Coaching Blog

There is so much advice and opinion out there on whether or not coaches need training or certification.

Unfortunately, most of the information is based on what has worked for someone else. If their situation is exactly like yours, their advice may be good for you. But odds are, it won't be.

That's the problem with opinons and advice. It's always about someone else. Not you.

To clear up confusion about coach certification, we did a recent teleclass to help coaches decide for themselves if they really need to become certified coaches. The participants asked terrific questions about becoming a coach, getting coach training and becoming a certified coach.

The truth is some coaches really do need certification and others don't. The various deciding factors include variables such as your personality, whether coaching is a hobby, a sideline or your main source or income, your coaching niche or specialties, your clients' preferences, whether you want to work for yourself or someone else, and much more. You may be curious about the answers to those questions, too.

So if you missed the live call, you're in luck! We turned the questions from the class into a free questionnaire that will help you decide for YOU, if coach certification is a good idea for your coaching career.

You don't need to give your name or email address to take the coach certification questionnaire, but if you want more information from us, you'll have a chance to request it at the end.

Plus, we've added the recording for the class, 'Become a Masterful Coach: Do you need to become a certified coach?', which is at the bottom of this post. I recommend that you fill out the questionnaire first and listen to the recording second. If you have more questions, you're welcome to call us at +1-877-224-2780.

Take the 'Do You Need Coach Certification?' questionnaire here. 

Here is the recording for the 'Become a Masterful Coach: Do you need coach certification?' teleclass: 

Each year, on Good Friday, The Center for Spiritual Living in St. Louis, spreads a huge canvas with a labyrinth printed on it (See photo at right, by Aperte at Flickr Commons) on the floor of their hall.

Last year, I walked it for the first time, and followed The Center's directions by setting an intention before I began. I didn't know I needed an intention before hand, so I hastily scribbled a quick intention on a slip of paper.

My intention was that my then, one-year old coaching school, would introduce coaching skills to at least 100 people within the year. That might not sound like a big goal, but we are not one of those giant coaching schools. In fact, I was still our only coaching instructor, at that time (now we have two more).

Walking the labyrinth has three distinct steps:

1. Enter the sacred space with a question in mind.
2. Open your mind to the infinite to receive instructions.
3. Feel gratitude for the divine gift downloaded to you.

My question in that sacred space way, 'How could I introduce coaching to 100 more people this year?' The answer came immediately: Offer our new coach training course for free. No problem; I was ready to do it.

Then a more nuanced instruction came: "Why not ask each participant to make a contribution to a good charity?" I could immediately see the added value. "Free" is ubiquitous on the internet, but as attractive as free stuff is, the added fulfillment of giving was both unique and a huge upgrade. 

As a result of that inspiration, I've offered our signature coaching skills course, Coaching Groundwork three times, each for the different charity including,  The Campaign for Tibet, The Hunger Site, and Habitat for Humanity. I've also tithed back to the Center for Spiritual Living.

This year, I set a much larger and more detailed intention: 250 new students, 100 Certified Mastery Coaches, more instructors and a rather large amount of money earned by the school. 

As I drove away from the Center today, it occurred to me that I more than reached last year's goal, despite the economy. It didn't always show up the way I thought it should or when I thought it should, but it absolutely manifested. I'm equally certain that my intentions for this year are already coming true. 

The Universe is a wonderful coach. To find a labyrinth in your community, do an online search for New Thought Churches, such as Science of Mind and Unity.

The internet is a wonderful tool for helping coaches and clients connect.

And although professional coaches spend part of every work day online, most aren't using the net efficiently.

Gone are the days when having an online brochure (a.k.a. website) was enough. The internet is built for interconnectivity and if you're using it for one-way communication only, you're misusing it. 

Internet = Interactive = interconnectivity = Intercommunication

Having a coaching blog can increase your online attractiveness exponentially, but most coaches blunder into the blogosphere with no plan or strategy and frequently, no clue! If you're a coach who has a blog, but isn't sure how it can attract clients to you, here is a major step that you may have missed:

Success in  the blogosphere begins with other people's blogs, not your own. 

If you were born before the year 2000, then you grew up in an age where business success was built on advertising and promotion that was one-way. To get the word out, you broadcast your message by interrupting people who were pretty much your captive audience. Think: TV commercials and subway ads. 

Rarely is that the case, anymore. Today, people record TV and fast forward through the ads and they read blog posts on their iPhones, while taking mass transit.

If you're still trying to broadcast your message, nobody is listening.

Maybe it's just me, but I think business and life coaches break this rule almost more than anyone else on the net. Are you one of those coaches? If you are using your blog or Twitter or Facebook or Mastery Coach Exchange as a broadcast-only tool, you're missing both the point and the value.

Every good blogging strategy starts with reading a lot of blogs and subscribing to the ones that really speak to you. This not only keeps you well informed, it gives you a change to absorb what really works in blogging.

You may want to comment on some posts. This is your first step toward "intercommunication".

Once you're a bono fide member of the blogosphere, you're ready to start blogging and attracting, yourself. We teach this topic in far more depth in the new Coach 100 Business Success Program at SCM, but if you're not ready to jump right into coaching success, then at least take a baby step toward it by subscribing to this blog.

The following was written by Thomas Leonard:

I shudder whenever I hear a coach talk about 'prospecting' for clients or when they refer to a potential client as a hot 'prospect.' Doesn't that turn the person into an object? Not pretty. I think a better approach is to view everyone you meet as an amazing person who doesn't need you, yet to whom you can give a gift. Is the gift an Attraction principle? No. An offer for free coaching? No. A business card? No. A patient ear? No. Rather, the gift to give a person is themselves. If you can point out something about them that they've forgotten or never knew, you've created a gap that they can grow into. Now, I'm not talking about complimenting or acknowledging a person, because that's usually manipulative. Instead, I'm talking about becoming the type of person who -- AS A MATTER OF COURSE -- points out something positive about the person. In other words, become that type of person, instead of using this as a marketing or emotionally-hooking technique. See the difference? Here's an example of what I'm talking about. Instead of saying, "I like the way you talk," you'd say something like "You have a compelling way of speaking." Instead of saying, "You're obviously very successful," you'd say something like, "You handle your success very graciously." Instead of saying, "I'm sorry to hear that your business isn't doing well right now," you'd say something like "I can only imagine the amount of stress you're under right now." In other words, get what the person is feeling and empathize with them in this 'advanced' way. Or pick up something unique or special about the person and point that out. So, you're stating the obvious without puffery, yet it's a different thing than the person has probably ever heard before. THAT'S what gets their attention and THAT'S what will attract them as a client. AND, if you do this with EVERYONE because it's the type of person you are, you WILL get more clients. And how do you become this type of person without it being an act or performance? --You'll naturally become this type of person as you integrate the Attraction Principles. You will become generous because you can afford to be. -- Thomas J. Leonard

If you're interested in becoming a coach

...or you just want to add coaching skills to your resume - and you like doing a good deed, then you'll love this:

School of Coaching Mastery is presenting its signature coach training program for new coaches, Coaching Groundwork, for FREE! All you have to do it make an online contribution to Habitat for Humanity by March 30th and email us your receipt. You'll get to attend a special Coaching Groundwork course, live with Julia Stewart, SCM President on four consecutive days, March 30th - April 2nd.

Coaching Groundwork is normally $325. The most common feedback we get from this course is that people can't believe how much they learned in so short a time!

This is a rare opportunity to do something good and get something extremely valuable in return. And something that makes it extra special is that a benefactor will double your contribution to Habitat for Humanity!

To find out more and make your contribution, vist Coaching for Habitat.

 I've been reading Andy Wibbel's blog for years. Andy was one of the first people (that I knew) who really "got" the whole blogging thing and he generously shared, in an entertaining way, how all of us could use our blogs to connect to fans, partners, friends, etc., in a way that could help grow our businesses, while establishing us as thought leaders, rather than just annoying marketers.

In 2006, Andy published Blog Wild! A Guide for Small Business Blogging and mentioned me in it, as a success story. (Page 137 ;-)

Today, I read an intriguing article by Andy titled, 'What Rush Limbaugh Knows About Blogging'. It's really not about Rush Limbaugh, but about something Limbaugh does extremely well: Provide a reliable emotional experience to his followers.

Read Andy Wibbel's blog post here.

Most successful bloggers, entertainers and the like, provide this and as Andy says, ultimately, that's what brings people back.

It's the same thing that prompts me to open Notes from the Universe every morning, or pull up the latest episode of Oprah on my DVR. 

A few examples of emotional experiences a blog could provide, according to Andy  include, "a dip into something deeper, a rant at something crazy, a look at something sincere? A recipe for something yummy? Are you passionate or provocative?"

That was the hook for me: I wasn't quite sure what emotional experience my readers are having and I realize, that's really important!

So I'm going to put it to you. What emotional experience does my blog reliably provide to you? What is it that brings you back? 

And what reliable emotional experience are your readers getting from your blog? 

What are you going to commit to doing to improve the emotional experience of your blog?

People often ask me what makes coaching different from other professions, such as consulting and the like.

There are a number of things that set coaching apart from other professions, but one of the major skills that a coach has, that many other professionals lack, is that a coach knows how to talk with a client in a way that not only leads to successful solutions and strategies, but also leads to the client actually taking action and succeeding with those solutions.

That might sound like a big "Duh" to you, but if you are a professional expert in any field, then you've probably had the following frustrating experience... 

Whether you're a doctor, lawyer, indian chief, financial planner, personal trainer, dental hygienist (or parent); you've probably had client conversations where you:

1. Understood the client's problem perfectly

2. Came up with the best possible solution

3. Instructed the client in how to implement the solution effectively

4. The client agreed that your solution was the answer to their problem

5. The client promised to implement the solution as per your instructions, but...

The client never does what you tell them to do.

Clients can be so frustrating, right? Why do they pay you, if they're not going to follow your directions? Are they just lousy clients? Do they have a secret desire to fail? Are they here to just drive you crazy??

Actually no. The client isn't the problem here.

You are.

Good coaching is so extraordinarily effective, because a good coach knows how to have a conversation with a client that not only leads to the best solution, but - more importantly - leads to the client actually taking action and creating effective solutions in their own life. The majority of professional advisors out there have no idea how to do this.

It's is a genuine art, which other professionals would do well to copy. For now, though, it is essentially the terrain of the professional coach.The tools employed to create these amazing game-changing conversations include, but aren't limited to:

Curiosity, silence, acknowedgement, truth telling, planting seeds, connecting to values, challenging beliefs, being provocative, keeping it light, honing in on what the client really wants (not just what they say they want), clarifying, championing and more.

The right tool at the right moment makes all the difference between an expensive service that doesn't make a difference and a service that is so transformative that clients don't care what it costs. 

Which would you rather pay for?

Whether you want to become a coach, or you're a professional in another field who wants to have game-changing conversations with your clients, we have a program that will give you all the basics in just four weeks, called Coaching Groundwork. We're probably not charging  enough for it, but for now, you can join it for $325.

If you want to know more, visit our Coaching Groundwork page.

Copyright, Julia Stewart, 2009 

I have a pet peeve about Twitter. Actually no, it's not a peeve about Twitter, it's a peeve about some Twitter users.

Pardon me, If I sound a bit cranky, but here goes:

My peeve is with Twitter users who DM (direct message) me to thank me for following them and then try to sell me something in the same message. Geeze!

Have they stopped to think how low the barrier is to following others on Twitter? This is not something most of us consider too carefully, because the truth is, if you follow someone on Twitter who turns out to be a pain, it's soooo easy to UNfollow them.

So if somebody follows you, that's great, but it doesn't mean they are your fan - yet. If you manage to entertain, inform, assist, or somehow endear yourself to your followers, they might become fans, but give 'em a chance, puhleeze! 

The truth is, these days, many folks are pinching pennies like never before, so the odds that we want to buy from you are pretty low, anyway. And the DM pitch is particularly annoying, because most cell phone packages charge per message, so I'm paying a whopping 10 cents for each of those little ads!

I got several of them just yesterday and I'm making a public declaration:

Any future twits who DM me with a sales pitch are going to get UNfollowed pronto!

Of course, most tweeple who make these sorts of faux pas are just clumsy newbies. They've probably heard that Twitter is a great marketing tool and have no clue how it works, so maybe I should be more forgiving.

As Twitter power user, Guy Kawasakie once tweeted:

@guykawasaki Nobody gets Twitter for the first 2 months.

So I won't hold a grudge, but I'm standing firm on my declaration.

If you're new to Twitter, I have advice: Spend the first two months listening to what others say and observing how they respond to you. Once you get it, then you can use it gracefully to build relationships and do some occasional marketing, without annoying your followers.

Oh, and for a less peevish post on this topic: How to Get Me to Follow You On Twitter (And keep my follow).

What's your pet Twitter peeve? Share it in the comments, below. 

By the way, if you choose to follow me, I promise I won't DM you with ads. I'm at http://twitter.com/MasteryCoach. 

Where should you start when becoming a coach?

The days of simply printing up business cards and calling yourself a coach are over. Large scale surveys of professional coaches show that coaches without coach-specific training and certification are less successful than trained and certified coaches and are more likely to quit the profession within a few years. That can cost you tens of thousands of dollars in lost income, as well as the fun and fulfillment that comes from succeeding as a coach and helping your clients achieve what they really want.

There are hundreds of coaching schools to choose from, some that are excellent and some that are not so excellent, so choosing one can be an overwhelming decision.

I suggest you begin your quest for the perfect coach training school for you by first deciding which coach certification you want.

Why? Because there are fewer coach certifications to choose from and that choice will narrow down your options for coach training, making it easier to decide.

I also suggest you get certified by an independent not-for-profit certifying organization.

Why? A certification in almost any profession that comes from an independent certifying organization that is not-for-profit is usually seen as less-biased and therefore more respected than a certification that comes from the school where you trained. Standards vary between schools. In fact, there are a couple of training programs that claim to train and certify professional coaches in only a few days! Don’t be taken in by that promise.

The two most recognized independent not-for-profit coaching organizations that certify professional coaches are the IAC and the ICF.

We suggest you visit both the IAC and ICF websites to see which one you feel most drawn to. Both organizations have about the same number of subscribers and are well respected, but their certification processes are completely different. You can also view lists of licensed or approved coaching schools on each site. Choose a school that prepares you for the certification of your choice. Simple!

Have More Questions About Becoming a Coach?

Download our free Become a Coach eBook. It contains a free 8-hour coach training program, too!

Copyright, Julia Stewart, 2009