The following is an excerpt from Top Coaching Techniques.
Client: Such a huge combination of things – coaching – isn’t it?
David: It really can be, and I told you that I was going to give you three models, but I want to give a fourth one. This is perhaps the most important, and it’s the scariest. So I can understand coaches not using it – well, they have to use it, but not wanting to rely on it – but it’s really fundamental, and that’s simply sharing what comes up for you to share.
This is the ultimate model. What you do is speak the truth, so if the client says, ‘I want to leave my husband.’ you look at what comes up. What comes up might be, ‘Oh, you sounded so happy. Really, I don’t understand. You sounded happy, but you want to leave. Can you say more about that?’ Now that’s not a coaching technique, that’s just intuition. That’s what came up for you. If something comes up like, ‘Oh, are you okay? You know, are you feeling okay? Are you stressed?’ If that’s what comes up, you might ask that. Of course, there are hundreds of things that could come up for you. You may be thinking…
Client: Yeah, I’ll never anticipate everything. So I’ve stopped even trying.
David: That’s the point. The point is, you see what’s natural for you to say – the human being. You will have intuition and things coming up. What stops most coaches doing powerful coaching is they don’t trust that. They think that there should be some magic formula or some magic question that I should ask right now, instead of just being a human being.
1. A clear enough picture of ~what~ you want, and by ~when~.
2. A Plan
3. A goal you really WANT!
4. A big enough goal. Try doubling it!
5. Disciplined Action (How many of us know what needs to be done? See “Top Ten Tips for Committing to Action” above)
6. A Coach (this can be a friend, colleague, mentor, or ideally, someone completely unbiased, to give you regular support, challenge and focus)
7. Something you need to give up (your position, your anger, letting fear stop you, your comfy comfort zone, needing people to like you or agree with everything, a belief you don’t deserve it)
8. Permission. (What are you not giving yourself permission for? e.g. to make mistakes, to succeed.)
9. Support. (Are you hanging around with people with the same goal? People who want you to achieve it?)
10. Other areas of your life are not strong enough to support you (finances too weak, energy low, poor support network).
The following is an excerpt from the book Get Paid For Who You Are.
If you are working 9 to 5 for someone else at something you’re not passionate about, or struggling to get more clients for your own business, then I can tell you I understand. I’ve been in those places not too long ago.
I was a consulting actuary for Fortune 500 companies based in New York. By all measures, I was a success. I had gone to school to learn a great profession, worked hard to get promoted, and had taken 8 years to qualify as an actuary (no small feat). I was making good money. I’d moved from Australia to my dream destination, New York City. My parents were proud and my friends thought I had it made.
But I couldn’t shake the feeling that this just wasn’t me!
After much soul-searching, I took six months off to pursue a life-long dream of playing guitar and singing in pubs. I dressed up in fun, silly costumes like a kilt and a long blond ABBA wig, and sang party songs like Blame It On The Boogie.
You know what? I never made it back to corporate life. I’d broken my old thought patterns and started coaching people to achieve their goals. Soon other coaches were asking me how to attract clients using the internet. I was now doing what I loved, but I was still working five days a week. So I turned my knowledge and passion into a CD product. Now I was helping people 24/7, without using my time!
I took many deep breaths the day I slowly wrote my resignation letter to the Institute of Actuaries of Australia. My mind was screaming, “You’ve invested eight years of sweat, stress and tears in qualifying — you’re crazy to let that go!” But I was letting go of the old to create the new, so it felt right. I made my own choices. And that’s what I want for you.
The following is an excerpt from the book Get Paid For Who You Are.
When web designer Mike Hall pulled his SUv into the shadows of the tree-lined drive of a prospective client, he was about to find out that Joe troyer, owner of the Cross fire archery shop, didn’t even own a computer. in fact, Joe was amish. But Joe knew that Amish or not, if people were to find out about his custom-made, hand-crafted bows, he needed a website.
Now the world can come to Joe to experience the passion of archery equipment made the old-fashioned way. He gets to spend his time lightly sanding a freshly bent bow while his website works away. . . because he hired someone to do it.
Hey, if Joe can manage to get a website (www.crossfire archery.com) up and running in a woodsy snow covered setting in ohio without even owning a computer, you might have to think hard about any excuses that might be holding you back.
The following is an excerpt from the CoachStart Manual.
If you are not going for ICF accreditation, then any school/course which provides effective training may suit you.
However, if accreditation is or will be important to you, you are looking for one of two types of schools:
- A school, which the ICF calls an ACTP, which means it has the ICF official “stamp”, or
- A school whose training is “aligned with the ICF requirements” – also known as the “Portfolio Track” to accreditation. (To be “aligned” the training must be coaching specific, be aligned with the eight training competencies specified by the ICF, and provide at least 125 training hours, of which at least 100 are face-to-face or teleclass training.)
What is the difference? The ICF has made it clear that neither path is easier – you jump through the same amount of hoops, regardless of which path you choose. Choosing an ACTP means you have most of the hoops in the same place, although understandably it comes with a higher price tag.
A word of caution: if your school does not mention the ICF, or specifically that it either has an ACTP or that it meets the requirements of the Portfolio Track to ICF accreditation, there’s a 99% chance it doesn’t.
The following is an excerpt from the CoachStart Manual.
Public speaking is a great way to get clients. You speak to local clubs or organisations (usually for free, or you get a nice pen) and give their members a 30-minute talk at their regular meeting. You help them with a particular issue they might be facing, you’re positioned as an expert, and they get a strong sense of who you are.
If you make it easy for them to give you their information, you can follow up and build a relationship; e.g., through your ezine.
Some in the audience will want to have you speak at their club or company, and it may not be long before you’re starting to charge a fee.
And, when you have a great talk, you can record it and sell it on CD!
I gained several long-term clients, and my first paid corporate speeches, out of free speaking on the local club circuit.
