Inspiring and Empowering Peer Coaching

I had an online peer coaching session with Coach Chepkemoi KURGAT in Kenya. The purpose was to record the session for my mentor coaching session.

I’ve been officially coaching since I received the training in 2015, and in my intercultural training, I use coaching questions and I feel comfortable coaching. I am naturally a very curious person, and I want to know about the other person so much that it’s never a problem to connect with people and ask questions.

HOWEVER, when it comes to recording, I get too tense. I’m too worried about “the right steps” or “the right wording” and my voice does not sound joyous. The way I ask questions are so tense. I wanted to record more sessions in order to overcome this recording fear.

But the more I thought about “doing it right,” the more stiff I became. The last recording I did towards the end of the year last year was so terrible that I didn’t even hear it again. Then… my mentor coaching session stopped. I couldn’t move on to find another person to do the session together. I was completely sunken into the fear. But after the Lunar New Year in February, I told myself, I cannot just ignore this fear. I have to face it take care o the fear and myself.

So I told my mentor coach that I need to record more and more sessions just to get used to recording. She introduced me to some people, and Chepkemoi is one of them. Since it was totally first time for both of us to meet (online). we started introducing each other first.

After getting to know each other a little, we began our coaching session. I tried not to worry about “the right steps” and “the right wording,” but just to be present and listen to her. There were a few times in my head I was thinking… I went “that’s not the right order. But the moment I heard the phrase in my head, I told myself. It’s not your fault. Let it go, move on. Be compassionate to yourself. You’ll be fine. Then I just focused on being curious and being myself.

In the end, it was a wonderful session. Coach Chepkemoi told me this.

“Truly humbled Tomomi Kumai! What a pleasure to connect with you too. I am excited and looking forward to our next peer coaching session. Thank you being my coach for this session. I was able to expand my way of thinking around the situation. Its impressive how coaching can leverage on technology...its about being unstoppable and learning to bridging the gap.”

The fear I had a few months ago is greatly reduced. By facing my fear, I was able to move forward to over come it. Not only that, I was able see the coachee become more motivated and determined. I am grateful that I can work with someone in Kenya! Thank you so much! I’m happy to be able to work with such an intelligent and powerful woman who inspires and empowers people.