everyone, without exception, goes through this. The key thing is being aware of the state we are in and either harnessing it or addressing it so that our behaviors and actions flow more positively from these mind states. That very short distance between the circumstance and the response is crucial in how we define how a situation unfolds. This just reminded me of the choices we make and how we learn to become masters of our own selves.
MCC Laura Berman Fortgang focused on one’s “state of inquiry” upon which wisdom is gained. A coach asks not just any kind of question but one that opens a person to new insights, aha’s, and realization that lead to forward motion and the best solutions. Laura leaves a device called WAQ which stands for Wisdom Access Questions. No, they are not canned, they are not templated, they are the kind of questions that relate deeply to the person’s particular concern and situation and those that “get to the heart of the matter”, as she had put it in her talk.
MCC Marcia Reynolds, a personal favorite, having trained under her (and Julius Ordonez) in the advanced coaching course, did it again. A licensed psychologist who authored books on coaching and related topics, she talked about co-regulation from a neuroscience standpoint and how this leads to co-creation of results. As coaches, we must be there, fully present for our clients which is the only way we can truly serve as their thinking partners. Being fully, actively and genuinely present for our clients feeds into their yearning to be seen, heard, valued and understood. That is co-regulation. When they are valued and understood, magic happens as this leads the way to clarity on who they want to become and what steps they need to take. That is co-creation. From Marcia, coaching uses all 3 C’s: 1) Curiosity – the mind that comes from a state of not knowing and stays curious for genuine understanding; 2) Compassion – the heart that has kindness and love for his client and therefore, the true desire to help; 3) Courage – the gut that is ready to challenge and disrupt the client’s patterns of thinking that are not serving him well. How can one not turn out to be a good coach, guided by all these principles?
There were many significant highlights for me from MCC Janet M. Harvey’s talk that includes a peak at the global manager engagement data and its declining trend. She talked about how leaders should first know themselves; the expectations attached to their leadership role and the four needs of their followers – hope, trust, compassion and stability. The most significant she left with me was her “notice”, a prerequisite to self-awareness and sovereignty (self-rule), a reminder that we all have that inner authority to make that shift and change our lives for the better.
In the end, listening to this line-up of reputable speakers in this global industry made me go inward once again. This brought me back to May 2025 when I had the opportunity to speak at the summit of the Philippine Charter of the ICF. I shared that coaching is an inside job that leads us to knowing ourselves, what we can do and what we are capable of becoming, in as much as we endeavor to help others do the same. Only in doing so are we able to see things from a wider and deeper perspective that helps as all grow in our respective life roles and in the end, as human beings. This is what true and lasting transformation is all about.
September 18, 2025, then, was morning, time and resources, very well spent!
Special thanks to the Benchmark Consulting leadership and team for making this happen and for leading the way in uplifting the cause of this noble profession – coaching.
Until the next opportunity for learning, sharing and doing!
