IAC VOICE, Volume 4, Issue 3 June 2006

From the Editor

The
big day has come!  Today we proudly launch the
new IAC website,
with a spiffy new logo and design, improved navigation, and
completely updated content.  We
hope you enjoy the website's new look and improved
functionality. 
Matthew Clulow, the designer,
and the team of developers from
Cicada Consulting have been incredible
assets to this project. 

In this issue
of the VOICE, I interview IAC President Natalie Tucker
Miller
, IAC-CC to find out what it's like heading up the
IAC.  Our certifying examiners outline  the important
points to keep in mind when preparing to take the Step 2
exam. And in Coaching Moments, Janice Hunter
shares what she learned about certification at her kitchen
sink. 
I hope you
enjoy your VOICE.

Warmly,

Barbra Sundquist, IAC-CC
Editor, IAC Voice
Email: 

voice@certifiedcoach.org

Web:   www.becomeacertifiedcoach.com



Answers
from the President

president@certifiedcoach.org

This month VOICE Editor
Barbra Sundquist, IAC-CC interviews President Natalie Tucker Miller, IAC-CC to find out what
it's like heading up the IAC.

What made you decide to
step up to be Prez?

After having been hired as a certifier, and filling in as
representative to the certification board for the
Strategic Planning Meetings, I was fascinated by all the
plans, progress and vision. I knew I wanted to get
connected at a deeper level. From there I joined the
board, and when Barbara Mark began her search for a
successor, I felt a calling to throw my hat into the ring.

How does somebody get elected to such a position?
If someone is inclined to serve in this capacity, the
first step is to get in touch with a board member and
discuss your desire. The board positions are staggered, so
there are openings annually. Once someone has served on
the board and held a committee assignment, they can
usually determine whether or not they would be interested
or qualify for an executive position. Another way to get
involved with the IAC is volunteering on a committee.
There are several committees and areas of need,
which are posted
on the
IAC web site.

What’s involved in being
IAC President?

I laughed when I first heard this question! Not that it’s
a humorous question, but the answer could take a while to
detail. There are so many facets to this position, it’s
actually quite fascinating. It’s crucial that the President be knowledgeable
about all aspects of the organization, in order to help
everyone on the team utilize their talents to best serve
both their own and the organization's interests. I am compelled to
include at this point a nod to the incredible people that
comprise the board and the various committees. Delegating
is effortless, because my associates are so devoted to the
health and growth of the IAC, any assignments that arise
are almost immediately occupied.

What’s the biggest
misconception people have about serving on the IAC Board?

Two concerns I’ve heard from people curious about serving
the organization are: "Don’t I have to be certified?" And
"I’m not sure what I have to offer" This may seem odd, but
the IAC does not exist to convince people to become
certified. Certifying coaches is what we do, yet there’s a
much larger vision, a broader perspective. Yes, we have a
rigorous, progressive and pertinent certification which
benefits the profession, coaches and clients. However,
certification is a personal issue at this point in time,
not a required mandate. The larger goal is to advance
coaching, and we love to see coaches who are working
towards that end, serving the coaching profession in their
unique way. I guess that kind of addressed both of the
concerns I cited!

What are the three most
important things you’ve done in your term so far?

Well, I have to say I do have a knack for surrounding
myself with people who support my vision, so in that
regard, crafting the executive team, connecting personally
with the existing board members and inviting some
newcomers was crucial in order to advance the IAC’s
mission. Another area is the website. We are so excited to
have the new site
go live today!  And finally, working with you Barbra,
and Angela Spaxman who is the communications
liaison to the board, getting this newsletter published
and distributed on a regular schedule has been undoubtedly
the most visible accomplishment.

What’s your highest
priority right now?

Now that much of the technical side is running smoothly
and our certification process is dynamically operative,
it’s time to begin our campaign of educating the public,
businesses, coaches and the media about the IAC’s unique
position in the industry. Our certification means that
coaches have demonstrated peak proficiency with their
clients, whether it’s via a traditional coaching business
model, or using the coaching approach in a complementary
profession. The implications of how IAC certified coaches
can and are creating unlimited possibility with their
clients are thrilling to envision!

 



Certifier's advice
for the Step 2 exam

1)
Learn to coach to the certification standards

  • In order
    to remove the self-consciousness factor for you and your
    clients, get in the habit of recording all of your coaching
    sessions. An article on how to record is available

    here
    .
     
  • Listen to your
    sessions, share them with a mentor coach or other coach
    trained in the use of The 15 Proficiencies, triad team,
    study group or buddy coach.
     
  • Listen
    to the entire coaching session to ensure it is audible
    throughout.  The certifiers cannot score your session if
    they can't hear it.

     
  • Check
    off which of The 15 Proficiencies you used, whether you used
    them appropriately, and whether the client made a shift as a
    result of your usage. Use the scorecard
    here
    to evaluate your sessions.
     
  • Notice if
    there were missed opportunities to use a specific
    proficiency.
     
  • Make note of
    The 15 Proficiencies that were missing or used
    inappropriately or ineffectively. Review your study guides
    or take a class to get a deeper grasp of the proficiency and
    its use in various scenarios.
     
  • Develop
    some questions that will help you use the Proficiencies
    properly in a given situation. The study guides are a great
    source of coaching questions to use. The Study Guides are
    available
    here
    .
     
  • Design the sessions effectively: Have a
    beginning, a middle, and an end, within 30 minutes, that
    results in a shift for the client or some kind of action to
    be taken before the next call.

2)
Prepare the recordings

  • For exam purposes choose clients
    who are: healthy, smart, action-oriented individuals who are
    ready to evolve and follow through with your coaching. For
    your certification recordings, the ideal client makes
    progress as a result of your coaching. Extremely stuck or
    confused clients may make it difficult to demonstrate all
    15 Proficiencies.
     
  • Decide which of your clients you
    work best with and ask them if you can record their coaching
    sessions for the purposes of the certification process.
     
  • Make
    sure you get your clients’ permission to record the coaching
    sessions use them for certification. You do this by reading
    the first paragraph of the Wavier of Confidentiality at the
    beginning of the recording (basically the "do I have your
    permission to tape this call and use it for my IAC
    certification" part) and having them sign a hard copy of the
    Waiver of Confidentiality. The Waiver of Confidentiality is

    here
    .
     
  • Collect some good coaching session
    recordings and select two recordings with two different
    clients which demonstrate all the proficiencies at a high
    level between the two recordings.
     
  • Get a second opinion on your recordings
    to make sure they meet all the requirements.
     
  • Send the recordings (on tape, CD or mp3
    files), the signed waivers and the Step 2 fee to the IAC.
    Relax for 6 to 8 weeks while you await your results.

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

When the birds come
by Janice Hunter


Coaching moments have a wonderful way of finding us in the
most unexpected of places. Recently I learned an important
lesson about certification at my kitchen sink. 


I love the view from our kitchen window and often linger
over the dishes, my hands dripping floral scented bubbles.
Beyond our tiny strip of laurel covered fence, crows circle
and roost in ancient Scots pines that sway in the breeze,
revealing glimpses of heather clad hills and open sky
beyond. 


The laurels are usually teaming with birds and I’ve grown to
recognize their voices. I could watch for hours as they
party in the dripping branches after warm rain on summer
days. In the winter, I'm very choosy about the wild bird
food I put out and my kids tease me mercilessly. But the
robin definitely prefers the fat and berry food! I swear he
looked annoyed when I changed to a seed mix. Wouldn't touch
it. Some days he sits on the window ledge as he eats
breadcrumbs and bobs his head at me if I'm standing very
still. On grey days, he appears like a flash of Christmas in
the bushes if I'm jaded or sad. 


But one weekend a few months ago, we had
a late frost here in Scotland. The garden stood white and silent,
the ground hard and unforgiving. My son had to do some
weekend bird spotting for one of his Cub Scout badges. One
hour and a list of boxes to tick off. But no sight of the
plump blackbird with his yellow beak or the dunnock
scurrying in the undergrowth like a little brown chicken.
Even the woodpigeons must have been cuddling up somewhere else. I felt almost let
down by the bully boy starlings who usually arrive in a
squawking gang and the brave little blue tits who swing on
the peanut feeders and do dog fight manoeuvres to avoid the
starlings. 


But most of all, I missed the robin. Freezing or not, I'd
expected him to appear on the fence and was disappointed
because he didn't. I felt cheated because he spends hours
there every day, long, undocumented hours convincing me that
being present in the moment is the key to all my joy and
wisdom. My whole view of the world changed because my son
had some boxes to tick and a one hour session to do it in.
 


They came back a few days later, dozens of them so my son was happy. He reckoned that handing
in a full list a few days late was better than handing in an
empty sheet. I was critiquing a colleague's exam tape the other day and
thought of my boy and the robin. When we’re recording
sessions for an exam, sometimes our coaching skills simply don't show up. Maybe that’s because we’re bird
watching with a tick sheet and a clock. My robin would
probably just tell me to wash dishes and enjoy the garden.
That's when the birds come.


Janice Hunter
is a former translator and teacher who is
currently working towards IAC certification as an excuse to
avoid the kids, housework and trips to the hairdresser. She
can be contacted at
peercritiques@aol.com


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