IAC VOICE, Volume 4, Issue 85, July 2013, Circulation 4,361

From the
Editor

Washington MonumentThe
official start of summer has meant two things to us New Englanders: humidity
and severe thunderstorms! Additionally, for me, summer has been a whirlwind
of work and travel, including a trip to Washington, D.C. Visiting the many monuments
and memorials was an overwhelming and beautiful experience. In a place that
is dedicated to honoring the past, it is also a thriving community that is just
as focused on moving forward.

This sentiment of appreciating the past, present, and future, is a strong thread
in our articles this week. Our wonderful contributors discuss “compassion
fatigue” within coaching, archiving client records, while taking glimpses
into the future of coaching and revisiting the IAC’s foundation and past
methods. There is much to look forward to!

I’d like to send out a big thank you to Elizabeth Nofziger who volunteers
her time each month to help with the VOICE; she is an important asset to the
team and we very much appreciate her time!

Please feel free to contact us at voice@certifiedcoach.org
with comments, questions, event notices, or article contributions. I hope you
enjoy the month of July, no matter the weather.

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 her many adventures from the past few months and addresses the
importance of collaboration, experimentation, and playfulness in coaching.

The
Future of Coaching
– Tripp Braden

“The year is 2023”… Tripp ruminates on the future of the coaching
industry and how our current trends will influence us in the long term. Where
will you be in ten years?

The
Ethics of Record Keeping in the Business Coaching Milieu

Marissa Afton

How do you organize your client records? Marissa delves into the potential outcomes
of record-keeping techniques and the importance of maintaining client confidentiality.

Can
Coaches Care Too Much?
– Martha Pasternack

Martha shares her experiences with nursing and “compassion fatigue,”
drawing parallels with the coaching world.

An
Original IAC Vision Finally Comes to Light
– Natalie Tucker
Miller

Revisit an article from our archives that discusses the past and future
of learning agreements.

Events


New Licensed Schools


From
the President

by Susan R. Meyer,
MMC

president@certifiedcoach.org

Coaches, Passion and Learning

For me, June began with two intense IAC meetings and two equally intense learning
experiences. This has me thinking more deeply about coaches, passion and lifelong
learning.

Learning Marathon

I spent four days viewing TED Global with five incredible women. As you probably
know, TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design. Each presenter has eighteen
minutes to discuss an amazing idea, demonstrate innovative technology or display
or perform an artistic experience. This was the second of a two-event subscription.
One of my favorites from the fall event was Embrace
the Shake
. This time, I was inspired by this
woman
’s decision to drive, and astounded by what we can learn by recording
sounds in nature that we would not otherwise notice. As I watched talk after
talk, I could not help but notice the passion each speaker felt. Even if the
topic did not interest me, the passion enticed me to listen.

Between sessions, we laughed, we debated, we dissected, we shared meals, we
enjoyed each other’s company. We created our own community of intellectually
curious women learning together. We supported each other and we coached each
other. Over the four days, we learned about many topics, but, perhaps more importantly,
we learned about each other and about ourselves.

Music, Music, Music

Immediately after TED, I spent two days on the Hudson River immersed in music
at the Clearwater Great Hudson River Revival, a music and environmental festival.
Of the many wonderful performances, two left me thinking about how masters practice
their craft – David Amram and Josh White, Jr. Amram, now 84, has composed
more than 100 orchestral and chamber music works, written scores for Broadway
theater and film and is considered a pioneer of jazz French horn. He also plays
piano, numerous flutes and whistles, percussion, and dozens of folkloric instruments
from 25 countries, and is an improvisational lyricist as well. White, 63, is
the son of a legendary folksinger, and was an acclaimed actor before moving
into composing and singing.

I wondered how they remain so young and vibrant. In both sets, it was easy
to see and hear the dedication of the artist. Their passion for music, for performing,
for delivering a message was clear. There was a playfulness in both performances.
There was evidence of experimentation. At one point, Amram was revising a composition
as he played. There was also collaboration. Both performers called fellow musicians
up to join them on stage in spontaneous collaboration. Both acknowledged the
influence of others on their own work.

Coaching

Although none of us may have been coaching as long as Amram and White have
been playing, many of us are into, or beyond, our second decade in this profession.
So, I wonder, for myself and for all of us: what sustains us? Do you still feel
the dedication that you felt earlier in your career? Do you feel that flutter
of passion for your work?

I came away from those two learning experiences with what feel to me like important
factors in keeping that passion in my coaching:

1. Learning in Community

Coming together with others to share ideas always enriches my own thinking.
Communities of Practice are spontaneous groups that arise in organizations to
promote individuals learning together. We try to create opportunities to come
together within the IAC through chapters and through member chats. How can each
of us create these communities for ourselves? Can you form a TED group? A Mastermind?
A coaching triad? Join online discussions?

2. Experimentation

There are so many new things to try, so many techniques to tweak or tinker
with. In a conference presentation, past president Bob Tschannen-Moran reminded
us that constant experimentation and repeated approximations bring us closer
to the ideal. Every success is the result of many, many attempts that we too
easily label as failures. What can you try?

3. Collaboration

Sometimes, we’re very protective of our ideas, and often that works against
us. I’ve been reminded that there really is nothing new under the sun.
If that’s true, why not share? If you follow the history of an idea, you
often can see how that idea has been improved by the contributions of many people.
One of the beauties of folk music is that artists come together to collaborate
on songs and that each singer builds on and improves on a common base. Musicians
coming together to jam create marvelous new music. How can we do that as coaches?
Who are you jamming with? How are you sharing ideas and building incredible
new things?

4. Playfulness

It was clear that both the TED presenters and the Clearwater musicians saw
their work as play. They all were enjoying themselves and that joy was contagious.
Yes, of course, we do serious work and we help create serious and important
change in the world. And we can have a really good time doing it! How often
do you laugh with your clients? I laugh at myself, too.

What sustains you and propels you forward?

Warmly,
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.

 


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The Future of Coaching
by
Tripp Braden

The year is 2023. The IAC is getting ready to celebrate their next big anniversary
with a bang. Coaching has changed a lot in the last 10 years. What does it mean
to you, the professional coach, ten years from now? I thought I’d share
the big trends impacting coaching in 2023 and how you might take advantage of
them. My goal is to share the future so that you might work with me to help
create it. I did significant research in preparing for what I’m about
to share with you. Here are five trends that I think will be impacting the coaching
profession in 2023 and a few ideas that can help you take advantage of it in
your coaching practice.

The first trend is that people are living longer. Many experts
predict by the year 2023 people will live to over 100 years of age. What this
means to you is that people will not only have second acts in their lives, but
most likely third and fourth acts. This provides coaches with an opportunity
to provide significant transition coaching to their clients. It also means individuals
who commit themselves to coaching will have plenty of time to develop their
coaching skills far beyond what we have today.

The second trend is that high tech tools continue changing and evolving.
People have devices and technology that dwarfs what is available to us in 2013.
If you saw the Star Trek movie, think that plus 100% more sophisticated devices.
The more we become dependent on the many technologies available to them, the
more we desire interaction with other people. High tech creates openings to
help others grow and learn faster than ever before. The lack of human interaction
prompts many people to seek contact with people they may never have come in
contact with in their pasts. Coaches can provide the human connection that many
people crave in 2023.

The third trend is that we are more connected globally. We
no longer have individual national markets, but by now have a global market
place for our products and services. This provides coaches with an opportunity
to work with many different clients that they might never meet in person. If
we’re not careful, coaching may become a commodity in these global markets.
Coaches need to develop more authentic ways of connecting to the communities
they serve.

The fourth trend is that people who excel in 2023 value creativity
even more than we do in 2013.
Virtual business teams recruit and retain
the most creative people available globally. This means that our clients expect
to work not only on their own self-development but also on the increased performance
of their teams. There is an opportunity for coaches to help create these new
team models and then work with stakeholders to enhance their virtual teams.

The fifth and final trend I see is that celebrity and fascination continue
to impact us in ways unseen before in human history.
Since most publishing
and entertainment is done with virtual teams, your clients are able to choose
who they want on their teams and how they deploy that talent for the duration
of their projects. The gap between the educated and uneducated continues to
grow. It’s no longer only a financial gap but also an action gap. People
who are well educated and have marketable skills dominate our news cycle. So
what’s the opportunity for coaches? I believe coaches can help provide
tools and direction to individuals to develop their own strengths and gifts.
Coaches may also become facilitators of these virtual teams because they have
developed the skill of understanding talent and can help create virtual teams
with their clients.

Now what’s the good news about all of these trends? You are in control
of your own destiny. You are only limited by your own vision of yourself. Coaches
will be revered as pioneers in this new age of collaboration and innovation.
The best news is that these new trends provide you with an opportunity to create
and evolve at your own rate. In a strengths-based world, you have the opportunity
to create whatever you want when you want. Isn’t that great news for all
of us? See you here in 2023.

Tripp Braden 

 

I’ve
been coaching and advising leaders around the world for over 25 years.
My blogs are read by over 100,000 leaders monthly. I’ve worked
on teams with two US Presidents, several State Governors and Senators,
over 30 Fortune Global 100 CEOs, well over 1000 emerging technology
business entrepreneurs, and many leading nonprofits and universities.
And yes, I still answer my phone and take calls from people who need
my help. www.trippbraden.com.

 


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The
Ethics of Record Keeping in the Business Coaching Milieu
by
Marissa Afton

The world of organizational consulting poses unique complexities with regards
to the business of coaching and record keeping. How a coach documents client
notes, who within the consulting firm and referring organization is privy to
them, and the how, when and why of notes transfer between coaches is nebulous
territory. This may lead to confusion on the part of coach/coachee at best,
or possible breach of confidentiality and integrity of the coaching relationship
at worst.

For one organization I have consulted with, these very concerns came to a head
recently as the company considered refining records procedures to enable coaching
notes to be recorded and stored electronically on the company server (rather
than being kept by individual coaches as had been common practice). The argument
for the move was to establish a more rigorous system that would ensure adequate
record keeping which could then be used for reporting purposes, as well as to
develop a procedure for coachee transfer in the event that a coach moved on
from the organization. The argument against this move highlighted the risks
of privacy infringement and the potential loss of documentation should a technological
glitch occur. A debate ensued—who would be able to access the notes on
the server—only the coach? What about IT? Should each coach keep notes
under a security key? How would that be monitored and maintained? And what data
would be culled from the coaching notes for the reporting of coaching efficacy
back to the client?

On the subject of record keeping, the IAC Code of Ethics states that:

“(a) Coaches create, maintain, disseminate, store, retain, and dispose
of records and data relating to their practice, and other work in accordance
with the law of the country in which they practice, and in a manner that permits
compliance with the requirements of this Ethics Code.

(b) Coaches are recommended to appropriately document their work in order
to facilitate provision of services later by them or by other professionals,
to ensure accountability, and to meet other legal requirements of their country.”

While these guidelines do provide some parameters regarding the practice of
record keeping within a coaching discipline, they do not offer precise instruction
as far as privacy or other concerns relating to a business coaching environment.
Because coaching is still an unregulated profession, there is no licensing body
to refer to for guidance in such matters. It continues to be up to the ethics
and integrity of the individual or organization to uphold a standard of accountability
when it comes to records management.

For the above company, it was decided that certain essential components of
the coaching sessions would be stored in a private and secure folder on the
server, accessible by the individual coaches and the coaching supervisor for
each client. These essentials might include coachee goals, action items and
a progress report as well as any specific follow-up points for the coach to
enact. What would not be included were those personal details that naturally
emerge during coaching sessions—the type of details that an individual
coach may wish to preserve in order to achieve Mastery 1: Establishing and
Maintaining a Relationship of Trust
.

As an added measure to maintain the privacy of coaching sessions, this organization
decided to embrace a practice of confidentiality when sharing information within
the company via e-mail or other traceable media.

The particulars that were deemed appropriate to potentially transfer from the
coaching sessions include data such as coachee attendance or overarching themes
relating to the coachee’s team and organization. Each coachee was explicitly
informed that, while coaching sessions were intended for their own benefit and
professional development, not all aspects of coaching could be kept confidential
and may, in fact, be fed back to their supervisor and/or other client stakeholders.
A formalized working agreement was put in place which outlined the terms and
conditions for coaching and confidentiality—terms which were also clarified
by the individual coaches during initial sessions.

As the coaching profession continues to expand within organizations, the subject
of record keeping will need to be further investigated and refined. Ideally,
a standard approach should be developed that all coaching bodies can adopt in
order to provide the support and guidance needed to navigate complex coaching
scenarios. Until then, a formalized system integrating the above concerns is
recommended for the assurance of professional, cohesive and effective coaching
in the business setting.

Marissa Afton

 

Marissa
Afton is the Director of Client Solutions for Americas & Europe
at Sentis—a global company dedicated to creating inventive and
applied solutions to transform the safety, wellbeing, leadership and
organizational performance of clients worldwide. Marissa has been
a member of the IAC since 2003 and coaches at the executive level
in organizational settings throughout the United States, Canada, Europe
and the Middle East.

 

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Can Coaches Care Too Much?
by
Martha Pasternack

Can coaches care too much? Really? How can coaches care TOO much?

Well, I know nurses can. As a new nurse back in the 70’s, we called it
“compassion fatigue” and it was the harbinger of burnout, i.e.,
physical or mental collapse caused by overwork or stress. Our job,
our vocation if you will, was to ease pain and suffering by creating an environment
that was conducive to healing. We were not taught about self care; our work
was all about “them.”

It came as a shock to me to learn that not everybody wants to relieve pain
and suffering. Likewise, not all our clients are truly committed to personal
growth, self- awareness and self -determination. (No way, really? Then why did
they hire a life coach?)

It is our role as coaches to clarify our client’s intentions as well
as our own. What do they desire? What do they care about? What do we care about?
What do we desire? I like to think about it as if my client and I are walking
along the same path. We are connected by our commitment to the process of coaching
rather than the outcome per se. Therein lies the mystery.

So, the short answer to the original question “Can coaches care too much?”
is: Yes and no. It depends on what you care about and the source of your care.

Let’s explore this further. Chances are that you went into coaching because
you wanted to:

  • Serve your dream of a better world
  • Be able to create financial stability
  • Express your creative talents
  • Honor your yearning for independence, autonomy, and authentic self-expression
  • Care about other people in a helpful way
  • Believe in others’ innate ability to know what is right for them
  • Contribute to a healthy future
  • Ease human suffering

If you are inclined to measure your effectiveness and success as a coach by:

  • How long the client stays with you
  • How quickly they “get it”
  • How your client’s breakthroughs compare to any one else’s
  • How quickly YOU can stamp out the fires ignited by coaching interventions
  • How agile YOU are making the interventions you decide are needed
  • How comforted YOU are by your client’s dependency on you
  • How readily your client trusts that YOU know better than they do about what
    is right for them
  • How much your client relies on your approval of their insights

Then yes, you can care too much and will be teetering on the edge of compassion
fatigue and professional burnout before you know it.

If you are inclined to measure your effectiveness success as a coach by:

  • How eager your clients are to move forward with autonomous action
  • How readily your clients accept personal responsibility for decisions and
    actions
  • How clearly your clients recognize their personal potential
  • How easily your clients feel like you “get them” (they are understood
    and validated)
  • How developing motivation is focused on intention, rather than approval
  • How they energize their understanding of their goals, dreams and desires
  • How they embrace their humanity with compassion
  • How excited they are to move forward with their lives

Then no, you cannot care too much and you will experience immense personal
growth along side your clients. Your care will mingle with the mystery of life.

Many professionals in service to others speak about care as being akin to empathy.
Empathy has been written about in professional journals and taught in professional
schools for as long as I’ve been in the field. I can only speak from the
perspective I have as a retired health care professional and now as a certified
life coach. We learned that the ability to be empathetic was important for the
healing environment to be established. Yet, we were not taught how to distinguish
between caring, sympathy, compassion and empathy. That required on-the-job-training.
I would like to offer my phenomenological definition of empathy as “being
able to create space for another person to have their own experience of a feeling,
situation and motive.

The moments in my career that I was able to be most empathic, as defined above,
were the times I was able to be present enough with my client or my patient
to allow them the space to have their own experience. It was independent of
mine. What we shared in common was the fact that we have had unique and personal
experiences in life.

Creating space within our coaching sessions for our clients to have their own
experience is integral to each IAC Mastery and is worthy of our sincere and
focused attention as we develop our coaching skills.

Martha Pasternack 

Martha Pasternack MCC 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.
 



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Learning Agreements—An Original IAC Vision Finally Comes to
Light
by
Natalie Tucker Miller, MMC

In the IAC's 10th anniversary year, I thought it would be useful to revisit
a question and answer from the early days of the IAC Learning Agreements implementation.
Here we explore the original vision of the IAC regarding continued professional
development. – Natalie

Question: Are these new Learning Agreements aligned with the early vision of
the IAC?

The buzz and the questions regarding the newly instituted Learning Agreements
for Certified Coaches and IAC Practitioners continue! We’ve covered much
of the “how” and some of the “why” from the standpoint
of the recent member-driven strategic planning project.

Today we'll look back to the early years of the IAC to understand how this
process (of creating the learning agreements?) is part of the picture that began
with the earliest visionaries of the (then named) "IACC."

The IAC officially launched on March 11th, 2003, one month after the death
of its founder, Thomas J. Leonard. On June 5th of the same year, Step One (the
online exam) of the certification process became available! Since then, slowly
but surely, the remainder of the initial intentions have come to fruition, culminating
with the recent launch of the IAC Learning Agreements.

When the IAC launched in 2003, the following was included in the requirements
for maintaining IAC certification:

Continuing Education Accreditation
Certified Coach Professionals must renew their certification by satisfactorily
completing continuing education courses every year. We will begin reviewing
Continuing Education programs for IAC accreditation in May 2003. Please check
back for more information.

Alas, as with many a start-up organization, some initiatives took priority
over others; unforeseen opportunities appeared that required the organization
to refocus resources instead of putting that review process in place.

Speaking as a past president, I can tell you that this didn’t mean the
vision had disappeared, rather some of the steps needed to get there had. And
speaking as a coach who recognizes perfection, what has emerged in the time
and space between idea and implementation has served IAC coaches in a much more
personal and individualized manner!

What do you remember about the early days of the IAC? Or if your membership
does not date quite that far back, what are some of the things that have impressed
you about the organization? Please add your comments below or email me. I’d
love to be able to share more of these thoughts in the future – and maybe
even hear from some long-lost friends!

I
was fortunate to catch up with Michael “Coop” Cooper,
the IAC’s founding president, and members
can click through
to read what he had to say about the launch
of the Learning Agreements:

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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Events

IAC Open Chat

Date:
July 17th, 2013
Time: 10 a.m. (Eastern)

Sign
up here
.

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New
IAC Coaching Masteries® licensed schools and mentors

NameCityStateCountryIAC-CC 
Coach With KristiLombardILUnited StatesYesView
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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