IAC VOICE, Volume 4, Issue 82, April 2013, Circulation 4,325

From
the Editor

VOICE April 2013 imageHello
and welcome to the April 2013 issue of the IAC VOICE! It has been a pleasure
becoming better acquainted with this community as I find my footing as editor.

Last weekend, I traveled to the Adirondacks and spent a few days alone in a
cabin in the woods. Without phone or internet, I was invited to appreciate the
silence and the time that stretched before me. In many ways it was a challenge,
but ultimately it was an incredible learning experience; being truly alone and
allowing my thoughts to wander organically. I found myself answering some of
my own life questions and returning to the “real world” with a renewed
approach to communicating with my coworkers, friends, and family.

Our articles this month serendipitously speak of the value of silence, growth,
and communication. The contributors this month come from various backgrounds
and skills. Our hope is to cover many spectrums for every reader of the VOICE;
from beginners to experts to anything in between. I hope you appreciate these
unique perspectives as much as I did!

In addition to our articles, President Susan Meyer reminds us of the rewards
of volunteering and shares many opportunities with us. Dates for member chats
and webinars are listed below. We’ve also decided to introduce a new element
to the VOICE that we hope adds a little humor to your day. Please see below
for a list of what April’s issue of the VOICE has to offer you.

As always, submissions to the VOICE are encouraged. I would love to hear new
voices and thoughts about the IAC and the coaching community – after all,
I am still learning. Please do not hesitate to contact me with questions, comments,
or contributions at voice@certifiedcoach.org.

Best,
Beth Ann

Beth Ann Miller 

Beth
Ann Miller holds a B.A. in Creative Writing and is a native New Englander.
She has a professional background in editing and higher education,
as well as working with youths in the arts. Her stories have appeared
in small online and print journals and she is perpetually at work
on new creative projects.


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Contents

From
the President
– Susan Meyer

Susan shares the values of volunteering and the many opportunities
available.


Using Silence as the Powerful Coaching
Tool it is
– Martha Pasternack

What can we accomplish without words? Martha explores the possibilities.


Celebrating Love and Humanity
Natalie Tucker Miller

A beautiful story from South Africa displays how the Masteries are
present everywhere.


Surprise! What Coaching Taught me about
Communication
– Sue Johnston

Sue’s experience discovering what “real” communication
is all about.


Clairvoyant Coaching – Prakash
Santhanam

Prakash shares his personal view of coaching and his relationship
with proverbs and the Masteries.


Mastery #8 Meme
… because sometimes we need a little humor to brighten our day.


Pulse of Coaching Webinar – Kim
Ades, Member Benefits Provider

Explore this opportunity to learn from Member Benefits Providers in
a new webinar series.

IAC
Open Chats

Become a part of an exciting new IAC initiative, hosted by
Peter Rusznak.

IAC
Certified Coaches

New
Licensed Schools


From
the President

by Susan R. Meyer,
MMC

president@certifiedcoach.org

What Can You Do?

This month, I’m thinking about volunteers. As coaches centering our work
around coaching practices, we are committed to making a difference. We hope
to help people improve their lives and businesses, and in doing so, create a
better world.

As members of the IAC, we are committed to a specific set of beliefs described
in our vision and mission statements:

The IAC enVISIONs a world where:

  • Coaching
    professionals commit to continuously learning, growing, collaborating and
    holding themselves accountable;
  • Coaching
    recipients are inspired to achieve their desired outcomes; and
  • The world benefits in many surprising, life-giving ways.

The IAC is on a MISSION to provide a highly accountable learning,
certification, and ethical framework for aspiring and experienced coaches. Their
mastery of coaching is valued and contributes to evolving human potential worldwide.

Many of you have experienced the joys of reaching out to help someone. You
understand that, as a volunteer, you get more than you give. You also change
the world. Without hundreds of volunteers over the past decade, the Masteries™
would not exist. There would be no articles in our archives, no Master Coach
Series calls, no Member Chats, no Chapters. Without our volunteer Board and
volunteer committee chairs and members, there would be no IAC at all.

In my years as Secretary, Vice President, and now President of the IAC, I have
learned many lessons about organizational function. I’ve learned a lot
about leadership and even more about myself. Yes, there have been days –
even weeks – I have simply wanted to run screaming from the room. And
those have been times when I have learned the most.

Volunteer Coaches Wanted

This month, I want to share a unique volunteer opportunity available to all
experienced IAC coaches. The Coach Initiative was announced at the first Conversation
Among Masters gathering and creates opportunities for leaders and members of
non-profit Boards to receive pro bono coaching. I have had the privilege of
serving on the Board and Outreach Committee of TCI and am providing nine coaching
sessions to Caitlin Kelly, founder of Africa Volunteer Corps. Her organization
“unites passionate, qualified African volunteers with African NGOs to
deepen their impact and empower Africans to play a vital role in shaping Africa’s
future.” I am in awe of her energy and drive and leave every coaching
session feeling excited and empowered.

The Coach Initiative has been a wonderful experience for me and one I’m
delighted to share with you. They are about to launch several new projects.
Come along – you’ll never regret it!

Here’s a letter of invitation from the TCI President:

The Coach Initiative

March 2013

Dear Coaches:

The Coach Initiative (a 501c3) is a provider of pro bono coaching to not for
profit organizations. Several not for profits that are doing important work
in the world have received coaching through The Coach Initiative. You can see
a partial list at http://coachinitiative.org/
As more not for profits learn about our work, our requests have increased, and
along with that the need for more experienced coaches to step forward and offer
their expertise.

The Coach Initiative wants you! We are pleased to invite experienced IAC coaches
to volunteer to work with The Coach Initiative. We appreciate the mission of
the IAC and request that experienced coaches who would like to support our work
and coach these valued leaders, please apply at http://coachinitiative.org/for_coache/volunteer-to-coach/.
Coaches must provide two references, preferably from current or previous clients.
Coaches who need coaching hours for credit are not eligible.

This is for experienced coaches only. Coaches who volunteer are matched with
one client with whom they work in a formal coaching arrangement for a three
month period. (3x per month – 45min to 1 hour sessions).

Time zones, unique areas of interest, and language differences are also carefully
considered when our matching process is done.

Please feel free to email any questions you may have about this opportunity.
We look forward to hearing from you. Thank you.

Donna Steinhorn, President
The Coach Initiative
president@coachinitiative.org

admin@coachinitiative.org
www.coachinitiative.org

What’s new?

Before I move away from the subject of volunteers, I would be remiss if I did
not remind you that we also have many wonderful opportunities within the IAC.
These include chairing our volunteer committee! We are looking for more members
of the Membership, Chapters and Licensing committees and a few people with research
backgrounds to help us get the Research Forum fully functional. You can contact
secretary@certifiedcoach.org
to express your interest.

On April 24th, I will have a Master Coach interview with Natalie Tucker Miller,
Past President and Lead Certifier. Register here.
In May, I will be speaking with past Board member, licensee and virtual chapter
founder Dr. Doris Helge. Register here.

Finally, our wonderfully ambitious Asian colleagues have created a conference,
chaired by Vice President Krishna Kumar, in Bangalore, India LEADERSHIP
MASTERIES – THE NEW MANTRAS
: Coaching Sutras for Enlightened Leadership
will be held on June 6 & 7, 2013. Sir John Whitmore will be the keynote
speaker.

With
warm wishes for your success,
Susan R. Meyer



Susan R. Meyer, MMC 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.



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Using Silence as the Powerful Coaching Tool it is
IAC Mastery #3
by
Martha Pasternack

As coaches, we engage many forms of meaningful communication. We restate our
client’s messages to ensure our understanding, we are curious and ask
open-ended questions. We also listen: we listen for contradictions, hidden fears
and suppressed emotions, for changes in voice tone and quality. We look for
body language: facial expressions, withdrawal or excitement. Yet, sometimes
we have to look beyond the verbal and physical communication. Often silence
can be used as a positive coaching tool.

There are a variety of ways we can support our clients to enter into silence.
For example, we can encourage a minute of silence before each call as a way
for ourselves and our clients to collect our thoughts. We can pause at strategic
times during the session when sensing there might be more the client has to
say. Inquiry that is open-ended and emanates from curiosity encourages silence
as we open to our client’s response.

Many of our clients have been taught to honor another person’s needs,
goals and desires before their own. This creates an obstacle for clients who
are searching for their true voice. When we create silence in our coaching sessions,
we create space for our clients. We hold that space with them so they have a
safe place to explore and discover their authentic voice.

You have probably heard it said that some people “talk to think, others
think to talk.” Those who think to talk require time to think, but those
who talk to think require time as well. Pausing between questions is therefore
a very effective way to invite our clients into silence and allow time for them
to process their thoughts. Some people do not slow down enough to attune to
a deeper meaning of their experience and encouraging silence is helpful. Pausing,
letting the silence speak for us may take some practice or some getting used
to, especially if it is contrary to your speech patterning. Yet with practice
it will soon become one of your own tools to add to your coaching tool box.

There may be a cultural influence your clients bring to the coaching session
that you may or may not be aware of. Some cultures speak very slowly and have
long periods of silence in between thoughts. You are at risk of talking over
your clients if you are not patient and attuned to this pattern of speech. Also
at risk is fostering a connection built on mutual respect and understanding
with your client. Deep listening is helpful here because you are as unique as
your client and relationships are built on connection.

On the Circle of Life and along the pathway of Gentle Medicine, silence is
a practice. When you enter into the silence you connect with yourself in a precious
way. When you embrace silence in your coaching sessions you create space, allow
time, and encourage connection for your clients to explore and discover their
personal powers as well as foster an effective relationship with them. When
you enter into the silence you can learn to quiet your mind, calm your emotions,
and relax your body as a way to engage the personal power you possess.

Martha Pasternack

Martha
Pasternack MCC (IAC) www.CircleofLifeCoach.com

My passion for witnessing the beauty and mystery of life, healthy healing and
the promotion of Peace on Earth are integral to my daily life. I have been life
coaching since 2004 after working 30 years as an health care professional.



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Celebrating Love and Humanity
by
Natalie Tucker Miller, MMC

One
of my favorite stories is this account of love and humanity from Alice
Walker.

“It
is said that in the Baemba tribe of South Africa, when a person acts
irresponsibly or unjustly, he is placed in the center of the village,
alone and unfettered. All work ceases, and every man, woman and child
in the village gathers in a large circle around the accused individual.
Then each person in the tribe …


speaks to the accused, one at a time, about all the good things the
person has done in his lifetime. All his positive attributes, good
deeds, strengths, and kindnesses are recited carefully and at length.
The tribal ceremony often lasts several days. At the end, the tribal
circle is broken, a joyous celebration takes place, and the person
is symbolically and literally welcomed back into the tribe.”

Inside Scocp image

It’s
hard to describe the feelings I experienced when I first read this
many years ago. The story captured my heart and spoke directly to
my coaching sensibilities. There is such essence of coaching mastery
in, and between, the spaces of these words. “All work ceases…”
shows up in Mastery 5, where the people maintain focus on and attention
to the villager, and Mastery 4, where there is full focus of attention.
When the person is placed in the center of the village, alone and
unfettered, Mastery 8 includes trust, openness, curiosity, courage
and recognition of potential, which is necessary for a loving system
such as this to blossom.

Each
person in the tribe “speaks to the accused, one at a time, about
all the good things the person has done in his lifetime. All his positive
attributes, good deeds, strengths, and kindnesses are recited carefully
and at length.” In this, we see an illustration of Mastery 2,
where there is recognition, acknowledgement and appreciation for the
person’s strengths and potential. Mastery 7 brings the person
back to what is most important: in this case, themselves.

As
the celebration ensues, there is the further evidence of the power
of the Masteries. The story, in its elegant simplicity, easily incorporates
the elements of coaching mastery such as acceptance with expansion,
comfort with discovery, transformation with safety, risk with confidence,
and so on. These qualities are evident in so much of what we learn
and experience every day, in and out of our coaching sessions. <<<<<Members
click here to continue
>>>>>>

To
join the IAC, click
here
.



Do you have a question that you’d like to ask the certifiers?
Submit your questions here: http://certifiedcoachblog.typepad.com/blog/ask-the-certifiers.html.



Natalie Tucker Miller, MMC, is the Lead Certifier and a certifying
examiner at the IAC, as well as Past-President. Natalie is founder
of Ageless-Sages.com Publishing (www.ageless-sages.com),
and creator of the literary genre, Picture Books for Elders™.



Please send your questions on the IAC Coaching Masteries®
and the certification process to certification@certifiedcoach.org.


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Surprise! What Coaching Taught me About Communication
by
Sue Johnston

For over 30 years, I’ve been a communication professional. Educated, mentored,
accredited and experienced in every form of communication, I looked like the
real deal. Yet it wasn’t until I trained as a coach that I truly learned to
communicate.

I was working in corporate communication when I had the disturbing realization
that how people talk to each other at work has more impact than the formal programs
to which I was devoting my career. Fortunately, I met a coach. Being coached
gave me an appreciation for deliberate and conscious conversation. Coach training
gave me the tools. It forever changed the way I talk with everyone.

I learned to look beyond the story.

In earlier days, when I talked to people, I looked for the story. For daily
news, it had to inform or entertain. For organizations, it had to line up with
some corporate objective. Today, whether or not I am coaching, my focus is on
the person behind the story. The more I focus on the person, the more interesting
our conversation becomes. My attention builds the trust that helps people feel
comfortable sharing their stories.

In coaching, I learned that the story someone brings me – the “presenting
problem” – is not always the real issue. Probing for clarification has
been just as useful in revealing what’s really going on with colleagues, family
members and acquaintances as it has for clients.

I learned to listen.

Coaching demands more than listening to what is said. We must hear what’s not
said. We notice the unfinished sentence, the intake of breath, the hesitation,
the change in pace or volume. These may be clues to something important, something
our clients may not even be aware of. When we share our observations, they have
to think about them. That leads to insight about themselves or their situations.

We don’t have to be coaching someone to notice these things or to ask about
them. Insight is good in any context. For example, the coach’s requirement to
look beyond the words has changed the way I operate in meetings. Whether I’m
facilitating or a team member, I’ll ask about the unsaid. Saying something like,
“I wish you could see your face when you talk about that. It’s clear that
you really care,” can invite someone to bring something significant into
the discussion that might, otherwise, surface too late.

I learned to ask new questions.

“Who are you?” “What do you want?” “What are you going
to do about it?” Those three questions are the staples of news reporting.
Asked at a deeper level, they are also the staples of coaching. They address
identity, desire and action.

A reporter asking, “Who are you?” wants your name and the correct
spelling. A coach asking, “Who are you?” leads people to identify
their values. When a coach asks, “What do you want?” we touch on aspiration,
expanded potential and intentions. Inject those elements into any conversation
and both the stakes and the payout increase. “What’s your next step?”
– the more coach-like version of, “What are you going to do about it?”
– also comes with, “When?” and, “Will you let me know when you’ve
done it?” It’s been helpful in many non-coaching contexts.

Coaching questions have served me well in team meetings. They bring issues
to the surface. They cut through nonsense to the truth. “How do we know
that?” asked with genuine curiosity, can help people distinguish between
fact and opinion. “Can you walk us through your thinking on this?”
can help someone recognize the gaps in their logic. One of my favourite coaching
questions, “What will it mean and why will it matter?” helps a group
understand the impact of the work it’s undertaking.

I learned when to be silent.

This lesson has been the most valuable for me – and the most difficult. People
drawn to the communication professions are not quiet people. We’re uncomfortable
with silence.

A mentor coach suggested, “When you ask a question, wait till it’s uncomfortable,
then count to 10.” A decade later, that advice is as useful to me in normal
conversation as in coaching. People can’t think if I’m talking. No thinking,
no insight, no action, no good.

What do you think? [Imagine a long silence here.]

Sue Johnston

Sue
Johnston, MBA, ABC, MMC helps you talk so people listen and listen
so people talk. After a career in journalism and organizational communication,
she established It’s Understood Communication [http://itsunderstood.com]
to focus on face-to-face communication. She loves helping her clients
find and share their voices through public speaking. She’s the author
of “Talk To Me: Workplace Conversations That Work.”



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Clairvoyant Coaching
by
Prakash Santhanam

The term clairvoyant originated from French, clair meaning clear
and voyance meaning vision. I find that introducing a sense
of clairvoyance into coaching allows us to focus on foreseeing and understanding
client needs, as well as encouraging us to think outside the box. We’ll
find that the Masteries are naturally present in this type of coaching.

Concern, Optimism, Action, Collaboration and Holism (or COACH); this is my
personal interpretation of coaching. Key elements of coaching include strengthening
relationships, developing potential, putting the client at ease and creating
effective collaboration. When combining these concepts with clairvoyance and
an understanding of the Masteries, it creates a unique and powerful method.

In simple words, using clairvoyance in coaching allows us to focus on understanding
the client’s position. A clairvoyant coach encourages and embraces a client’s
positive behavioural change. E.M. Forster once said, “Spoon feeding in
the long run teaches us nothing but the shape of the spoon.” Undoubtedly
this is echoed in Mastery Two: Perceiving, affirming and expanding the client’s
potential, and Mastery Six: Clarifying. It is our goal to ask probing and triggering
questions that create awareness on behaviour, thoughts and beliefs.

While the masteries emerge everywhere, I find them particularly present while
conducting coaching sessions internationally. For example, an obstacle many
business managers around the world share with me is lack of time. They are preoccupied
with their own work and cannot find the time to coach their employees. Some
even feel it would be more effective to replace their staff members than to
aid them in growth and improvement. This can be tied back to Mastery Seven:
Helping the client set and keep clear intentions. Does the manager believe this
is his responsibility, or is he seeking the nearest exit?

The key and noteworthy hindrance is ensuring the client discovers their areas
of improvement and draws a development plan. Three proverbs by Confucius have
proven particularly helpful in my coaching scenarios: “If you make a mistake
and do not correct it, this is called a mistake,” “Real knowledge
is to know the extent of one’s ignorance” and “To know that we know
what we know, and that we do not know what we do not know.” I have coupled
this knowledge with my coaching experience and now ask clients to ruminate on
these proverbs prior to jumping into coaching activity. This exercise creates
a unique openness and awareness.

As the title of this article suggests, discovering the clairvoyance in our
coaching — the clear route and vision – allows us to guide our clients
to positive and productive pathways. A coach is like a compass, providing direction
for the client, and can be a steady reference point when there is a strong need.

Prakash Santhanam

Prakash
Santhanam is currently working as a Head of Learning & Development and can
be reached at pkx5679@gmail.com. He is
a high-energy speaker and learning and development professional with 8 years
working experience predominantly in the oil and gas, automotive, information
technology and telecommunication industries.


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Mastery #8 Meme

We’ve decided to introduce a new element to the VOICE. While we pride
ourselves on bringing you relevant, informative, and inspiring articles from
around the world, we also understand how important it is to laugh every now
and then. Please enjoy our first Mastery Meme – we hope it makes you smile!
Feel free to share it with your coach friends. Also, do not hesitate to send
us your own ideas or images for our next Mastery Meme.

Mastery #8 Meme


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IAC Teleseminar with Kim Ades and Kurt Shuster

The IAC is hosting a series of teleseminars that provide an opportunity to
learn from and interact with experts serving the coaching industry in a wide
variety of ways. Each monthly call will feature one of our awesome Member Benefit
Providers in an interview format, with plenty of time allotted for your questions
and comments. These informational calls promise to support your professional,
personal, and business development while also highlighting the discounts and
other special opportunities available to all current IAC Members. The interviews
will be conducted by Kim Ades, president and founder of Frame of Mind Coaching
and JournalEngine Software. You must register through the link provided. Please
mark your calendar and join
us
!

Join Kim Ades as she interviews Kurt Shuster from Noomii.com to get the inside
track on what clients really want. As an experienced coach, Kim asks the type
of questions that any coach would want answered.

Date: Thursday, April 25, 2013
Time: 12 Noon EST

Click
here
to register!

Kurt Shuster

Kurt
Shuster, CEO, Noomii.com has over 12 years of business experience across a wide
range of roles and industries, including software development, consulting, and
professional coaching. Drawing on his experiences since cofounding Noomii in
2007, he also coaches executives and entrepreneurs, focusing on high-tech and
early-stage startup companies. He holds a psychology degree from the University
of Victoria, a computer science degree from Queen’s University, and and MBA
from Cambridge University. He recently received a Master of Applied Positive
Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Pennsylvania.

Kim AdesKim
Ades, MBA is President and Founder of Frame of Mind Coaching and JournalEngine
Software. Author, speaker, entrepreneur, coach, and mother of 5, Kim is one
of North America’s foremost experts on performance through thought management.
By using her unique process of coaching through journaling, she works with high
profile clients to unveil and switch their thought patterns to ignite significant
organizational change and personal transformation. For an inside look at the
journaling process she uses to coach her clients, go to www.journalengine.com
and check it out!


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IAC Open Chats

The
IAC is offering a new opportunity for members and potential members
to speak each with each other and IAC Board members. Learn about current
news, ask questions, and open up a dialogue in the Chats. Hosted by
Peter Rusznak, IAC member and coach trainer at PRO BONA Kft. The dates
are as follows:

April
10th, 2:00 PM Eastern – Sign
up here
.

April
24th, 2:00 PM Eastern – Sign
up here
.

Enjoy!

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IAC
Certified Coaches

Congratulations
to Kate Siner Francis from Providence, RI, United
States who recently earned the Certified Masteries Coach designation!

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New
IAC Coaching Masteries® licensed schools and mentors

NameCityStateCountryIAC-CC
SIC
INSTITUTE METHOD 12 PILLARS Solutions for Itelligent Coaching
LLEIDA
 Spain
NoView
Details
CMG
CONSULTORES
Santiago ChileNoView
Details

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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 voice@certifiedcoach.org.
Please help us improve.

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