Ignite passion!

I. Care. For. Three simple words that can reflect so much. In late 2010, then ICF President Giovanna D’Alessio, MCC, shared her idea of the “I Care For” campaign with the ICF membership. Drawing from the association’s branding work at the time, ICF members from across the world shared that “they see themselves not only as part of the ICF community, but also part of something much greater.”

Everyone on this planet—coach and client, has something that ignites passion. Be it a favorite charity, a local cause or effort, or some other service to humanity, everyone has something that can spark emotion—and ultimately, action.

The best part about “I Care For” is that each of our individuality shines through. What I care about may or may not be what the next person over cares about. But if we all do our part, we are all helping in our own way. And it subsequently makes the world a better place. [Remember, no act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. (Aesop)]

So, what is it for you? What ignites passion in your life and how are you feeding it? Share it below in the comments, write on our Facebook wall, tweet us or shoot us an email at icfpr@coachfederation.org.  

Save a life today

Today you can help end malaria. Half of the world’s population is at risk of malaria, but people in Africa are especially prone to the disease. There, one in every five childhood deaths is due to the effects of malaria. The hard facts? Every 30 seconds a child dies from malaria.

End Malaria book cover

But you have the power to save a life! Today marks the release of End Malaria: Bold Innovation, Limitless Generosity and the Opportunity to Save a Life. 80 percent of the book’s cover price will be donated to Malaria No More, an international charity whose goal is to end malaria in Africa by 2015.

In essence, $20 USD of every book sold will allow Malaria No More to send a mosquito net to a family in need. The use of mosquito nets is a proven method of protection against malaria—especially for young children and pregnant women in high transmission areas. This book will save lives. Literally.

The editor, Michael Bungay Stanier, partnered with 62 thought leaders including Dan Pink, Tom Peters, Nancy Daurte, Brené Brown, David Allen and Sir Ken Robinson to produce End Malaria. The book contains their visions of leadership and what it means to do “great work.” Broken into three sections (Create Freedom, Disrupt Normal and Take Small Steps), the book is full of wisdom on how readers can do more of the work that makes a difference in their lives and in the lives of others.

As a citizen of the world, do your part today. This is such a simple way to lend a hand.

Learn more
Essay excerpts from the book
Buy the book

I Care For…tell the world during International Coaching Week!

As a coach, we know that one of the things you care for is the coaching profession-at-large. And in just a few weeks, you can share it with your community.

Founded in the late 1990s as a way for coaches—regardless of geographic location—to celebrate the coaching profession, International Coaching Week (ICW) is a weeklong opportunity for you to share what you care for with the world! Traditionally, it is held annually the first full week of February and is celebrated by coaches and clients alike.

Through the years, people have celebrated ICW is numerous fashions…from offering pro bono coaching services to planning and executing multi-day conferences. Regardless of how it is celebrated, its main objective is to educate the public about the value of working with a coach and all that can be accomplished through a coaching partnership.

That said…how do you plan to celebrate ICW 2011? The possibilities are endless—your imagination is really your only barrier. Still stuck? Run through these questions to find something that works the best for you:

• What kind of availability do you have during ICW? This will determine what kind of project you can take on.
• Will you be working alone or will you have a team? ICW is a great way to involve your entire chapter or colleagues who live in your community.
• What kind of message do you want to share? The kind of message you share will determine how you go about sharing it. A few message examples: “Coaching works! Here’s why…” or “Coaching is…” or “Coaching is not…”
• What is the most beneficial way you can share coaching with those in your community? Think through different options you may have…if you have the opportunity to rent out a local café, perhaps hosting a speed coaching event would suit you well. Or if you are working alone, maybe you can offer pro bono coaching hours to people in your community. Or maybe you can offer special rates to those who sign a coaching contract with you during ICW.
• How will you market your event? The size and scale of your event will truly determine the kind of marketing you need to take on. The only key in marketing and event is to not wait until the last minute! Start planning now to give yourself plenty of time.

Learn more about ICW at Coachfederation.org/coachingweek.

Don’t forget, if you want to be eligible to win one of several great prizes, there is still time to share what you care for! Submit your video or written message here by 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2010 and your name will be included in the drawing. Learn more.

What do YOU care for?

What do you care for? It’s a pretty broad question...one that can generate a wide variety of responses and make people feel a number of emotions.

And it can be answered on many levels—you may care for orphans in another part of the world, for your community or country, for your family, for your health and for your ICF membership but you may not care for them all at the same intensity.

So…what is it that you care for? There is no right or wrong way to respond to this question.

Since the end of October, when the I Care For campaign was officially launched, responses to this question have been pouring in—and they are truly as varied as our 17,000+ members.

We’ve learned that Jaki in Kenya cares for “the academic and personal advancement of children from disadvantaged backgrounds” (learn more about Jaki’s story in the January 2011 Coaching World); José in Portugal cares for “a world where being is the matrix of doing and having;” and Bonnie from Canada cares for “creating a world of authenticity, purpose and belief in possibilities by connecting people to their core values and purpose in life.”

Haven’t shared what you care for yet? Do so by 11:59 p.m. on December 31, 2010 and your name will be entered into the I Care For contest. Prizes are awarded in two categories, depending on how you submit your message. (No worries to those who have already shared what they care for—you will be included in these drawings as well!)

Those who share their message through a video will be entered into the drawing for a $250 USD VISA gift card. And those who submit their message via e-mail/Twitter/Facebook/LinkedIn/other written form will be entered into the drawing for one of two Kodak Play Sport video cameras. I can’t think of a better way to kick off the New Year than with one of these prizes!

And entering is so easy…you simply need to share what you care for! Instructions for submitting your message can be found here.

We Care For…Your Continuing Education

Since late October, coaches have been sharing what it is that they care for…and the answers are as varied as our 17,000+ members! For instance, Tuncel in Turkey cares for “creating better politicians and citizens on this planet by creating more enlightenment and awareness” and Aurora in the USA cares for “supporting coaches as they help their clients through grief.”

Have you shared your story yet? Tell us what you care for at ICFICarefor.org. You can also join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook.

Here at the ICF, one of the things we care about is the continuing education of coaching professionals.

To assist in the ongoing development of coaching professionals worldwide, the ICF offers several educational opportunities including Virtual Education sessions, the ICF Annual International Conference and the world-renowned ICF Credentialing program for both members and non-members alike.

If you are looking for a regular opportunity to meet new people, learn new techniques and ideas, and earn Continuing Coaching Education Units (or CCEUs)—to be used toward applying for or renewing an ICF Credential—look no further than ICF Virtual Education (VE).

VE sessions offer coaches personal and practice development through presentations by guest speakers. Several sessions are offered each month and are free to ICF members. Topics range from Coaching Abrasive Leaders to Personal Branding for Coaches and everything in-between. Learn more about ICF Virtual Education here.

Through 2010, the Virtual Education program was expanded—offering more than 45 presentations in five languages across numerous time zones. This has allowed even more people to get involved! In fact…2,156 participants have taken part in VE sessions to date in 2010 (compared to 1,823 total participants in 2009—also in 2009, there were only 31 total VE sessions compared to this year’s 47).

Have you attended an ICF VE session this year? Was it beneficial? What topics or speakers would you like to see through the ICF Virtual Education program?

I Care For…unleashed at the 2010 International Conference!

Did you make it to conference this year? What an amazing event! More than 1,000 international coaching professionals were on-site in Fort Worth, Texas, USA for several days of networking, education and all-around growth.

The entire conference was infused with elements of our 15th anniversary celebration—we saluted our past and our beginnings, and were able to collectively look toward our future.

As such, it made sense that the ICF launched the I Care For campaign at conference…the first visible element in our ongoing brand evolution. Attendees had several opportunities to share what it is that we are passionate about…what we care for.

For some, their cares revolved around various ICF strategic priorities, including the growth and development of ICF Chapters and members. And for others, their cares and passions spread beyond the boundaries of the ICF community and into the rest of the world…from orphans in Uganda to coaching teachers in Nepal, there are so many stories that need to be heard! We encourage you to share what you care for (and why) at ICFICareFor.org.

One of the things we care for here at the ICF is coaching research…without it, we would be walking blindly without any facts or figures to back up why (and how) coaching works.

The ICF stands at the forefront of coaching industry research…our most recent research initiative, the ICF Global Consumer Awareness Study, asked some 15,000 people, aged 25 and older, in 20 countries to provide feedback in terms of their knowledge and experience around professional coaching. And you will be amazed at what this study found…

For instance, half (51 percent) of all respondents were generally aware (either somewhat or very aware) of coaching. Isn’t that great? Learn more and check out other findings from this study here: http://coachfederation.org/works/.

The intention of the I Care For campaign was not to end with the close of the Fort Worth conference, but to expand and include every ICF member and professional coach out there. We all deserve the opportunity to be heard. And through this, we really can create an IMPACT on the world!

So what is it that you care for? Share it with us at ICFICareFor.org.

What do you care for?

What is your coaching helping? ICF members have shared that they see themselves not only as part of the ICF community, but also part of something much greater.

Coaches have a desire to support their personal practice and clients, the ICF both locally and on a global level and to make a larger impact in the world. As a community, ICF members can amplify the impact we have on each other and society.

At the ICF Annual International Conference in Fort Worth, Texas, USA the I Care For campaign was launched this week. I Care For offers every ICF member the chance to share with the membership and the world at-large what they care for and why.

What are some members saying?

Giovanna D'Alessio, MCC (Italy)
I care for transforming the culture of our society. Because if we don't move quickly to a culture of self-
responsibility, wholeness, unity, respect, fairness, we just won't have any society to pass on to our future
generations.

Tom Hatton, MCC (Ireland)
I care for relationship. As everybody and everything is in constant relationship. As human beings we define ourselves the way we are in relationship.

Share what you care for by participating in ICF’s I Care For campaign. There are several ways to show what you care for, including responding on this blog, tweeting on Twitter (just use #icfcare) or submitting your YouTube clip. Visit ICFICareFor.org for information on more ways to share!