The Coaching Commons

Take This Opportunity to Answer Two Coaching Questions

Kim Gørtz is doing a minor investigation in regard to the utility of coaching. Here's how you can join in.

Topic: A Global Perspective on a Specific Point in Regard to the Utility of Coaching (the limitations)

Answer these two questions:

What can coaching do (and perhaps does)?

Please write no more than 1-3 issues/themes.

Example: It can bring joy, power and clarity

What can coaching NOT do (and perhaps never)?

Please write no more that 1-3 issues/themes.

Example: It cannot make people grow wings, walk on the water... (sorry for the bad example) - but you know; please sketch the limit of the utility of coaching)

Want to add your own answers to these two questions? Visit our site and add your comment in the comment box.

Who is Kim Gørtz?

What our Coaching Commons readers had to say:

Comment by Claire on February 9, 2009:

I thought it may be interesting to share my thoughts here and see what others think?

What can coaching do (and perhaps does)? Coaching can free, empower, create possibilities

What can coaching NOT do (and perhaps never)? I think you need to be ready to be coached. And if you aren't, at least open to the idea of change. If you aren't open and don't want to change, then it's likely that the actions won't transpire. You need to start pre-coaching almost if there is no desire for action.

Comment by Vikki on February 11 2009:

As I look at what my clients have shared with me over the years I come up with the answers below:

What can coaching do (and perhaps does)? Allow people to be heard, to share thoughts, and to be themselves in a safe environment

What can coaching NOT do (and perhaps never)? Fix you and your life; make you happy; or tell you who you are.

Comment by Carol on February 16, 2009

What can coaching do (and perhaps does)? Coaching can allow people to "take another look"...to be an observer of themselves and what is around them...to see from a different place that may allow more choices for action.

What can coaching NOT do (and perhaps never)? Coaching will never lead a person away from being his authentic self.

Comment by Prem on February 18, 2009

What can coaching do (and perhaps does)? Effective Coaching can and does: bring out potential we never thought existed; build people to be comfortable about their strengths and give a lot of satisfaction- to coach and coachee alike.

What can coaching NOT do (and perhaps never)? Coaching cannot and perhaps never: will make you change if you don't want to change.

February Quote: Love your True Wealth

"Those who have not found their true wealth, which is the radiant joy of Being and the deep, unshakable peace that comes with it, are beggars, even if they have great material wealth. They are looking outside for scraps of pleasure or fulfillment, for validation, security, or love, while they have a treasure within that not only includes all those things but is infinitely greater than anything the world can offer."

Eckhart Tolle

Who is Eckhart Tolle?

Calling All Coaching Clients and Potential Coaching Clients
By Jonathan Sibley

For over a year, the Coaching Commons has been a place for coaches to come together and discuss, brainstorm, share, and more.

However, the Commons is big enough to fit not just coaches, but clients and potential clients. What if this could be a place for non-coaches to get to know more about coaching and about coaches, to ask questions and to find out more about our community?

So, coaching clients and potential clients, what would you like to find on the Coaching Commons? What would be most helpful to you? I hope this will become an ongoing, evolving dialog. What would be some good ways to get started?

To add your ideas about inviting clients to the Coaching Commons, post your idea in the comment box.

Jonathan Sibley, LCSW, MBA is a practicing coach and psychotherapist and is a frequent conversation leader on the Coaching Commons about the relationship between coaching and psychotherapy.

Coaches: How to Get People to Follow You on Twitter ... and Keep Them Following
By Julia Stewart

Coaches are well, you know, all a twitter about Twitter these days.

Definitely it's been the hottest social media site since 2008. Why? Because it's quick and easy to participate in this massive online cocktail party, especially if you like accessing social media via you smart phone. Twitter works with SMS (text) in a way that email and Facebook just don't. It's a very, very cool way to connect with your peeps, er Tweeps!

Sorry, Twitter engenders lots of word play!

And it's public, so the conversations have Rapid Ripple Effects that can boost your popularity and your coaching business.

How? Well for example, here's the experience I had the first time I posted a sign-up link to a free coaching teleclass. I literally returned to my Outlook email right after posting and already several people had signed up. I thought, "How'd they even have time to do that so fast?"

Want to join in the mix? The name of the game with Twitter is to follow others and have them follow you. And it works a lot like it would at a party, but occasionally coaches have a hard time seeing that, so here's a few tips.

Julia Stewart is a new contributor to the Coaching Commons. She is passionate about the power of coaching to transform the world and is committed to helping coaches forge positive change with the help of powerful coaching skills.

For Career Coaches: Coaching Clients Through Career Transition

So, how do you help your clients through one of the toughest times in their lives?

Listen to Deborah Brown-Volkman, PCC, veteran career coach and author of 6 best-selling career and business books as she shares her secrets on how she helps her clients through career transition.

Your career runs 30, 40, 50 years or more. So, when you are unhappy at work, it carries over into your entire life. And, that's if you have a job. Many people today would be thrilled to have a job they don't enjoy. The workplace is scary and coaches are needed more than ever to help people through it all. This interactive recording offers practical and productive strategy to help clients with their challenges of the current workplace.

Deborah Brown-Volkman is a new conversation leader at the Coaching Commons. She is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC), and the President of Surpass Your Dreams, a successful career, life, and mentor coaching company that has been delivering a message of motivation, success, and personal fulfillment since 1998.

Remembering Thomas

With Dave Buck's permission, we are sharing his memories of Thomas Leonard, six years after Thomas' passing.

Hey there! Coach Dave Buck here.

February 11, 2003 was the day thomas (the small t is intentional) moved on to a bigger game in another realm of consciousness. I suppose at some point in the remembrance of a man who made history you stop honoring the day he moved on and start honoring the day of his birth. But we are not there yet. At least, I am not...

Continue reading Remembering Thomas...

Dave Buck is a Master Certified Coach and the CEO of CoachVille, the largest social network for business and life coaches in the world - with the purpose to create a win-win world through coaching by guiding individuals and teams to win the games of their lives on their own terms.

Who was Thomas Leonard?

We invite you to visit the new Harnisch Foundation website at http://www.thehf.org

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