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Professional Coaching: Friendship for Sale?
By Linda Ballew 
Are coaches just high-priced buddies? Are people becoming so dependent on "experts" that they can't make personal or professional decisions without hiring one?
Yes, according to Charles Eisenstein.
In The Ascent of Humanity Eisenstein says, "A further example of the professionalization of friendship is to be found in the proliferating professions of life coach, grief counselor, psychologist, spiritual adviser, and so forth. Wise advice and a steadying hand, a person to turn to and a shoulder to cry on--these too are now for sale. The rapid growth of these "services" can mean only one thing: again, that something people once did for themselves and each other has been taken away from them and sold back. Cut off from community and alienated from our own intuitive wisdom, we find ourselves increasingly dependent on professional advice."
Coaching is about recognizing the client's intuitive wisdom and not about doling out professional advice.
Yes, I am old enough to remember when the only "coaching" was free advice from family and friends. My mother's coaches' were the Catholic Church, her mother, and her bridge club. My father's coach was, well, my mother.
How can we possibly compare those relationships with today's professional coaching?
And globally, many coaches offer pro-bono coaching services in their own practice and/or through non- profit organizations. (Visit The Gift of Coaching)
I have to admit the topic is intriguing.
Coaches, we invite you to join the discussion.
No charge.
Linda Ballew heads up the 'Breaking News' section of The Coaching Commons and coordinates all mentions of coaching around the world each week for The Chronicle of Coaching.
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April Quote: Hope is the Bailout
 "Most of the important things in the world have been accomplished by people who have kept on trying when there seemed to be no hope at all."
Dale Carnegie
Who is Dale Carnegie?
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Now Hiring: Community Supported Journalist for the Coaching Commons
Job Description
The CSJ will report on a variety of coaching subject areas, including executive coaching, business coaching and life coaching. The journalist will cover news of the business of coaching, personality pieces about coaches, coaching related human interest stories, investigative journalism, stories about notable research and stories on coaching achievements, niches and spin-offs. Interested? Read More... |
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Have You Always Been Like This?
By Laura Lavigne
"Have you always been like this?" The question flies at me from across the audience. It has been posed by a man who is standing against the wall, quite obviously waiting for an answer.
There is something about his words that I initially mistake for aggressivity and for a second, I am not sure what to say.
This is the end of a full two hours of "Ask Laura," an event where I basically show up, stand in front of a room full of people and answer whatever questions they throw my way. This is an opportunity to hopefully pass on some helpful words to people who may not ordinarily work with a coach. While it is an exciting time for me, it is a little unnerving also, as I am most definitely there with no preparation; in front of a lot of eyes.
A few laughs follow his question as I extract myself away from my original assumption and ask him quietly: "What do you mean?" Read more...
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Coaches, R U Linked-In? Should U Tweet or Write on Walls?
What's Better for Coaches? Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook?
By Suzi Pomerantz
 Well, I use all three, amongst many other lesser known social media like Naymz and Ecademy, but that's a blog post for another day. I like each one for different reasons. For the purposes of this blog post, I'll share with you what I see the differences to be and how I use each one differently. Keep in mind, I'm just an executive coach figuring this stuff out as I go along...I'm no technogeek social media guru! Get Suzi's social media scoop...
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Join an Uncommon Conversation: The Perfect Question
 Tuesday, April 21
Time: 7:00 - 8:00pm Eastern
Guest: Lable Braun
Host: The Coaching Commons
Topic: What is the Perfect Question?
In his recent Coaching Commons article, Les Questions Dangereux (Dangerous Questions): "Do I Want What I Want?" Lable refers to the brilliant musical "Camelot," where the three main characters, King Arthur, Queen Guinevere, and Sir Lancelot suffer the tragic consequences of desperately wanting what they do not really want. Wanting what they did not really want was the root of these characters' tragedy. Wanting what we do not really want is the root of all tragedy.
Join us as we find out if we really want what we want... Who's Lable Braun?
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From our Readers: Uncommonly Good Comments
 From Julia Stewart..."The Power of Positive Thinking has indeed, influenced my life and my coaching. I first read it, after joining Marble Collegiate Church in New York City, several years ago. Norman Vincent Peale was Pastor of Marble until the 1980's. And although the language of the Power of Positive Thinking might seem a bit dated to us now, it is simply the ancient message of the New Testament, which is essentially the same message of today's popular "Law of Attraction..." Read more...
From Terry Prince..."Answering your question, A story to share about WishCraft. I first read Wishcraft in 1981, along with What Color is Your Parachute and designed my organizing business that opened in 1983 using both of these books. Wishcraft is - (as you so aptly put in your review) - a self-coaching book. This is and always has been a great book for motivated individuals to read and "activate" their special plan. The worksheets are certainly helpful models for a coaching practitioner. It is time for a reread for me - thanks for inspiring me to get the updated Wishcraft." Read more...
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A Window into Coaching in Central America: Are you a Spanish-Speaking Coach or Consulant?
By Agnes Mura
 Latin America needs coaches. Let's look at a vehicle that allows us to make a big difference. Most coaching conferences you have attended in the US or developed countries have been replete with coaches, and only featured a smattering of organizational representatives. But in most of Latin America, there is more corporate need and curiosity about coaching that there are coaches to fulfill the need, so educational events there have a very different ratio of participant groups. Coaches, educators, researchers are needed. Read more...
Who is Agnes Mura?
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