The Coaching Commons

The Future of Coaching: Where Are We Going?
By Diane Brennan

I have had the privilege of talking with or visiting with thousands of coaches in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand. This year I am the immediate Past President of ICF and while I am still very involved, the level of intensity has dropped substantially which means I have time for a few new activities.

It is a great place to be!

As I thought about what to write for this first post, the word respect came to mind. I travelled around quite a bit in my role and had the opportunity to interact with coaches, human resources professionals, organization leaders and individuals considering coaching in several parts of the world...... Continue reading this article...

Diane Brennan is an executive coach, working with individuals and teams who are leaders in healthcare, business, science and engineering. She is a new contributor to the Coaching Commons..

March Quote: See Outside the (Crisis) Box

"When written in Chinese the word "crisis" is composed of two characters - one represents danger and the other represents opportunity."

John F. Kennedy

Who is John F. Kennedy?

What's the Media Saying about Coaching?

The Chronicle of Coaching provides a snapshot each week of what's happening in the coaching profession. It's designed to show where and how coaching appears in the popular culture worldwide.

Editor's note from the March 19, 2009 Chronicle of Coaching: For those feeling a loss of control in their lives because of the changing global environment, The Chronicle is filled with options this week. Is it time to retrain and start a business? One man chose that option, started a coaching business and found the timing was perfect. Not sure WHAT options are available? Career coaches suggest people look "inward before looking outward" to explore what kind of work truly inspires them. There are options for networking, choices to make courageous life leaps or guidance toward carefully measured and planned changes. Optimize your self-image, turn your mom-skills into life/work skills, and learn to stop putting limits on yourself. Find options to rethink almost every area of life. Executive coaching classes at Wharton are addressing the significance of an individual's response to change. Take a moment and look at the all the options for change that coaches offer this week. And for those who are still uneasy, Martha Beck suggests a first step, "learn to trust yourself" with a trusty trust-o-meter.

I want to read this week's edition.

Join an Uncommon Conversation: Expressive Arts Coaching with Organizations

Tamara will lead participants through an expressive arts coaching experience and initiate a dialogue about how expressive arts coaching can impact the well-being of organizations.

Monday, March 30th
Time: 2:00 - 3:00pm Eastern time

Guest: Tamara Herl

Topic: Expressive Arts Coaching with Organizations

Who is Tamara Herl?

Join an Uncommon Conversation with Michael Bungay Stanier: Three Ways to Help You & Your Clients Find Their Great Work!

In this practical, interactive and fun teleclass, we'll cover three exercises you can use immediately with your clients (and on yourself) to help you do more Great Work.

Wednesday, April 8th

Time: Noon - 1:00pm Eastern time

Guest: Michael Bungay Stanier

Topic: Three Ways to Help You & Your Clients Find Their Great Work!

Who is Michael Bungay Stanier?

Help: Information Needed on Leadership Development
From Brian Underhill

Greetings everyone!

I was asked to give a keynote presentation on "Why Leadership Development is Even More Critical in Tough Times."

I need to build the case for organizations to continue or even enhance their leadership development efforts during this time. I'm soaking up any articles, research, papers, etc. on this topic.

If anyone has any suggestions, please send them along. I'm all ears (or eyes, I guess is more the proper term...!)

Is anyone aware of a case study of a company that took this approach in the past and emerged stronger?

Many thanks in advance!!

Do you have any ideas for Brian? Submit your idea here.

Brian Underhill, Ph.D. is an industry-recognized expert in the design and management of worldwide executive coaching implementations and is leading a series of Uncommon Conversations at the Coaching Commons. Join Brian March 23 for an Uncommon Conversation, "Executive Coaching for Results."

The Gift of Coaching

Are you one of the thousands of coaches who volunteer coaching hours to worthy causes? Pro-bono coaching is gaining momentum all over the world. Coaches have always been generous with their time, but these days, more people are finding that they have a few extra hours to contribute to the greater good of others.

We honor this splendid and gracious gesture at The Gift of Coaching. The Harnisch Foundation team has compiled a list of leading organizations who are offering opportunities to get involved. Each has a special mission and specific set of goals. Some organizations are relatively new, and others well-established.

We invite you to visit The Gift of Coaching for more details about how you can raise your hand in a way that thrills your coaching heart.

The global response to the opportunity to change lives through volunteer coaching is overwhelming, and if we've missed a pro-bono program somewhere in the world, we hope you'll let us know right away so we can include it in our list.

We applaud the leadership, kindness and generosity of the coaching community.

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

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