IAC VOICE, Volume 4, Issue 14, May 2007,


Angela

From the Editor

Coaching
is a field of constant expansion and growth. In this issue of the
VOICE, we're focusing on our geographic and (more importantly) our
cultural expansion as coaching becomes more important all over the
world. One of our Governors, Parker Anderson explains how the IAC is
approaching the challenge of being a truly international organization.

This
international focus is timely from me as I've been traveling in Canada
and the US, experiencing the huge differences between those places and
my home in Hong Kong. I had the great fortune to attend the
Conversation Among Masters conference in Monterey, California this
month. President Natalie will tell you a more about masterful coaches' interest in the IAC.

It's also timely that we are welcoming
two new international members to our Board.

In
coaching, expansion and growth also refers to our continuous
development of new tools and techniques. I'm very pleased to provide
this month an article (for members only) about Ontological Coaching
provided by Alan Sieler of Newfield Australia. This timely piece
includes some very clear explanations and examples of specific tools
that differentiate Ontological Coaching from other varieties.

As usual, Janice has contributed a sensuous
Coaching Moments especially for spring.

Since spring is the time for planting seeds, please join us and thereby plant a seed that will support an ever expanding, improving and professional field of coaching.

Cheers,

Angela Spaxman
Editor, IAC VOICE
Email:
voice@certifiedcoach.org

Web: www.spaxman.com.hk 






Natalie

Answers
from the President


by Natalie
Tucker Miller

VP Diane
Krause-Stetson, Editor Angela Spaxman, and I had the
wonderful opportunity of attending
A Conversation Among Masters (CAM) conference
in Monterey California the first week in May. Listening to
masters of their field discuss mastery and enlightenment as
currently shaping our lives illuminated coaching as the
Zeitgeist. Take a moment to visit the CAM website. You'll
get a sense of how powerful this gathering was for the
profession.

The majority
of our time was devoted to discussing the mission and
initiatives of the IAC. Business owners expressed a desire
to include IAC certified coaches in their organizations
and/or find ways to strategically align with the IAC for the
benefit of their constituents. Additionally, many people had
the opportunity to view the
IAC Masteries
and were visibly impressed learning about the creation of
these standards. Upon reviewing the Masteries, the interest
in the IAC grew before our eyes. This is a thrilling time
for coaching and for the IAC's universally high coaching
standards.

The final day
of the conference included the launch of the
Coach Initiative.
This non-profit organization's mission is "to be the
central gathering point where professional Coaches can
volunteer their experience and expertise in support of
global projects that focus on the betterment of the human
condition and uplifting the human spirit." Coaches are agents
of positive change by the very nature of what coaching
represents: expanded thinking, profound personal
transformation, removal of ego-driven patterns,
and disencumbered communication. The Coach Initiative stands for
"the fundamental belief that every professional Coach holds
the intention to positively change the world one person at a
time, and that by doing so in unison with their colleagues,
they can effectuate that change at an exponential rate." Isn't
it wonderful to be part of a profession which claims this
responsibility?!


On the home front, it is a pleasure
and honor to introduce our newest members serving on the
Board of Governors: Bonnie Chan and Des Walsh.
Bonnie is a multi-lingual IAC Certified Coach from Hong Kong. Des is a
blogging expert and coach from Australia's Gold Coast. Please take a
look at their bios on our Board of Governors
webpage
. We look forward to the contributions to the IAC and
to coaching that these two coaches will provide.

And a special
thanks to all of you, our dear and faithful members and
subscribers. As always, if you are interested in getting
involved at a deeper level, please fill out a
volunteer application
with your area of interest highlighted. As a membership
organization, our strength comes from the devotion and
dedication of members who wish to contribute their time and
talent.

Appreciatively,
Natalie




Mission International: Creating a Global Coaching Community
through the IAC


by M. Parker
Anderson

A global coaching community

The
very name of our organization, the International Association of
Coaching, speaks to what is essential in fulfilling our goals. While we
continue to evolve on all levels, including expanding our membership,
providing strong professional guidelines and an influential leadership
base, the IAC is fundamentally interested in promoting and
strengthening the skills of coaching in an international arena.

In
the midst of all the work that needs to be addressed as the IAC grows,
we must ensure that internationalization sits at the core of
maintaining and sustaining our integrity. With our world becoming ever
smaller, and with the coaching community increasing in numbers, mastery
and complexity, we are faced with the question of how do we ensure that
our international focus remains actively present and genuine?

Below are five areas that serve to guide the IAC or other organizations that are committed to being international.

Be rooted in a mission that encompasses international

The
very mission of the IAC is in "furthering the interests of coaching …
worldwide…". The language of this mission invites a sense of stretching
and expanding into a global world community. The mission is like a
guiding beacon constantly reminding the organization of its true
desires. This poses a constant challenge and opportunity for members
and leaders of the IAC as the practical implications of the mission
unfold. Following our mission is integral to maintaining and ensuring
the authenticity of our organization.

Cast a broad net


In an international community there has to be room for
everyone to find a place to contribute and to participate in
whatever way makes the most sense for them at the time. The
IAC is fortunate to have a strong and talented group of
unpaid leaders at the helm of the organization, who dedicate
untold skill, time, and energy to growing and strengthening
the field of coaching. The Board of Governors purposefully
and actively seeks the participation of members from all
over the world and regularly casts a broad net to invite and
encourage leaders motivated in our mission to emerge from
across the globe.

Members can get involved in many different ways, including
volunteering for a committee,
writing an article for the Voice, participating in online COGs, Local
Chapters and tele-seminars and many other activities that are
constantly being added. Inasmuch as the leadership needs to invite
members to participate and contribute in an open-minded way, it is also
incumbent on members to step forward and be willing to contribute
whenever possible. Signing up and joining is one huge step in the right
direction. Members and potential members are encouraged to take an
active part in the organization.

Overcome differences and barriers

When
speaking about things international, there is a compelling need to
consider a laundry list of issues including time, language, cultural
and economic differences that can be obstacles to true inclusion. Most
of the time with patience and consideration these obstacles can be
surmounted and swept away as being little more than minor
inconveniences rather than major obstacles.

Recently
the IAC considered the international implications of setting membership
fees. We wanted to set fees that would both support and sustain the
organization without being enormously cumbersome to coaches in
communities with lower income levels. One member of our Board raised
the question of "How would one fee amount or another impact the global
coaching community?". It is through asking these seemingly small
questions that the possibility of internationalization is accomplished.

Explore the possibilities

When
a company or an organization is truly international, full consideration
must be given to searching for the common ground. The organization must
consider all possibilities and respond to the "what ifs". This takes
time and requires patience. Learning from colleagues halfway around the
world must be more than "here it is and do it this way". There must be
an invitation to examine and uncover the possibilities that can further
our goals internationally.

Embed the essentials

Each
and every organization motivated to be truly international must learn
to embed the essential components of globalization into their everyday
work. First, we must reconnect with our mission and with our members. Second, we must
reexamine the areas where the organization may have been wrapped up in tradition or in "have to's"
that don't serve the international needs of the
organization. We should
reconsider the relevant issues and policies and be willing to
reinvent in consideration of a broader set of needs. Third, organizations committed to being international should continuously
recommit to ensuring the continued involvement of a global community.

Mission International: Mission Possible

The
strength of any organization lies in who is leading and who are those
who are willing to follow. The IAC has made a commitment to being an
international coaching community that furthers the interests of
coaching worldwide. The call is made for all to contribute, join in,
and participate in making coaching a mission international and a
mission possible.

Your
active support and involvement is needed from across the globe. Join
with us in "furthering the interests of coaching…worldwide."


 
 

M. Parker Anderson, PCC

Parker is a member of the IAC Board of Governors and CEO of The
Anderson Advantage Group, an international coaching and executive
management firm based in Washington, D.C. Often considered an
internationalist, Parker has lived and worked throughout the globe
including Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and South America. Email: parker@taagroup.org,
www.taagroup.org




The Transformative Power of Ontological Coaching


by Alan Sieler,
Director, Newfield Australia

"Real
learning gets to the heart of what it means to be human. Through
learning we re-create ourselves." (Peter Senge, The Fifth Discipline.)

Ontological
Coaching is an approach to coaching that gets to the heart of what it
means to be human as the means for generating profound positive change.
Two examples are provided in this article on the application of this
remarkably powerful coaching methodology.

Excerpts from the article:

"…
After a range of exploratory questions about money and her life
circumstances the coach asked, is "What is the story you hold about
yourself not having enough money?" Karen said that it meant she could
not have fun, and with that her body lurched back slightly and her eyes
widened. Although a simple statement, this was a revelation for her as
she came to see how life had become serious and heavy for her. …"

"…
Way of Being consists of three interrelated spheres of human existence.
These three spheres are language, emotions and physiology (body
posture). Our Way of Being can be thought of as the internal reality we
live in, which especially includes the relationship we have with
ourselves. …"


"…
Stella was gradually introduced to the domain of the body as an
important area of learning. The body learning aspect of the coaching
had two components. The first was developing an awareness of how she
had developed posturally in response to living in her core negative
self-assessment and a mood of Anxiety. The coach encouraged her to
become aware of how she held her head and neck, her shoulders, her
chest and torso and her hips, and asked her how the world was for her
from this posture. …"

To read the whole article,
click here. (members only)




"Coaching Moments" takes a
thoughtful, and sometimes lighthearted, look at how coaching
can be interwoven into our daily lives. 

all kinds of gardens
by Janice Hunter

I love our garden in
May. Last spring, I spent hours outside with an MP3 player, relishing
the coaching sessions my colleagues had sent me to critique. This year,
I've been blessing the person who invented the wireless laptop that
allows me to work outside on ebooks, websites, teleclasses and articles
and to correspond with friends and colleagues from all over the world.

Scotland's not renowned
for its glorious weather – it's lush and green for a reason! But when
the sun comes out, there's a flurry of activity as people celebrate the
chance to spruce up and preen their front gardens. Lawnmowers rev and
back gardens become relaxed outdoor living spaces where laughing
neighbours, friends and families spontaneously gather around sizzling
barbeques to chat and drink beer. As I sit on our back steps with the
sun on my face, gently crushing the fragrance of rosemary and mock
orange blossom between my fingers, my garden always reminds me of my
coaching.

The mossy, winding path
of weathered paving stones we laid years ago leads into little secret
patios inviting me to pause, still my thoughts and enjoy the birdsong
or a breeze rustling through the branches. Bordering this path is a
tall, dense patchwork of planting which pretty much takes care of
itself now. I'm not the world's best pruner or weeder so I play to my
strengths and plant evergreens, easy perennials and ground cover.
Reliable old favourites and the odd surprising newcomer. As I'm a coach
who talks too much, it'll come as no surprise that I'm a gardener who
plants too densely. My narrow strip of garden's always teaming with
birds, bugs and grubby kids and you never know what you'll discover
next!

Slim, blue-green
conifers, purple tipped hebes, laurels and rhododendrons form the
evergreen backbone of the planting. Softening the hard edges of the
paving are delicate pink flowering alpines, fat green elephant's ears
bearing spears of mauve flowers, burgundy heucheras and deep purple
daisy-like blooms set against a crown of arching, russet cordyline
spikes. A few well chosen plants, but all working hard. Flowing colour
harmonies, contrasting heights, leaves and shapes all combining to
serve more than one purpose in a small, confined space. Over the years,
I've learned by trial and error what works and what doesn't and now I
just trust my instincts, have fun and play it by ear when I plant. I've
learned to do the same with my coaching.

Everywhere I go in my
garden, every day, every season, even in the winter as I gently brush
the snow off branches bowed and about to break, I hear, see, feel and
smell something different, something perfect. Every coaching session
has its own rhythm too, its own harmonies and unexpected treasures,
just as every coach has their own reliable evergreens and well trodden
paths.

Many coaches are anxious
about whether their coaching style is a ‘fit' with what the IAC is
looking for in a thirty minute exam submission. Yet, while each of the
IAC examiners must wander through all kinds of ‘coaching gardens',
savouring sounds, silences, shapes, colours, movement and fragrances
that resonate with their own unique perceptions, we all know that true
beauty can show up in the smallest of spaces – and when it does, it's
unmissable, carrying with it the power to unite hearts and minds across
time and space. A truly masterful coaching session can do the same.
______________________________________________________________

My thanks to all of you
who wrote to comment on my piece last month and apologies to anyone who
tried to respond but got their email sent back. I had a server problem
for a few days. I'd be very grateful if you could resend anything that
was bounced back as I love hearing your input. ~ Janice

Janice
Hunter is a writer, teacher and IAC certified coach who
currently specialises in homelife coaching – helping people
create authentic, spirit filled lives and homes they love –
and in supporting coaches on their certification journeys.
She lives in Scotland with her husband and two children.


contact

J
anice@
LovingtheDetails.com



New IAC Certified Coaches


Congratulations to
Elizabeth Nofziger
from
Chicago, IL, United States and
Ellyn Herbert from
Newark, DE, United States who both recently passed their Step 2 Exams and became
IAC Certified Coaches.


© 2007. All
rights reserved. International Association of Coaching

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