"I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp in-focus picture of it in my head."

Jack Nicklaus


"Cherish your visions and your dreams. They are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements."

Napoleon Hill

• The ECI up-date
• Top Tips
• TV Opportunity
• Self Confidence
• Your questions answered
• A day in the life of an ECI Volunteer
• On a Mission
• Book review

 

This Month's Newsletter is all about remembering ourselves.

Having coached a number of Coaches over the last month it struck me that most of us are suffering from a classic case of "Doctor heal thyself". You know what I mean - how many Doctors & Nurses smoke? How many of them eat poorly and don't take exercise? Yet they tell us to stop smoking, eat healthily and get some exercise.

If we ask questions of Coaches in the same vein - How many Coaches have Confidence issues? How many of us feel that we have no control or that we are not "enough". We help people to be proactive, take positive action and get results yet WE still don't have work/life balance (usually not enough work = not enough money!).

Remember that it's OK to spend time and money on personal development - to use whatever tools, techniques, hints, tips and advice that you come across to improve your situation. Why not take positive action towards where you want to be in the same way in which you would coach one of your clients to?

Invest in yourself it's the smartest investment you'll ever make.

Martin Mitchell
ECI International Head Marketing, PR & Sales

Send your questions, quotes, case studies, articles, tips, feedback and queries, acronym's etc to:

newsletters@the-eci.org

The European Award for Coaching Excellence

The ECI runs the first award scheme created to reward and recognise Companies who have implemented a coaching culture.

The awards are open to all Companies across Europe who have made a difference in their employee's working environment, 'People Relations' or have actively improved people's lives.

The ECI have been developing this programme with some of Europe's largest 'players' and now seeks four more Companies to pilot the scheme.

Gerard O' Donovan, CEO of The ECI says "After 12 months of hard work and unstinting research, we are ready to form 4 more strategic alliances with Companies that want to work with us to implement this scheme. We are looking for a 3 month commitment from these Partners during which we will finalise the recognition of their Coaching Culture."

All of those interested in the Awards scheme should contact Martin Mitchell, Head of Marketing, PR and Sales marketing@the-eci.org

The ECI is in correspondence with Government Departments, both in the UK and Brussels, and as a result an International Register of Coaches has been created which will list EVERY Coach that applies, no matter their affiliation or training.

Even though the ECI are taking on this onerous task on behalf of the Industry, all Coaches will be welcome to apply whether they have trained with an accredited company or have membership of Federations, Associations and Institutes or not. All Coaches can be listed without prohibitive rulings and without prejudice.

Gerard O'Donovan, CEO of The ECI, says: "This is the chance for EVERY Coach to come forward and say 'Here I am, this is me, this is what I do.' This is the chance for all Coaches to be transparent and make the whole process easier for Clients. The Register is not just about the ECI - this is about improving access to Coaching for all by all."

When someone uses the Register to find a Coach it will list all of the Coaches that meet each individual's requirements and show some basic information that will help them to decide which Coaches to approach. It is always best for people to contact their prospective Coach and interact, this way they can decide whether this is the person for them and they can ascertain that this is the right Coach that will challenge them to get results.

Gerard goes on to say: "We would like to see everyone that calls themselves a Coach listed on this Register so that we can make the whole process easier for everyone to use. Ease of use is the primary goal for the Register and I am delighted that there is now a way for everybody looking for a Coach to see exactly what they can get!"

To apply for listing on the Register of Coaches and for further information about The European Coaching Institute or any of the subjects raised in this release please contact Martin Mitchell, International Head of Marketing, PR & Sales - marketing@the-eci.org

• 12th April 2005 London - Optimise your Website
  
• Benefits of Accreditation
  
• Turn maybe into paying clients
  
• Personal Dynamics
  
• Visioning
  
• Giving & Attracting Referrals
  
• 2 Niche or not 2 Niche
  
• Legal Admin. Requirements
  
• December 2005 - ECI Festive Celebrations!
  
  Further details for our workshop programme can be found on our calendar.
  

Accredited Training Courses and Workshops

• CTECI - Full Coach Training Programme
  • Life & Executive Practitioner Coach Diploma (DipNMC)
    Noble Manhattan Coaching
    info@noble-manhattan.com
    .
  • The LCH Diploma in Life Coaching
    Achievement Specialists
    enquiries@achievementspecialists.co.uk
    .
  • Diploma in Life & Business Coaching
    Mindstream
    info@mindstream.ie
• SCECI - Short Courses
  • Quantum Goal Achievement
    Noble Manhattan Coaching
    info@noble-manhattan.com
    .
  • The Body Transformation Programme
    Scintilla
    .
  • Coaching Human Potential and Peak Performance
    Scintilla
    .
  • Coaching Futures! Innovation and Strategic Creativity
    Scintilla
• WSECI - Workshops
  • Results Coaching
    Noble Manhattan Coaching
    info@noble-manhattan.com

Further details can be found on www.europeancoachinginstitute.org/coach_training/.

Glenn Perkinsglenn@a8life.com  www.a8life.com
© 2005 Glenn Perkins

Title: Lend Me Your Ears Author: Professor Max Atkinson Publisher: Ebury Press Vermilion ISBN: 0091894794 Price: £9.99 Reviewer: Anne Teggart

This book was written by the same man who trained former Liberal Democrat Leader, Paddy Ashdown, in the art of public speaking. How do I know? Well, he mentions it at the front of his book. He has also included favourable references to himself from Michael Sheehan, a former speech coach to Bill Clinton. So, if he is looked to by someone so close to the most powerful person in the world, then surely what he says must be true. right?

At first glance this book looks to be visually pleasing on the eye. The layout suggests that it would be quite easy to scan the book to find the particular subject area you are interested in. And indeed it is. Split into five parts, the book looks at the various areas to consider when giving business presentations or having to speak in public. The first part looks at the language of public speaking - how to keep your audience engaged and probably most importantly, awake! It then goes on to look at using visual aids, the power of words (and how you can convey a message but with a greater impact), and lastly but not least of all, the use of body language.

This book works on many levels. It can be used for those who are new to giving presentations as well as the more seasoned presenter who wants to make a bigger impact and polish up on their presenting skills. For that reason, it can be used for those trying to get their message across in the office or in the political arena.

If anxiety gets the better of you before your big moment forget all the myths you have heard about communication. Just remember a few of these truths:

• Speaking is physically stressful that can cause a rise in blood pressure.
  .
• Physical tension directly affects the parts of the body that affect the voice.
  .
• Breathing is the best thing for good delivery - remember deep breaths beforehand.
  .
• Most people speak too fast - if what you are saying sounds to you to be too slow, and if the pauses sound too long, you've probably got the right pace.
  .
• And most importantly, don't drink alcohol before or during your speech! You may think it will steady your nerves but at best you won't have a clear head and at worst, if you have too much, you will slur your words and be incoherent.

Now all of this you may think is pretty obvious, but I find it to be very useful to have such good advice to hand to alleviate any fears you may have. As the author himself says, "Like any other activity involving knowledge and technique, effectiveness depends on practice, and the more you practice, the better you get."

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