A Research Paper created by Joanna Denise Ycasiano-Dejos
(Authentic Life Coaching, PHILIPPINES)
Introduction
The case study I am about to share is not your usual coaching success story. Nor is it a story that, in my opinion, has reached its end. It is however, a great story of my own personal realizations and growth as a coach, as this particular engagement pushed me to question my methodology, question my end goal, and re-evaluate what my purpose is as a coach.
This case study therefore is as much a case study on myself as it is about my client.
About the Client
Patrick is a 40-year old man, married, with 2 children. He is an expatriate’s husband and has lived in the country for a year now. Over the years of his marriage, his wife has moved assignments (and countries) every 2-3 years, uprooting the family each time. His sole “job” at the moment is to serve as the main person in charge of the children’s education and needs.
When asked to evaluate certain areas of his life, Patrick gave the following ratings (with 10 being the highest possible rating; 1 being the lowest possible rating):
- Health: 8
- Career: 1
- Money: 8
- Family: 8
- Peace: 7
- Fun: 7
- Relationship(s): 7
- Fulfillment: 6
- Other: ______________
His main objective for the coaching engagement was
to define a professional project I can build on considering my background, interest, but as well taking into consideration our family constraints (move to a new country every 3 years or less, wife very busy with work so the children count mainly on dad for education, care, sense of roots and native language development) and take action to develop needed skills if necessary.
During the Discovery Session, he talked more about his feelings of insecurity about having been out of the job place for the past 8 years and the need to engage in work that would allow him to develop himself and have some form of higher social impact.
Patrick was very clear that he wanted two things: 1) to figure out classes/projects he could do to “put something” in his resume and get him back on track and 2) to update his resume, as he felt it was very empty, given his full-time role as a father, since the birth of his children.