Interview by Sibel Aydin Gorcek - DEIB committee
We had a nice chat with Marjolijn Vlug focusing on the DEIB Volunteer Group and its activities within the ICF Netherlands Chapter, exploring her transition from HR to full-time coaching and her commitment to making the profession more inclusive.
COACHING: CONNECTION & HOLDING A SPACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN BE THEMSELVES
‘As you develop as a coach, being aware of diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging is essential to being an actual good coach.’
Let’s start with your story. How did your coaching journey start?
My coaching journey started shortly after my entrepreneurship journey started. I had a coach while I was in a work situation where I was unhappy, and that coach helped me decide that I preferred to be a solopreneur instead of working in a company. I started a business as a consultant and thought that would be it. However, because I was working in HR, people would ask me about their careers anyway, so I decided to offer career coaching as well.
What led you to pursue formal training?
I noticed that many people call themselves a coach but haven’t actually been trained. I wanted to stand in my value of integrity and that when I called myself a coach, I actually had the training. I also noticed situations with clients where I felt I wanted to strengthen my skill level so I started coach training. I loved it so much that I went full-on into it and I don’t do any consulting anymore.
Which aspect of coaching do you like most?
What I really love most is the connection and holding a space where someone can just be themselves, say anything, hear themselves talk, and learn from that.
I remember an exercise in my first training where I coached someone for maybe 15 minutes and something really shifted. He was amazed and I was amazed; seeing how that conversation makes such a difference in how a person feels in their life is beautiful, good work.
You said what you really love most is the connection. What does this connection mean in terms of diversity? How can we make DEIB a part of coaching?
For me, inclusion and belonging are essential parts of coaching. As you develop your skillset as a professional coach, being aware of diversity, inclusion, equity, and belonging is both a key ingredient of coaching and a key part of ICF ethics and competencies. If you can’t hold space for who a person is, you are limiting the coaching.
FOUNDATIONS OF VOLUNTEER DEIB GROUP
‘I believe this group offers a lot for international coaches and that’s very inclusive.’
How did you get involved with the DEIB volunteer group at ICF Netherlands?
Camilla Degerth messaged me and said she thought there should be a DEIB group at ICF Netherlands, and asked if I wanted to join her. It was her initiative and I became the co-founder. The group was not a formal part of the ICF chapter at that time, but we really believed it should be, so we just started it.
What was the purpose of the group?
Our perspective was that we serve both a board-facing and a member-facing side. Part of what we do is giving input to the board and ICF Netherlands. We also wanted to offer professional growth opportunities such as workshops and events for members.
What has been the most impressive impact of the group?
In a very short time span, ICF Netherlands has become a lot more international. When I joined, almost everything was in Dutch, and international coaches felt it wasn’t for them. When we started our DEIB group, we decided to offer bilingual workshops. That choice quickly developed the approach in the chapter. Now, we get English messages followed by Dutch, and events are mostly in English while still supporting those who want to ask questions in Dutch. This has resulted in a huge growth in membership and a unique positioning for ICF in the Dutch coaching landscape. I believe this group offers a lot for international coaches and that this makes the chapter more inclusive.
The DEIB Volunteer Group is unique in its view and concept. How would you describe the DEIB Group itself?
It’s been quite a warm, connected group of real people. Our members are really committed; it’s not just “volunteer tasks” to do, what we do is important to us, and that creates a shared vibe and positive energy that makes a difference. Our meetings are fun and that energy sparks a lot.
VISION AND PURPOSE OF DEIB VOLUNTEER GROUP
‘We care about inclusion and we care about the coaching community growing in these topics.’
How have your expectations evolved since you started the DEIB group?
A lot has changed. We started as a self-organized initiative, and is now an actual part of ICF Netherlands. It was challenging because there was no formal “space” for us yet. Now that there is space, new challenges become more prominent, like prioritizing available time. One recent thing that the group have been working on is revisiting shared purpose and vision with the current composition of the group.
For me, it is now time to give the current members the space to give this new shape and direction, which is why I have stepped out and moved on to other projects within ICF Netherlands to integrate the inclusive perspective there as well.
How has the vision of the group changed recently?
When we started, the group’s frame of reference was to work a bit like a self-organized employee resource group, similar to how people in an organization come together because they care about the same thing. That became the blueprint for focus areas such as collecting data, lobbying with the board, and having events.
However, the group is not an employee resource group, and it is actively developing into something else. I am really curious what this group will become and what serves most now, especially as it is shaped by the talents of the current members. When someone with a specific skill leaves, something else is created based on what the other members are good at.
But the main purpose remains: we care about inclusion, diversity, equity and belonging, and we care about the coaching community growing around these topics.
How has this experience affected your own coaching vision and style?
Being in this group has helped me find other coaches who care about developing themselves on these topics. My metaphor for it is “pandas in the jungle”. When you feel there are not so many of you out there, you think you’re the only panda until you find others and see “oh, there’s many more of us!” It’s a relief to talk to each other and grow together. This is a field in development, there isn’t just one book or course, so we learn collectively.
LOOKING AHEAD…
‘It makes you a better coach to become aware of biases, especially when you think you’re “fine”. Being honest and vulnerable about this improves the profession.’
What is the next step for DEIB Group?
Looking ahead, two things are happening in the DEIB field. One is an increase in political pushback, which I’m sure happens in coaching as well.
The other thing about DEIB is that what’s happening is integration. And I think that’s the next step here as well.
It’s valuable to explore how we can make coaching more accessible and how to be inclusive for neurodiverse learning styles, or be more aware of biases, or the impact of racial experiences on a person.
For example, when you’re a white coach coaching a person of color, what is important to be mindful of? Or when you’re coaching someone from a different country?
Even if you coach people in the same demographic, biases may still creep in. It makes you a better coach to become aware of that, especially when you think you’re already doing fine. Being honest and vulnerable about this improves the profession.
What is your final view of the future of the profession?
I believe in making coaching more accessible for more kinds of people, not just the C-suite or senior leaders. I think of it like hairdressers: everyone gets to have a hairdresser, not just the King and the Queen. There’s a hairdresser on every corner with all kinds of styles, and there’s no such thing as “too many” because most people have hair and want a haircut.
It’s the same with coaches; it’s great that there are different ones so you can choose the best one for you.
