Improving Collaboration and Accelerating Impact

(May 28, 2020) The sentiment of “A world where no one is blind from avoidable causes” inspires the work of the Sightsavers India (Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind). To impact the local community as a whole, Sightsavers CEO R.N. Mohanty wanted to better align his leadership and senior management teams with the organization’s vision/mission, goals and core values.  So, he and the organization partnered with the ICF Delhi NCR Chapter for a pro bono coaching initiative.

“We required an innovative way to align the leadership team. It was necessary to create a culture of shared values. The pro bono coaching offer from ICF Delhi NCR came at the right time,”  says Mohanty.

The initiative was such a success that ICF Delhi NCR has been recognized as the 2019 Gift of Coaching Honorable Mention by the ICF Foundation. The Gift of Coaching Awards program celebrates ICF Chapters with impactful pro bono coaching initiatives that make a difference in their communities and in the world. The Gift of Coaching Awards program represents the mission of the Foundation, intended to leverage the excellent work ICF Chapters are already doing to increase awareness of and better their communities through professional coaching.

Setting Up for Success

ICF Delhi NCR coaches were carefully matched to Sightsaver leaders.  The coaches followed the ICF Code of Ethics and confidentiality clause. Coachee preferences were considered for the best possible match between coach and coachee, and both signed a pro bono coaching contract to ensure legal compliance and coach professional responsibility.

The entire leadership team went through the coaching sessions, which resulted in improved coordination among the teams, along with creating a more open and transparent culture.

Measuring Impact

The organization states that leaders now communicate more effectively, which has improved their commitment level, professional effectiveness and confidence. They now look forward to coming to the office with joy and are able to see things from a different perspective. “It is magical. I didn’t know that I would be able to find solutions myself to my problems,” says one participant.

The success of the initiative was measured in a variety of ways, including

• Periodic progress reviews with Mohanty,
• Recorded interviews with functional heads of Sightsavers India,
• Data from coaching logs, and
• Regular progress updates from volunteer coaches.

Collaboration has improved substantially, and the office environment has been positively impacted. The company has indicated a likelihood of continued participation, and Mohanty has announced that they are now operating in 100 districts.

“The effect of pro bono coaching enabled the coachees to enhance their passion for their job, maximize their inner resources, work from a space of joy, and create magic in the organization and the larger community as well,” says Mohanty. “I am quite happy to say that there is harmony in the organization, and each one of us are motivated to do more for our society, our team and our organization.”

You can learn more about about the ICF Delhi NCR’s initiative by watching this interview.