new ventures — 3TENETS

goodwill + new ventures west /
Coaching and Development Collaboration

goodwill /Goodwill’s vision is a world free of poverty where people have the power to support themselves and their families, live in safe and thriving communities, and actively care for the environment. Built on the values of courage, integrity, possibility, and community, GW provides education and career services and opportunities to help individuals overcome barriers to employment such as long-term welfare dependence, a physical or mental disability, homelessness, incarceration, or limited use of English.

new ventures west /
New Ventures West (NVW) is an International Coaching Federation (ICF) Accredited Coach Training Program (ACTP) with a year long Professional Coaching Course (PCC) focused on vertical integral development. With philosophical foundations in Integral Theory; Pragmatism; Ontology and the question of what it is to be human; Linguistics; and more, NVW focuses on Adult Development and the fact that we’re biological beings in a social world.

Woman in gold - Former Tobacco Factory, Athens, Greece

In collaboration with the internal team, we built the first ever systemic Coaching & Development Practice at SF Goodwill (GW), which became an important part of the learning environment and provided support and guidance beyond basic job skills training. Nourishing a capacity of self-awareness and a focus on long-term excellence, wellness, and the sustainability of our planet, and linked to all stages of the staff / participant lifecycle, the practice is connected with selection, onboarding, performance, development, and succession. While on New Ventures West’s (NVW) faculty, Nicole Lambrou designed this collaboration between the two organizations.

An extensive introduction of GW set the stage for the coaches’ journey, including a walking tour of the store and facilities with an explanation of participant flow, a summary of staff functions, what it means to operate as a social enterprise and an overview of the many cultural challenges and commitments that inform the everyday reality of participants.

Desert gold flower - Death Valley, CA (Superbloom, 2016)

The individual coaching for GW staff was supplemented by monthly group sessions facilitated by Nicole Lambrou to further integration and team development, and coaches were also asked to engage in a monthly forum to support their own learning process. Program participants reported that as a result of the coaching they increased their capacity to be aware, felt supported, and had a sense of trust in their coach. As one program participant described, “I now see my work in a different light, am not so stressed about getting things done… and I learned how to better communicate with my manager and express what my needs are.”

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