Financial independence is the ability to live from your own personal resources. By Jim Rohn

Shortly after I met my mentor he asked me, "Mr. Rohn, how much money have you saved and invested over the last six years?" And I said, "None." He then asked, "Who sold you on that plan?"

To become financially independent you must turn part of your resources into capital; turn capital into enterprise; turn enterprise into profit; turn profit into investment; and turn investment into financial independence.

I remember saying to my mentor, "If I had more money, I would have a better plan." He quickly responded, "I would suggest that if you had a better plan, you would have more money." You see, it's not the amount that counts; it's the plan that counts.

If you were to show me your current financial plan, would I get so excited by it that I would go across the country and lecture on it? If the answer is no, then here's my question: "Why not"? Why wouldn't you have a superior financial plan that is taking you to the places you want to go?

I used to say, "Things cost too much." Then my teacher straightened me out on that by saying, "The problem isn't that things cost too much. The problem is that you can't afford it." That's when I finally understood that the problem wasn't "it" - the problem was "me."

The Bible says that it is hard for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven. It doesn't say that it is impossible!

• Getting Started
• A Day in the life of a Career Strategy Coach
• Why finding a job is an ongoing process
• The only factor you have complete control over is your results!
• Why the internal company coach has to be strong!
• What is coaching anyway?
• Tips to help you create the ideal work / life
• Career questions answered
• The work we were born to do
• Challenges when being yourself for a living
• Career Development Coaching - and Offer!
• The Biggest Mistake Coaches can make
• ECI up-date

If you can tell the world who you are & what you believe without breaking stride or hesitating, you are happy with yourself.

Initially people think in terms of relationships being with a loved one but that's not strictly true. Experience has shown that we all want to enjoy extra rewarding relationships with many people, including ourselves. That''s one of the many reasons people hire coaches while others are drawn to coaching as a profession.

All these relationships, be they with our friends, family, colleagues, in-laws, partners, children, or our neighbours, take ongoing work, commitment and effort to maintain their natural quality.

There are many ingredients to ensure a successful relationship. We all want to enjoy the benefits that come from extra rewarding relationships. Therefore, a few fundamental ingredients include both parties feeling genuinely understood, being actively listened to, appreciated and truly accepted. This is achieved by actions and perhaps more importantly, with words, said with sincerity. These deeds need to be reinforced regularly to nurture and develop the relationship you want and deserve.

No matter how important a relationship may be few of us manage to sustain all our relationships exactly as we would want them. Primarily it's because sustaining them takes a lot of time and energy. Unwittingly, many of us reserve this time and energy for other things like pursuing our dream career, impressing colleagues or building a bigger business.

It is said that the majority of people spend more time agonising over a new job or buying a house or booking a holiday than they ever invest in a relationship. That's why it's a useful exercise to take stock: step back and look at your relationships to check which elements are in/out of balance.

Relationships come in many guises, some good, some bad, some could be better - essentially though, for relationships to work and be healthy, they need to be ones where we feel nurtured, where both parties benefit from the 'feel good factor'.

One way you can do this is by writing a mission statement.

Stephen Covey said: The core of any family is what is changeless, what is always going to be there - shared vision and values. By writing a family mission statement, you give expression to its true foundation.

What are your personal / family / relationship / business mission statement(s)? You do have at least one, don't you - written down and memorised? Good. When was the last time you reviewed and updated it then?

If you don't have any, now could be the right time to take action and clarify what you / your family / relationship / business stands for, what your values are and where you are going.

A well thought out mission statement is a very useful and powerful communication tool and as a coach you'll need one that accurately reflects who you are. Demonstrate how committed you are to making a difference by involving your colleagues, family or partner. Don't delay, write one today.

As an example of a coaching mission statement I'll share mine with you - it's printed on the back of my business cards:

Coaching is about unlocking your potential. Therefore, my responsibility as your coach is to stimulate you to look at life differently. I will challenge you to accept responsibility for making the choices you make (personal or business). I will also support and motivate you to transform your life or business through goal achievement. I resolve to inspire you to develop a positive mental attitude whilst encouraging you to maintain a peak performance approach to everything you do.

Dawn Campbell
Head of Newsletters

Send your questions, quotes, case studies, articles, tips, feedback and queries, acronym's etc to: newsletter@the-eci.org

Remember to use the SMARTER principle - Specific Measurable Achievable Realistic Time related Enjoyable Reviewed

1. Set Goals
For example, decide how much you need / want to earn? I.e. £20,000, divide it by your hourly rate, i.e. £60.00. This determines how many clients you need, which equals 333 in this case. Next, work out how many hours you need / want to work? To do this you need to divide 333 clients by 52 weeks = 6 ½ clients a week. This equation tells you how many hours you need to work and with how many clients in order to achieve your income goal.

2. Think about your image / expertise
What image do you wish to portray? Do you wish to be in a niche market offering an exclusive service? What value added benefits will you be able to offer?

3. Benefits v Features
Feature e.g.: 30 min session for client to talk about themselves Benefits e.g.: a chance to explore options without judgement Exercise - write down the features & benefits of your service.

4. Target Customers
Individuals (age, sex, income, occupation, geography, and attitudes Business (size, location, interest in service etc) What sort of customers do you want? Will they appreciate your benefits? Where are they? Who are they currently using? How are you going to secure them as clients?

5. Marketing
How are you going to create awareness & desire? How will you promote your brand - do you have one? What is your sales strategy? Can you afford any promotions, gifts, vouchers, introductory offers? Are there any exhibitions / events you could attend? What business material, e.g. brochures, business cards, web site etc do you need? Do you have an advertising budget? Make contact with the local journalists. What publicity material have you prepared, e.g. press releases? Have you targeted anyone for direct mail? Have you learnt your elevator speech (mission statement) by heart?

6. Think in terms of Me PLC
Delivery of service, Attitude, Self-care, Training & development Scheduling of workload, Appearance and so on.

7. Location
Mobile or static? Business or hobby? Professional or amateur? If working from home, what about interruptions? Is service provision tangible?

8. My Service
Complementary by products, Alliances with others, Networking, Know the competition (inc fees, benefits etc), How much (include cost and time) overheads, refunds, cancellation policy, getting paid, Professional services and so forth.

9. Admin
Building a database, Follow up, Cross selling, Newsletters, Rewarding loyalty, Hospitality, inc birthdays, Recommendations, Thank yous, the list is endless, but this is enough to get you started if you are serious about preparing a business strategy.

dawn@rainbowpromise.co.uk

© 2004 Dawn Campbell

The alarm rings at 6.00am, and the clock is 15 minutes fast so that I can turn on the PC, be downstairs and sipping my first cup of tea as I listen to the 6.00am news on Radio 4. It's 6.30am, shaved, showered and dressed I check my laptop for progress reports from my clients and Type Dynamics Indicator results. This is a Jungian based psychometric instrument, producing profiles similar to Myers Briggs assessments.

I print off the reports, note and respond to other emails and pop into the kitchen to prepare my wife's early morning hot water and sliced lemon drink. What it is to be such a creature of habit!

I meet my local Thames Valley face-to-face clients, corporate or private, for half a day each week, month or fortnight, for the duration of the contract - up to 12 months. Telephone clients call for 30 or 45 minutes and, believe me; to work from 8.00am to 4.30 in this way is quite enough for one day! Internet clients use time slots similarly; I have to admit that as I am a fairly awful typist with the speed and accuracy of a drunken snail in a beer garden, I place pitching for this "type" of work way down on my priority list.

For my corporate group clients, we spend two or three days on items such as managing change, discovering competencies, skills and values, balancing professional with private lives and working on marketing themselves. I then provide two or three follow up sessions.

So what do I do, how do I do it and what are the outcomes or benefits?

As a Master Coach, Chartered HR professional, psychometrist and NLP and TimeLine^TM Therapy Trainer I use many techniques to enable clients to achieve their goals, such as detailed personal and career analysis, wheel of life, work and personal values, and many other specific tools. I also use computer based career development programmes.

At this induction session we focus on outcomes for the next 3 - 6 months using simple goal generators like the GROW model, or NLP tools like the Disney Strategy or TimeLine^TM activation and visualisation.

Having knowledge of the recruitment market, I am able to guide clients in the way I feel that is best congruent with their career position, personality type and career goals. They gain a clear strategic career plan and an understanding of their capabilities, beliefs and values. This leads to a developing self-reliance and the realisation that companies are there to facilitate their own career growth, and can be "fired" at any time if they do not fulfil their career promises!

So, that's it, a window into my life. The more that I learn, the more that I realise there is - just around the corner! I have just started an Anatomy and Physiology course, and that's about preparing for my next career at 65 - another story.

John Fielderm
www.thecareerconsultancy.co.uk/team.cfm

1. To gain clarity in your life
Most people don't know what they really want in their life/ careers. Even the ones who do.... don't know when they get it.

2. To develop your personal Vision/Mission
Your personal vision/mission is your purpose in life. Is that separate from what we do to make a living? It shouldn't be. Are you living in alignment or in conflict with your purpose?

3. To sharpen your skills
Job search is not something you do daily; as your skills in a sport get rusty without practice, so do your job search skills. What are the latest techniques and best practices, how can you maximize your network, etc.

4. To increase your confidence in this game called work
When you know what you're good at and what you want, you go for it, and people stand out of your way. You no longer have competition. You no longer self sabotage or tolerate the behaviour of other associates or bosses.

5. To find out what drives/motivates you
It's not about pumping you up. It is about realizing how you were wired since birth and how to use that programming to achieve happiness. We call these values and beliefs. Knowing what is important will make it easy to say no to things and people who waste your time. At the same time, you will discover opportunities that in the past have eluded you.

6. To unleash your unlimited potential at work
Most people get caught up in the politics of the office. Circumventing this will energize you and put you leaps and bounds over your peers.

7. To stretch you beyond what is currently comfortable for you
We get caught in our comfort zone; before long however, this comfort zone becomes a rut. It is at this point that we become complacent. Complacency leads to poor performance and poor performance leads to job termination. So can we stay passionate all the time about what we do, you ask?

8. To create total balance in all areas of your life
There are more people on drugs, Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Xanax, Valium and Viagra than ever before. While some people have medical reasons for taking these, research has shown that many of these disorders stem from "burnout." Knowing what is important in all areas of your life as well as your career allows you to have peace of mind and balance.

9. To break through what stops you from achieving your goals
We have beliefs that protect us. These same beliefs hold us back from our potential. Recognizing why they exist helps you overcome fear and failure to accomplish your goals.

10. To challenge you or raise your standards
While you will raise the bar, you will also get the encouragement, recognition, support that you deserve. This will help you achieve results much faster.

arte@aceconsultinggroup.net or visit the web

Copyright 2000-2004 CoachVille, LLC. May be distributed if full attribution is given and copyright notice is included.

"I'm so mad at myself!" she said as we began our coaching call.
"I made a goal to get ten new clients last week and I only got three," she lamented.

The frustration in her voice was something I used to experience as well - until I came to a profound realization:

Focusing on your results is dangerous.

Your results in selling or prospecting is a factor that you have very little control over and putting all your energy into results will deflate your confidence, exhaust your power, and kill your business.

I used to keep charts all over my office to fill in the names of the people who signed up for my business opportunity. Even after hours of prospecting or marketing efforts, I would feel defeated if I wasn't able to fill in all of those spaces at the end of the week. My definition of success was based on results alone.

I was placing all my focus and energy on something I had very little control over. Think about it; you really can't make your prospect love your opportunity. You can't make them buy your product. So why give so much power to an element that you cannot control? What you can do is show your prospect enough intriguing information, in a passionate way, on a consistent basis, that will help them make an educated decision. But the decision is out of your control.

You can decide how many people you will share your marketing plan with. You have control over the quantity of marketing attempts you will make. You have control over the number of no's you are willing to take without giving up.

Embracing the Law of Average (LOA) was my first step in getting past the frustration I felt in selling and recruiting. I knew if I shared my product with ten people, at least one would buy it. It was a fact that I could count on. The Law of Average (LOA) never lies.

Instead of focusing on your results, focus on your efforts. Decide how many new clients you want next month and multiply that number by 10. That's the amount of new prospects you need to share your product with.

Free yourself up from trying so hard to convince, persuade, and control your prospects. Let go of the results. Put your energy and power into your efforts and you will be an incredible force. Your prospect will sense your unique and confident posture and will want what you have.

Think of how powerful you will be when you release what you don't have control over and fervently grasp what you do!

What this really takes is a shift in your mindset. Evaluate the goals you've set and discern if they depend on your efforts or results. Instead of setting the goal of five new business associates, set the goal to put 50 new prospects in your pipeline. Instead of setting a goal of selling 100 widgets, set your goal to put your widget in front of 10,000 new prospects.

The incredible success I have had and my coaching clients have had since we shifted attention to efforts instead of results has been nothing short of amazing! And it will be the same for you.

Release the results and focus on your efforts. When you discipline your mind to focus on your efforts and teach yourself how to act and react in different situations, the results take care of themselves.

The only factor you have complete control over is your efforts and your efforts are all you need to get the incredible results you desire.

www.Rx-Success.com

© 2004 Lisa Jimenez

My experience as an internal coach in the pharmaceutical industry shows that the ability of managers to coach effectively is not what it should be, and those who have become internal coaches are prevented from realising their potential.

Why do I say this?

I became an internal coach after being a sales executive and manager. The people I worked with found difficulty in accepting what a coach was and how he could support them. Coaching was for people who "needed help". Managers certainly did not accept challenge from someone less senior. Coaches were there to do the senior managers' "bidding" and thus did not build trust with employees; they were perceived as part of management.

My biggest challenge was being pressurised to divulge information that a coachee had confided. I remember more than once incurring the wrath of my manager, when I refused to answer questions about a particular employee. I had always been brought up to respect authority and when your boss said, "Jump", you jumped! It was painful, but I stuck to my guns, and consequently, earning trust, I had some fantastic coaching sessions. As I became a more confident coach I became more comfortable challenging senior managers, and saw changes, which resulted in their becoming good coaches.

My advice to any internal corporate coach is to define your coaching role. Ensure your manager, your team, and employees you will be coaching, realise what coaching is, how a coach operates; what your expectations are (check theirs!) and how coaching can benefit them personally. Make sure you manage the "authority bit" and be brave in terms of challenging any inappropriate behaviour.

Also ensure that your own development continues. I was thrown into coaching at a time of extreme organisational change and miracles were expected overnight, "You're the coach - sort it out!" I was lucky that my own coach did not pull any punches with me. Some people avoided him because he really did challenge the wrong type of behaviour, but he was also supportive and I found that the more I worked with him, the more confident I became in my skills and myself. He really did change the way I looked at my life.

As costs mean you can have an external coach for only so long, I advise setting up supportive networks for yourselves. These may be internal -I was part of an invaluable Action Learning Set - or use external coaches. They are a great way of learning and will be there when you need support. Have your own personal development plan, and ensure you keep it. If you are preaching personal development, then you have to lead by example.

Internal coaches can be very powerful development resources for organisations. They must be strong, have character, and be able to deal with culture clashes, personalities and politics. They will have to work hard initially to contract their coaching role so everybody knows what a coach does, what a coach can do for them, and how a coach operates.

Be strong, be successful, and see yourself and your coachees grow!

allan@performance-am.com

© 2004 Allan Mackintosh

How often are you pulled away from what you truly want to focus on - improving financial results, innovating product development, fighting fires, resolving conflicts and improving customer satisfaction? Executives' energy today is pulled in many directions at once with more and more demands added daily, or so it seems.

No matter where you turn there is an article or some allusion to executive coaching and its many benefits. But, still you must ask yourself, do I really need coaching? How can a coach help my business anyway? Besides, do I have the time for it?

At a meeting I attended in London recently, I was surprised to hear the analogy made between accountants and coaches. "Everyone who can afford one needs one," stated the MD of the firm giving the presentation. This may be true, though in today's busy world who has the time and what is the return on investment?

The workplace is changing to a 24/7 culture with rising numbers of white-collar employees telecommuting. We continue to globalise, markets are changing, the political climate is in flux; long term planning has in many cases been replaced by near term planning.

Each trend demands new changes in the workplace, at worst to maintain the status quo, and at best, to achieve increased market share and profits. One person can no longer sit at the top of an organization with a full knowledge of what is happening inside the company and out, in order to plan effectively and make qualified, knowledgeable decisions. The amount of information available is staggering in itself. We need new skills of emotional intelligence, strategic planning and inspiring others to follow our clear vision of where we want to go.

These skills are a sure asset from a business perspective and yield significant results for executives, but who has time to take the training necessary? It is far more effective to work through issues with a coach as they arise, and develop a clear-cut plan of action that relates specifically to your needs.

Systems theory states that what is present on one level of a system can be found at all levels of the system. Some studies indicate that as few as 25% of all employees feel committed to their present companies; 40% feel stuck in their jobs; and as many as 80% feel stressed out. As an executive, where on that spectrum are you? If you could realign yourself and your organization, how much stress would you shed, how much happier would you feel? How much more productive might you and your staff be?

It is hard to predict what the outcome may be. However, more and more firms are employing executive coaches to provide the support that executive teams need to be more effective, and they are receiving high return on investment.

www.1-focus.org

© 2004 Sandy Weiner

If you use all these ideas you may find you come out with two visions. One would be a big vision of what you want for the world and one would be a vision of the work you want for yourself. Ideally they fit together. Finding a vision takes a lot of quiet time!

1. Set aside an hour or two of time alone in a quiet place.
Think about your ideal work / life. What does it look like?

2. Think about how you want to change the world.
Visions can be very big. You might have lots of ideas. Write them down.

3. If you own a business, think about your business in relation to the changes you want to see in the world. If you are in a career, or changing careers, think about the job you have or the one you want in relation to the changes in the world you want to make. Is there an alignment?
Example: The way I want to change the world is to make it a place where everyone gets to do the work in which he or she finds fulfilment. My coaching business is designed to help people get more meaning out of the work that they do.

4. What are your strengths, skills, talents and passions?
Think about how can you use them to do your part in changing the world? Can you use strengths, skills, talents and passions in your vision of your daily work?

5. What are your values?
How do you honour them in your work? How do you use them to do your part in changing the world?

6. Write out a vision for your ideal job that is exactly what you want.
It doesn't have to be a job you recognize. It might just be a list of tasks you'd like to be doing. Does this job incorporate your values, strengths, skills and talents?

7. Use all your senses in your visualization.
Draw a picture of your vision for your ideal job. Cut out pictures from magazines to make a collage. Sit quietly and picture yourself working at what you really want to be doing. What does it feel like? Smell like? What sounds do you hear? Is there a musical theme? You probably won't have an answer to all of these. The purpose here is to have your own signal so that you can call up your vision easily to give you added energy.

8. Know that this process is nonlinear. (I'd prefer a clear step-by-step path but I don't think there is one to get a clear vision.)
Try to think of the process as an experiment or puzzle. The pieces will eventually fit together and make sense. Trust that it will.

9. Carry a notebook with you and jot down ideas as they come up for you.
Your vision will eventually evolve.

10. Use your vision, even if it is incomplete, to inspire you.
If you are on the right track your intuition will tell you. How? You'll feel enthusiasm around it in a way that energizes you. That is what having a vision is all about!

asparker@asparker.com, or visited on the web asparker@asparker.com or visit the web

Copyright 2000-2004 CoachVille, LLC. May be distributed if full attribution is given and copyright notice is included.

Question 1: I've reached a plateau at work and desire a new challenge. People say I'd make a good coach and I think they're right but need to know about the credentials required and how this translates into making a living as a coach if I am to give up my job as a management consultant.

Answer 1: Who says you have to give up your job? Is that really what you want? What's stopping you from becoming a management consultant who uses coaching skills? Could this be your new challenge?

At the moment in the UK there is nothing to stop anyone from calling themselves a coach, with or without credentials. I'm not recommending this, by the way - if you want to be taken seriously as a professional coach then some decent training and experience is essential. But good coaches do crop up in all walks of life, whether they recognise it themselves or not. Developing these skills can be quite separate from deciding to start up a coaching business. In fact you may benefit a lot from hiring a good coach to help you sift through what other people want you to do and reach a clear path towards what you want for yourself.

If you could make a living as a coach, would you want to? Talk to as many coaches as you can about their experiences in training and building their businesses. You will find no shortage of organisations willing to train you for the right fee. However, the decision to embark on a particular training course is a very personal one and it's a good idea to investigate several before you choose. And if you do decide to become a coach - welcome to the profession. It's a fabulous journey.

Question 2: I'm a qualified coach and have being coaching for nearly 18 months. Despite working hard at marketing and networking I find that whilst people are interested in hiring a coach, they invariably don't because they are reluctant to invest in themselves which is making it hard for me to make a proper living at being a coach.

Answer 2: When I teach people about attracting publicity, I always start by explaining the importance of enjoying your marketing, because the simple fact is that regular sustained marketing is a cornerstone of any successful business. I hear that you are "working hard at marketing and networking" and I wonder if it's a question of working smarter rather than harder. Because coaching is a new profession, there will often be an element of education before someone decides to hire you. This can take time - deciding to hire a coach is not like noticing that you've run out of milk and need to pop to the shop to buy some more. When clients hire me they often say that they have been thinking about it for quite some time.

What systems do you have in place for keeping in regular contact with the people you're meeting? How will they know when the time is right for them to hire you? Do you repeatedly tell people about the benefits of working with you (as opposed to the process)? Remember that whilst people may show some interest in coaching, what they are really interested in is solving their particular problem or challenge. Coaching is simply the method that you could use to help them do this. Get your prospects talking about what their biggest problems are and you will find yourself having a very different conversation than you might have if you were simply focusing on coaching. Some sessions with a mentor coach who is as successful as you want to be could also help.

Hope this helps, very best wishes

These questions have been answered by Joanne Mallon.  If you have a question you'd like answered sent it to newsletter@the-eci.org and Joanne it will answer it next month.

www.joannemallon.com

© 2004 Joanne Mallon

Authentic - How to Make a Living by Being Yourself by Neil Crofts (ISBN 1-84112-519-9).

This is a book that recognises it can be uncomfortable to come clean and say "This is who I am, this is what I'm about and this is how I'm going to live my life from now on." It is not a coaching book but a journey. The author explores the steps to authenticity and gives examples from his own experience of leaving a successful corporate career to pursue his goal of an authentic life and business. The book shows that it is possible with 4 preparation steps and 8 action steps that will inspire change.

'Authentic' is also about doing business with a profound positive purpose. Imagine spending every waking hour doing what you love ...."

It seems quite appropriate for coaches!

Louise Barnes-Johnston provided this month's review.

If you have a book you would like to review or maybe you've written one, let us review it. newsletter@the-eci.org

As a coach, my area of specialism is one of career development, an exciting and varied field that allows me to make a real difference.

But what is career development? What does it mean for you and your clients? For many it will be about finding direction; for others it is about obtaining promotion; some people may wish to re-invent themselves while others will be striving to set up their own business. And for you, what is involved in your own career development? Is it filling your practice, setting it up in the first place or taking it to the next level?

For me, career development it is a continuous process that develops the individual's skills and experience towards achieving their goals. It will be based on the individual's needs and may also include those of the employer.

Throughout Europe, patterns of employment differ widely. In Italy 52% of all employed people have never had any other employment and 49% have been in their first job for 10 years. In the UK, 95% of those over 50 still in employment have neither changed their job or occupation, compared to 75% of 16-19 year olds. France and Germany are known for long periods of continuing employment whereas in the Netherlands and Spain, short spells of employment, often of less than a year are commonplace.

What does this mean for career development? If you remain in the same job, can you leave it to chance or is it just as important? Whose responsibility is it anyhow? In the UK, the emphasis is very much on individuals taking responsibility for their own development- if the company plays a role then this is a bonus. What is the trend in your country?

What are people looking for in their career? My experience tells me that for many it is fulfilment, satisfaction, involvement and the feeling that one is 'making a difference'.

At a time when stress costs the EU 20 billion euros a year in lost time and health bills, and is known as 2nd biggest occupational health problem, there is a real need for career development. The four key areas reported to cause stress are the growing pace of change, lack of control over jobs, lack of job security and the ever-increasing demand and pressure placed on workers. At present, many managers and employers know how damaging this is but have no idea how to cope. Could you develop a case for your expertise within the workplace to help give those managers the skills they need to help develop their staff? What could you offer in terms of coaching to help individuals manage change, deal with stress and take control of their job and future?

Of course career development is not only about problems or challenges but also about exciting opportunities, the most stimulating of which currently is the changing face of retirement.

As a coach you are ideally placed to make the most of these opportunities. So get planning and consider how you want to deal with these career development issues for your clients - don't just wait for them to ask!

heather@waringwell.com www.waringwell.com

© 2004 Heather Waring

Here is a summary of an interview, which appeared originally in Today's Coach. Drew Rozell shares with us his radical insight into successful coaching.

From being a kid, I have always been really interested in people. I studied psychology at college, and began a PhD in social psychology, but I knew there was "something else out there" I still had to find. That's when I came across Thomas Leonard. He stretched my thinking, and made me see life in a whole new way. He showed me how fast the world was changing, and how exciting it was to be on that edge. That's how I got into coaching, nearly nine years ago.

The most important thing for me in being a coach is being myself. You can only get so far trying to model other people. I used to ask myself, "What am I delivering for the client?" What you should ask is "What does this mean to me? What do I want out of it?" Once I figured out what I really wanted and made my life reflect that, everything became easy.

People are drawn to become coaches because it offers them a level of freedom they don't experience elsewhere. But once we begin operating as coaches, we do all the things that take away our own freedom. We do things we think we should do, or are a "good idea". And it's the "good ideas" that really hold us back.

"Good ideas" are strategic, not authentic. You follow them as a means to an end, not because they're something you cannot NOT do. When I started coaching, I did what I thought I was supposed to. And, although it worked, it wasn't easy, and I got to the point where I was thinking, "Why am I doing this?" I decided to do only what was fun for me. I was going to have a great life, so I did everything to have a great life.

When I started to focus on me, the right sort of folks started knocking on my door. I haven't had to look for a client in five years.

We all put out intentions of what we really desire. But at the same time, we're unconsciously putting out along with that positive intention a conflicting intention, which mutes the positive intentions you want to attract into your life. My job as a coach is to point out and eliminate those conflicting intentions. The biggest shift you need to make to master attraction is to stop relying on what you think, or the stories you tell yourself - which come from past conditioning. Using our brain for problem solving has become the default. We don't attend to what's happening below the neck. Start paying attention to what you feel. Your intellect doesn't always serve you efficiently, and people who are struggling are trying to use their intellect to solve a problem. If they just follow what they're drawn to, they'll end up in the perfect place.

A fundamental shift needs to take place in the way coaches' approach their coaching. They need to stop sitting on the edge of their chairs, trying so hard to do it right, and lie on their couches - like I literally do - and just be their natural selves. My job is to live my life as I want - centred on fun and freedom - and then rub off on people.

I started Attractionville, because I wanted to master attraction myself. But we all have barriers, which prevent us from allowing what we want to come to us. So I created this school where we could all share our experiences and resources. Lots of people are interested in attraction, and we want some sort of connection.

http://www.attractionville.com

http://www.evolutioncoaching.com

Have criteria
That's right; you need to have a plan! Without it you might find yourself being led by your insecurities and fears, rather than building on your experience, knowledge and skills.

What are the financial resources available to you?
Check if the course you want has an easy payment system so that you can pay smaller chunks regularly.

If it doesn't, ask if you can have a personal payment plan - monthly standing order payments could make a more attractive offer than losing your business.

Check if there is a sponsorship or bursary programme available.

Use an interest free credit card to pay your course fees. You will need to be disciplined in repaying the money but you will not owe loan interest. If you don't finish paying off the balance, simply transfer it to another credit card.

Go to your local library and get a copy of the charities directory, listing education charities. They might be able to offer you a small sum or loan. Some libraries have a computer programme called "Fundfinder" that searches for charities that will give you loans/grants for further education.

Also look at www.lifelonglearning.co.uk, which has a useful on-line booklet www.lifelonglearning.co.uk/moneytolearn/index.html.


Do you want accreditation?
The International Coach Federation www.coachfederation.org, The Association for Coaching www.associationforcoaching.com and the European Mentoring & Coaching Council www.emccouncil.org provide accreditation of courses and coaches both internationally and in the UK.

Whilst at present accreditation is not mandatory, as coaching moves towards professional status, completing an accredited course or being able to demonstrate practical experience equivalent to accredited training will matter.

Is your focus corporate, life or general coaching?
Pay careful consideration to your needs. Pick a course that matches where you are at the moment AND provides the platform for where you want to be in the future.

What personal development work have you already done and how might coach training compliment this?
Spend time reviewing your training to date. Check how it relates to coaching and what areas could be developed through coach training. You might be pleasantly surprised how much you have already learned.

Find out when you have informally coached people AND get their feedback
It's amazing how often family, friends and colleagues have experienced your coaching and yet no feedback is sought from them. Ask for it. The more specific the better. It will really help develop your confidence, highlight your strengths and show areas for further development.

What length of course do you want to do?
Each person is different. For some a one-day programme is enough, whilst for others 3 years of study is just right. Simply clarify how much time you want to spend studying and the flexibility of course completion dates.

What course and post- course support do you want?
Do you need back up from family, friends, a coach or mentor? Is there an active course network? How is feedback provided? Do you get help finding clients? Are there any marketing or continuous development opportunities?

What is your preferred learning style?
Find the type of coach training that suits you.

If it's not possible to work in your ideal medium, then look at how you can create informal networks that will support your learning- if you are doing an internet course and love meeting and learning with others, find out if there are local coaches you can talk to.

Is there a call to action?
Theory is important. There also needs to be a call to action AND a review of the results of the action. Make sure that your training focuses on both.

And here's a bonus tip!

Consult your instinct - and other people
Sample any course you are interested and get feedback from other people.

Most of all trust your gut instinct. If it feels right and meets most or all of your criteria then go for it.

You can pass on these tips to people who could benefit as long as your keep my details and copyright information in the document. In the meantime, enjoy choosing the course that's right for you.



© 2004 Amechi Udo

Record Keeping, Data Protection Act, Confidentiality
 
Presented by Barbara J. Dalpra, FECI
Life and Executive Coach, and founder of The Nyasa Partnership Limited.
Tuesday 9th November, 2004 7.00pm to 9.30pm
Central Park Hotel, Queensway, London W2 3NS
£12.50 for associate and accredited members. £17.50 for non-members


Networking for Business

And learn all about Network Bingo!
Thursday 9th December, 2004 7.00pm to 9.30pm
Central Park Hotel, Queensway, London W2 3NS
£12.50 for associate and accredited members. £17.50 for non-members

All workshops are from 7pm to 9.30pm (local time). To be included, email workshops@europeancoachinginstitute.org with your name, address, email address, and telephone number.

Further details for this programme can be found on our calendar.

Insurance Offering

As many of you know, until recently there has only been one specialist provider of liability insurance for coaches in the United Kingdom. As to now there is another provider. The ECI has been working with a company called Westminster Indemnity to provide an all encompassing indemnity and liability insurance scheme for Life Coaches, Executive Coaches, Corporate Coaches, Coach Trainers, and Trainers. The insurance policy offered with cover all coaches and trainers in the United Kingdom and in Ireland. For more details please see www.europeancoachinginstitute.org. We are still working with Westminster Indemnity to extend this cover to the rest of Europe in the future.