Leveraging coaching for individual and organizational impact: A spotlight interview with Manuela Carbone

Coaching is essential for UN staff as it promotes leadership development and enhances individual skills necessary for navigating complex global challenges. It encourages personal growth through self-reflection, enabling staff to identify their strengths and areas for improvement.  

In this engaging spotlight interview with Berin Mckenzie, the Head of the UNSSC’s Knowledge Center for Leadership and Management (KCLM), Manuela Carbone, coach and member of the Assessment and Coaching team at KCLM, discusses her journey into coaching and the creation of tailored experiences for UN entities. She provides valuable insights into the role of coaching within the UN context and emphasizes its significant impact on both individuals and the organization.  

Berin: What motivated you to become a coach and what changed as a result of having increased coaching skills?  

Manuela: Several factors led me to become a coach. In 2015, we began incorporating live coaching sessions into programs for senior managers in Turin. This experience highlighted the effectiveness of coaching and prompted us to include it in more leadership programs. As we searched for suitable coaches, I realized I had a significant knowledge gap about coaching. Another crucial factor was my own decision to pursue coaching. After facing personal challenges and lacking career clarity, I found a coach and the transformative work I did in my coaching path inspired me to learn more, so I enrolled in a coaching skills training program. I was unaware of the difficulty that lay ahead, which included learning to ask meaningful questions and listen actively, as well as managing and accepting emotions and feedback. Becoming a certified coach changed my approach to work. I finally filled that knowledge gap, allowing me to engage meaningfully with coaches, participants, and clients about coaching. 

Berin: What is the common denominator, as far as you see, in a coaching conversation?  

Manuela: There are many coaching models out there, most of them are valid, I studied one of them but I always tried to become familiar with other models too. And during a coaching conversation, I believe I can now identify two crucial common denominators, responsibility and commitment. The coach believes that the coachee is 100% able to respond: this means that the coachee has the ability to take responsibility for achieving their goals. This includes putting in the necessary work and taking actionable steps to reach those goals. Commitment is key in this process. While the coach is there to support, guide, and challenge the coachee, the journey can often be uncomfortable and difficult. It's essential for the coachee to fully commit to putting in the effort required, whether that means taking substantial steps toward their goal or even making a small initial move in that direction. 

Berin: What are some common challenges you encounter, particularly in a UN context, and how do you address them?  

Manuela: Based on the feedback from our clients, it turns out UN colleagues worldwide are faced with almost the same issues, and this of course impacts organizations and their competencies. For example, there seem to be major challenges across the system regarding performance, clarity of roles and responsibilities, being recognized, the visibility, as well as difficulties tied to headquarter-based staff as opposed to field-based staff. The challenges are very different because of the context and the environment, but both are faced with a type of isolation that impacts motivation, the sense of purpose. These challenges, if not addressed, may lead to a career stalemate and impact the well-being of the staff. It’s hard to talk about this openly in the system, therefore coaching becomes the go-to practice. It’s confidential, it’s done with very prepared and experienced professionals, it offers a safe space and psychological safety. We are thankful to the Organizations because they allow their staff to invest in the coaching, because they recognize the need for that space for their staff. 

Berin: What outcomes does UNSSC look for through its coaching engagements?  

Manuela:  I look for transformative impact. When a coachee, at the end of their coaching engagement, lets me know how that experience changed them and impacted their reality positively, it is really all I need because I know that the positive outcome of their coaching will also impact the work that they do everyday more effectively. For organizations implementing coaching for their staff, transformative impact may look like being able to gain more clarity about any areas of development they may wish to work on. 

Berin: Connecting to these challenges, what are some of the key benefits you envision for UN staff having and utilizing increased coaching skills?   

Manuela: Learning coaching skills involves fostering a coaching culture, which includes enhancing listening abilities, providing constructive feedback, maximizing staff potential, and demonstrating empathy without judgment. These elements are valuable and align well with any UN framework, which is certainly a positive aspect.  

However, for me, because I have been on both sides, as so both a a coachee and a coach, the most compelling reason to encourage anyone to embark on this journey is for the self-discovery that comes with it. It may seem simple, but I know it's far from that! Engaging in coaching training significantly enhances self-awareness. You learn a lot about yourself, and not everything will be pleasant, but this honesty is essential.  

During a coaching skills training, through the practice of being both a coach and a coachee, you gain insight into the experiences of others. You learn what it means to be vulnerable, recognize emotions, and understand that building trust is a challenging process that requires consistent effort.   

Do I think that this kind of realisations and self-awareness are important for our colleagues to learn? Yes, I do, and I feel very strongly about this. It is about changing from within and offering that enhanced version of the Self to support your coachee.  

Berin: What trends do you see emerging in coaching within international organizations like the UN, and how does UNSSC plan to adapt to these changes? 

Manuela: We see different trends lately. For example, because of the current financial crisis in the UN system and the loss of so many jobs, we have an increasing request for “career coaching”. The client needs someone to work with to help them polish their resume and practice competency-based interviewing.  

Another example, again as a consequence of the crisis and the unstable environment that it caused, a lot of coaching requests relate to stress management and how coaching can help with becoming more resilient.  

We work tirelessly to respond to these requests in a way that will be meaningful for our clients. 

UN Coaching Catalyst Programme is an eleven-week programme designed to immerse participants in the core principles of professional coaching, grounded in both global coaching best practices, and the values underpinning the mission of the United Nations(UN). Key coaching tools will be explored, including cultivating a coaching mindset, mastering deep listening, utilizing powerful questioning techniques, and fostering accountability. You can learn more here