Coaching for humanitarians
I bet that, as a humanitarian, your decision to get involved in this sector was not an insignificant one. You certainly began this work out of conviction and passion. You've not only made a professional commitment, but also chosen a way of life that's out of the ordinary.
Yet today, you're asking yourself a thousand questions about what could be your next professional chapter, or how to achieve a better balance in your life as a humanitarian, or how to ensure your professional development, within or outside the humanitarian sector.
AS A HUMANITARIAN, YOU REALIZE THAT:
You've lost the spark or flame you had at the beginning, you're less energetic and motivated, you're questioning your life choice, your work, your impact, your future! You feel the need to identify your next professional and personal chapter.
You don't have enough time for your loved ones back home or your aging parents. You'd also like to strengthen your relationships with friends scattered around the world or those in your current expatriate country.
You can't find the time to take care of yourself. You feel you're wearing yourself out, doing nothing but work and responding to operational imperatives.
You don't want to miss out on the opportunity to be in a couple, start a family or offer your children more stability, while still having a fulfilling professional activity. Or maybe you're perfectly okay with the fact that you don't have children or are that you’re not in a relationship, but you'd like to focus more on your personal life alongside your work.
You feel the need to establish a better life balance.
You would like to be supported in this new position. You want to strengthen certain skills in management, leadership, communication, emotional & social intelligence, etc.
Or maybe you'd like to regain your self-confidence and overcome your impostor syndrome, so that you can feel at ease and thrive and fulfil yourself in your job.
Your career path is zigzagging, you don't have any career goals and you're not sure how you could evolve professionally.
You'd like to clarify your ambitions and define a career development plan that really suits you!
As a result of burnout, you feel at a loss when it comes to making decisions about your professional future.
You're afraid of jeopardizing your life balance, and you no longer see your professional commitment in the same light.
You're wondering if your life as a humanitarian is still right for you, and if so, how can you adapt it to avoid a relapse?
You're wondering whether you should leave your current job, and if so, how and what else? You feel the need to clarify your professional orientation and how to bounce back personally after your burnout.
You don't know how to manage this transition and how to identify your next professional chapter, within or outside the humanitarian sector.
You're wondering what to do after all these years in the humanitarian sector.
You don't know how to promote your profile and skills to potential future employers.
You'd like to be supported through this change, to step back, take stock and prepare for your return to the job market.
You no longer have the same desires, expectations and needs.
You'd like to feel aligned with who you are today, preserve your life balance and have a fulfilling professional activity, without yet knowing what that would look like in concrete terms!
You're thinking of maybe retraining, changing career paths, changing sectors.
But it scares the hell out of you. You're wondering if it's possible with your atypical humanitarian background. You don't know how to go about it.
You don't know where you'll be in six months or a year. Maybe you don't even know if your contract will be renewed. You find it complicated to deal with all these uncertainties.
You feel the need to prepare yourself for the changes ahead. You'd like to make sure you make the right decisions at the right time.
You also feel the need to be a little more proactive and serene about your future.
Tu sais qu’un retour d’expatriation, même si souhaité, comporte pas mal d’enjeux.
Tu te demandes comment gérer le décalage et les attentes de tes proches. Tu te questionnes sur ce dont tu as besoin pour réussir ta ré-intégration dans une “vie normale” et comment aborder le fameux choc culturel inversé ?
Tu voudrais préparer ce retour au pays pour qu’il soit une réussite et ne te donne pas envie de repartir pour de mauvaises raisons.
Your observation today:
Tu voudrais créer des changements positifs dans ta vie d’humanitaire, mais tu ne sais pas vraiment lesquels, ni comment !
I understand! I know what it's like to be a humanitarian!
I've lived through many changes and transitions during my 30 years of expatriation, including 4 professional reconversions.
I worked as a humanitarian, first for 3 years in international solidarity as a teacher in a local school in Madagascar, then for over 10 years in emergency contexts with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Palestine, Chechnya, Congo, Sudan and Iraq. I also worked for 2 years at headquarters in Geneva, which meant a return to “normal” life after years of expatriation.
My career progressed rapidly, with all the challenges that entails, as I moved very quickly from Delegate to Head of Office to Deputy Head of Delegation and Program Coordinator.
I loved my job and my life as a humanitarian, although as the years went by, I found it increasingly complicated to sacrifice my personal balance to it.
The day the question of leaving or staying in the humanitarian sector actually came up, I was completely lost. For the first time in my life, I was unable to identify what I really wanted and what my next professional chapter might be!
In the end, it was circumstances that prompted me to leave the humanitarian sector and offered me the opportunity to train in career and life coaching at New York University (NYU).
I chose to focus my expertise on professional and personal transitions and development, as well as on the challenges of international mobility and the humanitarian sector.
Today, I support humanitarians who wish to create positive changes in their lives and careers.
As a humanitarian, I didn't realize the extent to which my professional identity impacted every other area of my life!
When I wanted to clarify my next professional chapter, I made the mistake of focusing all my attention on one area of my life, that of finding a job that could primarily offer me a better life balance!
I then approached my transition by focusing solely on one sphere of my life, rather than taking stock of my needs and desires in all areas of my life!
This is what led me to make choices that seemed to fulfill my needs in the short term, but which in the end were not at all fulfilling in the medium and long term.
Today, I know how important it is to have a holistic approach to creating positive and lasting change! Especially since, as a humanitarian, you rarely experience just one transition at a time!
Given that as humanitarian your life and your work are closely linked, you're probably facing several transitions at once, in different areas of your life (professional, personal, social, identity, environmental, family, etc.).
Since then, I've also learned that it's necessary to think long-term and not just make decisions for the short-term. It's by taking a long-term view that you'll be able to step back and clarify what you really want here and now. And it's this direction that will support you in the choices you need to make today. The magic here is that a long-term vision allows you to clarify the short and medium term too!
To facilitate this crucial process of reflection, I have created the method called TRANSITIONS to help you manage the transitions in your life and career as a humanitarian.
THE METHOD TRANSITIONS- 4 STEPS AND 1 POWERFUL LEVER TO BOOST POSITIVE CHANGES IN YOUR EXPATRIATE LIFE AND CAREER
THE METHOD TRANSITIONS
&
Valorisation
&
Affirmation
&
Action
+ The powerful Mindset & Resilience lever
© Nancy Bonamy
Taking stock & Reconnection
- Take stock of all areas of your life.
- Highlight your needs and desires, and how to meet them.
- Reconnect with who you are and draw on your own resources.
- Unblock your limiting beliefs, doubts and fears.
- Identify your energy leaks and recharge your batteries.
Alignment & Valorisation
- Revisit your life and career path to discover what makes you unique: your values, strengths, passions, qualities, flaws, experiences and skills.
- Discover how to enhance your profile, turn your differences into assets and illustrate what you have to offer.
- Formulate your life mission: the impact you wish to have in your work, on your loved ones, your community and the society in general.
Vision & Affirmation
- Clarify your vision and what you really want, for all areas of your life, in the short, medium and long term.
- Define concrete goals that are ambitious, motivating, inspiring and realistic.
- Communicate clearly who you are, what you have to offer and what you really want.
Strategy & Action
- Define an effective strategy to create the positive changes you desire.
- Take action with confidence and determination to succeed in your life and career transitions.
MINDSET & RESILIENCE
- Cultivate a state of mind at the top of your game: regain confidence in yourself and in the future, dare to be optimistic, be open to opportunities, develop your perseverance.
- Strengthen your mental, emotional, relational and physical resilience to face uncertainties, bounce back with agility and create lasting change.
A UNIQUE METHOD FOR SUCCESSFUL TRANSITIONS IN YOUR HUMANITARIAN CAREER AND LIFE.
- 100% ONLINE: Accessible wherever you are in the world.
- STRUCTURED: A structured path through a training platform that guides your reflection process.
- FLEXIBLE: Total flexibility around the framework. You set the goals you want to achieve; choose the issues you want to resolve and work on your personal and professional development.
- HYBRID: Autonomous thanks to an online training platform AND supported thanks to fully personalized coaching sessions.
- APPROUVÉE : Cette méthode a fait a fait ses preuves auprès des humanitaires que j’ai accompagné ces 10 dernières années !
- BASÉE SUR LA SCIENCE : Elle inclut des outils qui favorisent le développement, l’épanouissement et le bien-être professionnel et personnel. Ils ont été testés et approuvés scientifiquement dans le cadre d’études menées par des psychologues de renom.
- SIMPLE AND CONCRETE TOOLS: The exercises, information and tools are simple and effective. They will support you well beyond this coaching program.
TARGETED, PERSONALIZED COACHING
FOCUS on YOUR humanitarian profile
A program tailored to your specific humanitarian challenges and questions, whatever your situation:
- Working in the field or at your organization's headquarters.
- Working for the ICRC, the UN, ECHO, an NGO or any other humanitarian or international solidarity organization.
- Voluntary redundancy or dismissal.
- Transition within or outside the humanitarian sector.
- Short or long experience in the humanitarian sector - Beginning or end of career.
- Single, in couple, with family, geographically single or single parent.
FOCUS on YOUR current humanitarian needs
- Professional and personal development.
- Leadership, management or communication skills.
- Burnout prevention or post-burnout career guidance.
- Well-being at work and life balance.
- Reconversion.
- Pre-retirement or retirement plans.
- The challenges of a dual career on expatriation.
SUPPORT FOR CHANGE
- Flexible, personalized support tailored to the constraints of your humanitarian life and career.
- A caring, positive and confidential environment.
- A method combining reflection and concrete actions.
- A holistic approach to positively impact all areas of your life.
- Simple, effective tools to support you beyond the coaching session.
Sandrine Girard, Humanitarian
Today, I’m calm and intentional about my decisions, making sure that everything is in line with who I really am, deep down!
Amanda Banda, Humanitarian
Reshma Adatia, Humanitarian
THE BENEFITS OF THE PROGRAM TRANSITIONS
CLARITY & ANCHORING
You know:
- Who you are today,
- What you have to offer,
- What you really want,
- How to communicate it effectively, and
- Comment l’atteindre grâce à un plan d’action concret.
ENERGY & MINDSET
- You've developed your self-confidence and overcome your imposter syndrome.
- You've strengthened your mental and emotional resilience.
- You're serene and optimistic about the future.
- You've regained your energy and master how to recharge your batteries.
- You know how to identify and overcome obstacles.
TRANSFORMATION
You have experienced a profound transformation by going through this virtuous circle of transformation:
- Self-awareness
- Self-understanding
- Self-compassion
- Self-care
- Self-acceptance
- Self-affirmation
As Carl Rogers said: “When I accept myself, then I can change.”
100% of the humanitarian I have accompanied have created positive changes in their lives and careers!
MODALITIES OF THIS PROGRAM
INDIVIDUAL VIP COACHING
1 diagnostic coaching session of 1h30
7 individual 1-hour coaching sessions with access to the recording.
2 x 15 minutes of laser coaching during the coaching engagement or 30 minutes of laser coaching 3 months after the end of the coaching support.
8 self-guided training modules with exercises and audio.
3 autonomous training modules to work on your mindset and resilience.
Additional resources and exercises to suit your needs.
Feedback on your exercises.
An online assessment to identify your strengths and how to develop them.
Feedback on your application tools (CV, letters, LinkedIn profile, pitch)
Platform for your questions and concerns.
Personalized VIP support for the entire duration of the program
An exchange three months after the end of the program to take stock and maximize your chances of success.
GROUP COACHING
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8 group coaching sessions of 1h30 with access to the recording.
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8 self-guided training modules with exercises and audio.
3 autonomous training modules to work on your mindset and resilience.
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An online assessment to identify your strengths and how to develop them.
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Platform for your questions and concerns.
Motivational video clips and self-coaching sections in the program.
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*Possibility of adding this option to the package
INDIVIDUAL COACHING
Are you interested in individual coaching? You can contact me now to discuss whether this program is right for you.
GROUP COACHING
If you'd like to take part in the next group coaching, you can join the waiting list. I will be the first informed about the new cohort, but you're under no obligation to start the program!
Questions often asked by humanitarian workers interested in the program TRANSITIONS.
Yes, that's right! Based on your professional development goals, we'll define together what precisely you want to achieve with coaching. objectifs de développement professionnel, nous allons définir ensemble ce que tu veux précisément atteindre avec le coaching.
Tu peux renforcer tes compétences en leadership, management, communication et aussi travailler sur bien d’autres sujets tels que la gestion du stress, de tes priorités, tes capacités organisationnelles, etc. Tu peux aussi développer tes “soft skills” tels que l’intelligence émotionnelle et sociale, la résilience mentale, etc.
This program is ideal for supporting your professional development and takes into account the challenges and specificities of the humanitarian sector.
You bet! Thanks to the holistic approach of this program, not only will you be able to clarify your next professional chapter, but you'll also be able to create for yourself a better life balance.
Many humanitarians approach me precisely to put in place a life balance that suits them better.
Indeed, this program enables you to turn your differences into assets.
You'll have the opportunity to better understand what you have to offer, and how to promote it outside the humanitarian sector.
You'll have the opportunity to translate your professional and personal experiences and skills into a language that everyone understands, and to transfer them to other sectors.
No, not at all, it's also aimed at humanitarians working at their organization's headquarters. The challenges are at the same time different and identical. We will adapt to your specific needs and goals.
We can discuss this in our introductory session. The answer depends on your needs, preferences, desires and availability. For both formulas, the method is identical.
In my opinion, the great advantage of individual coaching is that it's 100% personalized, flexible and adapted to your needs and constraints. Together, we can define very concrete coaching goals to work on.
On the other hand, the great strength of group coaching is the interaction with other people in the same situation as you, which is highly motivating and enriching.
Some people prefer the intimacy of individual coaching, while others prefer the interaction of a group.
Don't hesitate to contact me to clarify which format would suit you best: I contact Nancy
Between each coaching session, whether group or individual, I advise you to set aside a minimum of two hours to work on the exercises on the training platform.
These exercises are there to support your reflection and help you progress at your own pace. To maximize the results of the program, it's important that you set aside enough time to devote to it.
For one-to-one coaching, it's easy: just change your appointment. You can do this easily thanks to your direct access to my electronic agenda.
For each group coaching session, a recording of the session will be available. Even if you know you won't be there, you'll be able to ask me questions beforehand, which I'll answer during the recording, which you can watch whenever you like.
Group coaching
This program takes place over 4 months. We have eight group sessions, once every 15 days.
Individual coaching
The duration of individual coaching depends on the regularity of our sessions. It will last 2 months if we meet weekly, 4 months if we meet fortnightly or 6 months if we meet every 3 weeks.
Personally, I recommend that we meet every 15 days or so. But don't worry, it's flexible, depending on your constraints!
As a general rule, I don't recommend that individual coaching go beyond 6 months. This is because the regularity of our sessions has a positive effect on your thinking and action.
In an introductory session, we can discuss the most appropriate frequency for your schedule.
The sooner the better! To make the right decisions, it's best to have done the groundwork beforehand.
I understand your time constraints. I'm very flexible to help you juggle all your humanitarian constraints. However, there are times in life when you must put yourself first!
This could be your chance to tame that feeling of finally daring to give a place to your personal life too!
During the introductory session, we can discuss when would be the best time for you to start this coaching program.