Article: Can business coaches learn from sports coaches?

by Annalisa Gigante

It’s been fascinating to witness the rise and explosion of the Business and Life Coaching industry over the past few years, well actually both fascinating and perplexing! In fact, what is a coach? It is certainly a term borrowed from the world of sports, but is the same?

I have seen many acquaintances from all different backgrounds: entrepreneurs, consultants, recruiters, communication experts, sales people and psychologists discover and plunge into this new profession and grow successful businesses.

So begins a recent article in this month's Euopean's Professional Network. While an interesting article, I find the comparision chart (at the bottom of the page) between what a Business Coach does versus a Sports Coach quite disturbing. It certainly doesn't represent my way of coaching. See what you think and please comment.

Article: Training/Coaching article from ASTD

T+D Magazine of American Society of Training And Development profiles Nancy Hemmenway, Senior Vice President, Human Resources and Administration, AMB Property Corporation, San Francisco, California

I don't believe in sending people to school. I believe in on-the-job training that you can apply that day," says Nancy Hemmenway, senior vice president for HR and administration at AMB Property Corporation in San Francisco. . .

Her preferred method for honing talent within AMB is internally developed programs with a strong coaching component. "In the years that I've been involved in learning and development, I've found that learning opportunities combined with coaching make a huge difference," she says.

How so? "Coaching helps people make the transition between the learning and work environments. It helps them connect the dots and find real-time applications for the learning."

Hemmenway admits that coaching can be an intimidating-and sometimes intense-experience. She knows how people feel when they're asked to enter a new coaching relationship, saying that the first time she was coached, "I was scared to death."

Why do people find coaching frightening? . . .

Click here for extended part of article.


Thanks to Terry A. Maugeri for this article as posted in Coachtalk-1.

Tools and Tricks: How to Remember Names

The ability to remember the names of people you meet will always serve you well in social situations. As a coach or trainer it is a critical skill for success. I have always prided myself on my ability to remember up to 40 names in half a day while training. But ask me the name of someone that I just met and I am often useless. This article not only gives you the five steps (appreviated below) but also some extra tips. Steps: 1. Pay attention. 2. Write down the new name. 3. Ask how to spell a difficult name. 4. Connect a name to a common word. 5. Make a connection .

Resources: International Journal of Coaching in Organizations (great articles)

How did I not know about this before? International Journal of Coaching in Organizations has been around for over four years and publishes a journal four times a year. I had the opportunity of sitting down at the Euorpean ICF Conference and talking with one of the foungers: John B. Lazar. I was surprised how many members of the Editorial Board that I know. We all need to be promoting these kind of resources.

Their mission?
International Journal of Coaching in Organizations promotes the sharing of wisdom, insights, theories, models and practices among professional coaches.

You will find three sample articles on the site which will give you a clear idea about the calibre of both the writers and the subjects. This is one journal that subscribing to should be on your list. There appears to be a discount for ICF, ISPI and ICCO members.

Great Article: Ungagged - Executives on Executive Coaching

by Christine Turner

Imagine, writes this author, "reading a report about an Olympic training program that omits the athletes' experiences." As implausible as it seems, that omission, or failing, compromises much of the commentary on executive coaching. What the coach has to say can be valuable, but the commentary can't be all that meaningful unless comments by the players -- executives -- are included. This author went directly to executives, who for the first time, voiced their opinions on the value and utility of executive coaching.

Ivy Business School is my alma mater and I recommend subscribing to their journal.

Watch out - the 'virtual coach' is on its way!

As reported in NewScientist.com, researchers at the University of Twente in the Netherlands are developing an 'anti smoking chatbot' - a female virtual coach that will help smokers trying to quit by answering their questions and 'listening' to them with appropriate facial expressions and voice tones. They plan to develop more 'virtual coaches' for other user groups.

Shrouded in the anonymity provided by the internet, smokers can log on to a website and type questions and confessions into a chat box. The coach is programmed to respond with the same answers and facial expressions that Stivoro's human counsellors use.

Virtual coaches have a good track record. Frequent conversations with the chatbot Laura, the brainchild of Timothy Bickmore at Northeastern University in Boston, helped to persuade a group of elderly people to exercise more (New Scientist, 3 December 2005, p 42).

Thanks to for Andy Smith for this article as he posted in the Eurocoach-list.

Tool Trick: Erase permanent marker from your dry erase board

A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about getting more ink out of your markers. Well, this seems to be an even more important item.

WikiHow has a simple method for removing permanent marker from dry erase boards:

1. Get the board you want the stuff off.
2. Get a dry erase marker (yes, we will make marks to take marks) and a dry eraser.
3. Draw over what you want to erase (make sure you draw slowly to fill it in better).
4. Erase.
5. Done!

There is some more ideas and suggestions if it doesn't work, but I have tried this method very successfully.

Editorial: How generous are coaches?

We skirt this issue all the time in some of other questions such as:

• Why are different coaching schools often trashing one another (subtle as it may be)?
• Why does it seem that “successful” coaches are making their money "off the backs"” of newer coaches?
• Why do we tend to place status on what we "“label" ourselves? Executive Coach is better than Business Coach. Life Coach is better than Spiritual Coach.
• Why do we love to take pot shots at well known figures in the coaching community?

In 2000, I attended my first major coaching conference where I had the opportunity to talk with a reasonable well known coach, author and Teleclass leader. I remember mentioning that so far one of the things that I liked about the coaching community was how generous coaches were. While she seemed not to react, smiled and continued the conversation, I noticed in her body language a fleeting gesture that suggested she did not share this view. This woman is no longer is in the coaching profession. While I have not become as jaded, I have revised my view.

I have made some of the most amazing connections with other coaches and developed a wonderful community. I hope and strive to model sharing, but I am discerning. I have discovered that like other professions, there are charlatans and individuals who are not well suited to this business. The most generous I can be is that perhaps their intentions are good but they are too busy. Fortunately "“the takers"” are few and I can pretty much spot them right away. I am not surprised anymore when I feel that someone is taking advantage of me but I am still disappointed. There are also times when I have been overly cautious, only to discover that someone was very generous to me when I needed some assistance. This has renewed my desire to give people the benefit of the doubt more often.

While the "“pay it forward" concept seems a bit trite, I do believe that what you give out will come back fourfold and you never know where it will come from. I am far from the only person who ascribes to this philosophy but putting it into practice is another story. You would be quite surprised how many of my mentee coaches have told me that one of the things that they got the most out of coaching with me is a change in this limiting belief: The pie is only so big and what someone else's gets, you can'’t have. (My metaphor). I really and truly believe that the world really needs what good coaches have to offer and there is SO MUCH work out there. Finding it is harder but if we worked together more collectively, I think we would all be amazed at the results.

I have just returned from the European ICF Conference, where I saw both the "puffing up" approach as well as a genuine desire to share. Last night I attended our local Suisse Romande ICF Chapter where one of our members Laurence Treille did an abbreviated version of her presentation to the ICF Conference on "Teaming up with other coaches: The value of collaboration." The key seems to be whether we have a scarcity model operating or an abundance one.

Here is what I have decided. I choose to remain optomistic. Coaches are human and no better or worse or more evolved than the rest of the human race, –even if we like to believe we are.

DASH coach reports infomercial flopped; says no coaches received referrals

Here is an important follow-up by Ken Winston.

Following is a copy of an email I just sent to 40-some coaches who were recruited by DASH to serve what was anticipated to be a flood of coaching clients once Mercury Media began airing an infomercial featuring DASH founder Eric Aronson.

According to one source, the informerical flopped and not one of the 100-plus coaches recruited received a client referral from DASH. (Coaches were required to pay $495 to join the referral system.)

Ken was the was the founding editor of an online news magazine called Coaching Insider. He reported on DASH in Coaching Insider in early 2005. See:

http://www.coachinginsider.com/ci/index.php/issue/2005-03-23/

http://www.coachinginsider.com/ci/index.php/issue/2005-04-12/

For those of you on the list that weren't here for the original torrent of emails from the Dash folks - here's the chronology: Example of original emails:- Reaction to their spammy email tactics on this list:

Someone joins the COACHTALK-L list, fluffs up the company and then promptly leaves:

Stories in /Coaching Insider/:

- http://www.coachinginsider.com/ci/index.php/issue/story/coaching_infomercial/

- http://www.coachinginsider.com/ci/index.php/issue/story/dash_3/

Analysis from Coach Outlaws -http://coachoutlaws.blogspot.com/2005/03/dash-debacle.html

- Ritual flogging on the list (must be listmember to view)

My thanks to Andy Wibbels for this update. Check out his new bestseller: http://GOblogwild.com/

Resources: WABC, ICF and ROI

While I was attending the European ICF Conference last week in Brussels, the latest edition of WABC Newsletter came out. I strongly encourage you to check it out and not just because I am a regular writer for them. This month, they really do have some excellent articles.

A big topic at the ICF Conference, is ROI. You might find this article on the subject useful: The ROI of Business Coaching Revisited by Bronwyn Bowery-Ireland.

Numerous models are available to measure the ROI of business coaching. Some are adaptations of Donald Kirkpatrick's or Jack Phillips', while others afford new and refreshing methods of evaluating the coaching process. This column examines Mel Leedham's Coaching Scorecard, which is based on the way purchasers measure the effectiveness of external business coaches.

If you are looking for back issues try here.

Kudo’s to the Belgium Chapter and organizers of the European ICF event. While there is always something one could complain about, they did a great job readjusting from the expected 450 participants to over 600. What a wonderful success. I was particularly impressed with the key note speakers.

Article: For the Families of the Dying, Coaching as the Hours Wane

By JANE GROSS
Inspired by research on the end of life, hospices are broadening their range of
therapeutic services.

Thanks to Stephanie West Allen for this reference.

Article: Finally, hard facts that prove coaching works!

by Martin Down from Issue 4 Newsletter of the Hay Group

"But, while it’s clear that coaching can have a measurable impact on performance in the world of sport, how can you prove a similar impact in the world of work? What measures can be used?"

The article suggests 3 ways in which your investment can be achieved:
1) Measuring improvements at individual, team or organisational level
2) Measuring the impact of leadership
3) Measure the ROI

They also quote - as everyone does - the now dated (my opinion) -- The Manchester Review 2001 Volume 6 Number 1.

“The Onion” Spoofs Life Coaching

Thanks to OnCoaching for this one:

Life Coach Has Losing Record

May 3, 2006 | Issue 42•18 | Onion Sports

Tool Trick: getting more mileage out of markers

If your magic marker is running dry, tape a string to the bottom of it and spin it over your head in a big circle. A few times around will generate enough centrifugal force to push any remaining ink to the tip.

Warning: There is usually a lot more ink left in a "dry" marker, so make sure the lid is on security before you start and remove it carefully when you are finished.

Two interesting events despite the hype

I thought that the days of advertising that “you could make six figures coaching from home almost immediately” were over, but I guess that I am wrong. I continue to see various programs suggesting more than they can possible deliver. I realize that part of this is necessary for the “selling process” but there has to be an ethical line that we don’t cross. There are two up-coming events where one walks the line successfully while the other does not.

Here is the trick that I know from trying to write copy . . . you have to appeal to “something” in order to increase the likely hood of getting someone to respond and then to buy. What is that “something”?

People respond for one of three reasons . . .

1. they are in pain and need a quick solution
2. they see the opportunity of making money (saving money doesn't work half as well) - the issue of time falls into points one and two
3. they are passionate about the particular product or service being offered

They buy for one of three reasons . . .

1. it is a limited offer (only so many or for so long a time)
2. it is something no one else has (or only a few) or know about
3. it is something they want now (passion or pain)

I think that the announcement of the next ACCPOW's Tele-Summit on Masterful Coaching does a nice job of balancing these trade-offs while remaining in integrity. It starts a little questionably with: “Attention Coaches Who Want to Quickly Double or Triple Your Fees, Get A Flood of Client Referrals, and Become The Leading Coach In Your Field...” However, the following statistics and claims are realistic. They also point out:

Out of hundreds of coaches I have consulted, interviewed and collaborated with, I have NOT met a single coach who achieved a high level of success without specializing.

In fact, research shows that coaches who do not specialize earn 2-5 times less than those who do.

For example, a life coach who works with many different types of clients helping them reach all kinds of different goals might earn between $55-$125 an hour.

At the same time, a coach who specializes in a certain area of life or business typically earns almost twice as much - $100-$250 an hour... and sometimes, depending on their level of expertise and target audience, even more!

I encourage you to checkout this program and the names involved. This looks like good value for the money.

-------------------------------------------------------

What: Coaching Mastery Telesummit

When: May 22-25, 2006

Where: Over a telephone bridgeline

Hosted by: Josephine Romano, Green Mountain Life Coach Sponsored by: ACCPOW

Topics: Top 9 coaching niches

--------------------------------------------------------

iPEC Coaching on the other hand, does not make the same grade. The Core Energy Seminar that they are offering appears to be one of good value but I have serious problems with the following part of their advertising: “You may even discover a brand new career in life, small business or executive coaching where you can earn $100,000, $250,000 or more doing something you’re passionate about and invigorates you instead of draining you.” This is far from an oversight as they later offer: Special Report: How to Make $250k as a Professional Coach. (Value $39) along wit the promise: "This event will reveal the secrets that will make this happen for you and offer you ways to begin to reveal these secrets to others."

Becoming a masterful coach, heck becoming a decent coach, demands effort, self awareness, life long learning and practice.

Tell me what you think. Post a comment.

Inspiration: Lessons From Water

While I think of it, I would like to acknowledge Ellen Britt for what she brings to coaching from her hosting of the ICF Wellness SIG to her regular contributuions on various list serves. I would like to share her flash movie with you: Lessons From Water

Training: Wellness Coaching Teleclass with Cheryl Richardson

Kudos to Ellen Britt of The Coaching Zone Network. They had a tremendous turnout for Cheryl's Richardson's talk to the International Coach Federation's Wellness SIG yesterday. This isn’t a surprise to me since this is a hot topic and Cheryl is a hot guest. Even I, who has no interest in Wellness, (dare I admit it?) nor one who like you has limited time, decided that this was well worth it.

Click here for the MP3 It will only be up for a short time.

The Helix Institute™ announces the opening of the School of Wellness Coaching, offering a proprietary curriculum for Certification as a Helix Institute Wellness Coach. The next Stress Resiliency Wellness Coaching (SRWC) Foundations class starts June 5th. For more information and to enroll please click on SRWC info.

The Big Picture: Richard Boyatzis, on Competencies and Values

Richard Boyatzis is a professor in the Department of Organizational Behavior and Psychology at Case Western Reserve University and a Visiting Professor in Human Resources at ESADE in Barcelona. He is the author of more than 125 articles on behavior change, leadership, competencies and emotional intelligence.

Here is one question that was asked in this webinar from HR.com:

Interviewer: . . . obviously technology has had a big impact on that ability. Do you have any thoughts on the best ways to use technology as a tool to utilize competencies?

Boyatzis: Well, my view of it right now is a little bit of render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and unto God that which is God's, which means there are some things that computer programs and software systems are good for doing, like keeping track of things, posting jobs, giving a lot more access across a company to people being able to consider different job openings and career paths. When it comes to something like a person getting feedback, I think a computer is pretty cold, because it is alexithymic. It has no emotion. It takes the emotion out of communication. And, that is one of the criticisms about email versus telephone or face-to-face conversations. That is okay if you just want the facts, however, seldom when it involves us do we just want the facts. We want a little bit of image; well, is that good or is that bad? Are you saying I just did well or I didn’t do so well?

I think that computers can be marvelous for helping keep track of things, when it comes to feedback, when it comes to development; nothing will replace human-to-human contact because you can’t. Now, you can use technology to have to spend less hours sitting together. So, if you include in technology other things, like the telephone, I think that I have seen people take coaching, for example, to a new height, by being able to use a telephone in between times they are face to face, being able to use online video conferencing in between times you are face to face. I have seen people do that with one on one as well as team coaching quite successfully. I think that holds a lot of promise. Knowing the exact ratio of how much is face to face versus how much you let part of it be imparted through electrons, I do not know. But, I do know that the push to get all the assessments filled out and then go through this computer program to help them figure out what it is, is kind of like looking up your horoscope in a newspaper with about the same constructive impact. I think there are an awful lot of people chasing a magic pill that is right now wasting a bit of time. (italics mine)

To access the full article (available only for the next week or so) you will have to open a free account at HR.com I reccomend this site as a great resource for anyone interested in a broader more systemic view of coaching.

Inspiration: Monday 9 am videos

This site is something that I came across this from a recommendation from another coach late last year and I have found these Monday Morning vignettes to be quite inspiring.

The Coaching Forums launches it's 1st Podcast!

This is a very timely issue: Coach Supervision and I am glad to see this as the kick off topic for The Coaching Forums' first podcast. It features an interview with this month's competition sponsor, Edna Murdoch from The Coaching Supervision Academy. Edna talks passioniately about coaching supervision and it's role within the profession.

Speaking of the competition, here are the details.

Competition:
What kind of clients/client situations take us to the edge of our comfort zone?
This month's competition is sponsored by Edna Murdoch of The Coaching Supervision Academy, and the prize is 2 coaching supervision sessions worth £200 with Edna herself. To win enter the discussion on "What kind of clients/client situations take us to the edge of our comfort zone?" The closing date is 31st May and the competition will be judged by Edna, good luck! Discuss here to enter and win.

Editorial by Roberta:
I am glad to see all the effort Jules Wright has been putting into this effort and I am looking forward to meeting her in person next week at the ICF Conference in Brussels. It seems ironic (or predictive) that I had set up teleclasses called The Coaches Forum in the Spring of 2001. This was evolved into the Coaching Debates (currently on hiatus but soon to be revived) in 2004. We had very similar debates as the ones in The Coaching Forums, so it is good to know that the dialogue continues.

Useful Tools for Coaches: Measuring Tape Tape

While this blog is to highlight the best IN coaching, I am also going to be including things and items and ideas the are the best FOR coaches.

Here is an item that as a facilitator and trainer I was excited to discover: Post-It Tape! This yellow and black measuring tape is used in the theatre and film industry to block off sets and stages. We have found many additional uses for it and appreciate its striking graphic quality. 1/2" x 50 yards Price $8.00 each.

How Best to Use this Site

Blogger is a great free blog system but not without its limitations. There is no easy way to create and find categories. Not to worry. If you know the key words to search on, you can go to the top of this page, write in the word, and search "this blog".

I have set up a way for you to find important items using the following key words in the Title:

• Article
• Debate (different views on issues from Roberta and Nancy)
  
• The Big Picture (looking at coaching from a systemic or OD perspective)
• Inspiration (things that may motivate you or be timely for your clients)
• Editorial (sometimes I just want to pontificate)
• Events (anything that I think you might want to know that is coming up)
• Resources (places that might help you grow your business)
• Tools (just stuff I like that may be technical or just a great "trick" of the trade)
• Training (this is for your personal development and includes schools, workshops or teleclasses)

Also, you will find a list of "Techie Resources" that I like by scrolling down to the bottom left column - so you can see how it works.