The Academies is pleased to introduce you to an alumnus of our neuroscience-based coaching courses, Deborah Stine. Deborah is the founder of Science and Technology Policy Academy. She earned her ICF ACC Credential as part of our Level 1 ACC Foundations Pathway program, where she completed the Certified Career Management Coach (CCMC) and the Certified Executive and Leadership Development Coach (CELDC) courses. She then went on to complete the remaining components of our Level 2 Program, by completing the Academies-Certified Strengths Coach (ACSC) and Certified Leadership Engagement and Impact Coach (CLEIC) courses, as part of working towards her PCC accreditation. Read on to learn more about her coaching journey and her experience with The Academies!
Tell Us About Your Experience With The Academies Career Coaching Program
I’ve provided career coaching informally for decades as part of my traditional employment. When I became an independent consultant, primarily providing workshops and analysis, I realized I would like to make coaching a more formal part of my company, the Science and Technology Policy Academy. To do that, however, I felt I
needed more formal ICF-level coaching. I saw the neuroscience focus of The Academies, which I loved, so signed up for my first coaching classes. My goal was to get an ACC-level accreditation, which I hoped would make me more marketable as a coach for government agencies and universities.
After completing my first two courses of career coaching and leadership coaching, I realized how much more I had to learn and how much more practice I needed in these more formal coaching techniques so that I could work with my clients with confidence. I added the remaining classes on strengths coaching and advanced leadership coaching to qualify for the PCC-level accreditation.
How Has Coaching Influenced You?
I’ve always loved helping people, particularly in achieving their career goals. Given much of what I did was analysis, the training provided by the Academies allowed me to tap into more of what I call my “fuzzy wuzzy” side — helping people through their more emotional moments. This is particularly important today as many in my world are facing employment challenges that they never thought they would face. I’m glad I have that increased training I can tap into when needed that I don’t think I would have had otherwise.
How Does Neuroscience Influence Your Coaching Style?
As someone from the science and technology world and who works with evidence-based analysis, I really appreciated The Academies’ neuroscience-based approach. This gives me more confidence that what I’m learning is not just “fuzzy wuzzy” but based on actual science. We’ve even begun to use some of the terms I learned around my house, as both people and our dogs fall into the “Red Zone” and we know we need to take steps to move into the “Blue Zone.” Having the ability to refer to this information helps me work with my clients, some of whom have been trained in neuroscience, but don’t think about applying it to themselves.
What’s A Memorable Win You’d Like To share?
My biggest win was getting my ICF ACC certification. When studying for the final exam, I watched The Academies’ videos that walked us through sample questions. It wasn’t until then that I realized just how much I had learned about coaching.
In my new coaching business, I now successfully work with clients from the science and technology world, and they have increased their confidence in figuring out the next right job for them after having come to me initially with lots of career confusion.
I think my confidence in coaching directly impacts their confidence. In turn, they can now make the social impact in society they want to achieve through their career.
Would You Recommend Our Programs To Others?
Yes. The teachers were great but equally important was what I learned from my fellow students. The Academies also provided very practical and evidence-based handbooks that we could read along with videos. I also found it very useful listening to the recordings of the teachers coaching their real-world clients.
In addition, I thought I was one of the few coaches who didn’t have formal ICF training. I found out, however, that I was not alone. A good number of my classmates already did coaching without formal coaching training. Some had tried a variety of programs before coming to The Academies. I think the Academies courses worked well for all of us in building our confidence and improving the quality of our coaching.
Overall, it was a very practical program while at the still time providing me with sufficient knowledge to get my ACC certification. And I’m now working on getting sufficient coaching hours to get my PCC certification.
What Have Clients Said About Your Coaching?
“Deborah is an outstanding coach for science & technology professionals, whether they are just beginning their career or have two decades of experience. She is strategic, focused, empathetic, and quite experienced. I appreciate how much and how clearly she can communicate and facilitate change in a very short period of time.”
Thank You For Sharing Your Coaching Journey, Deborah!
You can find Deborah via these channels: