by Bob Tschannen-Moran, IAC-CC
president@certifiedcoach.org
The IAC: Online Enhancements
The first discussions on record about upgrading the IAC website, back-end databases, and e-commerce capabilities go back to January 2008—more than three years ago. At that time, the IAC Board of Governors (BOG) budgeted money for basic upgrades.
By April 2009 it was clear that the IAC website needed more than basic upgrades. It was time for a new host with new capabilities and a new design. Given the work involved and the complexity of the task, it is amusing now to think that we ever talked about handling this with volunteers. Hope springs eternal that passion alone will get things done!
Fortunately, the IAC had the wisdom to go shopping for a professional and creative web media company with experience in e-commerce. After clarifying organizational requirements and putting out an RFP, a special task force including BOG members Sue Brundege and Des Walsh reviewed scores of proposals, interviewed the final few candidates, and settled on Ripe Media based in Los Angeles, California. An agreement was signed on January 6, 2010.
Here were just some of the statements in the Ripe Media proposal that led the taskforce to select them for the job:
…Our vision for the new IAC web site is that it be a hub for camaraderie, resources and interaction among members as well as a portal for attracting new members.
…Ripe Media’s approach and philosophy enable close and productive collaborations with our clients…
Ripe has very high standards for quality assurance. …We understand that your web site is an extension of your company, and the site’s appearance, usability and reliability affect visitors’ perception of your brand.
Those were exactly the characteristics the IAC was looking for from a web media company. The other thing that attracted the IAC to the Ripe Media proposal was a timeline of eight weeks from start to finish. Hah! Little did anyone know just how challenging it would be to import, convert and integrate the IAC’s many different legacy databases and systems. Those complications were not even considered at the time of the proposal. The IAC BOG also took longer than expected to complete its strategic plan, to settle on its new slogan (“Expanding the Path to Coaching Mastery”), and to approve its new logo.
As the timeline extended from eight weeks to eight months, the IAC project then ran into other projects that Ripe Media was working on—delaying completion even further. In the end, an 8-week timeline turned into a 15-month timeline that has now, finally and at long last become reality.
If you haven’t visited the IAC website in the past week, then I encourage you to do so today. The URL is the same as always, www.certifiedcoach.org, but everything else is fresh, new and different. The look, the social media integration, the navigation and much of the content have all been revised to reflect the priorities and program of the IAC today. Here is just some of what you can do:
- Become an IAC-Practitioner or an IAC-Certified Coach
- Find an IAC Coach for yourself or your organization
- Find and participate in an IAC Chapter (local, regional, and virtual)
- Become or find an Authorized IAC Licensee for coach training using the IAC Coaching Masteries®
- Advance your own Learning and Development as a coach through Learning Agreements and Coaching Research, as well as Mentoring and Supervision
The IAC is so committed to coaching as a learning profession that the new website announces an exciting new IAC member benefit: participation in a round of ReciproCoach coaching, mentoring and supervision. This $50 value, which includes 16 coaching sessions (8 as coach and 8 as coachee), is now included with every IAC membership. It is a great way for coaches to give and receive coaching through reciprocal coaching relationships.
If this sounds like the kind of association that you want to be associated with, an association that is continuously expanding the path to coaching mastery, then I encourage you to join the IAC today. The IAC Board of Governors is growing and making exciting plans for the future, including the development of multilingual certification pathways. Be on the lookout for that exciting announcement in a coming issue of the IAC VOICE.
May you be filled with goodness, peace and joy,
Bob
Bob Tschannen-Moran, IAC-CC, is CEO & Co-Founder of the Center for School Transformation and President of LifeTrek Coaching International. Bob has co-authored a new book, titled Evocative Coaching, which incorporates the IAC Coaching Masteries® in a coaching model designed for leaders and coaches in K-12 schools. www.SchoolTransformation.com
