I’ve been reading and rereading Difficult Conversations by Stone, Patton and Heen. I find it particularly useful because it identifies the thing that has always baffled me about “those” conversations: they’re not about facts and logic. Even though we spend inordinate amounts of teeth-grinding time on “But you said…” and “I don’t remember [...]

What would Atticus Do?

I just read a great blog from Harvard Business Review based on the work of Rafe Esquith, the author of Teach Like Your Hair’s On Fire. It’s all about morals.  Morals in Management.  Ring any bells?  HBR has gone to an award-winning 5th grade teacher in Los Angeles for help.
According to the blog, Esquith [...]

Presence in Coaching

I’ve tried a couple of ways of keeping session records for coaching:
Take notes while I’m in session
Take notes when I’m done
For all kinds of reasons, when I don’t take notes during the session, but instead stay present and aware of my client’s voice, energy and patterns of speech, the outcome is always deeper and more [...]

Who uses coaches and why?

Some Initial Findings From 2008 ICF Global Coaching Client Study conducted by PricewaterhouseCooper and the Association Resource Centre, Inc:

65 percent of coaching clients are female.
The majority of coaching clients are between the ages of 36 and 45 (35.9 percent).
The majority of coaching clients have acquired an advanced level of education (a post graduate degree such as a [...]

Resilience thinking and adapting exercise in the dark months

There are a couple of ways to look at what I did this morning.
One is that I started exercising.
Another is that I resumed exercising.
I’ve been reading a lot about resilience and reflecting on how it helps people adapt.  One way to test your resilience is through your view of  yourself, “Am I a ‘me, always, [...]

Reflections on my maiden voyage as coaching teleclass trainer

As one of the learning opportunities in the ICA Train the Trainer class, I had the chance to lead a normal ICA teleclass.  I had the wonderful experience of working with Michael Monitz as my mentor coach/trainer.  He generously supported me leading one of his classes – Getting Started –  and gave me solid, supportive [...]

Train the Trainer Week 3 – Lesson Plan

Learning Objectives and Outcomes  
What is the lesson designed to accomplish? 

To help students frame the process of thinking about their practice
This thinking will lead to the achievement of ICF core competencies for establishing the coaching agreement
Outcomes of this class will also feed deeper discussion in AC100 and 200 classes on Creating Structure, Trail Session, etc.

What is [...]

Group selection and coaching for adaptability

For background: http://www.scq.ubc.ca/the-controversy-of-group-selection-theory/
There is a scientific theory in evolutionary biology called Multilevel Selection Theory, or Group Selection Theory.  The short version is that Darwin wrote about only one part of evolution – the evolutionary success of adaptive, fit individuals.  However, some groups survive even if the individuals in them are not the fittest in the [...]

Reflections on Train the Trainer Week 2 – Competencies

Target class: Getting Started
Planned Delivery Date: Saturday, Nov 29 4 pm EST
Competencies
Background:
See ICF Professional Core Competencies:

A2 Setting the Foundation: Establishing the Coaching Agreement
Ability to understand what is required in the specific coaching interaction and to come to agreement with the prospective and new client about the coaching process and relationship

a. Understands and effectively discusses with [...]

How coaching can fill the gap left by retiring Boomer managers

Though the economy is stalling many retirement plans, there are still a whole lot of empty management holes being left behind retiring boomers.  
As experienced managers retire, companies face the challenge not just of replacing them, but of bringing their replacements up to speed efficiently and effectively.  In many cases, Boomer’s replacements, often Millennials (people [...]