April 2008 Archives

Theme : Introduction on the new activities of IAC HK Chapter
1. Examination and Certification
2. Be a lisenced mentor on IAC Coaching Masteries
3. Professional Development

Facilitator : Coach Bonnie, IAC-CC
主持教練 : Coach Bonnie, IAC-CC

Date and Time : 13th May 2008 (Tue) 7:00-8:30pm
日期和時間 : May 13 (星期ニ) 晚上7時至8時半

Place : Rm1704 Car Po Comm Bldg., 18 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, HK.
地點 : 中環

Fee : Sharing on Venue Fee (Total HK$400)
費用 : 共同合作付出場地租用費, 共計HK$400

Maximum Participants : 20 people
最多參加人數 : 20人

Language : Cantonese
語言 : 廣東話

RSVP : bonnie@coachlite.com via email
報名 : 電郵至 bonnie@coachlite.com

 

Notice:

With the suggestions from the members, we are in the proess of looking for another venue. Please stay tuned with the update.

 

 

by Lorraine Lee, IAC member (article from IAC VOICE April 2008 issue)

The highly anticipated time had come. Nine coaches from the Hong Kong IAC Chapter spent a weekend on an intensive practicum retreat to pursue the certification challenge. We hired Coach Bonnie Chan (IAC-CC and IAC Hong Kong chapter leader) as our mentor coach to support us on this journey. She picked the venue: the Agile Changjiang Hotel Resort & Golf Course in Zhong Shan, located on the southern part of the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong Province, China, about a 90-minute ferry ride from Hong Kong. The facility was lovely. We felt like were on a holiday getaway. I think this helped set the scene and mood for our group to experience relaxation, fun and loads of learning ahead!

We met once before the retreat so we could get an idea of what would happen. And as the discussions evolved over the weekend, I sensed the positive energy of the group filled with openness for sharing, interactions and feedback.

Through this intensive mentor and group coaching practicum we enjoyed the beauty of the Masteries and the art of masterful coaching. We were also learning more about the IAC and the road to certification. We practiced—and practiced more—with each other as we took turns being coach, coachee and observer. For many of us, it was the first time making session recordings—quite mind-boggling for the technically-challenged. It took courage to listen to those recordings and to be critiqued openly in a group. But the debriefings as well as the individual consultation with Coach Bonnie made it all worth while.  (Read more about planning your own coaching retreat here.)

This group process helped each of us to explore our coaching uniqueness. We shared our favourite coaching questions. We identified our intended target markets and specialized areas of coaching like women executives, leadership coaching, transitional coaching and spiritual coaching. On a deeper level, we shared learning experiences such as greater self discovery, the powers of appreciation and expansion of client’s potential—which are all keys to empowerment.

We all had a glimpse of what masterful coaching is about. It seems light yet deep, and shifts are achievable within a short time. The most effective coaching at this higher level seems effortless and powerful.

As the retreat drew to an end, we as a group were more inspired, more confident of our knowledge and what we are able to achieve. The goal of IAC certification seems closer and more reachable now. With support from each other and our mentor coach, we know that our coaching journey will continue with greater enthusiasm, passion and success!

Lorraine Lee is passionate about coaching and supporting people to be the best they can be in all areas of their life. She is a personal and professional development coach who works with a diverse range of managers and professionals. Lorraine is also a voluntary coach to undergraduate students transitioning into the workplace. Lorraine can be reached at coachingmatters@hotmail.com.  

 

source: www.certifiedcoach.org

Tips from Coach Bonnie Chan, IAC-CC
Mentor Coach for the Hong Kong coaches’ gathering

(article from IAC VOICE April 2008 issue)

Group coaching in few days' intensive retreat workshop—out of town and away from normal business—creates powerful energy and interactions that can naturally enhance learning ability. It seems to be a particularly accessible way for groups of non-English speaking coaches.

• Use the online data base of IAC coaches to find members in your area who might get together for this kind of extensive program.
• Find a mentor coach to guide the process or use the Masteries themselves to plan the activities for self-development and to grow in the coaching profession.
• Treat the certification as an advanced learning process; the IAC-CC will come as the side effect for your focus and effort.
• Plan for weekly follow-up meetings to get ready for Part 2.

You can reach Coach Bonnie Chan on line at bonnie@coachlite.com.

Source: www.certifiedcoach.org

As far as I can get 70% correct, I can pass Test 1 and one step closer to IAC-CC designation.

Coaches attended the IAC HK Chapter 's Apr meeting see things differently. Here are some of their findings after we have gone through the drilling on the sample test.

1. There is always a tactic to do multiple-choice test smartly and get passed. Yet, I choose not simply focusing on the passing rate (70%) but to carefully look in to the masterful message behind each question and its answer.
2. I came to recognize the language pattern in coaching in English. As a Chinese coach, "cheerleading" sounds a very strong ecoragement towards the client. However, it is considered at the superficial level. Instead, "support" and "champion" implies a strong connection in the coaching relationship.

Coach Bonnie's hints to the coaches:

1. Treat Test 1 as a warm up for Test 2. Enough stretching work out before the running race or a basket-ball game, reduces injuries. WHY? Your body is flexible enough to support any vigorus action.
2. Understanding the inter-woven beauty of the masteries. How could you be masterful in Masteries 2? Well, stire-fly Masteries 1, 3,4 and 5 with a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Done!
3. Just thinking how to get passed in Test 1 wont help. Give yourself a chance to experience Test 1 as a coaching session. Isn't US$37 too cheap for the learning opportunity? Purchase for 2 sessions is never a lost to anyone.

"Coaching" has become quite a trendy vocabulary recently.  Many people claim themselves as Coaches casually.  Yes, it is very difficult for you to distinguish without knowing clearly and deeply what coaching is.

I would say, everybody can learn coaching and use this highly developed communication skill in their life and work for a happier and fulfilled life.  However, not everybody can be a professional coach. 

That's why sometimes Trendy brings dummy to the public.  Public was blindly brain-showered to have a completely wrong concept about what Coaching is.  Similar things could be easily happened in China as people are so hungry for new things. 

Therefore, learn Coaching correctly is the first step to become a professional. 

 

 

It is indeed a real question that all coaches should ask themselves before they come in to professional practices.

"No coach can help every client?" could be a fundamental question to begin with and to admit to.

Being a coach, we will not put ourselves at nowhere. We love to turnaround or shift things upside down creatively. Therefore, we play an exercise on searching ourselves internally - "Who are my favorite clients." If you are working with the right category of clients, you will find the coaching flow goes as is because you are an expert than a on-the-job training coach.

Coaches are life-learners. Professional Coaches always hire their personal coach to raise their self-awareness and clear the blind spots. If your coach never have a mentor coach than only learnt coaching from his/her coaching school, he/she may not understand the real deep taste of coaching. Then, how could he/she coach you for your maximum benefit.

below is a message from coachng common.

What Happens When Coaches Make Mistakes?
Posted: 27 Feb 2008 11:22 AM CST
When I read this article from Thailand, it really made me think about how coaches admit, respond and make adjustments when they feel their clients are not making the anticipated progress. This coach talks quite candidly about realizing that he coaches top level execs very well, but does not experience the same success with middle managers.

His lightbulb-moment caused him to rethink his client base as he rededicated his coaching efforts to the group that reached desirable outcomes. Remain an executive coach, yes, but not for just ANY executive.

Do coaches receive coaching to help them understand their strengths, assess their effectiveness and evaluate their outcomes? What happens when coaching clients do not reach their goals? Do coaches consciously gravitate toward clients they know they can help or do they cast their nets wide and understand that no coach can help every client?

I wrote this message only after 6 months of experience in running the IAC HK Chapter. let me gather my mind to answer this question.

I found the support came from people than the system. I found IAC gives quite a free hands to the Chapter host to run their local chapter which I believe they respect our knowledge on local needs and culture. Whenever, I have any questions, I could freely contact with the Chapter Leader, Kerru and exchange views with her.

Moreover, I found the attendants to the HK Chapter indeed have given the most support and power to the Chapter. Some come periodically while the others only drop by for a look and never come back. It is always crucial that being a host, I have to tell myself that the Chapter only attracts people when our goal and purpose are aligned. I do not need to be everyone for everything. This well settle down my ego thoughts.

However, I found there is one thing very helpful and useful to me so far - which is before I kick off the chapter, I clearly define the culture that I would like to see happening in the Chapter. Since I have been members of many other voluntary or paid membership organizations, many people come and thought of being served. From the beginning, I told all the attendants that everyone come here is for "Contributing as their Recipical". Since our simple structure, we do not set up an gentle reminder system for all the upcoming meetings, interested party has to check the Chapter Blog by themselves. We fixed the place and time for meeting without change. I commit to myself that even nobody will come, I still be there. Fortunately, this never happened to me.

Now, some of the regular attendants are spreading the words for the meeting at their own initiative. Of course, there are lots of appreciation to them and their passions motives me. They gave me suggestions on how the running could be better and more effective. We put thoughts together to find next suitable venue at cheaper cost.

Well, if you ask me "How much effort you have to spend for hosting a Chapter?" I would answer you that, "Please ask me how much I benefit and appreciate the blessing of being an IAC local chapter host?" The support comes by itself as we are like-minded people with same purpose and goal in coaching.