27 April 2022

We asked our Essex and East London Network Coordinators, Marianna Solodcaia and Maureen Sango-Jackson (above), to tell us why they took on the network role, and how the first few months have been. Running a network is ‘a really rewarding opportunity to support your professional and personal coaching and mentoring career,’ they say.

Why did you choose to take on the challenge of becoming the coordinators of the Essex and East London network?

The two of us met on an NLP course in August 2020. Marianna was recommended by a colleague to become a network coordinator. She had recently completed the PGCert in Coaching and Mentoring, and the network role aligned really well with her passion for coaching and mentoring.

Meanwhile, Maureen had completed the ILM Executive Coaching course in 2021, and was equally passionate about coaching and mentoring, so the network role was a great fit for her too. She currently coaches C-Suite individuals and leads on the Reverse Mentoring Programme for the NHS trust where she’s based.

What’s the most challenging thing about running an EMCC UK network?

Trying to draft a list of guest speakers over a 12 month period was really challenging, as well as pulling together interesting topics that experienced and non-experienced coaches would find engaging. But by using our networks, we managed to draft an action plan, and we’ve secured guest speakers each month through to October 2022.

So far, we’ve delivered three sessions. Our first two looked at the habits of the coach and how they affect the coachee; and professional burnout among caregivers. Our third session on co-learning for diversity and inclusion, which focused on the role of reciprocal mentoring, was delivered by David Clutterbuck, one of the founding members of EMCC UK.

What have you found most rewarding about leading a network?

Leading the network on behalf of EMCC UK is such a great honour for both of us. We hope our network raises the profile of coaching and mentoring, as well as delivering sessions on challenging topics, and increasing membership numbers. We’re in a great position to meet new people from other networks, learn from fellow coaches and mentors, and be part of the community of other network coordinators.

We encourage any EMCC UK members who live in areas where there’s a vacancy for network coordinators to consider joining the team of coordinators. If you’re happy to dedicate at least two hours a month to building up your network, you’ll be joining a great network group (on WhatsApp) where you’ll be able to learn from colleagues about how to manage and lead a network. It’s a really rewarding opportunity to support your professional and personal coaching and mentoring career.

If you would like to explore becoming a network coordinator, please email Sarah Loud – [email protected] – our Business Relations and Events Officer, who will tell you more about the role and the support provided by EMCC UK.

Find out more about the EMCC UK networks
Contact the Essex and East London network