Interview with Jane Mobille, Professional Certified Coach
What is your role within the Global MBA programme?
I am a Paris-based member of the team of executive coaches that make up the Global MBA’s Development Programme. The backbone of the Global MBA, the Development Programme provides individual coaching for each participant, addressing both their professional and personal projects. Furthermore, I have served on the admission jury and have led a number of workshops, most recently the “Most Compelling” series of career workshops.
What kind of personal investment does this require?
I am deeply invested in each of my EMBA coachees – intellectually and emotionally. I prepare for coaching sessions by reviewing my notes from previous sessions; and in between sessions, I am in regular email contact with many of my coachees.
I find myself thinking of them at the oddest times, which may lead to sending on a link to an article or video, or a few questions for reflection. I try to make myself as available as possible in order to enable my coachees to fit coaching into their busy lives.
Otherwise, to keep my coaching skills sharp and maintain my PCC credential, I work with a Coach Supervisor every month, stay abreast of developments in coaching and related areas, write and edit articles for several publications, and attend continuing education courses. For the workshops, I create original activities and materials tailored to the needs of EMBA participants.
Finally, I interact regularly with Kirt Wood and Caroline Floch and other members of the Kedge team.
What is the importance/significance of coach involvement with EMBA participants?
Most importantly, coaching helps the EMBA participant stay on track regarding module completion, the Strategic Business Project, and their professional project.
Coaching also addresses what is going on in their life today. A coaching relationship is created when coach and coachee communicate in confidence with honesty and authenticity.
It may be the only place in the EMBA participant’s life where they can exchange with someone who is trained to listen with curiosity, not to make judgments or assumptions, and where that someone will seek to “see” the whole person – and then mirror back the most magnificent parts.
Nonetheless, the coach names all that he or she “sees”; that is what makes the conversation so honest. There are no wrong answers in coaching, nor is there room for pity. Failure, as such, is seen as an integral part of the learning/action cycle.
So to answer your question, the coaching conversation is unlike any other because it is a safe space for deep exploration of school, workplace, and personal life behaviors. The significance for EMBA participants is that coaching strengthens their ability to engage in intentional choices and actions, aimed at achieving desired impacts.
Finally, the fruits of coaching are made even richer by the fact that many participants live and work in multicultural environments.
What do you get out of working with EMBA participants?
Wow! – I get a window into somebody else’s brain and soul. For lovers of humanity like me, there is nothing more fulfilling than this, nor more humbling. EMBA participants generously share their paths with me – I learn from and engage with their career and life experiences.
I get the satisfaction of supporting participants as they move toward even more fulfilling and impactful lives. It makes me especially happy when I see a participant let go of something heavy that they may have been carrying around for a long time, freeing up energy to be used in a positive way.
What are your key coaching challenges with respect to participants?
My key coaching challenge with respect to EMBA participants is figuring out how to support them in keeping the learning/action cycle of coaching alive between sessions.
Another is breaking down a priori beliefs certain participants may have towards coaching, so that they will use their coach more often! I would like to add that participants on the whole are very coachable, and that is because they are people who are motivated to learn and who want to make their lives even bigger and better.
They are truly an extraordinary group.
Of which achievement involving participants within the EMBA are you most proud?
I am most proud of the work I do with my EMBA participants with children, the ones who have learned to look straight into the headlights without blinking – and make the choices that need to be made each day regarding how to allocate their time, talent, and love.
I am also proud when I am able to help a participant move from a “needy” posture – likely a result of not feeling seen or understood by important people in their lives – to a posture of “generosity”, initiated by my role in allowing them to feel fully seen and understood.
This is exciting because the ability to be generous opens the participant’s door to effective leadership.
How do you see the role of Executive Coaching evolving in the coming years for participants?
I see the role of Executive Coaching becoming increasingly recognized among participants as not just an integral part of their growth as businessperson and human being, but as the key to exceeding their expectations of what they will gain from the Global MBA. I would like to see all participants find the time to take full advantage of the opportunity for Executive Coaching that Kedge’s Global MBA offers.
Anything else?
Just that I am happy to be part of the Kedge family.