Alumni Interview – Carmen Au
Why Transcend?
When I first attended Transcend’s taster event on ICF Accreditation, I felt a connection with the people at Transcend – that’s the first impression I had.
The one thing that attracted me to the Specialisation program is that I learned quite a bit about coaching previously and I started to become overwhelmed by all the information and knowledge. I did not know how to put everything together in order to become the coach that I want to be…
Specialisation program definitely helped me to refine who I am as a coach and to find out whom I like to work with. This is what attracted me to attend this program.
Why professional coaching?
“The heart comes first, instead of people.”…Success, in the corporate world has an imagery of a pot of gold that is very solid and shiny. Success in professional coaching, on the other hand, gives me a feeling of warmth from the inside – the warmth comes from seeing people’s faces light up. The two images and satisfactions are completely different, and they require a different kind of focus as well…
Going back to the reason why I chose professional coaching, I really enjoy being connected with people and I enjoy seeing people smile, seeing them becoming more confident and relaxed at the same time. I think once people have that, success is just somewhere along the way.
Every time when I talk about coaching, I can feel it in my heart. I believe when you are passionate in something; you can always exceed what you believe you can do. And this is exactly what I believe in other people as well.
Why should someone interested in coach training enroll in our program?
I really enjoyed the way Transcend connects with people, not just because I’m a client or a program participant. From my very first contact point, I can feel that Transcend is very passionate about coaching and they treat everyone with warmth and a welcoming attitude. I guess that’s what you call a “coaching culture” at Transcend.
When I was at Transcend, I felt it was not merely about the training, but it’s about their passion and support for coaches.
What was your biggest learning on your coach-learning journey?
Empathy and being present are the two big things that I learned in my coach-learning journey. I used to think I work well with people and never considered myself not being able to connect with my clients’ emotional side…behaviors and actions are more important back in the corporate world. However, when I started practicing more on coaching and connecting more with people, I start to realize how the emotional side impacts myself as well as the others. I realize that we can only truly understand a person by understanding how their inside works – the emotions, the feelings that trigger thinking and action.
The other thing is presence. Only after I learned about this topic did I realize I’ve not been doing this in my life. When you’re not being fully present with yourself or the person you’re working with, you are missing a lot.
Learning about the importance of being present and doing some mindfulness work help me to have less auto-piloting reactions and being able to see more choices of what I can do and what I choose not to do. That definitely opened up a very big space for myself and I’d love to share that with people around me.
Who’s your ideal client?
I love connecting with people who are positive and forward thinking; I believe in them.
From my background, I work well with managers who are very analytical, but haven’t discovered their talents in managing people. I enjoy managing people, connecting with people and working closely with them. I’m always able to help them see from a different perspective/angle and find the solutions to those areas that they have less confidence.
I also enjoy working with younger people who haven’t developed a strong mind in their career development and I was involved in quite a few projects working with people still in school.
Where do you see yourself as a coach in a year or so?
I’m very determined to get my ICF credential. I really wanted to achieve this because I think the structure and the standards the ICF set for coaches are really sensible.
When I think of myself as a coach in a year or so, I envision myself in a very bright space – a space that is easy for people to find and to feel comfortable talking to me. I can also see smiling faces. I also want to be an active part in promoting coaching in the community.
