Unleash the Power of Diversity: A practical toolkit leveraging culture, style, gender, and generational factors

Below is part of an occasional blog series highlighting the Catalysts and sessions of ICF Global 2012.

A key question for our clients is:

Does being different work FOR you or AGAINST you?
Want to add a practical diversity toolkit to your already extensive techniques?
Explore four aspects of diversity: culture, style, gender, and generations.

What do you do when:

• You are coaching people from a different culture and meet a frustrating ‘brick wall?’
• Your client is a ‘flaming extravert’ leading a team of introverts?
• Your client, a successful female executive, has been told that she is ‘too tough?’
• A new leader is struggling to motivate a brilliant young ‘millennial’ in his group?

Let’s “Peel the Onion Dome©” together…

The objective is to help you become a more effective diversity coach.

1. Learn a practical diversity model: the Diversity Foray©
2. Use the self-assessment tool to discover YOUR ‘brand’ or presence and uncover hidden biases
3. Combine the model with Emotional Intelligence tips to make diversity coaching easier
4. Have some fun!

What is a Diversity Foray© you might ask? A journey of discovery and exploration, venturing into new diversity areas.

Leveraging diversity for increased business results has been a passion of mine for decades. This effectiveness model focuses on simple strategies such as Ask, don’t assume, Appreciate, Adjust…with examples of successful (and unsuccessful) diversity coaching.

Interactive small group exercises, with real life “what do I do now?” diversity situations, examine all four aspects (culture, style, gender, generations).

Interested?

Plan to attend:

Unleash the Power of Diversity: A practical toolkit leveraging culture, style, gender, and generational factors

Learn the techniques.
Connect the dots.
Inspire your clients.

See you in London,

Debjani

Debjani Biswas, PCC, is a Catalyst at ICF Global 2012, October 3-6 in London, UK, where she will be presenting “Unleash the Power of Diversity: A practical toolkit leveraging culture, style, gender, and generational factors." Register today!

But We're Not Ready for ROI!...Can't You Make it Easier to Measure Success!?

In my ROI of Coaching consulting practice, I hear this a lot and of course we can make it easier! In fact, we have worked with several organizations and individuals who are not yet ready for ROI, but still wanted to measure the success of their coaching work or program... and you can do the same!

Reaction data can be valuable
Not long ago, I conducted an evaluation of a coaching and leadership development program for a global organization and discovered just how valuable reaction data can be. Judging by the positive word-of-mouth buzz about the program prior to data collection, everyone assumed the program was a great success. Participants enthusiastically talked about the program to their peers. Managers of the participants talked about the improvements they saw in their direct reports.  The learning and development manager and coaches talked about the great learning and insights they saw in participants. And, when the reaction data was finally revealed, most of the data confirmed what had been heard: 100 percent of participants agreed that the program was effective, they reported it was a good use of time, relevant to their job, a value-add in terms of time and funds invested, and they reported that they would recommend it to others. Still..., most of the participants reported that the program had not been important to their success in their jobs by the conclusion of the program. 

Where do we go from here?
At first, this would appear to be disappointing news-- especially since this item is likely to be the most important reaction/satisfaction measure. But, the organization viewed evaluation as a way to improve the program for the long-term, and with that in mind, we reviewed all of the data with the participants and we were able to capture their thoughts about why the program did not contribute to their success in their jobs. What we discovered was that they believed the program was great, but that the content of the program was not linked tightly enough to the most important things they needed in their jobs to be successful. As a result of what we learned, we recommended a change in the approach to the program for the following year to create greater alignment between the content of the program and the participant's needs.

What did we learn?
This story illustrates that reaction data, though easy to capture, is still valuable and that capturing data provides more valuable and useful insight than word-of-mouth buzz. Most importantly, results that are not positive can be used to improve the program.

Want to learn more? Click Here for an Audio Recording about capturing reaction/satisfaction data and learning measures as featured in the article "How to Start Reporting ROI" by Lisa Ann Edwards in the May 2012 issue of Coaching World (pp. 5-7).


Lisa Ann Edwards, M.S., ACC, is a partner of Bloom Coaching Institute, an organization that advances coaching effectiveness through research, tools, training and consultation on ROI of Coaching. Lisa's coaching work has demonstrated as much as a 251% return-on-investment and has been shown to lift employee engagement nearly 20%. As head of Talent Management for Corbis, a Bill Gates' privately owned global media company, Lisa was responsible for designing and implementing effective talent development solutions including leadership development and coaching programs. Lisa is a frequent contributing author to trade publications and has authored or contributed to many books including: Measuring the Success of Coaching: A Step-by-Step Guide to Measuring Impact and Calculating ROI (ASTD Press, 2012). Contact Lisa at: Lisa@BloomCoachingInstitute.com.

Come to learn something, come to meet people, come for fun!

ICF Global 2012 is just around the corner! If planning to join your peers in London, maximize your savings by registering before the early bird rate closes on August 31.

Recently named “the best place to visit on the planet,” London will play host to ICF attendees from 43+ countries and set the scene for 3.5 days of connection with colleagues and ideas; learning the latest in coaching techniques, trends, and theories that can be applied immediately to your coaching skillset; and inspiration from a community of like-minded peers. You will not want to miss this face-to-face opportunity!

Register today.

What are you hiding? Reading facial emotions, a guide for coaching and therapy

Below is part of an occasional blog series highlighting the Catalysts and sessions of ICF Global 2012.

Emotions leave micro expressions for a fraction of a second on the faces of everyone-coaches and clients alike. The more we learn about our own micro expressions, the more we can learn about our clients and how best to work with them. Micro expressions are a great way to direct coaching in that they can show, when understood properly, the unadulterated and underlying theme of the coaching session. Basic emotions are the same the world over, irrespective of culture, so this is a great way to connect participants from different countries and coach people from different backgrounds.

Come along and experience the search for your own and others' micro expressions through practical activities and video images, and learn about what they show and what they point to emotionally. As a coach, you will expand your understanding of, and ability to perceive emotions. By learning how the coaching process can utilize micro expressions, you will be able to help clients increase their self-awareness and increase yours also.

Be inspired through action and experience. See, feel, and understand more about micro expressions in this exciting and unique workshop. Important note: If you attend this workshop, please bring a hand mirror.

Henning Olesen is a Catalyst at ICF Global 2012, October 3-6 in London, UK, where he will be presenting “What are you hiding? Reading facial emotions, a guide for coaching and therapy." Register today!

An MCC’s Insight: Coaching life and how to choose the right accreditation

This post first appeared on the official Blue Mesa Group blog. Download "Get Credentialed" infographic.


The world of executive coaching is rife with titles and designations and acronyms. Simply finding the nuance between different classifications of coach can be bewildering, let alone choosing the one that’s best for you.
Fortunately, we have some people who have walked that path before you and are willing to share their accrued knowledge.

Blue Mesa Group’s CEO and Co-founder Micki McMillan opens up about her experience and coaching credentials so those interested in continuing their training understand what it takes.

What type of coaching do you do?
At Blue Mesa Group, we focus in executive and leadership transformational coaching. My clients typically lead teams, and are looking for new ways to be leaders. Transformational Coaching challenges the thinking, invites reflection, and co-creates options or choices for how to be now and in the future.

How long have you been a coach?
I’ve been coaching since 1995, after having left an executive leadership role at a gas and electric utility. That utility had hired a coach for me. That person became my confidante, supporter, and ‘reality checker’. Without his expertise, I would have been sunk.

What type of credentials do you have?
I am a Master Certified Coach, and have had that designation since 2000. Prior to that, I had my Professional Certified Coach designation, which I earned in the late 90’s.

What are the benefits to earning a MCC compared to the other titles offered through the ICF?
ICF requires the Program Directors of their accredited coach training programs to be an MCC. This is very important to Blue Mesa Group, since teaching other coaches is one of our core businesses. So my MCC allows us to have an accredited program – of which there are fewer than 100 in the world.

How difficult is it to run a coaching business while being a coach?
It takes a particular skill, personality, and willingness to run a business and be a coach. It takes a tolerance for risk, a willingness to invest time and money into the business. It requires business acumen, tolerance for varied cash flow, and understanding of how and when to grow.

For me, it is exciting, but it has had its share of ‘pucker moments’ for my business partner and me. We started this business at the height of the financial crisis in 2008. I remember that we looked at each other and said this is either a really stupid idea or a great idea, but what the heck – let’s go!!! Since then we have had double and triple digit growth. And we’ve worked a ton of hours, and literally put blood sweat and tears into Blue Mesa Group.

The rewards have been sweet, as we have earned the reputation of being a coaching and consulting firm that has high standards, great coaches, and high client satisfaction.

What are your most enjoyable coaching moments?
When the client gets his/her own insights and ‘aha’s!’ that enable them to create new realities that are both generative and practical. It is beautifully rewarding to facilitate powerful lessons that clients gain through the coaching process. One of my teachers called coaching ‘divine conversation’. I agree with him – it is a blend of practical questions coupled with those out of the box thinking kinds of questions that provoke new insights, coherences, and possibilities that make it most gratifying.

What has been the most difficult aspects of coaching?
Coaches must be the qualities we profess –for example, to be self-aware, continuously learning and growing, and push the edges of our own development. I wouldn’t say this is difficult, but I pride myself in being a high achiever, and I sometimes lack down time to just play, relax, and shift my own coherence.

What advice do you have for people who are looking to earn a ACC, PCC, or MCC through ICF?
Study, practice, and ask for help, then study and practice more. There is an exponential difference between the skills of a PCC and an MCC. It is difficult to elevate to the level of MCC without mentoring from an MCC assessor who is experienced at evaluating the demonstrated skills. If one wants to achieve MCC, she or he should record their coaching sessions, and ask the MCC assessor to critique it and offer specific feedback about the strengths and shortcomings of the recording.

Next, be clear as to why you want to have a credential. Do you want to continually learn? Do you want to teach? Do you want to belong to ICF? Is coaching going to be your primary career focus, or will you be consulting as well? If an ACC is enough to give you the credentials you need, then great. If not, then pursue either the PCC or MCC level of credential.

Once you know why, then you can identify how you will earn your credential. What schools align with your values? How much can you invest in terms of time and money? What kind of coach do you want to be? There are several categories such as coaches for career, executive, life, etc.

As with most things in life, self-knowledge is the key. Once you know what you want to do and who you want to be, it becomes much easier to sort through all the options and choose the one right one for you.

Download "Get Credentialed" infographic.