International Association of Coaching Blog

IAC VOICE, Volume 4, Issue 71, May 2012, Circulation 3,960

Linda

From the Editor

Welcome to the May 2012 issue of the IAC VOICE!

IAC President Susan R. Meyer was in good company last month in Kuala Lumpur for the 2012 International Coaching Conference – it was the first conference where three IAC Presidents were in attendance. Read her summary of this amazing event in today's President's Message, as well as details of the upcoming IAC webinar, Transform Painful Events into Personal Empowerment, on May 22nd.

Also in today's issue, IAC member benefit provider Annette Sharpe of Growing for Success has five important reminders about goal setting. Consider these when you're setting out to create something new in your life.

The IAC member benefits don't stop there! Through a partnership with ReciproCoach, IAC members are eligible to receive free peer coaching, mentoring and supervision. Please see the details below, or you can log into the members area to sign up now.

Natalie Tucker Miller announces another new IAC member benefit in this month's Inside Scoop, Ask the Certifiers column. If you're looking for practical explanations and examples for how to integrate the IAC Coaching Masteries® into your work, have a look at this new resource for IAC members!

In our first feature article this month, Mike Goonan challenges coaches about how focused we really are on our clients. You can read his tips for masterful listening on the IAC VOICE blog.

Next, Mattison Grey is back with a sneak peak at the subject matter of her upcoming book. In her article, When the Best Coaching Tool Isn’t a Question, she takes a closer look at the tool of acknowledgement – what we thought it was, and what it really is. You can read the article on the VOICE blog, where the conversation has already started with a poignant comment from IAC Lead Certifier Natalie Tucker Miller. Add your voice to the conversation now.

This month's installment of Research-Based Coaching Mastery introduces the work of Joel Steinmetz, who recently published a paper that explores the connection between ancient Greek philosophy and masterful coaching.

Along with her role in the upcoming IAC webinar, IAC licensee Doris Helge also provides our Tools for Coaching Mastery column this month. In Meet C.W., Doris introduces us to one of the most effective and effortless tools you’ll ever discover for transforming discomfort into personal power and joy. Curious? Read the article now on the IAC VOICE blog.

Submission guidelines for the VOICE are available on the website. Submissions are welcome anytime through the month.

Please contact me with your article ideas and your feedback about this issue. Enjoy!

Warm wishes,
Linda

Linda Dessau, CPCC
Editor, IAC^® VOICE
Email: voice@certifiedcoach.org
www.contentmasteryguide.com

P.S. Are you on Twitter? You can follow the IAC at http://twitter.com/IACCoachMastery. There is also a list of VOICE authors, columnists and IAC BOG members at http://twitter.com/lindadessau/iac-voice-contributors.

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From the President
by Susan R. Meyer, MCC (IAC)
president@certifiedcoach.org

Listening and Learning Together

As we expand the path to coaching mastery, it is increasingly exciting to come together to learn. Recently, I attended the International Coaching Conference, entitled Nation Building & Organisational Development through Individual Growth, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. You can see the conference program here: http://www.ukm.my/icc/?page_id=18. It was the third conference hosted by our Asian chapters and it was exciting for many reasons. First, Captain (Retired) M. Shanmugam (Shan) and his team created a wonderful, varied environment for learning. Second, as a kickoff to the final session, Shan revealed the Bahasa Malaysia translation of the IAC Masteries?. Third, this was the first conference where three IAC Presidents were in attendance.

The conference brought together chapter leaders and licensees from throughout what the group is now calling the Asian Crescent. Our chapters now stretch from Beijing to Dubai, incorporating licensees, academicians, facilitators, coaches, practitioners and students.

A combination of full-group sessions and concurrent presentations created a lively and enlightening event. Past President Bob Tschannen-Moran spoke about "Coaching Mastery: A Commitment That Matters" in his keynote address. He described in detail how coaches can improve the quality of their coaching not just by making multiple recordings but by using structured tools to listen to and analyze those recordings. At the most basic level, he noted, we can measure the amount of time we listen and the amount of time we speak. He also recommended tracking open- versus close-ended questions. He also spoke of mastery as a continuous journey. Each step brings us closer, but we never completely reach the goal. He reminded us that, as we grow, we make and learn from mistakes and quoted Niels Bohr, who said, "An expert is a person who has made all the mistakes that can be made in a very narrow field."

This theme of listening was reiterated in Shan’s presentation as well as Past President Angela Spaxman’s. We were reminded throughout the conference of the power of thought-provoking questions and careful listening. At the final session, a World Café addressing the conference theme, almost every group mentioned the importance of skilled listening to masterful coaching.

It’s likely that listening will also be a key theme in IAC’s first webinar, Transforming Painful Events into Personal Empowerment on Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 8:00-9:00 p.m. Eastern. I will be interviewing Doris Helge, Ph.D., MCC (IAC), who is an Amazon.com #1 bestselling author of books like Transforming Pain into Power and Joy on the Job. You'll gain proven tips for elevating personal empowerment and professional relationships. You can discover more about Dr. Helge’s work at http://CoachingByDoris.com/videos and http://ConfidentCoachConnection.com. The webinar is open to all, and a replay will be available for IAC members. Space is limited, so reserve your webinar seat now at: https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/171140519

Why not listen with a group of colleagues or coaching buddies? Then you’ll be able to discuss how you might want to integrate what you hear into your own practice.

With warm wishes for your success,
Susan R. Meyer

 

Susan R. Meyer, MCC (IAC) is President of Susan R. Meyer, Coaching and Consulting and of Life-Work Coach. She provides personal and executive coaching and facilitates seminars on topics including life planning, emotional intelligence, leadership development, communication, and coaching skills for managers. www.susanrmeyer.com.
 

 

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Five Important Reminders for Coaches About Goal Setting
by Annette Sharpe

There are many tried and true goal setting tips available to you, and I encourage every coach and entrepreneur to know and understand them. At the same time, there are a few 'out of the box' insights that I believe coaches also need to know in order to set and achieve meaningful goals and intentions with our clients.

Consider these extra insights when setting goals/intentions to create whatever it is you want in your life:

Tip #1: Remember—YOU HAVE A LIFE!
Don't fool yourself into believing you can do every single thing you want to do, every single day. You have a life, after all. Your life consists of so many different areas: relationships, health, business, money, spirituality, personal growth, etc. If you set goals in only one area, you're setting yourself up to lose.

Tip #2: Do one small thing every day
While I do believe that it's very important to prioritize your actions daily, the most important action that you should take as an entrepreneur—every single day—is one small step towards your big dream or vision. This can be something as small as making a connection with a prospective business partner, or simply stating an affirmation.

Tip #3: Use an accountability system
As an entrepreneur myself, I know what it's like to set a goal and then allow something more pressing to get in my way of achieving it. But when I know that someone is counting on me to get something done, or when I've given my word that I would complete a task, I do it. Most people are the same way, especially as our consciousness evolves. What tools do you use to hold yourself accountable? What tools do you use with your clients to help them keep track of their goals?

Tip #4: Focus on sharing your natural gifts
Why set a goal that shouldn't be yours in the first place? People who share their natural gifts with others are happier, more balanced and more successful. You were given your gifts for a reason, so focus on what you're good at and what you love to do. Stop draining your valuable creative energy doing what you don't like; let someone else do what they do best! Building a team of multi-talented people will help you – directly or indirectly – to achieve your goals.

Tip #5: Be open to change
Life is fluid and unpredictable. You must allow for some organic growth of your business and that means allowing for change to occur naturally. There are simply too many things that we cannot foresee. In fact, even when we believe we're on track to achieving a goal, life has a fabulous way of sending us surprises—and those sometimes lead to even more meaningful outcomes. So expect them, and allow for them. You will feel much more peaceful as you and your business grow. When the unexpected happens (and it will), take a deep breath, re-assess, and move forward with your next step. By continuing to focus on the small steps, you will build and maintain momentum in your life.

 

 

Annette Sharpe is the founder of Growing for Success, a multi-coach coaching company, and the creator of the Inspired Steps Coaching System. Visit Annette at www.growingforsuccess.com/inspiredsteps.html to learn how you can license the tools and system that will help you attract, engage and retain more clients.

 

 

Member benefit: IAC Member Benefit: IAC members save 40% on the annual licensing fee for the program (use the coupon code on the IAC Members page).

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Claim your IAC coaching, mentoring or supervision benefit

As part of your IAC membership, you’re entitled to receive coaching, mentoring or supervision. We’ve pre-purchased your entry into a reciprocal peer coaching, mentoring and supervision round by partnering with ReciproCoach.

Click here to redeem your IAC-ReciproCoach voucher today.

Be quick! The next round is starting soon!

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IAC Certified Coaches

Congratutlations to Joyce Kubik from Avon Lake, OH, USA and Angela Spaxmam from Hong Kong who recently earned the Skilled Coach Certification, CC (IAC) designation!

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Transforming Painful Events into Personal Empowerment – IAC Webinar
Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 8:00-9:00 p.m. Eastern

Do you know anyone who needs to turn a painful experience into inner peace, a powerful partnership or productivity? Join Dr. Susan R. Meyer, MCC (IAC), BCC, IAC President, as she interviews Doris Helge, Ph.D., MCC (IAC), Amazon.com #1 bestselling author of books like Transforming Pain into Power and Joy on the Job. You'll gain proven tips for elevating personal empowerment and professional relationships. Discover more at http://CoachingByDoris.com/videos and http://ConfidentCoachConnection.com.

Space is limited. Reserve your webinar seat now at:
https://www4.gotomeeting.com/register/171140519

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Research-Based Coaching Mastery

Philosophical Coaching: An interview with coaching researcher, Joel Steinmetz

Recently, Joel Steinmetz published a paper in Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, titled, "Life Coach as Midwife: Reflections on a Socratic Metaphor." The overall purpose of his research was "to show how discussions in the field of philosophy, particularly in the ancient Greek tradition, are relevant to the practice of contemporary coaches. One very clear example of this point is the midwife metaphor that Socrates uses to describe his own philosophical practice."

IAC members, click here to discover the similarities between what Socrates thought he was doing as a philosopher and what we hope to do as coaches.

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Your Feedback

We'd love to get your feedback on any issue related to the IAC. Do you have any questions, concerns, encouragement or ideas for improvement regarding membership benefits, certification, the VOICE, the direction of the organization or anything else at all? Please send an email to feedback@certifiedcoach.org. Please help us improve.

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IAC VOICE, Volume 4, Issue 70, April 2012, Circulation 3,929

Linda

From the Editor

Welcome to the April 2012 issue of the IAC VOICE!

Forget about March Madness, it's time for April Madness—and an IAC Learning Frenzy, at least according to IAC President Susan R. Meyer. Read her article below to hear about all of the exciting learning opportunities for coaches around the world.

In fact, you can mark your calendars now for April 25, 2012 from 8:00-9:00 p.m. Eastern. Susan will be hosting a webinar titled, "Transform Painful Events into Personal Empowerment," featuring Doris Helge, PhD, MCC (IAC). Please watch your Inbox for more details including registration information.

IAC member benefit provider Sara K. Sims of CoachingWebsites.com has a primer on a very important topic for online success—search engine optimization (SEO). If you've always wondered what it means and what you can do about it, check out her article below.

Does every good coach need a coach? That's the question that IAC Lead Certifier Natalie Tucker Miller tackles this month in her Inside Scoop, Ask the Certifiers column. You can still add your voice to the discussion on the IAC LinkedIn group. Click here to read Natalie's column on the VOICE blog.

Speaking of having your own coach, did you know that if you're an IAC member, you're eligible to receive free peer coaching, mentoring and supervision? There are more details below, or you can log into the members area to sign up now.

When an elephant is well fed and watered, he is happy to go where his rider tells him to go—that's Elephant Mastery, which could transform your coaching practice and your life! It's also the topic of this month's featured coaching article from Jennifer Day. Click here to read this article on the VOICE blog.

IAC licensee Deborah Williamson explores the age-old question, "So what do you do?" in this month's Tools for Coaching Mastery column, and helps us answer in a way that feeds the soul. You can read this article on the VOICE blog.

In another contribution from IAC licensees, DeeAnna Merz Nagel and Kate Anthony share their experience of going through the IAC Learning Agreement process with their organization. Click here to read the interview and learn about their online forum to discuss the IAC Masteries^®.

Submission guidelines for the VOICE are available on the website. Submissions are welcome anytime through the month.

Please contact me with your article ideas and your feedback about this issue. Enjoy!

Warm wishes,
Linda

Linda Dessau, CPCC
Editor, IAC^® VOICE
Email: voice@certifiedcoach.org
www.contentmasteryguide.com

P.S. Are you on Twitter? You can follow the IAC at http://twitter.com/IACCoachMastery. There is also a list of VOICE authors, columnists and IAC BOG members at http://twitter.com/lindadessau/iac-voice-contributors.

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From the President
March Madness – And an IAC Learning Frenzy?
by Susan R. Meyer, MCC (IAC)
president@certifiedcoach.org

‘Tis the season for basketball in the United States. My alma mater’s women’s team made it to the NCAA tournament this year. Across the country, people will be glued to their televisions rooting for their favorite teams.

Here at the IAC, we’re tearing ourselves away from basketball to root for learning opportunities for our members and licensees. March and April Madness are alive and well here. In March, we held our second open call for licensees. The licensee calls provide an opportunity for all licensees to come together to exchange information and to speak with the Certifiers. The calls are also one of the ways we plan to assist our licensees in creating excellent learning opportunities around the IAC Masteries^® for their students. We’re also thinking about creating a forum for the licensees in order to provide a place for the licensee community to connect.

In March, we also held our first live "Ask the Certifiers Call." We plan to continue to offer this opportunity for members and potential members to learn more about the IAC, the Masteries^®, and our path to certification. In April, I will host our first webinar—open to all, with access to the replay available for members. Dr. Doris Helge will be our first speaker and I plan to feature other licensees and members who can contribute to our deeper knowledge about coaching.

In April, I will be attending the International Coaching Conference in Kuala Lumpur, jointly organized by CESMED and TeamCoach International and co-sponsored by the IAC. Immediate Past President Bob Tschannen-Moran, MCC (IAC) will be giving the keynote address: Coaching Mastery: A Commitment that Matters. Other speakers include Certifier Bonnie Chan, MCC (IAC), Megan Tschannen-Moran, Tih Sio Hong, M. Shanmugam and Past President Angela Spaxman.

The IAC has been invited to present at the World Business and Executive Coaching Summit in June. A panel of IAC members will discuss using the Masteries^® to develop coaching skills in managers in a variety of settings. Watch for details about the free preview calls and a special offer for VOICE readers who decide to participate in the series.

Finally, I’d like to find more ways for our members to share learning opportunities with other members. This month, a licensee let us know that they have created an open group for members to work on their learning agreement. Initially, we couldn’t figure out how to do this without appearing to favor one licensee over others, so we need to fix that! If you have similar opportunities that are open to all and are non-promotional, but don’t seem to fit the guidelines for an article, send them to Linda Dessau, voice@certifiedcoach.org and we’ll figure out a way to create a column or link. Also, please make use of our LinkedIn group, http://www.linkedin.com/groups/International-Association-Coaching-IAC-1951844.

As always, I’m excited to hear how we can help you expand your path to coach mastery. You can contact me at president@certifiedcoach.org.

With warm wishes for your success,
Susan R. Meyer

 
Susan R. Meyer, MCC (IAC) is President of Susan R. Meyer, Coaching and Consulting and of Life-Work Coach. She provides personal and executive coaching and facilitates seminars on topics including life planning, emotional intelligence, leadership development, communication, and coaching skills for managers. www.susanrmeyer.com.
 

 

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Claim your IAC coaching, mentoring or supervision benefit

As part of your IAC membership, you’re entitled to receive coaching, mentoring or supervision. We’ve pre-purchased your entry into a reciprocal peer coaching, mentoring and supervision round by partnering with ReciproCoach.

Click here to redeem your IAC-ReciproCoach voucher today.

Be quick! The next round is starting soon!

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Search Engine Optimization Tips to Grow Your Coaching Practice
by Sara K. Sims

Did you know that 96% of people who are looking to hire a coach are searching online? You can't play the game unless you get on the court. Having a website is the first step for marketing your business and attracting new clients. However, just having a website isn't enough. If it's not showing up on the first few pages of search results it's probably not doing you any good. If this is your predicament, you are probably wondering what more you could be doing to rank higher in search engine listings. It’s all in the search engine optimization (SEO).

What is SEO and how can it help your practice? Search engine optimization is the process of improving the visibility of your website in search engines. An optimized website is one that shows up high in search engine listings when people search for goods and services. If a website shows up on the first few pages of a Google search that can lead to high traffic, which can result in new business. Let's face it—if your website can't be found in searches, then it won't be effective in attracting new clients to you. That is the goal of doing SEO—to effectively drive traffic to your website.

The first thing to know is that search engines such as Google and Yahoo! pick you, you don’t pick them. All of the search engines download the entire contents of the Internet using web crawlers that continually cruise around, cataloging websites. They determine the search engine ranking of each as democratically as possible according to a number of different factors, including: the number and popularity of sites that link to the site in question, the number of visits to the site, how long it has been up, and the amount and quality of the content. Another thing the web crawlers keep track of is the meta-tag keywords associated with that site (meta tags are HTML codes that are inserted into the header on a web page, after the title tag.)

The more sophisticated search engines increasingly rely on words gleaned from the content of the website itself. Therefore it is important that your content reflects your specialties and geographic location so that people will be able to find you. If someone types in a word or combination of words that's very specific to your site—such as your name—you'll likely come up at or near the top. If they type in more generic terms, such as "coaching" and [name of your city], you'll still come up in the results, but you may be in the company of many other sites that also contain those words! Give it try and see what happens. Keep in mind that nearly everyone with a website would like to be at the top of the search engine listings. Where you—or they—come up in that listing will be determined by some of the factors listed above.

A great easy way to improve your search engine rankings is by listing your website in online directories. That means that in addition to listing your website in the major search engines themselves, such as Google, Yahoo and Bing, you also want to list your website on many other important directories like Google local and Yahoo local. The more inbound links (links from another website) pointing to your site the better and these links should come from high quality sites. Just remember: a well-networked website is a high ranking website; high rankings mean high visibility; the more visible your website is, the more business you’re going to get.

 

Sara K. Sims is the Director of Business Development at CoachingWebsites.com, who specialize in creating coaching websites that are professional, affordable and effective. Websites are just $59/month with no long-term contracts. Attracting new clients and generating more revenue is easy with Coaching-Websites!

 

Member benefit: IAC members receive a free website with three months of hosting with a promo code available on the IAC member benefit page.

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New Certified Coaches

We'd like to welcome our first coaches to be certified as Skilled Cetified Coaches, or CC (IAC). Congratulations to Charles Boyer from Littleton, CO, USA, Debra Chisholm from Williston, VT, USA and Eva Luk from Hong Kong!

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New IAC-Practitioners

Congratulations to Angela Spaxman from Hong Kong and Galya Kamenova from Cherrybrook, Australia who recently earned the IAC-Practitioner Designation!

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New IAC Coaching Masteries^® licensed schools and mentors

Name	City	State	Country	IAC-CC
INTEcoach	Alicante		Spain	No	View Details

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Your Feedback

We'd love to get your feedback on any issue related to the IAC. Do you have any questions, concerns, encouragement or ideas for improvement regarding membership benefits, certification, the VOICE, the direction of the organization or anything else at all? Please send an email to feedback@certifiedcoach.org. Please help us improve.

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IAC VOICE, Volume 4, Issue 69, March 2012, Circulation 3,902

Linda

From the Editor

Welcome to the March 2012 issue of the IAC VOICE!

President Susan R. Meyer is ready for spring, and she gives plenty of reasons to look forward to what will be happening at the IAC – including an invitation to a special event on March 20, 2012. Please see below for the details. She has also enclosed a special invitation for you below.

Our featured member benefit provider in this issue is Lockton Affinity, and Assistant Vice President Kevin Johnson explains the difference between "claims-made" liability insurance and "occurrence" liability insurance, and why you should care.

Also, don't forget about your ReciproCoach member benefit of peer coaching, mentoring and supervision. There are more details below, or you can log into the members area to sign up now.

This month's Inside Scoop, Ask the Certifiers column answers the question, "In the last President's Message, it was mentioned that there is another level of certification. My recordings did not pass the first time I submit for certification. Will this new level be retroactive, and how will know if my sessions passed?" Click here to read Natalie's answer on the IAC blog.

In this month's Tools for Coaching Mastery column, IAC Licensee and Master Certified Coach (IAC) Aileen Gibb shares how the Question Compass tool can fuel your own growth as a coach, as well as being a force for change in your clients. Visit the VOICE blog to read Aileen's article.

In today's instalment of Research-Based Coaching Mastery, you'll read about a fascinating coaching study about adults with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

With last month's exploration of Mastery #9, Alison Davis has now completed her Living the Masteries series and will cease her monthly column for now. Thank you so much for your wonderful contributions, Alison! We look forward to more gifts from you in the future.

Our featured coaching article this month is from Alex Carter, who reveals the myth and reality of nonprofit work-life balance. You can read this article on the VOICE blog.

Kathy Mallary is back this month with more useful marketing guidance for coaches. She explains how our prospective clients are leaving a trail and gives us seven steps for how to find them. Read her business-building tips on the VOICE blog.

Submission guidelines for the VOICE are available on the website. Submissions are welcome anytime through the month.

Please contact me with your article ideas and your feedback about this issue. Enjoy!

Warm wishes,
Linda

Linda Dessau, CPCC
Editor, IAC^® VOICE
Email: voice@certifiedcoach.org
www.contentmasteryguide.com

P.S. Are you on Twitter? You can follow the IAC at http://twitter.com/IACCoachMastery. There is also a list of VOICE authors, columnists and IAC BOG members at http://twitter.com/lindadessau/iac-voice-contributors.

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From the President
by Susan R. Meyer, MCC (IAC)
president@certifiedcoach.org

Spring Forward

In my part of the world, spring is coming. I love the regenerative feeling that comes with spring and as Daylight Savings time approaches here it is also time to "spring forward." Even though the seasons may be different in your part of the world and you may not be setting your clock forward an hour, I invite all members of the IAC to spring forward with me.

What do I mean by spring forward? Expand. Stretch. Grow. Experiment. Try something new. Learn something new. What have you always wanted to add to your coaching practice? What do you want to learn that will move you along your personal pathway to coaching mastery?

Here are three things I'll be doing:

1. Submitting my first IAC Learning Agreement
2. Creating webinars and teleseminars for the IAC
3. Sharing the message that it's the perfect time to be an active member of the IAC

As most of my coaching is with senior managers in municipal government, my work with them will be the focus of my learning agreement. I'd like to take a closer look at how the Masteries can inform good leadership and can be the core of an effective manager's approach. As I move forward with this, I'll share my learning agreement—and create a way for others to share theirs—and invite feedback.

We're a brilliant bunch. And it seems to me that our membership and the world at large isn't getting the opportunity to see this. To address this, starting in March the IAC will host monthly learning experiences. We'll begin with a live version of the Inside Scoop Ask the Certifiers column.

We'll follow this with a series of webinars on special topics or approaches that will help us all expand our toolkits and our thinking. Because our membership is worldwide, these will be available through an instant access platform. We'll be approaching our licensees and our Master Certified Coaches in the coming months to lead these sessions. Right now, I'm turning to you, our VOICE reader, for advice and suggestions. My passion is for developing emotional intelligence in leaders, but I realize that may be of no interest to you. What are your needs and concerns? What topics get you excited? Email me directly at president@certifiedcoach.org to tell me what you'd like to learn.

It’s also time to spring forward to grow the IAC. I want to get you all so excited that you can't wait to tell people why you're an IAC member. Then, I need you to go ahead and tell everyone you know. As you can see from everything I've shared with you today, I plan to give you plenty to talk about—now you just need to start talking!

With warm wishes for your success,
Susan R. Meyer

 

Susan R. Meyer, MCC (IAC) is President of Susan R. Meyer, Coaching and Consulting and of Life-Work Coach. She provides personal and executive coaching and facilitates seminars on topics including life planning, emotional intelligence, leadership development, communication, and coaching skills for managers. www.susanrmeyer.com.

 

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Special Invitation

We are delighted to announce our first Ask the Certifiers live call for 2012. It will be held on March 20, from 9:00-10:00 a.m. Eastern. Please click here to register for your own individual call-in number. Looking forward to hearing you!

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Know Your Insurance: "Claims-Made" versus "Occurrence"
by Kevin Johnson

Properly insuring yourself is an important part of being a responsible professional. However, it's often difficult to decide on the correct policy for you and your business. There are two main types of professional liability insurance, each offering different options: claims-made and occurrence.

Timing is the primary difference between the two policies: coverage is dependent on when the events related to the claim take place. With a claims-made policy, as long as you've had previous insurance coverage (and can prove it), your current policy it will cover the claim…even if the events leading to the claim occurred before your current policy was in force. Occurrence policies require that all the activities surrounding a claim—from the event to the initial claim itself—must happen while the insurance policy was in force.

How do you decide between the two? While it's impossible to advise about insurance policies without full knowledge your business, this is a good rule of thumb: if you've had continuous professional liability coverage, a claims-made policy will provide excellent coverage. If you are just starting out in business, or haven't had professional liability insurance in the past, an occurrence policy will meet your needs; however, should you change insurers, you will probably want to switch to a claims-made policy. Generally speaking, though, a claims-made policy offers the broadest coverage at the most affordable rates.

IAC Member Benefit: As an IAC member, you can get a quote, apply and receive coverage from the program in the comfort of your home or office. Just visit the IAC Member Benefit page for a special link and contact information. In just a few short minutes you can have the valuable coverage you need to protect yourself.

 

Kevin Johnson is the Assistant Vice President of Lockton Affinity. No matter how cautious your approach to coaching, your career and financial stability are always on the line. Lockton Affinity's IAC-endorsed professional liability insurance program is specifically designed to protect its members from the ever-increasing risks of malpractice lawsuits. 

 

 

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Claim your IAC coaching, mentoring or supervision benefit

As part of your IAC membership, you’re entitled to receive coaching, mentoring or supervision. We’ve pre-purchased your entry into a reciprocal peer coaching, mentoring and supervision round by partnering with ReciproCoach.

Click here to redeem your IAC-ReciproCoach voucher today.

Be quick! The next round is starting soon!

Comment Now

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Research-Based Coaching Mastery

Coaching Adults with ADHD

Welcome to the second installment of Research-Based Coaching Mastery! With the seemingly mounting diagnoses of ADHD and 55% of childhood ADHD continuing into adulthood, a coach's ability to work with or rather specialize in ADHD coaching is becoming increasingly important.

The paper Efficacy of ADHD Coaching for Adults with ADHD by IAC member Joyce A. Kubik presents positive evidence for the impact of coaching on ADHD characteristics.

Members, click here to read more about this research paper and its applications for coaching mastery.

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New IAC Coaching Masteries^® licensed schools and mentors

Name	City	State	Country	IAC-CC
Alzaia Coaching School	Milano		Italy	No	View Details

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Your Feedback

We'd love to get your feedback on any issue related to the IAC. Do you have any questions, concerns, encouragement or ideas for improvement regarding membership benefits, certification, the VOICE, the direction of the organization or anything else at all? Please send an email to feedback@certifiedcoach.org. Please help us improve.

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IAC VOICE, Volume 4, Issue 68, February 2012, Circulation 3,885

Linda From the Editor Welcome to the February 2012 issue of the IAC VOICE! In her February President's Message, Susan R. Meyer announces some exciting new changes to the IAC certification designations, as well as an opportunity for coaches in training. There is a reminder below about your ReciproCoach benefit—coaching, mentoring and supervision that is all included in the cost of your IAC membership. It's an incredible opportunity and one that reinforces the IAC's commitment to professional development. There really are so many benefits to IAC membership. Have you ever wondered about how you could give back? Tatiana Abend has some surprising ideas for you. In the Inside Scoop, you can listen in on what the IAC Certifiers are listening for when they evaluate applicants for IAC certification. We bid a farewell to the Living the Masteries column, and thank Alison Davis wholeheartedly for all of the gems she has provided. She closes out the series with her own look at Mastery #9 and how she is using it to bring her 2012 vision to life. Our business-building article this month is about how to optimize your LinkedIn profile to attract new coaching clients. First-time contributor Louisa Chan is a certified coach and social media specialist from Synergy Marketing Pro in Malaysia. Our coaching feature article is an interview with IAC Board of Governors member Uta Guse, who shares about her experience with the Learning Agreement proposal process. Submission guidelines for the VOICE are available on the website. Submissions are welcome anytime through the month. Please contact me with your article ideas and your feedback about this issue. Enjoy! Warm wishes, Linda Linda Dessau, CPCC Editor, IAC® VOICE Email: voice@certifiedcoach.org www.contentmasteryguide.com P.S. Are you on Twitter? You can follow the IAC at http://twitter.com/IACCoachMastery. There is also a list of VOICE authors, columnists and IAC BOG members at http://twitter.com/lindadessau/iac-voice-contributors. Comment Now From the President by Susan R. Meyer, MCC (IAC) president@certifiedcoach.org Broadening the Path to Coaching Mastery Redefining, expanding and enriching opportunities for learning and growth on the path to coaching mastery have always been the central focus of the IAC. Our single-minded focus on the professional development of coaches has spanned across many initiatives, including: Our initial creation of a certification process based on mastery of the Proficiencies developed by Thomas Leonard, The two-year efforts of an international team of masterful coaches to develop the nine IAC Coaching Masteries®, The addition of Learning Agreements as a vehicle for capturing ongoing professional development, Regular meetings with our licensees and Our inclusion of ReciproCoach as a way to hone coaching skills One exciting new development in our quest to provide learning opportunities and to expand knowledge of the IAC Coaching Masteries® is the creation of IAC Student Chapters. These chapters will be open to anyone enrolled in coach training, whether through a university-based program or through one of our licensees. Certification has been an important component of the path to coaching mastery, and since its inception, the IAC has engaged in a continuous process of monitoring and reviewing our certification process. This month, I am delighted to share with you a change in certification designations that is the result of many discussions and extensive reviews of certification tapes. As of February 1, 2012, all current Certified Coaches will be designated as Master Certified Coaches. A number of coaches who scored slightly lower on their recordings will be awarded the Certified Coach designation. We are tremendously excited, and, at the same time, do not take this change lightly. This change is the result of a thorough review of all tapes where candidates scored 3 (out of 5) on each of the nine Masteries. One of the many wonderful results of adopting the Masteries and refining our coaching measures is that we are now able to more clearly define and distinguish levels of skill. The review showed that coaches who scored 3 and above all demonstrated a high level of understanding and expertise, with those scoring 4 and above showing the highest level of mastery. This new two-tiered system acknowledges that highest level of mastery. Other professional associations and coaching schools use the designation MCC to indicate the highest level of achievement and we are proud to join them in an effort to make MCC internationally recognized as a designation of coaching excellence. As some of our coaches already hold this designation from the ICF or other bodies, we are suggesting that MCC (IAC) is the most appropriate format when adding this to your credentials. We are all constantly moving and changing on the path to coaching mastery, and the IAC is committed to continuing to blaze new trails, clear the path and light the way in support of the journey of each member. With warm wishes for your success, Susan R. Meyer     Susan R. Meyer, MCC (IAC) is President of Susan R. Meyer, Coaching and Consulting and of Life-Work Coach. She provides personal and executive coaching and facilitates seminars on topics including life planning, emotional intelligence, leadership development, communication, and coaching skills for managers. www.susanrmeyer.com.   Comment Now Claim your IAC coaching, mentoring or supervision benefit As part of your IAC membership, you’re entitled to receive coaching, mentoring or supervision. We’ve pre-purchased your entry into a reciprocal peer coaching, mentoring and supervision round by partnering with ReciproCoach. Click here to redeem your IAC-ReciproCoach voucher today. Be quick! The next round is starting soon! Comment Now Surprise Yourself and Advance Your Career by Volunteering by Tatiana Abend If we stop and take a look at how the IAC got where we are today, we see much to do with volunteers. The IAC's current capacity is largely based on the efforts of volunteers working around the world who add value to the profession and pave pathways for coaches' personal and business development. To paraphrase the IAC Immediate Past President, the IAC is a volunteer organization of coaches, run by coaches. The 18-member volunteer Board of Governors includes representatives from around the globe, but that is only the tip of the iceberg. We depend upon our members and volunteers to move this organization forward and we have many new and exciting plans in the works for 2012 and beyond. As the Volunteer Committee Head, I must admit I've been avid about volunteer work all my life, starting in New York in the 1970s by volunteering at Friends of Animals, writing letter after letter to my Congressmen to provide local animal protection, all at the tender age of 12 years old. Continuing in volunteer work all my life has fed a notion that I often find myself associating with coaching: what you put into something is what you get out! So, what are the key benefits of being a volunteer? Volunteer work, first and foremost, connects you to people and resources outside of your current circles. Volunteer work has been proven to be fulfilling, fun, good for your health, excellent training for your mind, and helpful to the advancement of your career. Volunteer work at the IAC has put me out of my own comfort zone and, in hindsight, I am pleased to have taken initiative to raise my hand. As a team we have made good progress in a relatively short period of time. Most coaches not only want to get certified, increase their skills and enjoy a successful business, but also want to foster a greater awareness of coaching and make a meaningful contribution to coaching. One of the most satisfying activities can be to lend a few hours per month to the professional association that represents your field of specialty. The IAC Volunteer Committee serves as a contact point for board members and volunteers, and makes the best match of people to projects according to talents, tasks and time. For those of you who are volunteering your time and effort, the IAC and its members owe many a thanks. For those of you who signed up on the IAC Volunteer Groupsite, let us know you are still there! For those of you who think you may have a bit of time and a bit of talent to spare, feel free to visit the IAC website and glace at the volunteer page to see if anything there might appeal to you in an intuitive way. "You are not here merely to make a living. You are here in order to enable the world to live more amply, with greater vision, with a finer spirit of hope and achievement. You are here to enrich the world, and to impoverish yourself if you forget the errand." - Woodrow Wilson   Tatiana is the creator of The 3-Step Mind, Body and Self-Care Transformational System for Women who want to Feel Confident, Look Great and Be Empowered. She uses her IAC training and 8 years of certified health coaching experience to create program specifically for college women and young professionals.   Comment Now New IAC Coaching Masteries® licensed schools and mentors Name City State Country IAC-CC   Vortice Guadalajara   Mexico No View Details Comment Now Your Feedback We'd love to get your feedback on any issue related to the IAC. Do you have any questions, concerns, encouragement or ideas for improvement regarding membership benefits, certification, the VOICE, the direction of the organization or anything else at all? Please send an email to feedback@certifiedcoach.org. Please help us improve.

IAC VOICE, Volume 4, Issue 67, January 2012, Circulation 3,862

Linda

From the Editor

Welcome to the January 2012 issue of the IAC VOICE!

Incoming President Susan R. Meyer looks back in appreciation of the work that's been done, and looks forward to her new role in making the IAC's mission a reality around the world.

In his final monthly column for the VOICE, Past President Bob Tschannen-Moran lists the five priorities he identified at the start of his term, and reflects on where we’ve come and where we have yet to grow.

You'll read below about an IAC membership benefit that you can claim right now to receive coaching, mentoring or supervision at no extra cost.

Our other featured IAC member benefit this month is Annuity Managers Agency, LLC, and Andrew J. Cavaliere contributes an article that helps us understand life insurance riders.

In the Inside Scoop, Natalie Tucker Miller answers the question, "If I have to show all nine masteries in just 30 minutes, isn't that kind of artificial?" Read her take on coaching a client in 30 minutes or less and then join the discussion on LinkedIn.

Alison Davis welcomes Graham Kean as a new contributor to the Living the Masteries column, sharing on the topic of Mastery #8, Inviting Possibility.

Welcome back to IAC Licensee Doris Helge, who delivers a fascinating look into our dream world in her Tools for Coaching Mastery article.

Our coaching feature article from Angela Spaxman is about the top six compelling reasons for coaches to train in mindfulness, and she gets us started with a mindfulness primer.

Trust-building marketing expert Kristen Beireis turns some conventional marketing advice on its head with her business-building feature article, "Why your big list isn’t all it’s cracked up to be."

Submission guidelines for the VOICE are available on the website. Submissions are welcome anytime through the month.

Please contact me with your article ideas and your feedback about this issue. Enjoy!

Warm wishes,
Linda

Linda Dessau, CPCC
Editor, IAC^® VOICE
Email: voice@certifiedcoach.org
www.contentmasteryguide.com

P.S. Are you on Twitter? You can follow the IAC at http://twitter.com/IACCoachMastery. There is also a list of VOICE authors, columnists and IAC BOG members at http://twitter.com/lindadessau/iac-voice-contributors.

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From the President
by Susan R. Meyer, IAC-CC
president@certifiedcoach.org

As we usher in 2012, we are also ushering in changes within the Executive Committee and the Board of Governors. We move into 2012 with a new Executive Committee:

Dr. Susan R. Meyer, President

Dr. Kristi Arndt, Vice President

Tatiana Abend, Secretary

Vicki Zanini, Treasurer

Bob Tschannen-Moran, Past President

I’d like to express gratitude to two Board members: Alison Davis, who will remain as a Certifier and continue to be involved in the translation of the Masteries, and Walter Besecker, who has done an incredible job as our Treasurer.

I’d also like to thank Bob Tschannen-Moran for his service as President as well as his two predecessors, Angela Spaxman and Natalie Tucker Miller. Natalie shepherded the IAC through the transition from Proficiencies to Masteries. Angela spearheaded our strategic plan and Bob took the lead in getting the ideas you shared with us in place, including the establishment of the Practitioner designation, redesign of the logo and website, and the implementation of Learning Agreements.

As I assume the presidency, I am mindful of having a responsibility to all of you to continue this process of creating a more responsive, learning-centered professional organization. During the past two years, I have been involved with the Strategy Committee, the Research Committee and the Certification Committee and have served as Secretary and Vice President of the Board.

In my new role, I will continue to support these committees in implementing new initiatives. The Research Committee, led by Kerryn Griffiths, has developed a new research area on the website. The Certification Board, led by Natalie Tucker Miller, is on the verge of a huge announcement—just wait until next month!

We still have work to do to be fully responsive to you. At the top of my agenda is fixing the remaining few glitches in the website so that accessing information and renewing your membership are seamless processes. Beginning next month, I want to offer more and more reasons for you to actively recruit new members. I take Expanding the Path to Coaching Mastery very seriously. My promise to all of you is to provide more ways for us to learn and grow together to make that mission a reality around the world.

I have a virtual open door—an open Inbox—so please contact me; both to let me know how you’d like to help and to let me know what else we should be doing.

With warm wishes for your success,
Susan R. Meyer

 
Susan R. Meyer, IAC-CC is President of Susan R. Meyer, Coaching and Consulting and of Life-Work Coach. She provides personal and executive coaching and facilitates seminars on topics including life planning, emotional intelligence, leadership development, communication, and coaching skills for managers. www.susanrmeyer.com.

 
 

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The IAC: A Great Organization
by Bob Tschannen-Moran, IAC-CC, Immediate Past President

Two years ago this month, I started my tenure as President by identifying five priority areas. Now, as I pass the torch to Susan and step into the role of Past President, I thought I would look again at those priorities in order to reflect on where we’ve come and where we have yet to grow.

1. Significant and Rapid Membership Growth. My stated goal was to double the membership of the IAC in 2010 and again in 2011. Unfortunately, that did not happen. The membership of the IAC stayed more or less constant. That was in spite of numerous initiatives over the past two years to make the IAC more visible and credible in the coaching world. By the end of my tenure, the IAC BOG was addressing this priority by changing the framework for coach certification. Unless large numbers of people can get certified as coaches through the IAC, large numbers of people will never join the IAC. That changing framework has now been approved by the IAC BOG and will be rolled out during the first quarter of 2012. Watch for news of these exciting developments right here in the VOICE! Many thanks to Susan R. Meyer, Natalie Tucker Miller, and Kristi Arndt for their leadership in this area, along with a majority of IAC BOG members who worked with them through several months of special meetings.
    
   Although membership growth was less than planned, that was not through a lack of trying! Ed Britton, the IAC Capacity Building Specialist, has been working closely with members of the IAC BOG, especially with Tatiana Abend, the head of the Membership committee, and Kate Larsen, the head of the Chapter committee, to conceptualize and launch a variety of new initiatives. IAC Chapter growth has been steady and, at times, dramatic. Every month, the IAC is contacted with one or more new opportunities in far-flung places around the globe, particularly in East Asia, but increasingly in many other locations. This enthusiasm for the IAC bodes well for our future. Member Benefits have also expanded considerably over the past two years, under the able leadership of IAC BOG member Kerul Kassel. As Benefits, Chapters, and Certification take off, so will the IAC membership-growth curve.
     
2. Enhanced Certification and Licensing Programs. Two years ago I recognized the importance of entry-level designations to membership growth and affirmed the importance of making the IAC’s certification and licensing programs even more vital and accountable. Those two priorities are not incompatible. In fact, the IAC cannot, with integrity, do one without the other. Fortunately, the integrity of the IAC certification and licensing programs was enhanced dramatically over the past two years with the institution of the IAC Learning Agreement process. In lieu of traditional Continuing Education Units, or CEUs, each IAC Practitioner and Certified Coach is now required to submit an annual Learning Agreement, specifying how we intend to continue our growth and development as professional coaches. Susan, Natalie and Kristi deserve a lot of recognition and gratitude here as well.
    
   IAC Licensees are now also required to have IAC Certified Coaches involved with their training and mentoring programs, and to participate in the Learning Agreement process. They may also choose to enhance their work with the IAC Coaching Masteries™ by attending quarterly support calls. The Licensing committee, headed up by IAC BOG member Uta Guse, along with Past-President Angela Spaxman, should be recognized for revamping the structure of the licensing program, which Natalie Tucker Miller and the Certification Board are now administering. Woo-hoo for that!
    
3. Dramatically-Improved Web Presence. By the beginning of my tenure, the IAC BOG had already selected a media design company, Ripe Media, to completely redesign the IAC website, optimizing its usability and visibility. That is now done. One predicted result was that the site would rise to the top of search engine inquiries, and that has happened. Type "professional coaching organizations" into Google, without the quotes, and the IAC appears near the top of the list out of almost 3 million results. Another predicted result was increased links and usage of social networking outlets, such as LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. That too has happened. Much of the credit goes to IAC BOG member Kerryn Griffiths, Lael Johnson and VOICE editor Linda Dessau. Many thanks to each of you!
    
4. Greater Collaboration and Diversification. In January of 2010, the IAC was fresh off the heels of two collaborations with the International Coach Federation: several IAC BOG members led a workshop at the 14th annual ICF Conference in Orlando, Florida while the IAC and ICF jointly issued a set of model standards of conduct for professional coaches. I envisioned continuing such collaborations with other coaching organizations during my tenure as President, and that has happened through Conference participation, Chapter development, and behind-the-scenes conversations regarding the future of coach certification. The latter has been a significant focus during my role as President, and it has been wonderful to share continued conversations with organizations as disparate as the ICF and the Center for Credentialing and Education.
    
5. Increased Social Responsibility. Throughout my tenure as President, I have tried to make sure that the IAC never lost sight of its reason for being. Coaching is not an end in itself and the purpose of the IAC is not just to recognize and elevate coaching as a profession. The purpose of the IAC is to represent and advance in the larger world the following "coaching values": innovation and change, diversity, mastery, openness and transparency, abundance thinking, as well as integrity and high ethical standards. These values were identified in the IAC Strategic Plan at the outset of my tenure as President, and they continue to guide the work of the IAC today. That is why IAC membership is open to all, including coaching clients and the general public. Anyone who supports those values and who wants to see them embodied more fully in the world is not only welcome in the IAC, but strongly encouraged. Margaret Mead could well have been speaking about the IAC when she issued her famous line: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed, citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."

In conclusion, I end my tenure as President with a deep sense of appreciation for those I have worked with and those who will carry on the work in the years ahead. The IAC is a brilliant organization which deserves your participation and support. If you have not already done so, join or renew your IAC membership, complete an IAC Learning Agreement, subscribe to the IAC VOICE, read the IAC blog and follow the IAC social media outlets such as Twitter and the IAC LinkedIn and Facebook groups. Catch the buzz and see where it leads.

May you be filled with goodness, peace and joy,
Bob

 
Bob Tschannen-Moran, IAC-CC, is CEO and Co-Founder of the Center for School Transformation and President of LifeTrek Coaching International. Bob is the co-author of Evocative Coaching, which incorporates the IAC Coaching Masteries^® in a coaching model designed for leaders and coaches in schools.
 

 

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Claim your IAC coaching, mentoring or supervision benefit

As part of your IAC membership, you’re entitled to receive coaching, mentoring or supervision. We’ve pre-purchased your entry into a reciprocal peer coaching, mentoring and supervision round by partnering with ReciproCoach.

Click here to redeem your IAC-ReciproCoach voucher today.

Be quick! The next round is starting soon!

Comment Now

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Life Insurance Riders, What are They For?
by Andrew J. Cavaliere

“Riders” are modifications to the life insurance policy added at the time the policy is issued that are not found in the original contract. These riders change or adjust the basic policy to provide some feature desired by the policy owner. Depending on the type of life insurance policy you purchase, there are a wide variety of riders that you can buy to enhance your policy’s benefits. Because all riders provide an additional benefit to the policy owner, an extra premium may be charged for them. Let’s look at some of these riders:

• Accidental Death Benefit Rider used to be commonly referred to as "double indemnity," and pays twice the amount of the policy face value if death results from accidental causes, as if both a full coverage policy and an accidental death policy were in effect on the insured.
• Accelerated Death Benefit Rider permits the insured who is diagnosed as terminally ill, or who requires long-term care or permanent confinement in a nursing home, to collect part of the death benefit from the policy on their life while they are still alive. The rider specifies exactly how much of the death benefit may be available, usually 75%. This can help relieve some of the financial burden caused by an insured's inability to continue working and the rising cost of health care. Death benefits payable under the policy are reduced by any amounts paid under this rider.
• Disability Income Rider provides a regular monthly income from the insurance company should the insured become totally and permanently disabled. The rider guarantees a specified level of income for either as long as the disability lasts or for a specific time frame outlined at issue.
• Waiver of Premium Rider exempts a disabled insured from making required premiums payments during the term of the disability while keeping the policy in force. This rider usually is in effect until age 60, but waiver of premium may vary from company to company and from policy to policy. Generally, proof of total and permanent disability is required from the United States Social Security Administration.
• Accidental Death Dismemberment (AD&D) Benefit Rider not only pays twice the amount of the policy face value if death results from accidental causes, but also pays additional benefits for dismemberment like if the insured loses sight in both eyes or suffers the loss of any two limbs. Often the benefit schedule pays a smaller amount for the loss of sight in only one eye or the loss of only one limb.
• Spouse & Children Insurance Rider provides additional amounts of life insurance coverage on the insured’s spouse and/or children. These riders usually are limited to a specified face amount by the company.
• Return of Premium Rider (ROP) is available on term life insurance policies, such that at the conclusion of the term of coverage, if the insured is still alive, the policy owner is remitted the sum of all their premium payments.
• Long-Term Care Rider works much like a disability income rider in providing coverage to pay a monthly benefit if the insured comes to require long-term care. This may or may not coincide with an acute debilitation.

For more information about Life and Health Insurance planning please contact Andrew J. Cavaliere at Annuity Managers Agency, LLC at 877-676-9900 or www.annuitymanagers.com. Andrew is certified in Long-Term Care (CLTC) from the Corporation for Long-Term Care Certification and a member in good standing of the Million Dollar Round Table (MDRT).

IAC Member Benefit: National Health Plan PPO is only available to IAC members. The BCBS Association Network is the largest in the country. No referral required!

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New IAC Coaching Masteries^® licensed schools and mentors

Name	City	State	Country	IAC-CC
Online Coach Institute	Highlands	NJ	United States	No	View Details
Instituto Brasileiro de Coaching	Goiânia		Brazil	No	View Details

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Your Feedback

We'd love to get your feedback on any issue related to the IAC. Do you have any questions, concerns, encouragement or ideas for improvement regarding membership benefits, certification, the VOICE, the direction of the organization or anything else at all? Please send an email to feedback@certifiedcoach.org. Please help us improve.

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