Positive power of connection at the EMCC Global conference

Two of our Directors, Benita Mayhead and Sarah Bailey, were among a group of colleagues representing EMCC UK at the EMCC Global conference in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, at the end of June. They write here with their impressions of the conference, and the positive power of connection they experienced.

Benita Mayhead, our Director for Coaching Practice, writes…

What do you get when you put a few hundred coaches, mentors and supervisors in a room together? A lot of reflection, a lot of thinking, a lot of sharing and listening, and importantly, connection. The positive power of connection with new colleagues and re-connection with those we already knew was an expression I heard repeatedly over the three days of the conference.

Aside from the speakers who were interesting and inspiring, it was the table debates and conversations over the breaks and meals which were some of the most rewarding and nourishing parts of the conference. Participants had travelled from all across the globe, from Australia, America, Japan, India and Hong Kong, to name a few, and of course many from Europe. The richness in moving from one dialogue to another, and learning about others, is not possible to achieve in a virtual environment.

I feel even more connected to our work as coaches and supervisors, and very proud to be part of EMCC. One discussion that came up was how coaching can be a lonely place at times, especially for those who work independently. We are all part of a very supportive community, and the conference reaffirmed that to me.

I left with a reminder to myself of how important it is for us to ask for time with other coaches and tap into our community, and also to keep a lookout for how our fellow coaches are doing. I’ve also left with more ideas and thoughts on how we can serve our members.

We send our thanks and gratitude to our Dutch colleagues for welcoming us with open arms to Eindhoven. Thank you. I’m already looking forward to next year.

Sarah Bailey, our Professional Development Director, writes…

I was very proud to represent EMCC UK at the EMCC Global Conference at the end of June in Eindhoven, together with three other fantastic colleagues. This was my first experience of attending the conference in person, and it was my first visit to Eindhoven.

The conference welcomed coaching, mentoring and supervision professionals from all over the world, and it was incredibly exciting to meet and speak with delegates who shared their varied areas of expertise and their professional journeys. The conference presentations across the three days were very engaging and informative, although my personal favourite was delivered by a Dutch astronaut and was literally out of this world!

What a great opportunity for new discovery and professional development. Thank you to all at EMCC Global for organising such a vibrant and exciting event. I haven't come back down to earth... yet!