Step Up and Stand Out Session #3

Posted by Dave Buck on July 30, 2009 under | DAVE BUCK | 2 Comments to Read

Wednesday July 29th

Here is the outline of what we covered today:
1) Inspiration Economy Transformation #2
From Selling to Engagement
People do not want to be sold!  They want to be engaged by someone they can trust.
In order to fully engage you must be willing to be known for who you really are.Your Coaching Method
Your coaching method is how you get consistent successful results with ALL of your players. Articulating it clearly will give you a BIG certainty boost because you will see for yourself that you know what you are doing!

You must be willing to reveal your greatness.
This is a challenge for most of us.

Invite the thought:
I AM WILLING to be KNOWN in the world for who I really am.

Welcome all of the thoughts, feelings, emotions, doubts, fears and memories that come with this affirmation.　 All are welcome at the party.

 

Using the Play Better Coaching Method form as a guide…

1) DEFINE THE GAME
What is the name of the game

2a) DESIGN A WINNABLE GAME
What is the big picture of winning for most players of this game.

2b) Name several typical 3-month objectives.

3) PLAY
Name all of the typical recurring actions in the game.　 These are the things your players MUST get good at in order to get consistent results and win.

6) PRACTICE SKILLS
Name your practices.　 For every recurring action in the game, what are the practices that you use to teach the skills of the game

7) GAME PLAN
Name the typical strengths of players of your game – how do you devise plans to maximize these strengths?
Describe your best approaches to the game.

Please share…
1) Any BIG insights from the clearing or the method exercise
2) How this program is changing the way you think about yourself as a professional Coach

Step Up Stand Out Session #2

Posted by Dave Buck on July 28, 2009 under | DAVE BUCK | 8 Comments to Read

July 28, 2009
WOW! Session #2 was so hot.  Then it was topped off by a 1 hour Q&A where we really got into some deep questions.  The Coaches in this program are playing full on.
I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Here is an outline of the program today:
1) Sharing from participants about The Games You Have Lived Playbook

2) Clearing Exercise – Visibility – Transformation #1 required to BE in business in the Inspiration Economy

 “I am WILLING to be seen in my community”

Invite and welcome this powerful thought AND all doubts, fears, thoughts and memories that come along with it.
Welcome especially memories of past successes and failures when you Stepped Out in a highly visible / public way.　

AND any decisions you made about visibility in these formative experiences. WELCOME ALL of them to your party.

3) Question: What does it mean to LIVE a game?
For a period of your life you delved deeply into it.
You studied, you played you experienced success and failure.
You gave yourself to it fully.　 You had passion and energy in it.

4) Why is LIVING a game required for MASTERY?
Only by fully living a game can you truly appreciate the life experience of your players.　 Only then will you KNOW the language of the game from experience rather than theory.　 Only then will you know EXACTLY what it is like to learn the skills, to develop a winning game plan and to face your inner doubts and fears in this game.
ONLY by playing can you earn the respect of a new player who might want you as a Coach.

5) DISTINCTION: Game Coach – Approach Coach

A game coach
knows a specific game and has a method for teaching players in that game.
The fundamental games of life:
business,
career,
finance,
leadership,
romance,
family,
health,
athletics,
performance art &
spiritual quest.

An Approach Coach
has an approach to life that could apply to any game. This is also known as a method based coach.

 How to choose:
1) Look at ALL the games you have lived.
2) Rank them 1-5 for…
A) JUICE – how much passion and energy do you have for this
B) Credibility – how well did YOU do in this game
C) Practical Economics – people will PAY to get better at this.

1) Look at ALL the games you have lived.
2) Rank them 1-5 for…
A) JUICE – how much passion and energy do you have for this
B) Credibility – how well did YOU do in this game
C) Practical Economics – people will PAY to get better at this.3) Add up the scores and you have a winner!

 

Please share your feedback, experiences and insights.

Coach Dave

Step Up Stand Out Session #1

Posted by Dave Buck on under | DAVE BUCK | 4 Comments to Read

Monday 07/27/09
Session #1 of our 10-Day Intensive

What a lively and powerful conversation among great coaches on a quest to be a force for good in the world and thrive in the Inspiration Economy

Here is an outline of what we covered…

1) The Posibility of Step Up and Stand Out

Clarity = Clients
Know WHO you have earned the right to Coach

2) Clearing: “I am ready to thrive in the world as a professional Coach”
Invite and Welcome ALL thoughts, feelings, emotions, memories, doubts and fears to your party.  The key is to be aware of EVERYTHING that surfaces when you focus your attention on the powerful affirmative thought.

3) First 3 Theories…
1) Any endeavor can be PLAYED as a game worth playing
2) The purpose of coaching is PLAYING better
3) You can only coach masterfully a game you have LIVED.

Several Coaches who are doing this program for a 2nd time shared about how PLAY pattern language has transformed their coaching conversations with prospective clients AND with existing clients; EVEN clients who at first resisted GAME language.

4) Play Book Part 1: the GAMES you have LIVED
remember it is a PLAY book! (not a WORK book)
Have fun with it. Engage your creativity and self-expression

Have You Earned the Right to Coach?

Posted by Dave Buck on July 14, 2009 under | DAVE BUCK | Read the First Comment

07/10/09
Have You Earned the Right to Coach?
Exploring three powerful truths about professional coaching. 

Hey there! Coach Dave Buck here.

Probably no one has asked you this question directly. BUT, most people that you talk with about your coaching service WILL ask themselves this question about you. 

And…

You answer this question with every conversation
you have and everything you say or write
about your coaching business. 

BIG Truth #1

Unless YOU KNOW that you have earned the right to Coach,
very few people will ever hire you.

Your energy is ALWAYS flowing.  When you are talking to someone they feel the energy you are exuding.  Are you exuding… “I have earned the right to coach you!”? 

BIGGER Truth #2

You do NOT earn the right to Coach by Coach Training.
You EARN the Right to Coach by playing BIG in life.

Then you become masterful as a Coach through training and practice.

This is why before you do ANYTHING else – including coach training – you MUST declare and articulate HOW you have earned the right to Coach and WHO you have earned the right to Coach.

BIGGEST TRUTH #3

You have already earned the right to Coach a large number of people.

However, you may not know it yet because you have grossly underestimated the incredible value of your life experiences and the expertise you have accumulated! (not to worry: We all do this)

AND/OR you have never taken the time to declare this clearly and powerfully.

Clarity = Clients

Yes, I know that is a really big font!  This point is more important than just about anything else I can say.  Your ability to sign paying clients and thrive in the world as a professional coach absolutely begins with your 100% clarity about…
1) Your Expertise
2) WHO YOU ARE, and
3) HOW you coach & WHO you coach
(this may sound strange, but “How You Coach” has little to do with Coach Training, so you can define this even if you have little or no formal coach training.  Coach training will determine how WELL you coach)

The diagram below will explain more about each of these three key areas.  But before we get to that I must introduce you to our new program that I am really excited about.  Actually it is not a new program, it is a combination of a few programs I have created over the past 8 years.  AND now that the ICF Definition of Coaching no longer excludes expertise, (link to article on CoachBlog)  it is the PERFECT TIME to offer it!

Step Up and Stand Out
Transform Your Life Experiences Into a Compelling Coaching Brand

In this transformative “Intensive” program you will powerfully declare your value as a Coach. 

In a series of deep life and soul searching exercises you will build the clarity you MUST exude in order for people to feel that they are safe with YOU as their Coach.

You will powerfully define:
HOW you have earned the right to Coach and
WHO you have earned the right to Coach.

Truly, this is one of the most profound programs I have ever created.  I do hope you will join me.  This program will alter your coaching destiny.

Program Details and Registration

• Ten 90 minute teleclass sessions led by Coaching Maven and Branding Expert Dave Buck
• The teleclass series includes powerful group breakout sessions
  (on our amazing new Maestro Conference Bridge)
• A detailed Play Book with all of the exercises
• Every session will be recorded in case you miss a session
• You will have permanent access to the eCourse (recordings and play book)
• Using CV Coach Connect you will be able to connect and collaborate with your classmates and build your professional network.
• Dates : July 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, August 3, 4, 5, 6, 7
• Time: 12 Noon – 1:30 PM ET
• Price: $149
  Note: Center for Coaching Mastery Students have a special price of $99
• 

OR…

• A Two-day Retreat at Coach Dave’s beautiful lakeside retreat center in Hopatcong, NJ
• August 7, 3PM – 9PM ET; August 8, 9AM – 6PM ET
• Followed by summer barbeque and jumping in the lake!
  A TRUE SUMMER CAMP EXPERIENCE!
• Price: $249
  Note: Center for Coaching Mastery Students have a special price of $199
• 

Want more information about the program?…
Click the Clarity Button!

 

Special note to Coach Training Participants and Graduates

Did you train in a school dogmatically opposed to sharing expertise?
Have you been languishing in your efforts to build a thriving coaching business?

 

If so, this program will be just the thing that finally clicks everything into place for you!  By blending the excellent skills and methods that you have already learned WITH what you will learn and declare in this program you will become a TRUE COACH; The kind of coach lots of people are yearning to hire. 

 

Here is a model to guide you to define your value as a professional coach.

 

Expert: Having, involving, or demonstrating great skill, dexterity, or knowledge as the result of experience or training.
(American Heritage Dictionary)

 

 

Here is what we at CoachVille stand for about coaching:

 

Coaching is a blend of
sharing your expertise in a way that
is personalized to the player AND challenging
your player to figure things out for themselves.

 

The value of a Coach has three major elements:
1) Expertise
Your knowledge, talent and experience are probably the first thing a new player wants from you as their Coach.  Now you can share it with them – it will greatly expand your credibility and build trust. 

 

Knowledge – information you have studied and inegrated

Talent - natural ability that you have refined through practice and application

Experience – Living life while keenly observing and learning

Another key point here is that when you are new to Coaching, this is your main drawing card.  The edict against expertise gave new coaches almost NO chance to get started.  No wonder most of them fail!

2) Who you are as a person
Who you are as a person is a pretty BIG deal (an understatement I know) and challenging to quantify in just a few words.  I like these three C’s: character, community and connection. 

Character – your values and who you have become.
Community – your relationships with others as a reflection of you
Connection – your connection to a higher purpose or greater calling.

 

The Who You Are is the key to your overall attraction.

 

3) Coaching ability

You coaching ability is your ability to guide another to play better and get better results. 

 

Practices – Your ways of identifying essential skills and playing toward mastery.

Principles – Your understanding of the essentials of improving human performance

Approaches – Your overarching theory about how to play well.

 

And there are three powerful byproducts that are essential to your value as a Professional Coach.

 

A) Resources

Everything you bring to the table to support your player

 

B) Results

Your track record with others actually adds value

 

C) Methods

The way you do what you do consistently so that the basics are covered and creativity becomes possible.

 

It’s Official! The Client Does NOT Have All the Answers

Posted by Dave Buck on July 6, 2009 under Top Story | 13 Comments to Read

A truly amazing and exciting thing has happened.  I am hosting a series of summer rants and dialogues about the ICF (International Coach Federation) definition of coaching and how outdated and industry defeating it is - In particular the concept that the client has all of their own answers and that coaches should not use their expertise while coaching.

 

I was writing the next article of the series and I had an inkling – rather than paste in the language from my copy of the ICF Code of Ethics  I should go to the new ICF website and get an updated version.

 

Lo and behold!!!!   Their definition of coaching has changed!  A new definition was written into the updated code of ethics that was approved by the ICF Board in December 2008.

 

It was…

 

The International Coach Federation adheres to a form of coaching that honors the client as the expert in his/her life and work, believes that every client is creative, resourceful, and whole. Standing on this foundation, the coach’s responsibility is to:

Discover, clarify, and align with what the client wants to achieve
Encourage client self-discovery
Elicit client-generated solutions and strategies
Hold the client responsible and accountable

 

Now it is…

Part One: Definition of Coaching
Section 1: Definitions

• Coaching: Coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.
• A professional coaching relationship: A professional coaching relationship exists when coaching includes a business agreement or contract that defines the responsibilities of each party.
• An ICF Professional Coach: An ICF Professional Coach also agrees to practice the ICF Professional Core Competencies and pledges accountability to the ICF Code of Ethics.

Not that the ICF has the final word on the definition of coaching! But…

 

WOW! What a difference.Â
 

This bodes well for the ICF that the Board – with many members trained by dogma-based schools – was able to approve a new “official” definition with the dogma removed.  Remember: the ICF Ethics document is the one you have to sign in order to accept your certification!  So this is the document that really matters.

 

The expertise embargo
has been lifted!

 

Now we can deliver TRUE COACHING, using our expertise the way we have always known was best, without worrying about violating the code! 

 

Now… The old definition – loaded with industry defeating dogma -  is still on the marketing pages of the site on a page called “What is Coaching“.  If you want to turn your stomach, give it a read.

 

The good news: the marketing document is NOT an “official document” and you don’t have to sign it in order to obtain or maintain your certification.

 

Now that expertise is no longer dismissed in the official definition, the ICF will be able to attract and include thousands of talented and experienced coaches who would not go for certification because their expertise-oriented approach – TRUE COACHING – was not accepted.    

 

This is a very good thing if you are a TRUE COACH. As an Ambassador for Professional Coaching in the Personal Growth world, I am thrilled to be able to welcome YOU!

 

A TRUE COACH will
teach you how to play a game better
and win on your own terms

 

It is unfortunate that the ICF continues to misinform the public about coaching on the marketing page.  However, we will take this “official” change as a huge step forward and it is my STRONG HOPE that as more TRUE COACHES join the ICF we will see a change in the marketing documents as well. 

 

Toward that end… WE Continue.
Stick with me, the ride is going
to be VERY exciting.

 

Expert: Having, involving, or demonstrating great skill, dexterity, or knowledge as the result of experience or training.
(American Heritage Dictionary)

 

 

The Positive Impact of This New “Official” Definition!

 

This change has major positive implications for coaching excellence, certification and especially the business of coaching.

 

Coaching Excellence

From the perspective of coaching excellence this is so big because the old definition was so stifling.

 

Here is what we at CoachVille stand for about coaching:

 

Coaching is a blend of
sharing your expertise in a way that
is personalized to the player AND challenging
your player to figure things out for themselves.

 

As Thomas said in the coaching frameworks…

The Answer is Somewhere!

 

I have often said that masterful coaching is only possible when the Coach knows the game the player is playing.

 

As you will see below I have amended this to include expertise in an approach that applies to all games.  When you know the game and you know your player you can read the situation and know exactly what to do.

 

When your player is overwhelmed or truly does not know what to do or how to do it, it is best to share your expertise.  But when your player is avoiding a tough decision and looking to you for advice, you have to challenge them to figure it out for themselves.

 

Masterful coaching always rides in the
dynamic balance between support and challenge.

 

 

 

 

Coaching Certification

This change in definition is so good for our profession.  It has been extremely troubling to me that what I would call imitation Rogerian Therapy (where the practitioner only asks questions and mirrors) has not only passed for Coaching BUT was the only way to PASS the certification process if you were unlucky and had a dogma-based certifier.  UGH!!! 

 

If you read this brief Wikipedia overview of Rogerian (Person-Centered) Therapy and compare it to the ICF Marketing definition of coaching you will see that they are hauntingly similar.  I am sure that this form of therapy has great value, but it is NOT coaching and should not be confused with coaching. 

 

Passing knowledge, experience and wisdom from one person to the next is the engine of human evolution AND a core element of TRUE COACHING!  If you KNOW that your expertise has tremendous value when shared skillfully and responsibly, then you are in the right place in the Coaching Industry!

 

Asking questions is definitely essential to coaching. BUT, ONLY ASKING QUESTIONS is NOT good coaching.  Yet this was the only way to pass our industry leading certification.

 

Since many of the certifiers were trained in schools dogmatically positioned against sharing expertise, I wonder how long it will take before expertise is respected in the certification process.   Of course a 30 minute “tip session” should not pass but neither should a 30 minute Rogerian Therapy session.

 

I believe that the Core Competencies are an excellent measure for the certification process. My hope is that well-timed and delivered Direct Communication (Core Competency #7) will be REQUIRED to pass rather than a cause for a point deduction as it has been by the dogma-based certifiers.

 

Raising the Bar

I also like that this change significantly raises the bar for what it means to be a professional coach.  It puts more responsibility on the coach to continually develop, expand and refine your expertise AND you must be able to use it wisely in a way that develops others rather than over powers them.  This will create a higher standard for our profession which is a very good thing.

 

Coaching Business

Here we have the biggest impact of all.  The old definition was self-defeating.  A major element of the value of a coach is expertise; Or as I call it: knowledge of the game or approach. 

 

Most people hire a coach in order to expand their own expertise (play the game better) by learning from the coach.  But if the client is already an expert and the coach is not supposed to share expertise then…

There was nowhere to go.

 

 

 

 

The value of a Coach has three major elements:
1) Expertise
Your knowledge, talent and experience are probably the first thing a new player wants from you as their Coach.  Now you can share it with them – it will greatly expand your credibility and build trust. 

 

Knowledge – information you have studied and inegrated

Talent - natural ability that you have refined through practice and application

Experience – Living life while keenly observing and learning

Another key point here is that when you are new to Coaching, this is your main drawing card.  The edict against expertise gave new coaches almost NO chance to get started.  No wonder most of them fail!

2) Who you are as a person
Who you are as a person is a pretty BIG deal (an understatement I know) and challenging to quantify in just a few words.  I like these three C’s: character, community and connection. 

Character – your values and who you have become.
Community – your relationships with others as a reflection of you
Connection – your connection to a higher purpose or greater calling.

 

The Who You Are is the key to your overall attraction.

 

3) Coaching ability

You coaching ability is your ability to guide another to play better and get better results. 

 

Practices – Your ways of identifying essential skills and playing toward mastery.

Principles – Your understanding of the essentials of improving human performance

Approaches – Your overarching theory about how to play well.

 

And there are three powerful byproducts that are essential to your value as a Professional Coach.

 

A) Resources

Everything you bring to the table to support your player

 

B) Results

Your track record with others actually adds value

 

C) Methods

The way you do what you do consistently so that the basics are covered and creativity becomes possible.

 

Two out of three ain’t bad

Until now, to stand as an ICF accredited Coach you could only use two out of three! (Expertise was forbidden!)

 

I am reminded of the old Meatloaf song: “Two out of Three Ain’t Bad”

Remember the line: I want you. I need you. But there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna love you, but don’t be sad ’cause two out of three ain’t bad.

 

It’s been like that for coaches who didn’t have or didn’t feel they could use their valuable expertise!

Client to a Coach who won’t share their expertise: “I want you. I need you. But there ain’t no way I’m ever gonna hire you, but don’t be sad…

 

You get the picture.  It was bad. 

 

But now the opportunity is very, very good.

 

NEXT…

IT IS SOOOOO OBVIOUS that people are NOT experts in their own lives, how is it that anyone can continue to promote this nonsensical notion?  Or worse, make it the cornerstone of the public awareness efforts of our Industry Association? 

 

Are you a TRUE COACH? A coach who teaches the game by weaving together expertise, a great life and coaching ability?

 

To  join us for this provocative conversation…
Tune into CoachVille Caffeine.

 

Or comment here.  I love to hear your thoughts so we can learn together.