IAC VOICE, Volume 4, Issue 84, June 2013, Circulation 4,336
June 3, 2013
From the Editor
Every Memorial Day weekend, my family gathers from near and far to unite at my grandfather’s house. We bring food and stories to share and spend three days laughing, dancing, and filling each other in on the time that has gone by. This past weekend, despite the rain (and snow!), we had another wonderful time.
While we don’t have a very large family, we have “adopted” many friends into our quirky little world, thus our reunions are peppered with all kinds of interesting people. We take a group photo at every gathering, and represent absentees with their names written on inanimate objects – say, rakes or brooms – and include them in the group shot (as you can see in my photo this month.) Even when our loved ones are not present, they are very much on our minds; and although we lead entirely different lives and grow in various directions, we find a way to unite and connect.
It has become clear to me that within the IAC community, the Masteries are regarded in a similar way; they are always relevant and even as the world rapidly changes, the Masteries mesh in with that inevitable growth. This month, our fabulous contributors weave the Masteries and the art of awareness into their articles. From a fish market in Seattle, to the world of strategic planning, to Indian Country, we cover a lot of ground.
Thank you to all involved with the VOICE for your continued support. I hope you are looking forward to seeing where the VOICE takes us next month! Please let us know if you have questions, comments, or interest in contributing: voice@certifiedcoach.org. We always look forward to your insight.
Best, Beth Ann
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.
From the President – Susan Meyer Susan shares how the IAC Coaching Masteries® have shown up in (and enhanced) her life recently, and announces many upcoming exciting opportunities for IAC members.
Where Lifeless Fish and Coaching Meet – Lucía Murphy A unique trip to a Seattle fish market teaches you how to strengthen your relationship with your clients and make every session with them exceptional.
Thought Word and Deed – Martha Pasternack Can you communicate without understanding a language? Martha ruminates on connecting at a deeper level with your clients by listening to more than their words.
Mastery #3 Infographic – Natalie Tucker Miller Notice how Mastery #3, Engaged Listening, is supported by the other masteries as we continue our Masteries infographic series.
Events Check out the many upcoming opportunities for coaches. Virtual Chapter meetings, live webcasts of the International Leadership and Coaching Conference, and Member Benefit teleseminars!
What’s at the Core? Evaluation, Growth, and the Masteries as a Framework
As we move into June I am in the midst of dualities. For me, that’s an interesting and also comfortable place to be. I am winding down my spring coaching contracts, evaluating the clients’ progress and gearing up – planning for a new group in September.
My clients are reporting growth, although for many, it isn’t the growth we were anticipating. Super Storm Sandy has had lingering effects, so many are still dealing with chaos in the workplace, increased stress levels and many characteristics of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It makes me thankful for the Masteries. Engaged listening (Mastery 3) has, of course, always been the basis of our conversations, as has clarifying (Mastery 6). In times of crisis, I am grateful for processing in the present (Mastery 4). It reminds me to keep focused on the situation and not let my thoughts – or the client’s – wander into a morass of “what if’s” and helps them concentrate on getting today’s work done despite the many obstacles of displacement. No, you don’t have your directory or files or maybe even a telephone: How do you keep doing what needs to be done? I am delighted to be more focused than ever on helping the client set and keep clear intentions (Mastery 7), inviting possibilities (Mastery 8) and helping the clients create and use supportive systems and structures (Mastery 9).
Yes, the Masteries have always shaped my coaching. What I’m seeing more and more, though, is how the Masteries shape everything. Natalie Tucker Miller often says that the Masteries can serve as a framework for our lives, and I’m seeing that more every day. The Masteries helped me guide my clients in creating order and calm in chaos. The feedback I’ve received about their coaching experience make the power of the Masteries beautifully clear to me.
Learning Opportunities
In May, I had a wonderful conversation with Dr. Doris Helge that has been added to our Master Coach collection. You can listen here. I always enjoy speaking with Doris and hearing her speak about her coaching philosophy was a delight. If you would like to learn from Doris on a regular basis, you should join our New Coach Virtual Chapter. I’m looking forward to our next interviews, facilitated by Kristi Arndt. She’s hoping to speak with Julia Stewart and Shirley Andersen. Julia founded our other virtual chapter. You can check it out here.
By the time you read this, we will be on the eve of Leadership Masteries – The New Mantras. We are working with IAC Vice President Krishna Kumar, who has organized this event, to arrange live feed and will forward details if we are successful. Not only will this be a rare opportunity to hear from Sir John Whitmore, but it will also be an opportunity to learn from distinguished IAC leaders including Krishna Kumar, Nigel Cumberland, Bonnie Chan and Teo Jin Lee. Trust me, you’ll want to be able to say “I knew them when ….”
I spent three wonderful days at the seventh Conversation Among Masters in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. Despite snow storms elsewhere in the state, we had mild weather and lots of sunshine. The conversations, especially with Sam Horn, were incredible and thought-provoking and the IAC was well received as a sponsor and there were many questions about the Masteries. I’m hoping to report two exciting member benefits in the next few months as a result, and we acquired a few new members on the spot. It was wonderful to spend time with IAC members including Kristi Arndt, Aileen Gibb and Yorum Gordon. Here’s the group picture, if you’re curious. Next year, the event will be in San Diego.
Later this month, Aileen Gibb, Natalie Tucker Miller, Krishna Kumar and I will be presenting a session entitled Four Leadership Mantras and Nine IAC Masteries – Coaching the New Leadership Mode as part of the third WBECS event. We will make the slides available to you so that you can see how we’ve used the framework of the Masteries to inform our thinking about Enlightened Leadership, Timeless Leadership, Lateral/Vertical Leadership and Awakened Leadership.
Over the next few months, in addition to the Members’ Benefits webinars, we will offer webinars on topics of interest to coaches. If there is a topic you’d like to hear more about – or would like to present – please let me know. You can reach me at president@certifiedcoach.org.
As always, supporting you in your path towards coaching mastery.
Susan
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.
Where Lifeless Fish and Coaching Meet by Lucía Murphy
I’m always amazed by the wide range of experiences that can inform us about the excellent habits for practice-building and coaching perspectives that lead to success. I had one such experience that I will share with you here.
Late last summer, I traveled to Seattle, Washington, to work with a client and her team. It was a combo engagement ~ some executive shadowing, some brand communication training, a few one-on-one goal setting and coaching sessions. One of the highlights of our itinerary was an improv workshop in Seattle's Pike Place Market area, a neighborhood known for its artsy and fun restaurants, coffee shops, book stores and street vendors.
One of the best-known destinations there is the Pike Place Fish Market famous for its edgy, fun-filled approach to selling fish. Yes, you can buy fresh halibut and salmon, but you will get so much more: dead fish being flung through the air, tossed by the wisecracking fishmongers to a very, very engaged clientele. Not your usual fish-buying experience! So special is the Pike Place Fish Market that it attracts tourists, sometimes as many as 10,000 per day.
When you order from their offerings, your request is echoed back and forth between the fishmongers, and your order becomes air-bound as it moves from display, to wrapping, to weighing, to your basket, all to the shouts and cheers of both the staff and crowds. High energy. Much laughter.
According to the "Fish!" trilogy, written by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, John Christensen and Philip Strand, the success of the Pike Place Fish Market can be attributed to four principles which drive how their staff conducts itself ~ be there, play, make their day and choose your attitude. According to the books, these principles are intentionally embedded in the culture and generally supported through systems and structures to ensure a unique buying experience.
My client and her boss invited me to become part of the show by climbing up on the makeshift stage and catching a flying fish. These were people I needed to impress. And I was in a business suit. You understand. Exactly!
Yet as I reflect back on that experience, the Pike Place Fish Market might be a wonderful laboratory to think about your coaching and your coaching practice: In what ways can we observe, learn and implement some of the lessons from that amazing place to more consistently and successfully deliver an extraordinary client experience? Let’s look at the principles that drive the Pike Place Fish Market experience and see if/how they might apply to us:
Choose Your Attitude. Sometimes we can’t change what happens to us, but we can always decide how we will think about it. Do you purposefully choose your attitude daily, or do you let circumstances decide how you will show up to and for your clients? When I was going through my sales days, the motivational speaker Zig Ziglar, shared that people will respond in kind ~ if you treat others with haughtiness or hesitation or fear, they will treat you likewise. I've tested that statement and have found it to be absolutely true: I like to greet people with, "Good morning!" regardless of the time of day. My non-scientific finding is that more than 95% of the time, people will answer with, "Good morning!" regardless of the position of the sun. Maybe it karmic, but we get what we give.
Be There. Are you fully in the present with your clients when you meet? I have to simplify my environment because I can get lost chasing bright and shiny objects (ideas, pictures, links, texts, etc.) when they appear. My clients know that I don’t have the computer on when we are coaching. Are you able to genuinely listen to what your client is processing in the moment, without becoming distracted by the red herrings that might be coming your way? How does your client know? In what ways do you ensure that your environment is free of the clutter that might get in your way of delivering amazing service?
Make Their Day. I have the pleasure of working with the most amazing persons and organizations anywhere. I find meaningful ways to let my clients know that I sincerely appreciate them. Do you deeply enjoy your client conversations and are you able to share those feelings with them, using humor, observation or other forms of gratitude? In what ways do you express your wonder and awe of your clients? Do they know ~ overtly ~ that you respect and admire them?
Play. This can be a double-edged sword: At the end of a session, your clients should feel lighter and uplifted, regardless of the content of the conversation. Do your clients trust that you take your work seriously, without taking yourself seriously? The Pike Place Fish Market has to create a certain amount of trust to get someone to agree to get on stage ~ in front of strangers, loved ones and clients alike ~ and take the chance that they might look foolish. Dead fish in the face is not a pretty sight! Do your clients know that they are safe when they share with you? Do you consciously create a space for them to play with new ideas and/or experiment with different roles, without fearing failure?
I learned a ton about coaching through my experience at the Pike Place Fish Market. Did I choose to be the target of a dead fish? Yup. Did I catch the monstrosity that they threw at me? Not the first time, but the funny, cheering fishmongers let me try again (and again,) gently lobbing a sloppy vertebrate in my direction. Eventually, I caught it ~ and all its squishy mess ~ all over myself, raising my smelly trophy in victory!
Do your clients feel equally triumphant after your sessions with them?
Dr. Lucía C.R. Murphy, also well known as “Doctor Murph,” is the Leadership Architect, acclaimed author and inspirational speaker. She has been an avid student of masterful coaching since 2002. DoctorMurph has served the IAC Board and was the leader of the team that designed and developed the IAC test. In her work, Lucía inspires a unique set of intelligent, strong individuals who face real leadership challenges, and who have chosen to construct their own “brand” of leadership success. She helps them identify and leverage their unique strengths and talents to create Powerful Leadership Outcomes – Guaranteed! DoctorMurph is the author of the acclaimed book, “LeaderSpeak: 7 Conversations that Create Sustainable Success,” and has shared her wit and wisdom with multicultural audiences on television, radio and broadcast programs. For information, visit DoctorMurph.com
Thought Word and Deed IAC Mastery # 6 Clarifying Definition: Reduce/eliminate confusion or uncertainty, increase understanding and confidence of the client by Martha Pasternack
I live in Indian Country. Our culture here is diverse and enriched with sacred history; a dynamic present and a promising future of possibility. The month of June is a time of many gatherings and ceremonies bringing families and distant communities together. June heralds a summer of joy and celebration among people.
As a non-Indian, being included in many Native American ceremonies over the years has honored me. I have learned a lot about respecting others and life on our Mother Earth.
One of the many lessons I have learned is how to pray. In our ceremonies, it is not about reciting a memorized prayer, which is what I learned as a child. In our ceremonies, prayer is about centering in our hearts, speaking from our hearts, and listening with our hearts.
Many times I’ve heard: "I will now pray in my own language." This language is not English, but the mother tongue of the person praying out loud.
I do not understand the depth of a prayer spoken in this way mentally; rather it is made available to me somatically when I listen with my heart rather than my mind. This enables me to join the sentiment and the power of the prayer. This is beautiful.
I use this wisdom of "praying in one's own language" with my coaching clients that speak English as a second language. When my clients become stuck in trying to "translate" their confusion, insight, wisdom, dreams, goals and desires into English, I ask them to pause and take a refreshing breath. I ask them to center themselves in their hearts. I ask them to speak to me in their own language. This may be Spanish, German, Mandarin, Russian, Finnish or Italian. I can't understand what they are saying, but I can feel what they are saying. Only when they are complete do I ask them to translate the parts that they most want me to hear into English.
A sense of calm envelops our session and deep person-to-person connection ensues. My client is centered with the power their native language, rather than being stuck in the mental exercise of translation. This helps them create the meaningful changes they yearn for. By encouraging them to "pray in their own language,” their:
Thought is brought to consciousness
Words are deeply expressed in their own language
Deeds emerge from deep peace and understanding of what they care about and what they desire
Next steps are embodied in deep knowing
And I have done my job.
IAC Mastery #6 guides us to remember that as we engage in life coaching relationships internationally it is important to support our clients in moving forward into purposeful action.
Inviting the client to “pray in their own language,” meaning speak in their own language, helps the coach avoid some of the ineffective behaviors associated with Mastery #6, such as:
Missing or ignoring what is most important
Making assumptions
Being distracted by the client’s chaos or confusion
The effect is then more likely to be that:
The client and the coach move forward in a direct way
Possibilities are increased
Uncertainty is decreased
The unknown can be discovered
As evidenced by:
Key values and needs are identified
The coach can support the client to align purpose, vision and mission
A potent block to progress is addressed
And you and your client are free to move forward together.
Martha Pasternack MMC 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 a health care professional.
Embrace the Future with Strategic Questions by Alex Carter
Nonprofit leaders and their boards can spend many months, and thousands of dollars, contemplating, researching, and drafting a strategic plan to guide them into the future. Too often, however, the completed plan languishes on the shelf, unread and unused.
The world’s pace of change has accelerated. Gone are five-year plans. And even three-year plans try to capture too much that can’t be known, much less captured.
In an ever-more-rapidly changing world, it’s critical that leaders move away from a focus on strategic planning as an activity, and begin to adopt a strategic mindset. This kind of mindset transforms an organization into one that acts, rather than reacts.
A strategic mindset can be developed by incorporating strategic questions into everyday activity.
Strategic questions are powerful; they help us expand our options. Asking them strengthens a leader’s ability to adapt to changes and to navigate from the” known” of the present into the unknown of the future. If applied throughout an organization, they foster creative and inclusive decision making.
Consider the difference between these two questions: “Should we expand our program to a new area?” “How can we expand our program to a new area?”
The first is really a yes-or-no question – by itself, it calls for a short, contained answer. The second, on the other hand, invites exploration, adaptation, and possibly big change.
Strategic Questions:
Are a lot like coaching questions: open-ended, exploratory, curious.
Prompt us to question our assumptions about what we are doing, and what we could do.
Can help empower everyone in an organization to find answers and contribute their wisdom.
Asking strategic questions shifts our thinking about the future, from something “out there,” that can and should be planned for, to something “right here,” to be met and adapted to in the immediate now. Leaders, and entire organizations, become more nimble, flexible, and innovative in responding to the inevitability of change.
What would happen if you asked three or four strategic questions every day?
Alex Carter, Your Nonprofit Coach, specializes in helping new Executive Directors become outstanding managers and leaders, while keeping their sanity. Drop her a line at coachATalexcarterDOTcom.
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™.
For new IAC members working toward your IAC certification, or those with a recently gained certification looking to build a thriving practice; be sure to take advantage of a new resource!
Our next Virtual Chapter Meeting will be on Monday, June 10. When you sign up to receive information about future meetings, you’ll be able to attend complimentary monthly meetings of the New IAC Coaches Virtual Chapter by telephone. You’ll be able to:
Connect with other IAC members who have similar needs and challenges
Share your successes with IAC members who have a vested interest in your success
Trade client referrals
Provide and hear coaching demonstrations
Find coaching practice buddies
Share practice-building tips.
Hear what works for other IAC coaches so you can build your own thriving practice
Enjoy the warm support of a group of peers with a sincere commitment to nurture your professional growth
Connect with other coaches who will help you get your needs met
Boost your confidence regarding certification and building a thriving practice
Gain valuable, cutting-edge information in a convenient, supportive mastermind model that is structured for safety and success and where every participant's input is valued
Meeting details
Quarterly events will include a speaker about one or more issues raised during the monthly events. Special attention will be given to confidence-boosting and practice-building issues, which are common concerns for new coaches.
Meeting times will occasionally rotate so that members in as many possible locations around the globe can attend at least once a quarter.
Your group facilitator
Doris Helge, PhD, IAC-Certified Master Coach and Mentor Coach and Founder of the IAC-licensed coach training program, Confident Coach Connection, has volunteered to be Lead Facilitator and the primary contact person. In addition to coach training, Doris has a long history of conducting mastermind groups that empower participants to achieve their goals. She is the bestselling author of relevant books like “Conquer Your Inner Critic.”
Take advantage of this opportunity
IAC wants to address your needs and concerns so that our organization is even more meaningful and even stronger. The group will evolve over time in a way that is responsive to participants' needs and desires.
To get started, just let us know you are interested by sending an email to Doris@ConfidentCoachConnection.com with "New IAC Coach Group" in the subject line.
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Live Webcast – International Leadership and Coaching Conference 2013
The Intrad School of Executive Coaching (ISEC) is delighted to announce the Live Webcast of the International Leadership and Coaching Conference to be held in Bangalore, India. The Key note address will be delivered by Sir John Whitmore. The webcast will continue for additional sessions by other distinguished speakers over the two-day conference.
The Webcast will go live on June 6th and 7th, 2013 from 9:15am to 12:30pm, and 2:30pm to 3:30pm IST (+5:30 GMT) on both days.
Please visit our website here for the detailed Conference Agenda. To subscribe to the Live Webcast, click here and follow the on-screen instructions.
The login credentials for the Live Streaming sessions of the International Leadership & Coaching Conference will be mailed to you within 24 hours. If you do not receive your login credentials within 24 hrs, write to us at: ilcc@isecindia.in
Member Benefit Teleseminar Unstoppable Success: What Every Start-Up Coach Needs to Confidently Set Up a Coaching Business
Come and learn from the experts!
Date: Tuesday, June 25, 2013 Time: 12 Noon EST Register here.
At this point you are beginning to realize that being a coach is one thing, but having a coaching business is another. They are both equally as important if you want to get clients and make money. Having good business systems in place before you start coaching is precisely what will get you a constant stream of clients and steady cash flow quickly.
Our friends at The Coaches Console, Melinda Cohan & Kate Steinbacher, understand how scary it is to create a professional business around your coaching. They've proven that when you know the combination of what to do AND how to do it, you'll get the clients, make the money and enjoy the business of coaching.
Join us as Kim Ades, President and Founder of Frame of Mind Coaching interviews Melinda & Kate from The Coaches Console, and learn about how to confidently start your coaching business.
This webinar, "Unstoppable Success: What Every Start-Up Coach Needs to Confidently Set Up a Coaching Business", will cover the following:
The 3 most expensive routes to building your business and how to avoid them
How To Accomplish The 5 Essential Business Facets every professional coaching business needs
The Secret to getting paid well and creating consistent income, quickly!
How to create an automated, professional coaching business that attracts, keeps and wow's clients – even when you don't have any experience
Join the IAC community as Kim Ades interviews Melinda & Kate — this will be particularly valuable if you are a new business owner. Join us and see for yourself why this stuff works!
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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