Iacob Bacian Coaching
Relational Coaching for Sustainable
Change
Hi, I'm Iacob
Hello, I'm iacob, an ICF Associate Certified Coach. Originally from Romania, I’ve lived in the UK for 14 years. I'm based in SE London, UK and work in person and online.
I started my working life as a graphic designer determined not to design for Coca Cola. (though I drink it sometimes!) I knew I needed to do work that built the kind of world I wanted to live in. I've since been involved with 'change-making' across two different roles: as a designer, researching and implementing user-centred services in the public sector; and as a coach, supporting people to change careers/roles and organisations to navigate cultural and operational shifts with anti-oppression as a driving force.
Credentials:
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I am an Associate Certified Coach and member of the International Coaching Federation.
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I hold professional indemnity insurance with Hiscox
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I bring 100hrs live coach training, ongoing CPD activity (log available on request);
(~ equivalent of a Master's Degree in the UK) + 250+ coaching sessions (1-2-1 and 2-2-1) -
7+ years experience co-designing visuals, programmes and services for design studios and organisations such as Shift Design, Snook, FutureGov, Huddlecraft, WADUP.
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3+ years experience coaching with organisations such as Learnest, She Leads Change, Know You More, Simply Coaching, NEON.
Who it's for
Individuals and organisations in a process of transformation
Career/job/role changer
I’m changing jobs, roles, careers, orgs. I’m looking for:
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Time to articulate what I want to be different and identify options
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Confidence and clarity around what will bring me a greater sense of fulfilment
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A space to be honest and use that knowledge to move forward
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A place to experiment with new ideas, roles, ways to use my skills
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A system of accountability, encouragement and support.
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Experience:
In the last 4 years I've worked with people navigating career and role changes in the pursuit of a more purposeful application of their skills. I have worked with social entrepreneurs, creative freelancers, designers, climate specialists, researchers, creative arts practitioners, consultants. I supported them with changing careers, switching roles in the same company, setting up a sole trader business, setting up an NGO.
Having changed careers myself I bring a solid understanding of the commitment, energy, and tasks that are involved in such a change process. I work with individuals to identify what their career shift needs to feel and look like for them and support them to kickstart this process and sustain their efforts in making progress.
The connecting thread throughout my independent and associate coach work has always been a strong passion to support individuals to believe in themselves and in doing so step up for adding their unique contribution to the world.
Social Impact Leaders
I’m an organisational leader. I’m looking to:
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Increase self-awareness in work relationships in order to improve communication and effectiveness;
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Make time for regular reflection so that I learn from what I'm doing and take action anchored
in organisational vision; -
Explore and develop a leadership style that enables me to operate at my best and be responsive to the organisation I'm leading.
Experience:
I have supported leaders through coaching both through my independent coaching practice as well as an Associate Coach with New Economy Organisers Network. (NEON)
Over the last year, in my coaching role with NEON on their OrgBuilders programme I've been supporting 4 leaders of one hierarchical NGO and a non-hierarchical activist network to implement and navigate strategic, operational and cultural shifts in their organisations. In this role I've been working with leaders in both 1-2-1 and 2-2-1 coaching sessions. My role on this programme involves holding coaching from the lens of anti-racism and anti-oppression.
Independently I have worked with leaders new to the roles of ‘Director’ and ‘Head’ supporting them to define their leadership styles and work out how that fit with the organisations they were serving. Clients interested in working on their leadership find my approach useful as it enables them to be honest and straightforward about their situation. This enables them to do the work they need to do to show up as the leaders they want and need to be day-to-day.
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'I've had several coaching chats with Iacob. Each one helped me feel clearer about what I wanted & energised to get moving. Iacob welcomes the difficult parts of our confidence to trying things that feel hard, with real compassion & trust.'
Aliyah Norrish
'I know the number of coaches in the world is growing, and it may seem overwhelming at times. However, there are coaches and there are coaches. If you're looking for a coach, look for one that walks their talk. Iacob is a social impact coach that does.'
Rashmir Balasubramaniam
'Iacob helped me discern possibility rather than fixed truths. With each question, reflection or intervention, I slowly retreated from 'all the outcomes will be bad' to a place of possibility and options.'
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Kirsty Elderton
One of my biggest learnings in recent years has been that in the work of enabling societal change, 'use of self' is one of the most powerful tools there is. To me, that means that who we are and how we relate to others is the bedrock of wider change in the world. Someone who deploys their 'use of self' beautifully is Iacob Bacian in their work of relational coaching for change-makers.
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Lydia Hascott
Approach
How I coach has been shaped through a combination of personal work in therapy (7 years) and formal coach training (4 years). I see coaching as a highly personal process where measures of efficiency need to be designed in partnership by the coach and person coming to coaching.
The coach training I completed is based on the International Coach Federation’s coaching competencies. You can read these here as well as their ethics code. Below I describe the principles that shape how I coach, what these look like in practice and the training that supports them:
Relational
Coaching
Relational coaching involves a contract not only for the work we’ll be doing together in coaching but for the working relationship that develops between us. This means using our relationship as a learning vehicle, noticing relational patterns in yourself, myself and between us as we partner towards your goals. This provides you with a 'mirror' of your own relationship to self and others, putting you in a strong position to bring about improvements.
Supported by:
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Regular supervision with a Master Coach
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Regular personal psychotherapy
Sustainable Change
A relational approach places emphasis not only on the cognitive conversation but on involving all aspects of ourselves such: minds, bodies, emotions, relationship. This type of coaching delivers deep transformation but also requires a readiness to learn, grow and change. In practice, this might mean naming an emotion or a bodily sensation to enable forward movement.
Continuously learning as: ​
- Monthly peer learning circles focused on organisational coaching with NEON's OrgBuilders Coaches
Working Together
I offer a 30min free matching call to assess fit and discuss working together.
Costs: I'm currently experimenting with a relational approach to setting fees.
We decide together what works for both of us. Learn more about this here.
About
I am passionate about bringing coaching to the leaders and organisations tackling our most urgent societal issues. I'm an Associate Coach with NEON - coaching on their OrgBuilders programme supporting social change organisations to develop anti-oppressive ways of working in their culture, strategy and operational structure.
When I'm not coaching, I enjoy spending time outdoors walking, cycling, rollerskating. I also enjoy writing poetry and sometimes performing it live. Performing arts fascinate me and I spend many evenings watching dance pieces, clown shows and improv.
FAQs
What does a coach do?
Do I need coaching or therapy?
A coach focuses on supporting people to set goals and take practical action in their career and personal life. This process involves problem-solving, setting actions, reviewing them and evaluating progress. The coach provides active listening, challenge, perspective and encouragement.
Do I have time for coaching?
There are some similarities between coaching and therapy. Coaching is generally geared towards actioning desired personal and professional goals. Therapy is instead aimed at making conscious patterns of emotional functioning to enable emergence of new patterns of behaviour.
What are your qualifications?
How important is it for you to be in coaching right now? (from 1-10)/ Do you have the time and energy capacity to spend 1-3hrs per week on coaching?/ How will you manage the emotional/intellectual effort that is needed for coaching?/ Can you attend regular sessions and plan 1hr to prepare/debrief?
I completed a 50hrs coaching course with the MOE Foundation in London (2019); a one day Mental Health Aware First Aid training with Mental Health First Aid England (2020); Transforming Conversations (30hrs coaching course - 2021); 10hrs of coach mentorhsip with Claire Pedrick MCC (2022).