| President's Message
Listening is a significant competency of coaching. Listening, being fully present, to what is and what is not being said is the foundation upon which the coaching relationship works. Listening empowers us to be responsive to our clients so we can co-create the relationship.
To co-create a vibrant ICF chapter, we listened to the many members who completed our recent member survey. Many thanks to the one-third of you who chose to respond. We value your time and your honest comments regarding what is working well at ICFP; and your constructive criticism regarding ways we can improve. There were many comments about our alignment with the new ICF Membership Eligibility Requirements, both pro and con. Many of you see the benefits of this alignment as the ICF is the largest globally recognized credentialing organization.
Some of you are concerned about the ICF excluding trained coaches not ICF credentialed. Right now, ICF Philadelphia welcomes coaches from diverse coach training backgrounds, without exclusion. It is our goal to support members who wish to pursue ICF global membership or certification, but it is not required to be a member of ICF Philly. We do not know what the future holds. Our hope for the profession is increasing uniformity in professional standards for coaching and greater reciprocity among coaching organizations based on agreement about the core competencies that comprise professional coaching.
Another highlight of the survey was your valuable feedback about our website. There were many suggestions, and these have been included in our RFP as we have begun to choose a vendor to do this work. We want the site to be user-friendly and a frequently consulted resource for our members.
You asked for expanded services and more opportunities to network and learn. Here are some ways that we are already responding:
- "Community Coffees" kicked off in May with eight member facilitators in eight different locations. Thank you to those members who stepped up to facilitate these intimate coach gatherings in local communities!
- Another new initiative called "Coaches Circle" is giving our newer coaches opportunities to practice and improve their skills.
- Ginger Jarrett, VP of Corporate Affairs, is leading an effort to bring back pro bono coaching. See ICF Coaching World's June issue for a recent study on coaching with non-profit organizations, part of their Coaching and Philanthropy Project.
These are just a few of the initiatives we have launched and are working on for the benefit of our members that are consistent with what we "heard" you say in our recent member survey. For a complete update on how your membership dollars are being spent, please plan to attend our annual meeting which starts at 5:30 before the June dinner meeting.
To your success!
Marjorie
Marjorie Johnson, LCSW, ACC
President, ICF Philadelphia
President@philadelphiacoaches.org |
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June 21 -- Annual Meeting and
Dinner Meeting: | |
MEMBERS: OUR ANNUAL MEETING WILL PRECEED THE DINNER SPEAKER. PLEASE ATTEND AT 5:30 PM
Why THIS Virtual Assistant Will Create Fireworks in Your Business but THAT One Won't
Kyna Baker, Principal Owner, 5 Star Business Management
Location: Double Tree Guest Suites, 640 W. Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting, PA (610) 834-8300
Date & Time: Thursday, June 21, 2012 - 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM
Many entrepreneurs start a business because they have a passion for what they do. As time progresses, they soon figure out that there are only so many hours in a day and they are not able to get many things done. The solution? Hire someone to help with maintaining and growing the business.
But where do you start? And how do you find someone? What can you expect them to do? During this presentation, we will discuss what a virtual assistant is, how to define what role the virtual assistant will have in your business, and what and how you will delegate to the virtual assistant.
Kyna Baker is principal owner of 5 Star Business Management, a company that was created to assist business owners with daily business management activities including social media and traditional marketing support, customer service and retention management, website services, and executive assistant support. Kyna's professional experience includes over 14 years of various leadership and management roles. As a community servant, she is the President of Delaware Valley Virtual Assistant Association (DVVAA) and is a former board member of the National Association of Women Business Owners (NAWBO) - Delaware Chapter. www.5sbm.com |
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Community Coffees: | |
Suzanne Perry, VP Communications
Would you like to network with coaches in your local community? Here's a chance to discuss the joys and challenges of coaching with like-minded professionals while expanding your network of coaches who can give and receive referrals. See the many opportunities listed below for you to attend one of ICF Philadelphia's new "Community Coffees". The following informal gatherings are available in June. Please RSVP to the Facilitator listed for each meeting. We hope you enjoy this new way to expand your network of professional coaches. Many thanks to our volunteer facilitators!
Don't see your community on the list? If you are a member of ICF Philadelphia, you may volunteer to facilitate a Community Coffee in your local community by sending an email to Suzanne Perry communications@philadelphiacoaches.org
Please send the date, time and location with street address in your email.
Chestnut Hill
June 8, 8am
The Night Kitchen, 7725 Germantown Ave, Chestnut Hill
Facilitator: Terri O'Donnell
RSVP to: terri@yellowbrickroadcoaching.com
Elkins Park
June 26, 8:00-9:30 am
West Avenue Grill, 718 West Avenue, Jenkintown
Facilitator: Yosaif August
RSVP to: august@coachingforyourhealth.com
Manayunk/Roxborough
June 21, 7:30-9:00 am
Crossroads Café, 6156 Ridge Ave., Phila., PA
Facilitator: Ellen Greenberg
RSVP to: egreenberg@partnering4change.com
Gloucester County, NJ
June 18 at 8 am-9:30
Starbucks, 675 Woodbury Glassboro Road, Sewell, NJ 08080
Facilitator: Lisa Waldman
RSVP to: elisawaldman@comcast.net
King of Prussia
June 20, 7:30-9:00 am
The Corner Bakery at Maggiano's in King of Prussia
Facilitator: Dean M. Becker
RSVP to: dmbecker@adaptivlearning.com
Center City Philadelphia
June 26, 8:00 - 9:30 am
Gavin's Café, 2536 Pine Street, Philadelphia, PA
Facilitator: Laurie Gripshover Taylor
RSVP to: laurie@resourcefulcoach.com
Downingtown/Coatesville
June 19th, 7:30 to 9 am
The Blue Café, 150 East Pennsylvania Ave., Downingtown
www.ourbluecafe.com (for directions and menu)
Facilitator: Diane Catrambone
RSVP to: diane@dianecatrambone.com
Main Line
June 20, 7:30 to 9 am
Milkboy Coffee, 2 E. Lancaster Avenue, Ardmore, PA 19003
Facilitator: Lisa Tuttle
RSVP: lisatuttlecoaching@verizon.net
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Announcing: An Exciting, New Coach Mentoring Program | |
Are you a seasoned coach who would enjoy taking a fellow coach 'under your wing' teaching them the ropes and sharing from your own experiences?
Or, are you a new coach needing some guidance/support/tools to get started?
ICF Philadelphia is looking to provide a mutual opportunity for both experienced coaches as well as those who are just starting out by pairing the two together! Many new coaches are overwhelmed by all that it takes to become successful and having a seasoned mentor coach to 'lean on', ask questions of and learn from may be invaluable in reaching their fullest potential as a coach/business owner.
We are asking both the mentor and mentee to be willing to make a voluntary 6-month commitment to spend together. The only requirement is that you agree to have six contacts over the six months (one per month). The contact can be on the phone, in person over lunch, before an ICF monthly dinner meeting, or whenever and however you want it to be.
If you are interested in being part of this pilot program or want additional information, please email Lisa Waldman at elisawaldman@comcast.net or Jeff Kaplan at DrCoachJeff@aol.com and we will send you a short questionnaire to assist in pairing up mentors and mentees.
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Coaching Circles | |
We just completed the first and very successful round of Coaching Circles, another new way for ICFP members to sharpen their coaching skills.
We had three groups of three coaches each. Each group worked on the phone with a mentor coach. On each call the participants had the opportunity to coach
and be coached and to receive feedback from the other participants and the entor coach. Each "circle" met a total of 6 times. Coaching Circles are a fantastic way to hone your coaching skills and grow as a coach.
ICF Philadelphia members Frank Podeitz and Meredith Betz led this initial effort. We are grateful for their efforts and look forward to seeing their report and recommendations for moving forward with this project. We are looking forward to offering our membership the opportunity to join a coaching circle in the fall.
If you are interested in joining a Coaching Circle as a participant or as a mentor coach please contact me, at membership@philadelphiacoaches.org
Cheers,
Rosy Elliott VP, Membership |
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In Praise of ICFP Networking Opportunities |
 Clare SauterPresident-Elect, ICFP
If you ever wonder if it's worthwhile to network with other coaches, here's an example that of how it can be beneficial. One aspect of my business involves being a part time lecturer at the Wharton School. It's an aspect of my work that brings me great joy and fulfillment. I teach a communications course to full- time and part-time MBA students. The course focuses on being confident and professional in our business presentations. In 2013, I'll expand and teach a 6-week course on Advanced Persuasion and Data Display.
Many have asked how I got this gig! It was a direct result of my networking within ICF Philadelphia! Through my conversations and relationship with Joanne Vitali (President 2008 - 2009), I learned that she was a lecturer at the Wharton School. At our Board meetings, we'd often talk about what business projects we were working on. Through those conversations, Joanne and I got to know each other and the work that we did. When the time was right, she referred me and then I did the rest. (By the way, there have been a number of other members who teach or have taught at Wharton - Sue Guiher and Melody Templeton are examples).
I've had several other opportunities for work that were generated by people within ICF Philadelphia community and more importantly I've been able to referral work to others. These opportunities only started to come after I had built foundational relationships with people that I genuinely like and respect! It took time and effort and the payoff is well worth it.
There's a fantastic list of member benefits on our website. For me though, the real value of membership is the amazing professional and personal relationships I've built -- relationships that will last a lifetime. |
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A Coach Goes To Court | |
 The intersection of a dual career - coaching and practicing law -was experienced dramatically when I argued a case before the Commonwealth's highest court; the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. Lawyers train for argument before this court as athletes prepare for the Olympics. Despite receiving notice of the assignment only a month before the appointed day, like most lawyers, I was essentially training for it throughout the course of my twenty year career in law. I had one month to read the relevant cases, of which there were many, read the briefs, of which there were many, and then craft and rehearse an argument. Throughout my preparation, I felt very lucky to have the tools we regularly use as coaches. And as we made the long drive to Pittsburgh, waited for the time to pass until I addressed the court, and imagined myself facing the justices with no way to predict what they might ask me; the lessons of coaching came forcefully into play when the argument began.
"Chief Justice Castille, justices, good morning," I said, after rising from my seat in the lavish, impressive and imposing court room. I had barely spoken those words when the questions began. Seven justices eagerly began their rapid fire inquires, sometimes overlapping each other. Managing emotions and dancing in the moment had never been more important. Remaining calm, poised and fully present is a challenge when your position is being attacked, dissected and harshly judged. Active listening and direct communication are crucial skills under such highly charged circumstances. The presence of television cameras only added to the heightened feelings.
This was my personal Mt. Everest to climb and I am grateful for the discipline of coaching and being coached to have truly made the most of this experience. While my argument was good, the highest praise I received was for my demeanor. One person described it as "unflappable" in the face of very tough, intimidating and even angry questioning. Being prepared with facts and law was only part of the equation. My mental and emotional preparation won the day, and that was largely a product of my coach training, being coached and coaching others.
Dena Lefkowitz, ACC
Secretary, ICF Philadelphia
www.coachdena.com
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Tackling Challenging Corporate Clients | |
By Yoon Cannon
SIG CALL DATE:
Friday, June 29th 9:00-10:00 am
BRIDGELINE:
(209) 647-1000 Access Code: 531-842#
If you have faced challenging corporate client situations currently or in the past; join our June 29th SIG conference call. It will be a great opportunity for you as a corporate coach to connect with your peer group to share best practices in tackling tough coaching clients.
Here's what we will be discussing:
Common Problem Situation #1: The person you're coaching repeatedly shows up to their coaching sessions with nothing in particular to discuss.
We leverage coaching to help co-create their successes, but with certain challenging clients it can feel like pulling teeth just to get them to identify what outcome they would like to achieve from today's coaching session. You have re-worded your opening goal setting / objective question 8 different ways, all of which were answered with the same flat "I don't know".
Often times when the company is the one who initiated the idea for their key leaders to get coached, and it's the employer who is the footing the bill, it can often lead to challenging clients who show up to coaching sessions with less skin in the game.
How do you handle a challenging client situation like this?
Common Problem Situation #2: The person you are coaching suffers from long-term low self-confidence and chronic negative thinking.
Your client hired you to help him/her get big results. But, they suffer from such deep rooted negative thinking that even with your coaching they struggle to achieve small successes. They have already seen psychologists for many years with no positive results, and here you are trying to help them break their lifetime of depressive thinking.
How do you handle a challenging client situation like this?
Common Problem Situation #3, 4, 5 ....
Come join our June 29th SIG call to discuss the problems your encounter in corporate coaching and your best practices in managing challenging client situations.
RSVP to YoonCannon@ParamountBusinessCoach.com or Call 215-292-4947. |
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Connect with ICF Philadelphia! | |
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Interested in Being Interviewed for Our Member Column? Please contact
Pat Weeks at:
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Display Your Products And Promotional Materials At Monthly Meetings
Did you know?
ICF Philadelphia members are welcome to bring and display their coaching products at all monthly dinner meetings. A long-standing member-only benefit, a table will now be available just for ICF Philadelphia members to display their items.
So bring your coaching tools, books, flyers of upcoming events, etc. and share with our community!
For more information, please contact Clare Sautter at Claresautter@comcast.net or 610-304-5829.
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Good News
Have you been:
- Covered in the news
- Published in a magazine
- Quoted as an expert?
Then we want to know! Send your good news links to communications@ philadelphiacoaches.org so we can share with the whole ICF Philadelphia community. |
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Yahoo! ICF Philadelphia Discussion Group: | |
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| | Philadelphia Business Journal "Ask a Coach": How to get promoted at your corporation
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Philadelphia Business Journal online edition is featuring an "Ask a Coach" column this month by Marjorie Johnson, LCSW, ACC, President, ICF Philadelphia. Click here to check it out. http://tinyurl.com/6vr3vh7
We encourage you to link the column to your LinkedIn and/or Facebook page to broaden the reach of ICF Philadelphia. We supply new content each month for this PBJ "Ask A Coach" online feature as a public service of ICFP. At the end of the column you will information about ICFP and a link to our website and links to FB, LinkedIn and Twitter. |
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| | Advertise with ICF Philadelphia!
Advertise your workshops on ICF Philadelphia's homepage, monthly newsletter, or on ICF Philadelphia's Calendar of Events. ICF Philadelphia members recieve special discounted rates! Check out our options and rates on ICF Philadelphia's homepage.
For more information, please contact Suzanne Perry, our VP of Communications, at communications@
philadelphiacoaches.org |
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Upcoming Events! | |
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ICF-NYC Monthly Meeting
Wed, June 20th 6-8:30pm
2 CCEUs granted to attendees
Location: NYU, 11 West 4nd Street in Room 1027
Join Therese Kienast, MCC, CPCC and founder of Radical Leadership and discover where you are warming up to life instead of stepping in powerfully to create what you want. This is a fun, entertaining, and very revealing presentation where you will experience first hand how you may be living at a "4" and expecting a "10" result! For more information and to register, go to www.icfnycchapter.org/events
Retreats and Getaways SIG
Featuring Julia Cameron, Author, The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity
Don't miss this exciting opportunity to talk with Julia Cameron!
June 14th, 2-3pm Bridge Number: 712-432-0075/PIN 394801
Host: Karin Marcus Karin@SteppingOutCoaching.com
Bigger Game -- 2 Day Experience, coming to Philadelphia Nov. 30-Dec 1st!
Rick Tamlyn and and Shannon Kelly will present this workshop.
Location: TBD
Time: 9am-5:30pm, both days
Fee: $345 USD, special rate through June 30
$395 USD, early bird rate
$495 USD, regular rate
CCEU credits are available for this workshop. Please contact us. Website below for more information.
This is an open enrollment workshop and is open to everyone: teachers, students, managers, executives, homemakers,coaches, leaders - anyone who is ready to start playing a Bigger Game! For more information and to register, please go to www.ricktamlyn.com/bigger-game.html
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