During my journey to becoming an ICF Professionally Certified Coach, I repeatedly came across the concept that, in order to become an MCC (Master Certified Coach), one must transform into an invisible coach.
My understanding of invisible coaching is achieving a state where the coachee reflects and reaches new levels of awareness without being consciously aware of the coach's presence.
This phenomenon, in my opinion, can occur due to:
- The curious questions asked by the coach.
- The reflective nature of the coachee.
In both cases, the coach enters the unknown, staying curious alongside the coachee.
Two Incidents of Reflection
Incident One
One of my peer coaches is a person of many talents, including gardening and playing the guitar. The guitar is particularly dear to him, and he often keeps it close, even during gardening.
One day, while tending to his orchids, a little child (around 6–7 years old) approached him and asked:
Child: Uncle, between the guitar and gardening, what do you like most?
Coach: (Thinking it’s just one of those curious questions from children) I like both equally.
Child: No, no! You must pick only one. Touch your heart and tell me which one you like the most.
Coach: (Starting to think seriously) Why do you want to know? I told you I like both.
Child: (Touching her own heart to demonstrate) No, uncle, touch your heart and tell me which one you like most.
Coach: (Now deeply reflecting and physically touching his heart) I like orchid gardening the most.
This interaction made the coach realize his true preference—a realization he hadn’t come to before. Yet, the child remained unaware of the profound impact of her question.
Incident Two
This incident involved no verbal conversation.
About a year and a half ago, I was standing at a tea stall enjoying the delightful taste of ginger tea. As I watched, a dog roamed around looking for food.
Out of nowhere, a boy (around 8–10 years old) appeared. His torn clothes suggested financial struggles (an assumption I made without knowing the full story).
The boy took out some money from his pocket, handed it to the shopkeeper, purchased biscuits, and fed them to the dog. He didn’t eat the biscuits himself and then walked away.
I noticed the dog followed him for a while, and this act left me reflecting:
- What am I really doing?
- What contribution am I making to the world?
After undergoing coach training, I realized that this boy invoked profound questions in me—questions I might not have otherwise asked. Without knowing it, he had facilitated powerful coaching.
Reflection
We discussed these incidents in our group, reflecting on what happened.
I wondered: Could these be examples of invisible coaching?
Questions for Exploration
- What do you think about these incidents?
- Could these experiences be considered instances of invisible coaching?
- How do we develop a deeper understanding of this concept?
Looking forward to your thoughts and reflections.
