Coaching Below the Surface
How to Coach Across Differences and Create a Psychologically Safe Coaching Practice to Attract and Build Trust with Clients Across Differences
The world is evolving, and so are our coaching practices. As our societies become more diverse, coaching is no longer just about technique—it’s about understanding the full breadth of who our clients are. Their identities, experiences, and challenges are more dynamic than ever before. Consider how the workplace is shifting:
- Generation Z is rising. As of mid-2024, Gen Z workers made up 18% of the U.S. labor force, surpassing Baby Boomers at 15%.
- Women are advancing in leadership. In 2023, women held 32.2% of senior leadership roles worldwide, a number that continues to grow.
- Disability is a workplace reality. In 2022, more than 1 in 4 U.S. adults (28.7%) identified as having a disability, shaping how organizations approach accessibility and inclusion.
- Identities are becoming more multidimensional. More people now hold multiple, intersecting identities—across race, gender, sexual orientation, disability, and more—bringing nuanced experiences into their personal and professional lives.
As the workplace becomes more diverse, coaching is evolving too. More and more, coaches report that their clients reflect this shift—bringing unique perspectives, challenges, and goals into coaching conversations. The intersection of identities shapes how individuals experience leadership, growth, and resilience, making it essential for coaches to foster deep understanding, inclusivity, and adaptability in their approach.
This is more than a trend; it’s an opportunity. When we, as coaches, commit to leading with inclusivity and awareness, we create stronger coaching relationships, better mental health, and ultimately, a more connected and equitable world.
Are you ready to meet the moment?
Join the Waitlist – Be the First to Know!
Excited about the future of coaching? Join the waitlist and gain exclusive early access to our upcoming ICF coach training program. Here’s what you’ll get when you sign up:
✅ Early Access & Special Offers – Be the first to receive program details and exclusive discounts for early registrants.
✅ Bonus Coaching Session – Early bird registrants will receive an extra coaching session, giving you even more personalized support as you embark on this journey.
✅ Exclusive Community Event – Get an invitation to a special live event with LaTonya Wilkins and our expert faculty. This is your chance to experience firsthand what this program offers, ask questions, and connect with like-minded coaches.
✅ Priority Enrollment – Secure your spot before we open registration to the public.
If you’re ready to level up your coaching and be part of a program that’s shaping the future of the industry, sign up now and stay in the loop!
Don’t miss out—join the waitlist today!
Program Description
This program is designed to equip coaches with the knowledge and tools to navigate the rapidly evolving coaching industry. Coaches will explore upcoming changes in the industry and learn how to adapt their practice accordingly. The program will delve into effective coaching techniques across diverse client backgrounds, emphasizing the importance of diversity, inclusion, belonging, and psychological safety, while also offering a comprehensive assessment to evaluate these elements within their current practice. Additionally, coaches will identify and address personal blindspots, culminating in the creation of a personalized action plan for ongoing development and enhanced coaching effectiveness across differences.
Audience
Experienced coaches who have already completed a foundational program including: coaches completing or renewing a credential, coaches who would like to venture outside of traditional coach training and learn how to improve coaching across differences, coaches who are or expect to be coaching across diverse backgrounds, and coaches who may have completed a foundational program and but are seeking to learn more about coaching different demographics of clients.
Coaching specialties
- Business/Organizations
- Coaching other Coaches
- Executive
- Leadership
- Personal/Organizational
- Relationship
- Small Business
Format
- In-person
- Virtual
Program Details
Attend an in-person (or hybrid) 1.5 day synchronous learning kick-off in Chicago.
Attend 6 (1.5 hour) virtual training sessions.
Share an action plan with the instructors.
ICF CCEs
ICF CCEs are offered for this program and will be allocated to the following categories:
Core Competencies: 15
Resource Development: 6.5 (Personal Devlopment, Business Development, or other Skills and tools)
Program Dates: This hybrid program is limited to 30 participants and is expected to launch in May of 2025.
The full agenda will be released to everyone on the waitlist when registration opens.
Learning Objectives
- Understand how the coaching industry will change, how this will affect your practice, and how to
- prepare for these pivotal changes
- Learn techniques to coach effectively across differences, how concepts such as belonging and psychological safety align, and complete an assessment to gain awareness around the degree to which these environmental factors are present in your coaching practice
- Gain awareness around personal coaching blindspots and how to address them
- Create an action plan for your personal development and coaching practice
Change Coaches is a team of leadership development professionals who embody Below the Surface Leadership: REAL leadership, psychological safety, and empathetic leadership. We are similarly committed to changing workplace culture at its core while developing leaders and coaches for the future workplace
Discover More with the Leading Below the Surface Podcast
The Leading Below the Surface Podcast dives into leadership development, empathy, and psychological safety in today’s diverse and dynamic workplace. Inspired by LaTonya Wilkins’ acclaimed book, the podcast provides actionable insights for navigating cultural and generational differences, fostering authentic relationships, and embracing DEIB in real-world scenarios.
Hosted by LaTonya herself, this podcast offers a deeper look into the transformative topics she explores in her keynotes and workshops. Tune in to discover how her expertise can help your organization thrive.
Listen now and explore topics that resonate with your team.
Meet LaTonya
My most valuable skill, and the one thing I often teach others, is how to build real relationships across differences.
"I demonstrate what it means to lead below the surface through relatable stories from my career, my family, and through direct experience with other below the surface leaders. We can all lead below the surface and make real change in our organizations. A few small shifts can go a long way."
LaTonya Wilkins is the award-winning founder of Change Coaches and the best-selling author of Leading Below the Surface: How to Build Real (and Psychologically Safe) Relationships with People Who Are Different from You. She specializes in coaching executives to lead “below the surface” by fostering psychologically safe, authentic relationships across differences. A sought-after keynote speaker and executive coach, LaTonya has inspired global audiences and transformed leaders at renowned organizations such as Google, Target, The New York Times, and various nonprofits.
Global leaders turn to LaTonya and Change Coaches to address challenges such as preparing leaders for the future workplace, creating psychologically safe teams, strengthening connections across differences, advancing into leadership and executive roles, and coaching their teams to foster accountability and trust. Her practice spans industries including higher education, healthcare, technology, professional services, and more, with a focus on women CEOs and senior leaders, first-time C-suite leaders, teams, and middle management groups navigating change, new initiatives, or growth.
LaTonya’s expertise has been recognized through numerous accolades, including her book being named a top-10 inclusion book for executives, a SHRM-approved must-read for HR leaders, and a leading psychological safety resource. She has been featured in Fast Company, the Los Angeles Times, NPR, Well+Good, and Inc. Magazine. In 2024, she was honored as a LinkedIn Top Voice.
As an adjunct MBA lecturer and coach at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, LaTonya combines academic excellence with practical insights. Her impactful teaching has been lauded by both undergraduate and graduate students. Through her coaching and writing, LaTonya continues to shape a more inclusive and connected workplace for leaders worldwide.
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Are you looking to improve the quality of your conversations across differences?
Psychological safety is the most effective tool for reducing workplace stress, navigating conflict, increasing feelings of belonging, and cultivating the diverse workplaces we want to see. It is one of the most important skills for leaders to cultivate in today’s workplace. This guide includes definitions, a brief assessment, tactics, and coaching/reflection prompts.
Download it today!
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