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Linda |
From the Editor
Welcome to the May 2012 issue of the IAC VOICE!
IAC President Susan R. Meyer was in good company last month in Kuala Lumpur for the 2012 International Coaching Conference – it was the first conference where three IAC Presidents were in attendance. Read her summary of this amazing event in today's President's Message, as well as details of the upcoming IAC webinar, Transform Painful Events into Personal Empowerment, on May 22nd.
Also in today's issue, IAC member benefit provider Annette Sharpe of Growing for Success has five important reminders about goal setting. Consider these when you're setting out to create something new in your life.
The IAC member benefits don't stop there! Through a partnership with ReciproCoach, IAC members are eligible to receive free peer coaching, mentoring and supervision. Please see the details below, or you can log into the members area to sign up now.
Natalie Tucker Miller announces another new IAC member benefit in this month's Inside Scoop, Ask the Certifiers column. If you're looking for practical explanations and examples for how to integrate the IAC Coaching Masteries® into your work, have a look at this new resource for IAC members!
In our first feature article this month, Mike Goonan challenges coaches about how focused we really are on our clients. You can read his tips for masterful listening on the IAC VOICE blog.
Next, Mattison Grey is back with a sneak peak at the subject matter of her upcoming book. In her article, When the Best Coaching Tool Isn’t a Question, she takes a closer look at the tool of acknowledgement – what we thought it was, and what it really is. You can read the article on the VOICE blog, where the conversation has already started with a poignant comment from IAC Lead Certifier Natalie Tucker Miller. Add your voice to the conversation now.
This month's installment of Research-Based Coaching Mastery introduces the work of Joel Steinmetz, who recently published a paper that explores the connection between ancient Greek philosophy and masterful coaching.
Along with her role in the upcoming IAC webinar, IAC licensee Doris Helge also provides our Tools for Coaching Mastery column this month. In Meet C.W., Doris introduces us to one of the most effective and effortless tools you’ll ever discover for transforming discomfort into personal power and joy. Curious? Read the article now on the IAC VOICE blog.
Submission guidelines for the VOICE are available on the website. Submissions are welcome anytime through the month.
Please contact me with your article ideas and your feedback about this issue. Enjoy!
Warm wishes,
Linda
Linda Dessau, CPCC
Editor, IAC® VOICE
Email: voice@certifiedcoach.org
www.contentmasteryguide.com
P.S. Are you on Twitter? You can follow the IAC at http://twitter.com/IACCoachMastery. There is also a list of VOICE authors, columnists and IAC BOG members at http://twitter.com/lindadessau/iac-voice-contributors.
From the President
by Susan R. Meyer, MCC (IAC)
president@certifiedcoach.org
Listening and Learning Together
As we expand the path to coaching mastery, it is increasingly exciting to come together to learn. Recently, I attended the International Coaching Conference, entitled Nation Building & Organisational Development through Individual Growth, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. You can see the conference program here: http://www.ukm.my/icc/?page_id=18. It was the third conference hosted by our Asian chapters and it was exciting for many reasons. First, Captain (Retired) M. Shanmugam (Shan) and his team created a wonderful, varied environment for learning. Second, as a kickoff to the final session, Shan revealed the Bahasa Malaysia translation of the IAC Masteries?. Third, this was the first conference where three IAC Presidents were in attendance.
The conference brought together chapter leaders and licensees from throughout what the group is now calling the Asian Crescent. Our chapters now stretch from Beijing to Dubai, incorporating licensees, academicians, facilitators, coaches, practitioners and students.
A combination of full-group sessions and concurrent presentations created a lively and enlightening event. Past President Bob Tschannen-Moran spoke about "Coaching Mastery: A Commitment That Matters" in his keynote address. He described in detail how coaches can improve the quality of their coaching not just by making multiple recordings but by using structured tools to listen to and analyze those recordings. At the most basic level, he noted, we can measure the amount of time we listen and the amount of time we speak. He also recommended tracking open- versus close-ended questions. He also spoke of mastery as a continuous journey. Each step brings us closer, but we never completely reach the goal. He reminded us that, as we grow, we make and learn from mistakes and quoted Niels Bohr, who said, "An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field."
This theme of listening was reiterated in Shan’s presentation as well as Past President Angela Spaxman’s. We were reminded throughout the conference of the power of thought-provoking questions and careful listening. At the final session, a World Café addressing the conference theme, almost every group mentioned the importance of skilled listening to masterful coaching.
It’s likely that listening will also be a key theme in IAC’s first webinar, Transforming Painful Events into Personal Empowerment on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 8:00-9:00 p.m. Eastern. I will be interviewing Doris Helge, Ph.D., MCC (IAC), who is an Amazon.com #1 bestselling author of books like Transforming Pain into Power and Joy on the Job. You'll gain proven tips for elevating personal empowerment and professional relationships. You can discover more about Dr. Helge’s work at http://CoachingByDoris.com/videos and http://ConfidentCoachConnection.com. The webinar is open to all, and a replay will be available for IAC members. Space is limited, so reserve your webinar seat now at: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/171140519
Why not listen with a group of colleagues or coaching buddies? Then you’ll be able to discuss how you might want to integrate what you hear into your own practice.
With warm wishes for your success,
Susan R. Meyer
Susan R. Meyer, MCC (IAC) is President of Susan R. Meyer, Coaching and Consulting and of Life-Work Coach. She provides personal and executive coaching and facilitates seminars on topics including life planning, emotional intelligence, leadership development, communication, and coaching skills for managers. www.susanrmeyer.com.
Five Important Reminders for Coaches About Goal Setting
by Annette Sharpe
There are many tried and true goal setting tips available to you, and I encourage every coach and entrepreneur to know and understand them. At the same time, there are a few 'out of the box' insights that I believe coaches also need to know in order to set and achieve meaningful goals and intentions with our clients.
Consider these extra insights when setting goals/intentions to create whatever it is you want in your life:
Tip #1: Remember—YOU HAVE A LIFE!
Don't fool yourself into believing you can do every single thing you want to do, every single day. You have a life, after all. Your life consists of so many different areas: relationships, health, business, money, spirituality, personal growth, etc. If you set goals in only one area, you're setting yourself up to lose.
Tip #2: Do one small thing every day
While I do believe that it's very important to prioritize your actions daily, the most important action that you should take as an entrepreneur—every single day—is one small step towards your big dream or vision. This can be something as small as making a connection with a prospective business partner, or simply stating an affirmation.
Tip #3: Use an accountability system
As an entrepreneur myself, I know what it's like to set a goal and then allow something more pressing to get in my way of achieving it. But when I know that someone is counting on me to get something done, or when I've given my word that I would complete a task, I do it. Most people are the same way, especially as our consciousness evolves. What tools do you use to hold yourself accountable? What tools do you use with your clients to help them keep track of their goals?
Tip #4: Focus on sharing your natural gifts
Why set a goal that shouldn't be yours in the first place? People who share their natural gifts with others are happier, more balanced and more successful. You were given your gifts for a reason, so focus on what you're good at and what you love to do. Stop draining your valuable creative energy doing what you don't like; let someone else do what they do best! Building a team of multi-talented people will help you – directly or indirectly – to achieve your goals.
Tip #5: Be open to change
Life is fluid and unpredictable. You must allow for some organic growth of your business and that means allowing for change to occur naturally. There are simply too many things that we cannot foresee. In fact, even when we believe we're on track to achieving a goal, life has a fabulous way of sending us surprises—and those sometimes lead to even more meaningful outcomes. So expect them, and allow for them. You will feel much more peaceful as you and your business grow. When the unexpected happens (and it will), take a deep breath, re-assess, and move forward with your next step. By continuing to focus on the small steps, you will build and maintain momentum in your life.
Annette Sharpe is the founder of Growing for Success, a multi-coach coaching company, and the creator of the Inspired Steps Coaching System. Visit Annette at www.growingforsuccess.com/inspiredsteps.html to learn how you can license the tools and system that will help you attract, engage and retain more clients.
Member benefit: IAC Member Benefit: IAC members save 40% on the annual licensing fee for the program (use the coupon code on the IAC Members page).
Claim your IAC coaching, mentoring or supervision benefit
As part of your IAC membership, you’re entitled to receive coaching, mentoring or supervision. We’ve pre-purchased your entry into a reciprocal peer coaching, mentoring and supervision round by partnering with ReciproCoach.
Click here to redeem your IAC-ReciproCoach voucher today.
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IAC Certified Coaches
Congratutlations to Joyce Kubik from Avon Lake, OH, USA and Angela Spaxmam from Hong Kong who recently earned the Skilled Coach Certification, CC (IAC) designation!
Transforming Painful Events into Personal Empowerment – IAC Webinar
Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 8:00-9:00 p.m. Eastern
Do you know anyone who needs to turn a painful experience into inner peace, a powerful partnership or productivity? Join Dr. Susan R. Meyer, MCC (IAC), BCC, IAC President, as she interviews Doris Helge, Ph.D., MCC (IAC), Amazon.com #1 bestselling author of books like Transforming Pain into Power and Joy on the Job. You'll gain proven tips for elevating personal empowerment and professional relationships. Discover more at http://CoachingByDoris.com/videos and http://ConfidentCoachConnection.com.
Space is limited. Reserve your webinar seat now at:
https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/171140519
Research-Based Coaching Mastery
Philosophical Coaching: An interview with coaching researcher, Joel Steinmetz
Recently, Joel Steinmetz published a paper in Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, titled, "Life Coach as Midwife: Reflections on a Socratic Metaphor." The overall purpose of his research was "to show how discussions in the field of philosophy, particularly in the ancient Greek tradition, are relevant to the practice of contemporary coaches. One very clear example of this point is the midwife metaphor that Socrates uses to describe his own philosophical practice."
IAC members, click here to discover the similarities between what Socrates thought he was doing as a philosopher and what we hope to do as coaches.
Your Feedback
We'd love to get your feedback on any issue related to the IAC. Do you have any questions, concerns, encouragement or ideas for improvement regarding membership benefits, certification, the VOICE, the direction of the organization or anything else at all? Please send an email to feedback@certifiedcoach.org. Please help us improve.
