Coaching international style : starting a coaching practice while living abroad

Coach training programs have become truly international. I am currently completing a program at CoachU and I am impressed by the number of coaches who are training at locations around the world. In any given class more than half of the students may be in a location outside of the United States. Many of these people, like myself, are expatriates living and working abroad.

I am an American living and working in Copenhagen, Denmark. Before Denmark, I lived in Hamburg, Germany. I have been living and working abroad for about two years. I felt drawn to the field of coaching and decided to do my coach training program while abroad. The coaching field is witnessing a growth of expat coaches – people who live outside of their country of origin due to work or family and who are coaches.

In living abroad and starting my journey to creating a viable coaching practice, I wanted to share some ideas and tips I picked up along the way:

1. Coaching is perceived differently in different countries. Some countries have a very advanced understanding of coaching while others have a very basic understanding - or no knowledge at all. When creating a coaching practice abroad, it’s important to evaluate whether the local culture is receptive and knowledgeable about coaching. If your country is new to coaching, creating a business will require extra effort and extra client education about the benefits of coaching.
2. Don’t focus on coaching expats. Usually expat coaches focus their ‘niche’ on coaching local expats. The problem with this is that the field is usually pretty saturated with coaches in your new country who got the same idea. Unless you have years of expat life and coaching experience, it’s often hard to establish credibility and compete with other coaches doing something similar in your local area.
3. Learn about starting a business in your new country – in some countries it’s prohibitively difficult to start a business. Or creating a business may adversely affect your family’s tax situation. Find out the rules and regulations of creating a business and paying taxes. You may discover that you need to structure your coaching practice a certain way for maximum tax and financial benefit.

Starting a coaching practice is never easy and the added pressures of living abroad can make it seem impossible. However, I meet successful coaches abroad every day. If you are determined to start a coaching practice don’t let living and working abroad be a deterrent.

For international coaches or expats who are coaching abroad, do you have any suggestions you can share with the coaching community?

Robin Patin

Robin Patin is an American living in Copenhagen, Denmark. Before embarking on her international adventure she lived and worked in San Francisco as a Managing Consultant for a healthcare organization for five years. Robin had a passion for all things international, so in March 2010 she took two suitcases and a one way ticket and moved to Hamburg, Germany to teach English abroad.

She has a Bachelor degree in Finance and Psychology from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Master degree in Health from New York University. Robin is completing her coach training through CoachU and has a TESOL (Teacher of English to Speakers of Other Languages) certification.

She writes a blog for those folks who want to sell everything and go abroad called ‘The Choosy Beggar.’ http://thechoosybeggar.wordpress.com/.

Debts, hope and a new era

“Looking back, you can usually find the moment of the birth of a new era, whereas, when it happened, it was one day hooked on to the tail of another.”

John Steinbeck wrote this in 1954 in his short novel Sweet Thursday. As Steve Jobs apparently said “You can only join the dots looking backwards” Or in the words of the great philosopher Jon Bon Jovi “In my rear view mirror, my life is getting clearer.”

Well, it seems pretty clear to me that we are at the birth of a new era. The world is waking up and changing. Social, financial and environmental issues are front and centre. It’s pretty clear we are all in it together. And that no-one knows the outcome. But knowing that the dots will join up looking backwards has been a great reassurance to me. So far, it has been true that whilst there have been many fearful, dark and unpleasant periods, somehow it has all worked out, and with sufficient distance it all makes sense.

So, whatever is happening now I believe will work out. But who knows? Time will tell. Views from economists, politicians and bar room philosophers abound. Generally, the consensus is that it will be messy. The shift from dependence, to independence (held glorious and the ultimate destination by many in the West), to interdependence, has been written about for millennia and looks likely to me. But what’s at the heart of this change and flux – driving it forwards as the source of the problem and the source of the answer? Something deeper. Something human. Joining Steinbeck again in 1954 in the same chapter:

“Where does discontent start? You are warm enough, but you shiver. You are fed, yet hunger gnaws you. You have been loved, but your yearning wanders in new fields. And to prod all these there’s time, the bas***d Time. The end of life is now not so terribly far away – you can see it the way you see the finish line when you come into the stretch – and your mind says, “Have I worked enough? Have I eaten enough?” All of these, of course, are the foundation of man’s greatest curse, and perhaps his greatest glory. “What has my life meant so far, and what can it mean in the time left to me?” And we are coming to the wicked, poisoned dart: “What have I contributed in the Great Ledger? What am I worth?” And this isn’t vanity or ambition. Men seem to be born with a debt they can never pay, no matter how hard they try. It piles up ahead of them. Man owes something to man. If he ignores the debt it poisons him, and if he tries to make payments the debt only increases, and the quality of the gift is the measure of the man.”

There are some great coaching questions in here. And brilliant insights. We overwork. We over-consume. And still we are not happy - it gnaws us. And there are countries now and a generation being born with financial debts they will never pay. But John of course was writing of the social and the spiritual. Our sense of meaning, purpose, connection, giving. I have heard many coaches driven and inspired by seeking answers to these questions, and the development it draws forth, for themselves and the people they work with – and a great sense of wanting to give back.

In this, International Coaching Week, we are called to go out into the world to do just that. Perhaps we can walk into the messiness, knowing somehow it will all work out. That we can provide a sacred space for people to address their fundamental questions, to let go of things held essential throughout lives and by the passing culture. To find answers that truly work and bring joy, fulfilment and a bright future. Them and us. Together. Learning and growing. Because we want to give. And so we receive. We build the debt of love and kindness between us, each owing in equal measure, that brings us consciously to interdependence and the receiving that brings. Because it is only with and through others - with us, around us, before us and yet to be born - that our lives truly make sense.

Neil Scotton, PCC

Neil Scotton, PCC  
Co-Founder   The One Leadership Project

M: +44 (0) 7834 766 408   T: +44 (0) 1737 243 589
Skype: neil.scotton1   Tw: OneLeadership   www.enablingcatalysts.com



Celebrate!

Last November, when I had the honor of being asked to be one of the guest writers for International Coaching Week on this blog, I got really, really excited, unable to foresee the challenging situation I would find myself in when the time to write this piece came.

You see, for me, International Coaching Week is all about celebration. We celebrate our profession and its value through all kind of activities like workshops, presentations, and pro-bono sessions, educating the general public and giving back to community at the same time.

Yet, in the week when I needed to be in this festive mood the most, my mother was admitted to the hospital in a critical condition.

At the same time the situation in my country was seriously challenging my optimism.

With the deadline for the blog post approaching, I found myself in the corridors of the public hospital with my laptop on my knees, dealing with feelings of fear at the possibility of losing my mother and of despair and uncertainty about the future of my country.

How could I write this article? It just seemed impossible to shift into the mood required. Or was it?

Part of our job as a coach is to challenge our clients to reframe situations, to shift perspectives and find something positive even in the most challenging circumstances. Part of my life has been to challenge myself and overcome what seems impossible.

So here it is - I am challenging myself to be in a festive mood and find the best reasons to celebrate:

• We are members of a community (ICF) in the service of helping humanity flourishing.
• We are 20,159 strong and we are growing! The 20,000th member registered on February 1.
• We have the privilege to be in a profession that focuses on values. We help our clients reconnect with their values and drive a meaningful life.
• We are change agents; we facilitate positive transformation.
• We are witnesses of this positive transformation, we watch our clients flourish and we grow together with them.
• We are in a profession of shifting perspectives!

On a more personal level, I celebrate my commitment to a profession which I love, to a profession that I feel passionate about and is in the service of what I care about most: people.

Yes, there is always something to feel good about, to feel proud of and grateful for. Something to keep us motivated and inspired; something to celebrate!

Katerina Kanelidou, ACC

So, my fellow coaches around the globe: what do we / you have to celebrate this very special week and every other week?

Katerina Kanelidou, ACC, is founder of Creative Empowerment, specializing in leadership coaching and team development. She is a member of the 2012 ICF Global Conference Steering Committee and co-chair of the marketing subcommittee. Katerina loves connecting with people, so feel free to connect with her on Twitter, LinkedIn, or Facebook.

Sharing the value of coaching

ICF members Terence Pritchard, ACC, and Yvette Elcock, ACC, joined ICF staff member Kristin Kelly at the HR Directors Business Summit in Birmingham, United Kingdom where the ICF sponsored a booth in the exhibit hall. This year's Summit marked the 10th anniversary of the event and it was the ICF's first appearance.

Attendees represented organizations across Europe and many were interested in learning more about how coaching could work within their businesses.

Learn more about this event at http://www.hrevent.com/.

Coaching’s time to shine

International Coaching Week (ICW) is the coaching profession’s time to shine. Held the first full week each February, the premise of ICW is to allow coaches everywhere the opportunity to share the value professional coaching brings.

Coaches across the globe celebrate ICW in different ways—some offer pro bono coaching, others (in conjunction with the ICF Chapter they belong to or with other local peers) provide workshops, and still others reach out to local media channels to share coaching with the public. The sky’s the limit when it comes to promoting the value coaching offers! (Use this page as a starting point.)

ICW will be here February 5-11, 2012. That leaves just about two weeks to get those final plans in place!

How are you planning to commemorate ICW? We’d love to hear about it—let us know what you are doing.

Haven’t planned anything yet? There is still time! Take a look at how others have celebrated in the past. 

Don’t have a lot of time to plan anything? Take a look at these five simple ways to get involved during ICW without a lot of effort or pre-planning.

And don’t forget: findings from the greatly anticipated ICF Global Coaching Study will be released during ICW. This is the perfect way to promote coaching at the local level. Find out more.

Learn more about International Coaching Week.

Coaching study findings to be released during International Coaching Week

History was made five years ago when the groundbreaking ICF Global Coaching Study was released, providing the coaching industry a global perspective and valuable baseline data on the coaching profession as a whole. This “first look” at the life of the industry was considered one of the largest pieces of research undertaken prior to that time and provided insight into some of the key issues facing the coaching industry at that time.

And in only a matter of weeks, history will be made again when findings from the greatly anticipated follow-up to the 2007 ICF Global Coaching Study will be released during International Coaching Week. Like its predecessor, the 2012 ICF Global Coaching Study was commissioned by the ICF and undertaken by PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). It is one of the most ambitious pieces of global industry research ever conducted on the field of professional coaching.

In the six months of 2011 it was conducted, 12,133 responses were received from coaching professionals across 117 countries [the 2007 study saw 5,415 respondents across 76 countries].

The findings from the new study will prove especially useful in highlighting the growth of the coaching industry and uncovering those trends that have emerged over the last five years.
Findings will be released throughout International Coaching Week, February 5-11. Those who participated in the study can expect to receive an advance copy of the Executive Summary at that time.

Later that week, a copy of the Executive Summary will be made available at Coachfederation.org/Coachingstudy2012. Bookmark that link for the most up-to-date information regarding the 2012 ICF Global Coaching Study. And, be sure to sign up to receive the latest ICF press releases directly in your inbox as the ICF plans to release findings to the press throughout International Coaching Week.

In addition to the release of this research, special presentations around the study findings will be held at both ICF international and regional events around the world. Look for more information on these appearances throughout 2012.

Questions about the study? Contact the ICF at icfpr@coachfederation.org.

Get a handle on your to-do list

Seems like most people these days have to-do lists that never shrink. Aside from those items that are routinely added on a daily basis, there are those items that remain on your list, no matter how much time passes.

Perhaps these never-crossed-off items seem too intimidating or time consuming to begin right away. Or maybe your never-crossed-off items get shoved to the bottom of your priorities for the simple reason that they do not seem pressing enough.

Whatever your list looks like, here are three simple tips to keep in mind when it comes to keeping your to-do list manageable:

• Chop your list into easier to handle lists. If your to-do list is so overwhelmingly long that you cannot even look at it without breakout out in a case of hives, you should begin by first categorizing and then breaking down your list. You might decide you want to rank your items by priority. Or maybe you would rather group like items together. Once you determine which way works best for you, create lists with no more than five items per list. Though you may have numerous lists, having fewer items per list will make it easier for you to work through your projects.
  
• Tackle tough projects early. Before your day gets too busy, devote the early part of your day to working on a larger or more difficult project. The morning is best for these kinds of projects as you start a new day with renewed energy and spirit. Likewise, plan to take on easier projects later in the day when your energy levels begin to drop.
  
• When you are working, focus on work. It is very easy to let your mind wander to non-pressing matters when more urgent items call for your complete attention. To ensure focus during your work hours, create time in the course of your day to take mini breaks when you can think about your evening plans, your grocery list or your next home improvement project. By taking frequent breaks, you will allow your mind time to focus on work when it is time to work.

One additional tip: no matter how many hours you choose to work in a day, stick to it! Having a balanced work-life schedule is key to keeping things fresh and your list manageable.

If you need help organizing your to-do list, many smart phone app stores have to-do list and time management applications that may help you. Simply search “to do list” or “time management” in your phone’s app store to find an app that works for you. Also, if you would rather create lists on your computer, simply search “to do list” in Google for resources to assist you.

We want YOU to be a part of the 2011 Global Coaching Study

Five years ago, nearly 6,000 coaches in over 70 countries took part in the ICF Global Coaching Study. Coaches were surveyed on their coaching practice and client demographic information, as well as revenue.

Commissioned by the ICF (and conducted by independent research firm PricewaterhouseCoopers), the study was a first—its groundbreaking findings provided the world’s first look at the coaching profession from a global perspective.

And now, the time is here to repeat the revolutionary study. And ALL coaches (ICF member or not) are invited to participate. The 2011 study will track key trends that have emerged since 2006 and will serve as a useful and insightful comparison to the original Global Coaching Study.

If you are a coach, please take some time to complete the online survey. Doing so will help bring the global landscape of coaching in 2011 into clear focus. The data collected will lead to the creation of a robust “state of the industry” report that will provide coaches, organizations and the media an opportunity to learn more about the profession.

Like the 2006 study, the 2011 Global Coaching Study will be conducted by PwC. As of June 17, the survey is available in English and Spanish. It will eventually be available in a total of nine languages (also including French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin and Portuguese).

Once you complete the survey, invite your coaching peers around the world to participate by forwarding the study link. All survey respondents will receive an advance copy of the Executive Summary that PwC will develop based on study findings.

Participate in the 2011 Global Coaching Study.

Waking up to Happiness

One of the joys of getting older is gathering a wealth of experience to guide myself through life. Though of course, being older, I’m not sure I remember it all. Hmmm.

Anyway, thankfully through my work as a coach I have lots of lovely people around me who continue to teach me so much. A Head of Talent Development in a major commercial organisation recently said to me: “Success is how you feel when you wake up in the morning”. Wonderful. I had to ask and thank them for their quotable quote.

And it appears our government here in the UK is waking up to this wisdom too – the Prime Minister has asked the Office of National Statistics to find a way of measuring the county’s happiness. The intent is to build this into government thinking, policy and action and so that the monopoly held by the ‘Continuous Economic Growth’ lobby has some balancing force. And about time too.

The economic growth has undoubtedly been good. It has brought clean water and warm housing and universal education and health service and food to the shelves of so many. And it’s something that is to be still more widely enjoyed globally. But as I often find myself exploring with clients, ‘a weakness is a strength overplayed’.

The sustainability of delivering these benefits in the way we currently do is clearly questionable. And with over 30 million anti-depression prescriptions handed out in the UK alone every year, greater wealth has clearly not led to universal happiness. So getting a grip on what we want, what we really, really want is now approaching it’s time.

Which brings me to coaching. Is there a profession better placed than coaching to help people unravel their thoughts, hopes, feelings, and indeed prejudices and misconceptions so that they can see the connections, and find what it is they truly want and who they are? Is there a profession better placed to help people help themselves to take action, build new, more useful choices and habits and achieve what they want in the ways that are right for them?

And of course, the real power of what we do lies in the fact we are not preaching as experts, but simply inviting and enabling people to see their work and life and options from many different perspectives, then giving the support to do something about it. They discover. They decide. They act.

We truly have a role in shaping the future, because we enable people to choose to see the world through many different lenses. As more people see themselves in a bigger way, I believe they will see us all in a bigger way, and this will change direction from a highly individualistic ‘me/more/now’ culture to a wiser, interdependent view of ‘us and them and you and me/enough is just fine thanks/and is this good for future generations?’

I hope there will be a future time where happiness is more widely felt and enjoyed, because one person’s success is not about beating another in some ranking/performance/level of ownership table, but rather the success (and fulfilment) comes from one person helping another, and another….Coaching conversations with clients, and the wisdoms that emerge from them, has shown me how we are connected to everyone and everything around us, the past that got us here and the future of those who follow us. A strong vibrant profession will enable more and more people wake up feeling good. That would truly be a mark of success for our profession. It’s a great time to be alive.

Now where have I left those reading glasses?

Neil Scotton, PCC, December 2010