The Coaching Commons

We’ve Got Opinions
By Ruth Ann Harnisch

When I was a working journalist, I learned there’s no such thing as “objectivity.” Each of us brings our own prejudices and beliefs with us, and we see life through our personal prisms. Everyone saw me on television differently: the hairdressers saw what they could do with my hair, the dentists saw what kind of cosmetic work I needed, the jeweller noticed that my pearls needed restringing, and people constantly assumed they knew my political opinion by the way I read the news. I learned that nothing is truly objective and everything is objectionable to somebody.

The Coaching Commons is supposed to be a safe space for radical ideas and opinions, but that doesn’t mean “safe from dissenting opinion.”

While we strive to be independent and neutral, that’s impossible. We stand for inclusiveness, respect for all voices, diversity, and openness.

In that spirit, we encourage the people who are professionally affiliated with The Harnisch Foundation, The Foundation of Coaching, The Coaching Commons, and The Gift of Coaching to express themselves without reservation here. If their opinions stir you up, jump right in! They are speaking for themselves, not for The Commons, and we’ll make the distinction crystal-clear every time.

Speak right up- That’s what we’re here for.

Ruth Ann Harnisch is President of The Harnisch Foundation. Since 1998, The Harnisch Foundation has been a catalyst for sustainable social change, funding and implementing innovation in the fields of philanthropy, coaching and journalism.

A Call to Coaches: Serve the Highest Good with a Gift of Coaching
By Sylva LeDuc

On the seventh anniversary of the terrorist attacks of 2001, Senators Barack Obama and John McCain looked past their differences and came together to honor the memory of those who lost their lives. They, along with 700 other leaders, met for a bipartisan event to share their vision for reigniting the spirit of volunteerism in America. The event was called Service Nation.

We at the Harnisch Foundation also want to share our vision and mission about volunteerism. In recent months you may have heard or read about the Gift of Coaching. It is our heartfelt desire to unite coaches, to ask them to look beyond their coaching affiliations and come together to celebrate the gifts that we bring to others through pro-bono coaching.

Coaches are already known for their generous giving. The Gift of Coaching is a new way to bring coaches who offer their services of pro-bono coaching to people who might otherwise not be able to access coaching.

Today, please visit www.TheGiftOfCoaching.org to read more and to register with us.

And we invite you – actually we whole heartedly encourage you – to contact the coaches in your network and let them know about the Gift of Coaching. You can provide them with the link back to the Coaching Commons www.CoachingCommons.org or give them the direct link to www.TheGiftOfCoaching.org.

Together we will show people the difference coaching makes in the world.

Sylva (Syl) Leduc, MEd, MPEC, is an executive coach and leadership development strategist and the Director of The Gift of Coaching.

The Coaching Commons: Serving You with Practical Coaching Research

Interviews hosted by Francine Campone

Listen: An Interview with Geoffrey Abbott Ph.D. about Coaching Ex-Pat Executives

Listen: An Interview with Janet Baldwin Anderson - How Do Coaches Learn to be Effective Coaches?

Francine Campone serves as Docent to The Foundation of Coaching Research Repository.

Take This Home: Coaches, Start your Engines: 2008 Fall Conference Season

Thank you Rey Carr and Peer Resources for keeping us all up-to-date on the latest conferences, workshops and seminars. Applause and gratitude to Rey Carr.

You might not believe this, but there are 50 offerings between now and the end of 2008 for coaches to attend. We’ve listed just a few and you can click through to view all.

Business Building for Coaches - ICF Greater Toronto Coaches Conference
October 4, 2008
North York General Hospital, Toronto, Ontario
Coaching the Team at Work Masterclass
September 29, 2008
Central London, United Kingdom
Executive Coaching for Effective Performance
Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology (SIOP)
October 17-18, 2008
Westin Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio
Executive Coaching Summit
November 10-11, 2008
Hyatt Regency, Montreal, Canada (Pre-ICF Conference)
Harvard Coaching Conference
September 26-27, 2008
Colonnade Hotel, 120 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts
Life Scene Investigator Seminar (Forensic Life Coach)
October 3-5, 2008
Pepperdine University, Graziadio Executive Center, Los Angeles
Coaching Across Cultures - Advanced International Executive Coaching Seminar
November 12-14, 2008
The Park Atrium Regus, 11 Rue des Colonies, Brussels, Belgium
ICF International Conference
November 12-15, 2008
Palais des congres de Montreal, Montreal, Quebec
European Mentoring & Coaching Council Conference
December 4-6, 2008
Prague

Have you asked how best you can improve your skills, mind and network as a coach by year end 2008? Here's your chance to make an informed decision. More details on over 50 coaching conference offerings through December 2008 are available here.

Already attended a conference or planning to go to one of these conferences? Raise your hand with opinions or comments, and to connect with other Coaching Commons colleagues this fall, join an Uncommon Conversation.

You’ve Got Opinions

Where does coaching fit in the big scheme of things? What are coaches doing right? What can coaches do better? Where are coaches failing? We KNOW you have opinions about all these questions….and more.

We invite your voice to the Coaching Commons. Our volunteer conversation-leaders spend approximately two hours or more each week, posting blogs, commenting on other blogs and generally stirring the coaching conversation. Every guest contributor is a critical part of The Coaching Commons.

Our mission is to explore and pursue radical opportunities for coaching, so we ask our guest contributors to pose the right questions, make key suggestions, and generally lead the march, so that the community becomes engaged. Want to take a turn?

For more information about posting an opinion near and dear to your coaching-heart, email team@coachingcommons.org. Either Linda or Elizabeth will be pleased to get back to you.

And Speaking of Speaking Up:
Join us for an Uncommon Conversation

via

1 - Oct	10 Poems for 10 Coaches Series, with Rick Raymond, guest coach and facilitator of the poem “Leaving Mt. Baldy” by Leonard Cohen. Explore what these poems have to do with coaching with a different coach each week.
3 - Oct	Guest Shirley Anderson and host Gordon Clark explore “The Next New Wave of Coaching.” Who has a dream they have given up on or have deferred for one reason or another? These calls mobilize the coaching community to contribute ideas, resources, coaching and guidance to see your dream come true.
8 - Oct	10 Poems for 10 Coaches Series: “What the Living Do” by Marie Howe. Explore what these poems have to do with coaching.
8 - Oct	Abby Straus hosts the series: “Something in Common.” How to Create a Safe Space For Conversation
10 -Oct	Mary Wayne Bush reports from the International Coaching Research Forum –“100 Great Coaching Research Ideas.” Hear a discussion of how the International Coaching Research Forum plans to foster progress and community in coaching research. Stay tuned: In the October Coaching Commons Newsletter, we’ll tell you what was accomplished at this coaching research conference.
13 - Oct	Donna Zajomc hosts the timely series “Coaching Political Leaders.” Does coaching have a role in public leadership? How might the coaching process bring lasting and important change to our political institutions?

NOTE: You’ll find the Uncommon Conversations registration box on the Coaching Commons homepage one week before the call.

What’s in a Comment?

From our readers

Leonardo Ravier

From a theoretical point of view, saying that computers could become as intuitive as its creators is also a mistake. That would imply that human beings would be able to emulate his brain perfectly. In other words, capable of creating identical replicas of man as a reasoning ability.

In strictly theoretical terms, the human being is only able to understand, fully, things and beings inferior to himself. And is unable to rationally understand structures as their own or higher.

What’s Leo talking about?

Suzanne Carter

My favorite parts of Dweck’s research, I think, dovetail with what you saw … in the late 90s, she noted that, in the face of challenge or setback, some people (children) worked harder while some gave up.

Those that believe their talent is fixed might limit their choices to what maximizes the chance they’ll do well.

Those with a growth (”incremental”) orientation toward their talent may actually seek out challenge that will help them to grow their talent (Dweck, 1999).

Isn’t a lot of coaching about the choices people make - “on the ground” or on a day-to-day basis?

Read Suzanne’s complete comment and to find out who she’s talking about…

This month’s quote:

“You get the best effort from others not by lighting a fire beneath them, but by building a fire within.”

Bob Nelson

Who is Bob Nelson?

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