Client Spotlight: Silvia Marabeti
Silvia Marabeti is the VP of Human Resources, Organizational Development and Volunteer Services for Circle of Care. She discovered Frame of Mind Coaching™ when the CEO of Circle of Care, Carey Lucki, met Kim Ades at a TEC (The Executive Committee) presentation. “One of the things that I really respect about Carey is that she sees the value in executive coaching for her team,” says Silvia.
Silvia participated in our 1-1 Executive Coaching program with FOM Coach Dave Gorham, and then followed it up by participating in a customized Group Coaching program along with her fellow senior leaders. She is currently receiving Maintenance Coaching with FOM Coach Chari Schwartz. “I adore Dave and Chari,” says Silvia. “They’re vastly different coaches and they’ve helped me become a better coach.”
Before coaching, Silvia would instinctively help others but also take on their struggles, sometimes without asking them first. She also wanted to make sure that she could be the best coach for her teams. Finally, she came to us because she believes that investment in personal development is paramount to being a better professional and a better person in general.
She was also looking for a coach who would push her, as she appreciates bluntness and a straightforward approach. “Dave knew how to push the right buttons, which really helped,” she says. “He’s so wise and relatable and it was an amazing experience.”
During coaching, Dave held up a metaphorical mirror for Silvia, and she thanked him after each conversation as their calls were cathartic. “I used to have a need to rescue others because I didn’t want them to struggle,” says Silvia, “but I learned that the struggle actually helps them develop.” Through coaching, Silvia understood that for her team to learn, they need to do it themselves; she can’t learn for them. When it came to working with the future leaders on her teams, Dave helped her become a better coach to these individuals.
In terms of her personal development, Silvia and Dave had discussions around her life outside of work, what fulfills her, what brings her peace and what makes her happy. They worked on finding ways for her to achieve her personal goals while also having work satisfaction.
In her personal and professional relationships, coaching helped Silvia understand how she reacts to situations and to put things into perspective. “I learned that I can’t control people’s behavior, so I need to mitigate my own behavior,” she says. “In these moments, I pause and go back to the FOM fundamentals.” Silvia finds herself often referring to something Dave said during one of their sessions: “Ask no one to be different so that you can be happy or feel good. Release the need to control others. Your potential for happiness is through the control of your own thoughts and feelings.”
Silvia’s coaching with Dave wrapped up at the beginning of the pandemic, but he had given her a boost of confidence to be a stronger leader and help her coworkers handle situations better. “What I love about FOM is it addresses your behavior,” she says. “You can’t control situations; it’s about how you respond.” Silvia brought this coaching approach to her team throughout the pandemic.
Silvia and the rest of the executive team then participated in Group Coaching, under the supervision of FOM Coach Chari Schwartz. “We’re a tight-knit group, and it was interesting to see our different perspectives in a safe space and it brought our team even closer together,” she says. “We work much better together now because we understand each other better.” Silvia learned that she and the other VPs think and work in different ways from one another, but Group Coaching gave them a deeper understanding of each other’s perspectives, made them stronger, and allowed them to collaborate more effectively.
She is now in Maintenance Coaching with Chari. “Chari has an understanding of the home healthcare environment,” says Silvia, “so she is very insightful when discussing the specifics of my work.” Together they have worked on Silvia’s stress levels. Chari listens, offers suggestions and helps to clear the fog. “She’s someone I can talk things through with so I can be strong and helpful when supporting my peers,” says Silvia. She says that’s the beauty of having an executive coach—having a sounding board.
“Coaching on the level that FOM does is imperative to all leadership, and it’s a worthwhile investment in your people,” says Silvia. “You get so much more out of it than typical business coaching. It helps you grow as a person on so many levels and it is critical to the success of any organization.”