Coaching World International Coach Federation Issue #122 - Coachfederation.org - January 2005

Editor: Beth Barry
Circulation: 24,000-Plus

 

The International Coach Federation offers our sincere sympathy to all those who have lost loved ones, friends, homes and livelihoods in the earthquake and tsunamis in Asia and Africa. Our thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult time.

President's Message

Keys to Coaching Profession's Success:
Unity, High Standards, Clear Message

Hello ICF Members,
As your new president, I am honored to have this opportunity to share some thoughts with you about the future of professional coaching. I believe coaching is a noble profession, and I am deeply committed to its growth, prosperity and increased impact around the world. Anyone who is called to do this important work, and who puts in the effort to become competent, should be able to enjoy a long and successful career as a professional coach.

More than any time in our profession's brief history, the future of coaching looks bright. The very nature of the powerful work we do with our clients is a strong indication that professional coaching will continue to grow and flourish.

Nevertheless, as members of a young and evolving profession, we face many real challenges. Some of the excellent work done by ICF researchers reveals high levels of confusion in the marketplace about coaching services. Few prospective clients really know what coaching is, understand the remarkable benefits of working with a good coach, or know how to choose a competent coach.

Like all professions that have become successful, the coaching profession will experience success in direct proportion to the trust and respect we earn from the public we serve. In the eyes of the public, the media and regulatory bodies, we are often only as strong as our weakest link. In this regard our research has also identified two important internal weaknesses:

• Individuals with no intention of becoming properly trained are joining the ICF and calling themselves ICF coaches, thus adversely affecting the integrity of both our profession and our professional association.
• Many ICF coaches are themselves confused about the educational and credentialing standards for our industry, and do not understand the significant benefits of those standards for themselves or the profession as a whole.

Confusion and weakness directly translate into reduced demand for coaching, which is at the heart of why many of our members still struggle to make a viable living as a coach.

We can do better. It's time for all professional coaches to come together strongly, hold ourselves to higher standards, and take a much clearer marketing message out into the world. Greater understanding, trust, respect and demand will follow, and, I believe, professional coaching will experience a breakthrough to a level of success few can now imagine.

As ICF members, we need to discuss these issues at all levels of the organization, and design a way to move forward quickly. The ICF is the world's largest non-profit professional association of coaches; some 8,000 coaches around the world depend on us. Your volunteer ICF leadership and staff are already busy creating avenues to higher levels of success and professionalism for our members by:

• Working to increase the demand, trust and respect for professional coaching worldwide.
• Upholding and promoting our high standards of certification and ethics for coaches. (We want the world to know that an ICF credential is the hallmark of excellence in coaching.)
• Developing a world-class association capable of meeting the growing needs of our professionals and of coaches in training around the globe.

The work ahead of us will tax the resources of our young organization. To accomplish our goals, we need your help. To realize our full potential as a profession, we need to come together in a much stronger alliance. We must put aside our individual interests, look beyond the many distinctions that may divide us, and work together to create the better future that we all seek.

Together we will succeed, and succeed we must, for our work is not for our benefit alone; it will serve many generations of coaches and millions of coaching clients yet to come.

Yours sincerely,
Steve Mitten, MCC
ICF President
president@coachfederation.org

Executive Directors's Message

An Invitation to Join the ICF
In Raising the Bar in Coaching

Happy New Year, Everyone!
As I write this message, 2005 is right around the corner. Like many people, I've been reflecting on the past year and anticipating the challenges that lie ahead in the coming year.

I'm fortunate to have a tremendously talented coach to help me sort through these thoughts. On a recent coaching call, Harriett asked me my intentions for 2005. I remember being stumped by this question last year, uncertain how to distinguish between an intention and a goal. This time, my response was quick. It is my intention in the coming year to view change and uncertainty in both my personal and professional life as a critical part of my learning process. Rather than fear change, I intend to embrace it.

Harriett calls those really messy things in our lives "gifts." From looking at my own experience, I know that she's right. In 2004, I had some truly exhilarating experiences. One of my biggest triumphs was training for and completing a 10-kilometer race in my hometown on Cape Cod. Only a few things will ever top the feeling I had as I crossed the finish line. This achievement wasn't easy, but the rewards were immense.

Over the last several months, many of you have heard that the ICF is going to be instituting more professional membership requirements. As in most far-reaching transformations, I am sure the new requirements will present us with many challenges and "messy" issues. My request to all of you is to anticipate and welcome these issues as part of the changes that are necessary to move professional coaching forward.

My New Year's message is really an invitation for you to join the ICF in raising the bar of professional coaching. For coaching to reach its potential in the marketplace, the demand for it must increase dramatically. And for the demand to increase, the public must understand and have confidence in the power of professional coaching.

With many good wishes for a prosperous and healthy new year,
Daniel Martinage, CAE
ICF Executive Director
executivedirector@coachfederation.org

....................................................... Message From CW Sponsor

Ethics Essentials

Do Confidentiality Rules Apply
In Complimentary Coaching Sessions?
By Drazia Rubenstein

After reading last month's Ethics Essentials column on confidentiality, a coach asked, "Does the standard of confidentiality apply when a coach offers a complimentary coaching session to a non-client and is not hired?"

The coach who raised the question had overheard some other coaches complaining that they had wasted their time giving free sessions to prospects who did not become clients.

The ICF Code of Ethics addresses both of these concerns. Standards of confidentiality apply even though the person being coached is a prospect, and not a client. While the ethics code addresses confidentiality specifically within the context of the coach-client relationship in Standards 11, 12 and 13, it also speaks to our conduct with the public at large.

As members of the ICF, we pledge to conduct ourselves "in a manner that reflects well on coaching as a profession and will refrain from doing anything that harms the public's understanding or acceptance of coaching as a profession" (Standard 1). If a coach discusses what transpired during the course of a complimentary coaching session, and does not preserve confidentiality, the coach's action could reflect poorly on coaching as a profession. It could also compromise the public's understanding of what coaching is and how the coaching relationship works.

Furthermore, if a coach is heard to complain about having wasted his time because he wasn't hired, this could negatively impact the public's understanding of coaching as a profession.

In any coaching situation, it is prudent to make ground rules in advance. When setting up a complimentary coaching session, a coach should tell a coachee what to expect regarding the session, even though a formal agreement may not exist. Standard 2 of the code requires members to honor agreements made in all relationships. While a coach-client relationship does not exist, there is a coach-coachee relationship, even if it's in the context of a complimentary session. Disclosing what transpired could be a breach of this standard, as well as of Standard 1.

Most of us have heard many times throughout our lives that "actions speak louder than words." If we want the public to acknowledge and respect coaching as a profession, it is up to each of us to demonstrate continually the high standards set forth in our Code of Ethics. Our actions as coaches tell the public what a coach does and what coaching is.

Drazia Rubenstein, PCC, wrote this column as co-chair of the ICF Ethics and Standards Committee. Through her business, Systems for Success, Inc., Drazia works with "solo-preneurs" and small-business owners to help them create systems to sustain success. The Ethics and Standards Committee invites your comments, questions and column suggestions. Please send them to Drazia at drazia35@bellsouth.net or to committee Co-Chair David Matthew Prior, MCC, at david@getacoach.com.

Readers' Forum

"Buddies" for Conference First-Timers?

Dear Editor and Colleagues:
After attending the 2004 Annual ICF Conference as a "first-timer," I have to tell you what a wonderful experience I had. Somewhat intimidated about attending because I did not know anyone, I was nonetheless determined to go, partly because of the location (I had recently revisited my high-school French, studying the language again, and so was eager to visit Québec City), and partly because of my excitement about coaching (I'm a relatively new coach). Knowing that coaches are "people persons" further helped overcome my misgivings.

My fellow coaches did not disappoint! I went to Wednesday night's cocktail party alone, thinking that if I didn't feel comfortable, I could always go back to my hotel room to watch (and hear) a little French Canadian TV. As soon as I got on line for a cocktail, another coach filled in behind me. We started a conversation, and soon he was introducing me to other coaches.

The short of it is that I was generously "adopted" by two coaches who were friends. They invited me to have meals with them, and shared their knowledge of previous ICF conferences, and of who was who and what was what, introducing me to other coaches and steering me to certain exhibitors' booths. I left Québec City with two new friends, several new acquaintances, some inspiring ideas, and the feeling that I belong to an organization and a profession that is not only dynamic, but also genuinely caring.

While my own experience was gratifying, I do have some suggestions on how to better integrate all first-timers into the conference experience. The First-Timers' Orientation in Québec City was done well, but I was a little disappointed that it was held in such a huge ballroom. When I walked in, I thought, "Gee, it'll be hard to hook up with people here." Planners of future conferences may want to consider a more personal, intimate way of delivering important information to newcomers.

Also, maybe official greeters or other conference workers could be paired with groups of first-timers, to act as their "buddies" or "guardian angels." Perhaps these newcomers could be grouped by geographical areas or coaching specialties, so they have something in common that brings them together.

Barbara Palmer
Scarsdale, New York, U.S.
Palmer Communications
www.palmercommunications.com

•    •

Put Old Electronic Equipment to Good Use
Dear Editor and Colleagues:
I am sure that all of our members know of the earthquake and tsunami disaster that has occurred in our world. Many coaches in our community have written to me personally, asking how we might support the relief efforts. It is not easy to find a 'best" way that everyone can offer his or her support, but I feel drawn to share several ways, personally, that I have found, and that are already beginning to make a difference. Please note that these are personal recommendations, and not those of the ICF in general.

For U.S. members:
1. The American Red Cross www.redcross.org/press/intl/PR010205_1.html
2. AuctionDrop
www.auctiondrop.com/QuakeRelief.htm
This company serves as an intermediary for individuals who want to sell their electronic products on EBay. AuctionDrop has partnered with UPS stores to help the relief efforts of the humanitarian organization CARE. People can drop off donations at a UPS store, and AuctionDrop will then auction them off and send 100 percent of the net proceeds to CARE. This is an easy way to help – and most of us have used electronic equipment lying around.

For Canadian members:
The Canadian Red Cross
www.redcross.ca/article.asp?id=000005&tid=003

For UK and European members, and members in all other countries:
UNICEF
www.supportunicef.org/site/pp.asp?c=iuI1LdP0G&b=276341
This site will ask you where you're from and point you to an organization in your own country.

Thank you for allowing me to share. Hopefully this will assist all of us in making a difference.

Pamela Richarde, MCC
Placentia, California, U.S.
InnerVision Coaching
innervisioncoaching.com

The Readers' Forum is the place where ICF members can share their opinions, concerns, ideas and experiences with Coaching World readers. If you'd like to submit a letter to the Forum, please follow our submission guidelines; you can obtain these by sending a blank email to cwguidelines@coachfederation.org

Credentials Connection

This month is deadline for 2001 renewals

Did you earn a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) or Master Certified Coach (MCC) credential from the ICF in 2001? If so, you must renew your credential by Jan. 31, 2005, to keep it valid. Two Credential Renewal Teleforums explaining how to do this will be held this month.

The teleforums will be hosted by Kay Cannon, MCC, and Elizabeth Ferguson, MCC, co-chairs of the ICF Credentialing and Continuing Education Committee; and by Margaret Krigbaum, MCC, and Christine Martin, MCC, co-chairs of the ICF Application Review Committee. Before you come to a call, we ask that you download and read both the renewal application and the Frequently Asked Questions in the Credentialing section of the ICF website. Below is the schedule for the forums. All calls will be on bridge line 904-357-8712.

Credential Renewal Forums
Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2 p.m. U.S. ET; 8 p.m. CET
Thursday, Jan. 13, 5 p.m. ET; 11 p.m. CET
Friday, Jan. 14, 9 a.m. Sydney time

•    •

Credentialing Session Is Open
The ICF is now accepting individual applications for Master Certified Coach (MCC), Professional Certified Coach (PCC) and Associate Certified Coach (ACC) credentials. The current credentialing session will run through March 31, 2005.

The Credentialing and Continuing Education Committee and the Application Review Committee have scheduled special teleforums during the session to answer your credentials questions, and to assist you through the credentialing process. Dates and times of these calls will be announced soon.

The CW Interview

New ICF President: "It's Time
To Climb to Higher Ground"

A recent article in the Harvard Business Review appeared under the headline "The Wild West of Executive Coaching." The provocative title caught the eye of the ICF's new president, Steve Mitten, MCC. Although Steve does not see coaches as cowboys galloping across the desert – he prefers a wetter image – he does think coaching needs more structure and unity. And he sees the ICF as the one organization that can bring more law and order to the business magazine's "Wild West."

"Coaching is a really, really young profession," Steve says. "We've just climbed out of the evolutionary swamp in the past nine or 10 years. Now it's time to climb up to higher ground. We need to leave behind the days when anyone can join the ICF and call himself or herself a coach. We need to get to a place where the term 'ICF coach' means that this is a coach who has the right training and standards, and is really good at what he or she does."

Steve helped start and run five different companies before he got into coaching in 1997. The first non-U.S. president of the ICF, he lives with his wife and three teenage daughters in Ocean Park, British Columbia, Canada, about an hour's drive south of Vancouver. He talked with Coaching World Editor Beth Barry by phone last month, just before he and his family headed to the mountains for a holiday ski trip.

Q: Is the field of coaching still pretty "wild"?
A: I don't know that I'd call it the Wild West. But I would like to speak to the perception that it's the Wild West. I think that coaches themselves see this. They talk to potential clients all the time who don't know what coaching is, who don't know how to choose one coach from the other, what the educational and credentialing standards of a coach are, what makes a competent coach.

If you type "business coach" into Google, you're going to get thousands of hits. Members of the public can go on the Internet now and find a person who calls himself a coach, but who has no training whatsoever, and no idea of coaching ethics. Literally every week I get calls from organizations, business owners, members of the public, saying, "How do I choose a coach? Help!"

So I have to admit that the feeling expressed in the "Wild West" article is almost universal. The marketplace is a mess. This confusion in the market translates into confusion in the minds of potential clients and into less demand for coaching. It also translates into skepticism in the media and among regulators.

Q: How does it lead to less demand for coaching?
A: If individuals and businesses don't feel that they can trust what "coach" means, they won't hire one. Too many people who want to work as coaches are having a hard time filling their practices. Too many of our own members are struggling. This struggle is a symptom of the mistrust and confusion.

Our profession is very young. In just one decade, we've figured out what the core coaching skills and competencies are, and how to credential coaches and accredit training schools. We've drawn up a great Code of Ethics and established a solid peer-review process. So we've laid a good foundation.

Now we need to do what every other successful profession has done.
Lawyers, doctors, accountants, engineers, you name it – they all went through this same process 100, 150, 200 years ago. When physicians started out, they began as little more than witch doctors. Then they started learning their skills through job shadowing. In the 1800s, many physicians actually had to rob graves to acquire corpses to learn anatomy. Finally they realized the need to professionalize. They had to standardize their definitions, and their training and credentialing. All those professions that came together strongly, set meaningful standards and took their message out to the market – this is what it means to be a doctor, a lawyer – have thrived.

Q: So what changes are in the works to help professionalize coaching?
A: We are already talking with our chapters and extended leadership to design the best way to move from a place where anybody can join the ICF and say he or she is a coach to an organization whose members are either trained and credentialed, or in training and working toward a credential. One of my main tasks this year will be to help educate the membership so they understand the need for this change, and see why it is in everyone's best interest.

Q: How do you think most members are going to respond?
A: When you have 8,000 members, nothing you do will please everyone. However, as the ICF leadership, we want to do this in such a way that we give people the time they need to make this change – to get into training, to accumulate hours, to get into the credentialing program. We don't want to scare anybody. Some people say, "I don't need training," or "I don't need your credential. I've got my school's credential." The problem is, there are 150 school credentials out there. We can't vouch for or market all of those credentials.

Another criticism we hear is, "Oh, the ICF is an old boys' club. They are just raising the bar because the leaders are already 'in' " We need to show people that we're doing this for everyone – the public, our clients and all coaches. In fact, the people just coming in – the new coaches who are just building their practices – are the people who will benefit the most. The senior coaches already have full practices.

Q: You mentioned that many coaches are struggling. Is it possible that some of this struggle has more to do with problems in setting up and running a business than with a messy marketplace?
A: Absolutely. There isn't a lot of cost-effective business training for coaches. Consequently, many coaches don't have the business skills they need to survive. The ICF is not a training organization, but one of the messages we are taking out to the training schools is that many coaches need more effective business skills. We can't just keep churning out thousands of coaches without teaching them how to make a living out of coaching.

Q: The ICF is launching a major global marketing campaign this year. What one thing could help the most in getting the truth out about coaching?
A: Research. We've had two very successful Research Symposiums, and we have some world-class people doing research on the impact of coaching. My own opinion is that the day we get a research report coming out of Harvard, Stanford, Yale, Cambridge, Oxford – any reputable institution – quantifying the efficacy of coaching will be the day that brings us the single biggest marketing gift our profession could have. Once we get some good research out there that reinforces what coaches already know – that coaching works – we'll really be on our way as a profession.
Copyright © 2005 by Beth Barry

Regional Conferences

European Conference Organizers
Plan to Support Tsunami Relief

Organizers of this year's ICF European Conference have decided to donate part of the conference's potential proceeds to relief efforts for victims of the tsunami catastrophe in Southeast Asia.

The European Coaching Conference 2005 (ECC) will be held in Tønsberg, Norway, from Thursday, May 19, through Saturday, May 21. Featuring the theme "Discover and Explore Coaching," the event will bring hundreds of coaches and other professionals and business people from around the globe together to explore dozens of coaching-related subjects.

Keynote speakers will include philosopher and coach Esa Saarinen, The Inner Game author and coach Tim Gallwey, and Lucid Living founder Leza Danly, MCC. Organizational development expert Merrill Anderson will lead a session on "Coaching as a Strategic Initiative Delivering ROI to the Business." Members of the Annesci Quartett of Switzerland will give an interactive presentation that will take conferees through their 16-year team journey, a metaphor for teams working in corporate environments. Saturday night's Gala Banquet will close the event.

The ECC is being hosted by the Nordic Coach Federation (NCF), with Lise Heiberg serving as conference chair. Conferees are invited to come early and join in the celebration of the Constitution Day of Norway, on Tuesday, May 17. The holiday will feature parades and ceremonies, with thousands of men and women wearing colorful national costumes. The town guides of Tønsberg will plan a special program, and NCF President Frank Pedersen, PCC, will host an evening garden party.

Travel to Tønsberg is easy. An international airport, Sandefjord/Torp, is only 20 minutes away, and Oslo and its airport, Gardermoen, are only two hours away by train or bus. To read more about this exciting event or to register, go to the ECC website at www.icf-ecc.org. The deadline for early-bird registrations is Tuesday, Feb. 1.

•    •

Australasia Conference Set for September
"Professional Coaching – From the Inside Out" is the theme of the ICF Australasia 2005 Conference, to be held in Brisbane, Australia, Thursday and Friday, Sept. 29 and 30.

Members of the Conference Steering Committee include Josie McLean, ACC; Karen Tweedie, ACC; Fiona Toy, Toni Binstead and Marisa Dantanarayana. The committee is promoting the event as "two days of deep professional development," featuring local and international speakers, interactive breakout sessions and networking.

The conference will be on the Gardens Point Campus of Queensland University of Technology. The campus is on the Brisbane River in the city's center, near a botanical garden, the parliament building, and plenty of shops and restaurants. Watch for more information in the CW and on the conference website, www.icfaustralasia.com/EOI.html.

Chapter News

Puerto Rico Coaches Form Chapter
By Carmen T. Cordova

As in many parts of the world, the coaching industry is growing quickly in Puerto Rico, where I live. Businesses are hiring more internal and external coaches. There's a "boom" of new coaches offering many different kinds of coaching. With all the approaches and specialties, coaching is almost becoming the "flavor of the month" here, which can be really confusing to coaches and clients alike.

Looking at this situation, several members of the ICF in Puerto Rico decided to form an ICF chapter. We want to bring to the island's coaches the opportunity to be part of a community that supports developing the coaching profession, maintaining and upgrading the profession's standards, and encouraging coaches to become accredited and certified.

Three coaches, myself included, met in December and officially started the chapter. The next day we held a meeting in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico, which was attended by 10 coaches. We created a list of about 25 additional coaches who we committed to bring to our next meeting, scheduled for Jan. 24.

We will be working to upgrade our new group to the status of a charter chapter. We also intend to create a supportive environment for coaches throughout the Caribbean. Our functions will be open to all Caribbean coaches, and we will support coaching communities on other area islands that wish to start their own chapters.

I am the chapter president and coordinator; Juan Jose Román is the vice president; and Joanne Lopez is the treasurer. To find out more about our new chapter, please email me at cordovar@icpr.com or call 787-636-1263.

•    •

2005 Coaching Week: February 6-12
ICF chapters around the globe will be marking this year's International Coaching Week, Feb. 6-12, with special events and community outreach programs. The annual week's two-fold purpose is to help educate the public about the value of working with a personal, business or executive coach, and to give coaches and their clients a special time to acknowledge the progress and results of the coaching process. The week was established six years ago by ICF member Jerri Udelson, MCC.

Virtual Community and SIGs

Virtual Community January Meetings

Region 1
Topic: "Coaching Research: Evidence-Based Coaching"
Description: Join Richard Zackon, chair of the ICF Research and Development Committee, to learn about evidence-based coaching, hear what the R&D Committee has been up to, and discuss the results of a recent client survey. Richard's website is www.richardzackon.com.

Date: Monday, Jan. 10
Time: 6:30-8 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
Bridge Line: ICF members, see the ICF Calendar at www.coachfederation.org/calendar/event.cfm
Non-members, send an email to icfvcprogram1@coachfederation.org

Region 2
Topic: "A Conversation With Laura Berman Fortgang: Helping Clients Forge New Directions for Their Life and Work"
Description: Are your clients asking what else to do with their lives? At least 50 percent of Americans say they are. Perhaps you have this question, too. Through an innovative program she developed, Laura Berman Fortgang, MCC, proves that people can find the answer in as few as 90 days. Join us in a conversation that offers exciting concepts and tools for working with your clients in 2005 and beyond.

Date: Thursday, Jan. 20
Time: 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. U.S. Pacific Time (2:30-4 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time)
Bridge Line: ICF members, see the ICF Calendar at www.coachfederation.org/calendar/event.cfm
Non-members, send an email to icfvcprogram2@coachfederation.org

•    •

SIG Showcase

New SIG Focuses on Transitions
A new ICF Special Interest Group has formed to support both coaches whose clients are in transition, and coaches who are themselves in transition. Members of this group, the Transitions SIG, will share challenges, successes, ideas and strategies in working with clients. They will also explore how to use their own transitions to develop compassion for their clients, insights into transition dynamics, and focus in their own coaching businesses.

The Transitions SIG will meet the third Wednesday of each month at 4 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time, with its first meeting scheduled for Jan. 19. For the bridge number or contact information on the SIG's host, Carol McClelland, visit the SIG page of the ICF website.

Jo Miller is chair of the ICF SIG Committee. Her email address is sigchair@coachfederation.org.

Coaching Tips

Effectiveness: Doing Only What Works
--One Coach's View--
By Lisa Taylor Huff

As we enter the new year, many of us will be setting new intentions and goals, and coaching our clients to do the same. It's the perfect time to dream and create, to visualize and anticipate. To see those dreams and intentions become reality, however, we have to do more than visualize. We have to take action.

Coaches love to be in action, and we love to inspire our clients to action. But which actions? Some actions, even when consistent, won't get us closer to achieving what we want. After all, a bad habit is "consistent action," but it's certainly not productive. For us to reach our goals, our actions must be effective, too. Here are four key points to help us understand effectiveness and to create success in the new year by living effectively:

1. Effectiveness is about doing what works, and ONLY what works.
Defining "effectiveness" isn't easy, but we sure know when we're not being effective, don't we? We're spending time and energy, yet what we're doing is not working well. In simple terms, I define effectiveness as "doing what works, and ONLY what works." When we're effective, we might be working hard to accomplish something, but we aren't struggling.

How can you tell the difference between giving something an honest effort – sticking with it even when it's not easy – and struggling on something that is simply not going to work, regardless of your effort?
What works for me is to ask myself if I'm getting any value or enjoyment out of the process. If I am working hard on a project that matters to me and that I enjoy, the challenges do not detract from the value or enjoyment. But if I am struggling, I feel no enjoyment, no sense of growth or accomplishment. That's when I'm willing to let the project go and channel my energies into something else.

2. True effectiveness is not just situational behavior and short-term success; it's a state of being and a long-term approach, created through a conscious commitment to effective living.
The ability to perform effectively in any given situation doesn't just happen magically; it comes from setting up your life so that you have the energy to make effective decisions when you need to. If your personal foundation isn't strong and the day-to-day details of your life aren't in balance, you're going to have difficulty concentrating when you're trying to make the bigger decisions effectively. If you're not feeling as effective as you'd like, make the commitment to change whatever isn't working really well.

If you've been thinking of effectiveness in terms of how you act or react in a given situation, like a hat you put on only when you need it, maybe it's time to change your point of view. Stop and ask yourself: What would your life be like if you made the commitment to become more effective in everything you do – if you put thoughtful choices ahead of speeding through life; relationships ahead of deadlines; the process before the result?

As an exercise, think about something you've been working at, struggling with, or trying to conquer for a considerable length of time – something that still isn't working no matter what you've done. Make a list of the ways in which you have tried to deal with this challenge in the past. See if you can detect a pattern of focusing mostly on immediate and short-term results. Then consider some alternative approaches that would require you to commit to a more effective, longer-term process for success.

3. Authentic effectiveness is found not in the public gesture, but in the small and consistent private actions you take daily.
Don't just try to appear effective because you think someone else will be watching. Focus on living effectively in everything you do – especially when no one is looking. As coaches, we strive for authenticity and consistency in ourselves so that we may help our clients be more authentic and consistent. Instead of "faking it" for an audience, put your attention on being quietly effective in the details, and effectiveness will become a genuine part of you.

The problem with "faux" effectiveness is that, even if you fool the world, you know the truth. You know when you're unprepared for that meeting, coaching session or presentation because you got three hours of sleep the night before. You know when you're in danger of missing a deadline because you procrastinated and managed your life inefficiently. This knowledge undermines your confidence and your ability to be genuinely effective. But when you are taking care of yourself – when the small details of your life are in alignment – you don't have to fake effectiveness. It will come automatically.

4. You've heard it before: "You teach best what you most need to learn" (Richard Bach). Share the wisdom of effective living with your clients, and you'll be more effective yourself.
Remember, as coaches, when we work with our clients, we are self-coaching at the same time. If you need to become more effective in your practice, your relationships, your finances or your life in general, I suggest you make "Effective Living" the theme for coaching your clients as you head into the new year. In addition to helping your clients shift their perspectives, you will firmly cement effectiveness in your own life.
© 2005 by Lisa Huff Taylor

This article represents the opinions of its author. Lisa Taylor Huff, PCC, is a coach, freelance writer and web designer who helps clients create a more effective way to live life and do business. Her new e-program, "Create Your Most Effective Self," will be available early this year. Her website is www.lisataylorhuff.com.

It was the final event of the 2004 International Conference, and ICF Board member Ginger Cockerham, MCC, found herself seated between fellow board member Judy Feld, MCC, and me – the editor of the Coaching World. After eight years on the board, Judy was stepping down at the end of the year, and thus would no longer serve as the board's liaison to the CW. She suggested that Ginger speak with me about becoming the new liaison.

"I almost jumped out of my seat!" Ginger wrote later. "I had taught journalism years ago, and I love to read and write." The newsletter had always made her feel connected with other coaches, she said, and she "waited impatiently" for each month's edition. "Without it, I would miss the macro vision of where coaching is going, and the micro information from local chapters and individual coaches." She discussed the liaison post with me and several others, and "in short order, I had my dream job!"

Ginger has long specialized in coaching groups. She's on the faculty of both Coach University and Coachville's Graduate School of Coaching. "A gift I bring to the Coaching World is my connection to many different coaching arenas," she said. "It is a passion with me that the many voices in coaching be heard and honored and welcomed."

Your voice is also welcomed at the CW, Ginger. Thanks for being so willing – eager, in fact – to help in the production of this newsletter. And thank you, Judy, for all your support, wisdom, guidance, time – and especially for all the laughs! And now, here is more from Ginger, in her own words:

Name: Ginger Cockerham
Place of residence: Dallas, Texas, U.S.
How long you've been a coach: Since 1995. I was a charter member of ICF.
How you got into coaching: I was invited to a workshop in Dallas led by the masterful coach Steve Straus. I collected a group to go with me, and when Steve described what coaching was, I was thunderstruck. I knew instantly that it was my life's calling. I was talking with Thomas Leonard at Coach University within days. Of the six people who went with me to the workshop, five became coaches.
Other experience: CEO of a property tax business; teacher.
Education: B.A. in English; graduate work in journalism and business.
Coaching specialty: Executive and group coaching in the financial services industry; Visionary in the Power of Groups at Coachville.
Website address: www.coachginger.com
Current project: Developing the Power of Groups Community at Coachville. I'm also writing a book on women in financial services and teaching at The University of Texas at Dallas.
Most stimulating book you've read recently: Actually two: Blink by Malcomb Gladwell (who also wrote The Tipping Point) and The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz.
Favorite quote: "If you have a dream you can do yourself, it's not a big enough dream" (anonymous).
ICF roles, past and present: Host of the ICF of North Texas (the Dallas/Fort Worth chapter), member of the Publicity Committee, Assessors Committee and the ICF Board of Directors.
Why you're active in ICF: The organization represents for me the best of what coaching is all about. At its first convention in Houston, I walked in the room and knew that I was home. I'm active in ICF because I want to be with wonderful coaches!
Favorite thing about ICF: That every conference, every local meeting, every edition of the Coaching World newsletter raises the bar for me as a coach.
Most memorable ICF moment: When Judy Feld as president of ICF and Dave Buck as president of Coachville stood in front of the ICF conference in Denver in 2003 and spoke of unity.
Most surprising ICF moment: When Thomas Leonard showed up in Vancouver with a camera, as the "guest photographer" of the conference.
Acknowledgments: Thomas Leonard, who taught me to be a coach and open my mind to more possibilities than I could have ever imagined. Judy Feld, who is a great friend, a great coach and a brilliant leader.
Message to CW readers: Stay connected with ICF through the Coaching World. Contribute and enjoy!

If you are an ICF member and would like to suggest another member for the Spotlight, please email CW Editor Beth Barry at coachingworld@coachfederation.org. Include names, membership numbers and contact information for both you and the person you are suggesting.

The Last Word

Quotes to Consider

"I don't look to jump over seven-foot bars. I look around for one-foot bars that I can step over" – Billionaire investor Warren Buffett.

"If you're not making mistakes, then you're not doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes" – UCLA basketball coach emeritus John Wooden.

"I don't wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to earth" – Nobel-Prize-winning author Pearl Buck.

"Executive coaches are not for the meek. They're for people who value unambiguous feedback. All coaches have one thing in common…they are ruthlessly results-oriented" – Fast Company Magazine.

"I never cease to be amazed at the power of the coaching process to draw out the skills or talent that was previously hidden within an individual, and which invariably finds a way to solve a problem previously thought unsolvable" – John Russell, managing director of Harley-Davidson Europe Ltd.

The above quotations are posted on the website of coach Susan Dunn (www.susandunn.cc) and used with her permission.

CRS Nuggets

From Jeanne Bongo
CRS Administrator

Here's a tip: Remember to check the RFPs (Requests for Proposals) that are posted on the CRS site to see if you are a match for any of them. Just log in to the ICF website and click on the CRS - View RFP section. There you can click on "Click Here to Access RFPs," then on "View RFPs You Were Not Selected For." You'll see all the requests posted in the last 30 days.

To find out more about the CRS and how it works, join one of my monthly CRS information calls. Check the ICF Calendar on the website for dates, times and bridge numbers.

Media Watch

Outlet: Irish Examiner, Ireland
Date: December 3, 2004
Article: "Win in Business, Win in Life," by Roisin O'Donnell
Featuring: An interview on team coaching with Pemo Theodore (www.star-consulting.net), founding president of the Ireland ICF Chapter.
Internet link: Pemo has posted the article to her website at www.star-consulting.net/index.php?
fileName=news.

Member News

Book: Total Life Coaching: 50+ Life Lessons, Skills, and Techniques to Enhance Your Practice…and Your Life
Authors: Patrick Williams, MCC, and Lloyd J. Thomas
Pat is the founder of the Institute for Life Coach Training (www.lifecoachtraining.com); Lloyd is on the faculty of the same institute. Both are coaches, licensed psychologists, writers, and residents of Colorado, U.S.
Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company, December 2004
Subject: This book is a resource guide for coaches, consultants and their clients. It takes readers step-by-step through the process of learning and coaching 50 lessons, which are organized into eight sections, including: Creating a Personal Identity; Coaching Spirituality and Life Purpose; Living Life with Integrity; and Creating High-Quality Relationships. Click here to order the book.

In the Media Watch section, ICF members may list recent articles and programs featuring them and/or the coaching profession. In the Member News section, ICF members may announce recently published books, keynote speeches at major events, and significant non-commercial honors.

All submissions to these sections must follow the CW Submission Guidelines. To obtain a copy of the guidelines, send a blank email to cwguidelines@
coachfederation.org. PLEASE NOTE: Each member may submit up to three notices per year to each of these two sections.

Coaching World Information

To see the current issue online:
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Send an email to
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ARTICLE SUBMISSION
DEADLINE:
Third Friday of the month for
the following month’s issue.

To submit an article for
the editors’ consideration:

• Read and follow the CW Submission Guidelines.
• To get a copy of the
  guidelines, send a blank email
  to cwguidelines@
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  (You may have to type an "x"
  in the email subject line.)
• Write your submission in
  the body of an email, NOT in an attachment. Include your ICF membership number and other information required in the guidelines.
• Type "CW" or "Coaching World" in the email subject line.
  (To ensure that we see your
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• Email your submission to
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The CW welcomes your
suggestions and story ideas. To contact the editor, send an email to
coachingworld@
coachfederation.org, with "CW" or "Coaching World" in the email subject.

Coaching World Editor:
Beth Barry
President, The Writing Spring LLC

ICF Board Liaison
To the Coaching World:
Ginger Cockerham, MCC

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