Tomorrow's
Life Coach In This Issue: Unusual Coaching NichesUpcoming Classes at ILCT Upcoming Classes at ILCTListen-Mirror-Path-Floodlight: ($150.00
- 4 hours) Computer Skills/CyberSavvy (Computers
for Coaches): ($150 - 4 hours) Manifesting Strengths: ($150.00 -
4 hours) Coaching Skills Practicum: ($450 -
12 hours) Focus-Skills-Attitudes & Habits:
($150 - 4 hours) Business Wheel: ($150 - 4 hours) Practice Made Perfect: ($450 - 12
hours) Additional classes listed on our Web site in the Advanced Class listings. Some schedules may change; check listing or contact Edwina Adams, Administration/Registration, at edwina@lifecoachtraining.com or Diane Menendez, Director of Faculty and Curriculum, at diane@lifecoachtraining.com.
New Practice Development Course STARTS Thursday, July 10 for 12 weeks,
7:00 PM Eastern This 12-week Program is designed to help participants identify, develop, and market the coaching business that is unique and authentic for them. Each teleclass and lab session focuses upon the necessary components of practice development in a way that results in attracting paying clients for your coaching business! The course materials have been developed by Dr. Jim Vuocolo, ILCT Faculty Member, Director of Practice Development, and ICF Master Certified Coach, based upon years of successfully assisting others to develop and market their own coaching businesses while developing an international coaching and teaching practice of his own. The course requires a solid level of commitment to building your business. The course includes a "lab" every other week for coaching and The Practice Building Game (tm), a process which supports you in upon taking consistent actions, and developing new ways to market your business. Class size is limited. Cost $450.00. Register with Edwina Adams.
Pat's PonderingsSpring is my favorite time of the year. I love all seasons, but I REALLY love Spring, a time of growth, renewal, and awakening. What a perfect metaphor for the work we all do as coaches. My walks in nature every morning, are a way for me to present in the now. Looking at the new flowers, the ones just beginning, the blooms ending, the new ones starting...all of this helps me "slow down" and be in the flow for the day. It has been said often, "take time to smell the roses" and we often coach our clients to slow down so they can focus on what really matters. Coaching, I believe, is an antidote for the tendency we humans have to be in a hurry. Our clients often present with too many projects, duties, goals and our job is to help them focus on key desires and intentions and not over promise and under deliver. We often, in fact, request that they under promise and over deliver, being more realistic about time constraints, unforeseen delays, etc. When I used to coach executives and top professionals, I often asked them to begin showing up 10 minutes early to everything. Showing up early, allows us to settle in to the meeting, the task, or the project. Most of us underestimate how long something will take, so showing up early allows us to be more relaxed and ready to begin. Do you allow 10 minutes before each coaching call to create the mental space for your client? Do you have ways to slow down and be more present that you practice when you feel overwhelmed? I recently saw Matrix again on the plane returning from London and the scene where time slows down for Keanu Reeves and he sees the bullet approaching him in slow motion, made me think, "Can I as a coach use this Matrix time to slow time down?" I have played with this concept this week and it really helped. As you move through your obligations and responsibilities this week, see if you can imagine Matrix time. Let life slow down for just a moment and see what happens for you. And take time to smell the roses this spring. Pat
Editor's Pen ~ Focus: Unusual Coaching NichesI'm enjoying being in a profession that continues to evolve not only in our deliverables (services) but in the markets we serve. This issue highlights coaching niches that you may never have considered, and some that you will recognize. It will stimulate you, broaden your perspective and perhaps inspire you to reach in a new direction! For a good laugh, read the "Technology
Haiku" article. My favorite computer error message
from the article is: Whoever you coach, whatever your market, I hope that you will uphold the highest standards in the coaching profession. If you call yourself a coach, you are a representative of the coaching profession. ILCT has an excellent basic coach training program and also classes for experienced coaches - get the best and be the best! Annette Annette A. Miller, MBA, Life Coach Free Bridge Call on Marketing Dear ILCT Students & Grads - PS. Please feel free to contact me
at jim@lifecoachtraining.com or
909-794-2136 if you have any questions, etc. A Funny Thing
Happened on the Way to the Morgue: Have you noticed that funny thing that happens between birth and death? It's called "Life". Is it a comedy, a tragedy, a romance? Can one be an artist and have a wonderful life? For an artist, these are real questions. Coaching artists and creators is a niche I truly enjoy working in. Being "one of them" has been a great advantage to me. Off the wall remarks and odd perspectives seldom take me back. Those come with the territory. Artists usually have a unique way of looking at life, so coaching them is an adventure that often takes the coach to new places as well. Creative people often appear as oddities living in their own worlds. There is an element of truth to that. When The Muse hits pretty much everything else in life becomes temporarily irrelevant. The hypersensitivity to life that is an intrinsic necessity to an artist's nature colors their perspectives and opinions sometimes resulting in being misunderstood and rejected. However, most artists do have a deep longing to come to terms with that creative force within them and possess a rich and full life at the same time. There are specific life areas that seem to be common concerns for artists. Time management is a huge issue. Creatives have their own internal time clock that doesn't always cooperate well with the lives of those around them. Yet there are methods they can create that seem unorthodox to the rest of the world, but will help them succeed in achieving productive and healthy use of their time. Personal finances and business skills are also big concerns. Most artists don't like to bother with those kinds of details, but know that they need to. As a coach, keeping an artist motivated to take action and learn about their business and about managing money is an important part of their picture. Relationships are the third life area most artists struggle with, especially artists whose art form keeps them on the road. As a coach, I have to be willing to work through ethical questions and help artists keep a watch out for trade offs that could damage the relationships that mean the most to them. Because the art world is also a "dog eat dog" world, trust is a hard thing for them to come by. Having a coach they can trust means the world to an artist. There are other issues common to artists that can be intimidating to a coach. But take heart. Artists have one strong attribute going for them. Most artists possess a powerful determination to overcome any obstacle for the sake of their art. That determination is often a part of their attitude toward life as well. With the help of a good coach, an artist's life can become much more than a funny thing that happened on the way to the morgue. Deborah Munson is a life coach and owner of Creative Pathways in Lititz, Pennsylvania. She is also a speaker and workshop leader, freelance journalist, columnist, and creative writer, and a graduate of ILCT. She and her husband, Tim, have founded and lead a monthly gathering for Christian artists called The Artists Junction. Contact her at creativepathways@dejazzd.com and check her out on the web at www.createyourpath.com. Coaching Physicians: A NicheHealth care in the United States in these beginning years of the 21st century finds itself with a host of problems which are readily identifiable, but one is hidden. This hidden problem is huge! The problem I am referring to is the pervasive low morale that permeates the physician population across the country. I have been in medicine for over 50 years and do not remember a time when the morale of the physicians as a group was so very, very, low. There are many reasons for this, but suffice it to say that medicine is a severe mistress! Inevitably the professional demands of a career in medicine affects the physician's personal life. In my life coaching training I created the following 'elevator speech': "I
empower physicians to find Balance in life is certainly missing in the lives of many physicians. Relationships with wife, children and family are often taken for granted. Taking time to play frequently comes with a guilt trip. Nutrition and exercise are forgotten because of the pace of life. And the spiritual side of life is more often than not, given short shrift, if it is given any thought at all. Purpose soon becomes a foreign word to us physicians. When we entered medical school we were filled with noble purpose. Today, we quickly become victims of 'the tyranny of the urgent'. If we ever had a compelling vision, it has changed dramatically. We fall into the trap of being reactors rather than creators. Our mission has degenerated into getting through today without making a major mistake and being able to pay the bills. Even if we do recognize our short comings, we believe that we have the wherewithal to correct whatever problem we face. Most of us are very reluctant to seek the help of another. We do not know that we have lost direction in our journey and do not appreciate that life can be lived much more expansively. We tend to be very problem oriented; rather than being future, vision, goal oriented. We do not know how to soar. I am convinced that the low morale in physicians across the nation today is by far and away the major problem we face in the health care sector. The creative juices that are pent up in the physician population are not being used productively. If we physicians could rid ourselves of self imposed restrictions on our thinking and acting, many of the major problems in USA medicine would be effectively addressed head on and creative solutions discovered. Many of us live in boxes and are fearful of venturing beyond our box into expansive, creative, risky thinking and living. Coaching physicians presents a beautiful opportunity to not only impact their lives in a positive manner, but also their patients care and ultimately, our society. However, this is an extremely difficult nut to crack, but do not let this intimidate you. It is a golden opportunity! Herman
Schoene, M.D., F.A.C.S., Life Coach
is an Orthopaedic
Surgeon and Assistant
Clinical Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at
Technology Haiku In Japan, they have replaced the impersonal and unhelpful Microsofterror messages with Haiku poetry messages. Haiku poetry has strict construction rules: each poem has only 17 syllables - 5 syllables in the first line, 7 in the second, 5 in the third. They are used to communicate a timeless message, often achieving a wistful, yearning and powerful insight through extreme brevity. Here are some actual error messages from Japan. Aren't these better than "your computer has performed an illegal operation? The Web site you seek Chaos reigns within. Program aborting Windows NT crashed. Out of memory. Serious error. I ate your Web page. Thanks to Edwina Adams for passing this along from the Internet! Horsemanship and CoachingHorses have been a powerful influence in my life! Like a mirror, they have reflected back to me my own magnificence as well as those areas in need of improvement. All of this has been done without judgment. This parallels what happens in the coaching partnership. While working with my horses I have learned about powerful communication. My horses respond better when I can talk with them, rather than at them. This means that I have the responsibility of learning their language. And rather than forcing the horse to perform, I support the horse to achieve optimum performance. When I was a new coach I was eager for my clients to have powerful outcomes. My attachment to this idea resulted in me being forceful with my clients. This proved to be ineffective. I began to ponder the connection between how I communicate with my horses to how I might communicate with clients. Fortunately, I was able to reconnect with my skill of powerful communication with my horses. Only then could I find a way to be with my client in a non-judgmental way. I was able to release my need for the client to have a powerful outcome. My horses have had many powerful outcomes, as I have been able to be aware of how I could offer support. My horse Phantom is very sensitive. He does not respond when he has too much pressure placed upon him and will actually become frozen and tune out. As I learned to notice these clues and find ways to support him, he was able to let go of his fear. Only then, could we communicate powerfully. As we have deepened our partnership, he has amazed me with his ability to perform at optimum levels. Last June, I took Phantom to a local horse show. I made a deal with him that we would just go and have fun. I really didn't care if we won a ribbon. I showed him barefoot and used a very gentle snaffle bit. Phantom was 19 years old then. Most horse people would say that he was too old and that I couldn't possibly get good performance from him with a gentle bit and no shoes on his hooves. What they didn't know was that Phantom and I had developed a partnership of powerful communication. As a result, we took fourth place in The English Class. Happily, today I am able to be with my clients in the same way. I have let go of my need for them to have powerful outcomes. I stay present with them and learn their language. Also, I am aware of when they become frozen and tune out. I have let go of judgment. My only goal is to find ways to support my client. As with Phantom, I am amazed at their powerful outcomes. Dessie Leff, MBA ,Executive Coach lives on a small ranch in Argyle, Texas with her husband, three dogs, two cats and two horses. Her passion for horses is often combined with her passion for coaching. This article and her new live hands-on seminar "Horsemanship and Leadership" spotlights one of the parallels she has discovered. You can reach her at coachdessie@earthlink.net.
Organizing and Coaching: Good Combination or Bad Mix?I'd been operating my organizing business for ten years in Pittsburgh, PA, when my husband and I were told that his new church would be in rural North Carolina. I had built my organizing business on the philosophy that training is great, but hands-on organizing was really the answer to making big changes. Now, what was I to do? Aha! Coaching. That's the answer. I can do that from anywhere, even rural North Carolina. Well, it certainly seemed like a good idea. I took the classes, graduated and felt very confident that I could help others through coaching. We only had one little problem, I had no experience with organizing via phone and I had no clients who were willing to switch from hands-on organizing. We moved anyway. I figured, okay, we're doing ministry, God will help me figure this out. Sounds great; however, the biggest problem I found was my inability to know that I could coach people on their organizing problems via phone. I spent a year trying to convince others (and myself) that I could do this. Then one day, I woke up and told my husband that I was just going to go out and get a job (a regular job). He supports me in most of my decision, so he said okay. I went out and started interviewing, but at each interview, I found myself giving them organizing ideas. I just couldn't get away from it. So, I gave up. I looked around myself to see exactly how rural I actually was - guess what, I was only about 35 - 50 miles from big cities. Okay, I can go back to hands-on organizing. Just as soon as I decided that I would drive to the cities to find organizing clients, the phone started ringing and the e-mails started coming in. I'm now working with one foot in each area - I work with local clients (within an hour's drive) in person and I work with clients all over the country via phone. I was the only real obstacle to combining organizing and coaching. It is a perfect fit. Most of organizing is behavioral changes and beliefs and fears. If people are willing to do the work, then I can motivate them, educate them and keep them focused. If you want to do coaching, make sure you don't leave out your passion. Sylvia McClintick is a graduate of ILCT. Through Organized Chaos, she helps individuals and companies recognize their natural organizing and working styles and integrate those styles into their lives. She can be reached at sylvia@organizedchaos4u.com. Her website is www.organizedchaos4u.com.
Powerful 3-Day Workshop for Coaches: Special Invitation from Pat Williams In the beginning ...
Coaching Grandparents with Divorcing ChildrenIn today's culture, grandparents have busy lives that do not rely on their grandchildren to fill their time. So, an issue regarding boundaries arose when a coaching client (a grandfather) was going out to golf when his divorcing son dropped in for an unannounced visit. While the grandfather wanted to maintain the good relationship he had with his grandson, he also wanted to keep his golf date. His coach later coached him to create boundaries for himself that he was comfortable with, rather than allowing him to feel guilty because he was unavailable whenever his son and grandson chose to visit. Who guides the grandparents in dealing with issues resulting from divorcing children? Often children and spouses directly involved in the divorce are directed on how to deal with issues, but not grandparents. It is a heart-wrenching event to choose between supporting their own children or maintaining the relationship with the other parent when they risk losing contact with the grandchildren. Coaches can listen to them as they discuss their fears. Modern grandparents have no role models on being a young and active grandparent. They have to design their own lifestyles. It is helpful for them to follow their own feelings. No longer can they resort to the old stereotypes of how grandparents should be. They may not own an apron to be covered with flour as they bake muffins. Or have an eight-day wind-up clock which needs to be wound when the grandchildren arrive. Coaching helps grandparents open up and discover their goals concerning their relationship with their divorcing children. In some ways, children's needs to share can be met by grandparents, such as in the case when one grandmother gave her granddaughter her business card and wrote her home number on it. "I am there for you whenever you want to vent." The girl asked if her psychologist grandmother always did that for people. "No, this is the first time I've ever done this." Hearing that, the young girl put the card next to her bed and said she would always keep it. But while grandparents can help grandchildren air their feelings, the grandparents need to discuss their own feelings with someone skilled in listening. We recommend a coach. Because our culture teaches us to act as if all is well, even if it isn't, it is important for coaches to help grandparents identify their real feelings. At the urging of her coach to express her feelings, one grandmother admitted her sadness over the divorce to her grandson. The 9-year-old grandson was "being brave" in his behavior when the grandmother confessed that she cried every night. Then the grandson shared that he did, too. This was a healing and bonding moment for them both. Coaches who have rigid ideas of what a grandparent should be often must bite their tongues to stay quiet and listen to clients design their own version of what they want themselves to be as a grandparent. It requires a coach to practice what he or she preaches but now may find hard to do. Coaching active grandparents can be challenging but the efforts are well worthwhile. Joan C. Barth, PhD, Life Coach has 2 children and 3 grandchildren. She is a therapist and a graduate of ILCT as well as being an author. Joan is hosting a free bridge call in October for grandparents (coaches and clients) with children in the process of divorcing. She can be reached at jcbcoach@aol.com or (215) 348-2130; her website is www.jcbcoach.com.
Niche for Survivors of Injury/Disability/Illness Nancy Bauser identifies herself as having an unusual coaching niche. She is a survivor of a severe brain stem injury sustained almost 32 years ago. She has also authored a book for group facilitators, Acceptance Groups for Survivors, A Guide for Facilitators. Her master's degree is in social work and was obtained after her injury. Nancy goes by the title of Brain Injured Peer Counselor. When she recently learned of coaching, she recognized that it fits her and she intends to strengthen her coaching skills with formal training. If you wish to learn more about this niche, please contact her: Nancy Bauser, ACSW Brain Injured Peer Counselor & Life Coach www.survivoracceptance.com
Announcement: Operation Soulmates Operation Soulmates will be the shot heard 'round Colorado come this Fall and The Institute For Life Coach Training (ILCT) students and graduates will have a unique opportunity to be a part of this one year adventure that will have Coloradans buzzing for a year. During this one-year adventure, Operation Soulmates will bring together approximately 30,000 singles in a fun, safe, healthy environment with dozens of relationship experts ("matchmakers") to help them make a more conscious decision in selecting their soulmate. Operation Soulmates and The Institute For Life Coach Training are collaborating to present ILCT students with two unique and exciting opportunities to be involved in the early stages of this unprecedented event and Television Opportunity focused on relationships. ILCT Students can be involved either as a:
Matchmakers We are looking for professionals with education and experience in working with singles and/or couples to act as "matchmakers". Matchmakers use their expertise to help singles make a healthier relationship choice by being involved with several aspects of OSM. They will be involved with developing the processes for screening and profiling participants and by attending events and helping couples determine if they are a good match for a relationship and potential marriage. Benefits:
Intern/Practicum Students ILCT students interested in breaking into the singles/couples coaching niche. Ideal candidates will be individuals from fields other than counseling/psychotherapy, recent graduates of a counseling program, or existing therapists looking to shift their emphasis to singles and couples coaching, relationship education, etc.). Benefits:
Anyone interested in either opportunity should contact Cheryl Fulton, the Executive Director of Operation Soulmates at 303-791-2300 immediately.
Guidelines for Tomorrow's Life Coach
1. Subscriptions: Please use the form at our website, www.LifeCoachTraining.com. 2. Requests for reprints: Share this journal freely with friends or your community. Please respect our copyright, however. If you wish to use any of our content in a newsletter, magazine or other media (whether public or internal), request permission from the editor. Authors may purchase a reprint of their article prepared in PDF format suitable for distribution or posting on their website. 3. Submissions:
2003 Themes (tentative)
Tomorrow's Life CoachTM Patrick Williams, Ed.D., Publisher Annette Miller, Editor, annette@lifesync.com © 2003 Institute for Life Coach Training www.lifecoachtraining.com Phone: 888-267-1206 info@lifecoachtraining.com |
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