A Few of my Favorite Coaching Mantras

Any coach worth their salt (what does that mean anyway?) knows how difficult it is to follow the tenets of coaching in all circumstances. Especially for those clients that are a “challenge.” As a result I have developed some Coaching Mantras that help me maintain my cool and coach like a seasoned swami. I’ll be glad to share a few with you.

“Wanna Bet?” – This is my first inaudible and unspoken response when my client starts out our session by saying “My problem is….” It’s not that I only take on clients that are Big Liars, but years of coaching have taught me that a little digging will reveal the REAL problem which is never what the client thinks it is.

“The Solution Is In The Struggle” – Particularly helpful when you are banging your head against your desk, putting new teeth marks in your pencil, and drawing blood with your fingernails as you clench your fists and attempt not to scream “I have the answer!” The struggle must be theirs, not yours, in order for a lasting effect to take place.

“Silence Is Golden When You Can’t Think Of A Good Question” - This isn’t to say that minutes should pass as you attempt to word the perfect inquiry, but if you trust in the fact that your client is as uncomfortable with silence as you are, then you must believe that he/she will eventually rush to fill in the aural void. Clues and prompts will blessedly abound. And if they don’t, you can always fall back on “Tell me a little more about that.”

Who says coaching is an easy profession? I’m constantly coaching myself to be a great coach while I’m coaching my clients – a whole lot of self-talk going on. I’d love to hear some of your personal favorite coaching mantras. I can use all the help I can get!

Laurie Lawson


Laurie Lawson’s philosophy: Coaching is life-changing business but that doesn’t mean you can’t have a little fun while you’re doing it.



Laurie Lawson

 She is a Certified Empowerment Coach (www.eljny.com), a Professional Credentialed Coach, a Certified EQ Mentor, a Mentor Coach for iPEC (Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching), President of the Board of the International Coach Federation in New York City (www.icfnyc.org), Executive Producer of Coach World TV, Creator/Host of Coach Chat Radio, a previous member of the ICF Global Membership & Community Committee, and a current member of the ICF Global Ethics and Standards Committee. She facilitated a workshop at the 15th International ICF Conference in Texas, participated in Fitness Magazine's "You Can Do It Challenge" as a Life Coach on their Panel of Experts, and appeared on ABC’s Business Week Weekend television show.

She is also a Writer/Reviewer for Electronic Link Journey, a published author, a US distributor for Points of You, The Coaching Game, and in her spare time, she dabbles in numerology (http://www.doingitbynumbers.com/).

Lend a hand in your community

Last month, we asked our Facebook fans “coaches, how do you give back to your community?”

Just as we suspected, coaches are very giving individuals! If you are looking for a way to get involved, read on to find out how other coaches give back to their local communities:

“Each year I offer pro-bono coaching to a specific number of deserving people. (Deserving = willing and capable to do the work required, but don’t have the financial means).” (Demyan Rossouw)

“Offer complimentary workshops and coaching at local Gay and Lesbian centers.” (Rick Clemons)

“We engage ourselves into some not for profit projects like Union of Jewish Religious Communities in Poland.” (Meissner & Partners)

“Organize ‘equal opportunity’ programs for the children of women prison inmates in Delhi.” (Seth Rosario)

“By working five years as a board member of the ICF Chapter in Germany and since, four years as ICF Chapter leader in Berlin, Germany.” (Martin Jessen)

“Being present in as many opportunities as possible with any member of the community where I am: experiencing consciousness as is.” (Rodolfo Rosales)

“I volunteer my time by providing free advice/consultation for those who need help and also involve others in these communities: 1) coaching resources (expanding and increasing awareness of the coaching community); 2) Global Voices Bulletin (being a voice for all global philanthropy initiatives).” (Queenie TCoach)

“That is a great question, I’m considering starting a group called ‘Coaches in the Community’ to provide volunteer services to organizations and/or community projects that need a little extra helping hand.” (Tracey Pitts)

“Through a Hand Up Coaching.” (Nora Whalen)

“By offering a pro bono coaching package (four free sessions) ongoing, for those who need my services, are willing to follow through, but cannot otherwise afford them.” (Carol Pressnall Leek)

What about you? How do you give back? We’d love to know—share it with us on at Facebook.com/ICFHQ.

They’re Just Not That Into You: Why The Way You Describe Coaching Might Be Repelling Your Prospects and What To Do About It

“Hi. My name is Alexia Vernon, and I’m a coach. I help all kinds of people—leaders, new grads, nurses, social entrepreneurs and small business owners—close the gap from where they are to where they want to be. I do this by asking powerful questions, mirroring back what I’m hearing (and not hearing) and by asking people to take big risks to achieve big results.”

The above description, I’m embarrassed to say, is pretty close to what used to come out of my mouth and decorate my website for the first few years of my coaching business. Like so many well-intentioned coaches I know and work with, I spent a lot of time talking about what I do and who I do it for at the expense of NEVER identifying the problem that the people I work with have and how I solve it.

Whether you’re currently working with one coaching client or one hundred, step back for a moment and ask yourself the following. “What’s the reoccurring obstacle that the people I work with have that they would pay every dollar they possess to solve—once and for all?” That’s what needs to be coming out of your mouth—your identification of that problem and a vision of who that person will be once it’s solved.

Unless your clients are looking to be coaches themselves, they don’t care how you do what you do or who you do it for. They care that you understand how they are stuck. And more importantly, they want you to show them what unstuck will look, taste, smell, sound and feel like. Walking into a room feeling confident and competent. Making big bucks and even bigger impact. Having the greatest love affair of their lives—with themselves.

Your sexy copy is always in painting a picture of the payoff for arriving at your prospect’s desired result.

Alexia Vernon, ACC is the President of the Nevada Professional Coaches Association (NPCA) and is an in-demand career and workplace author, speaker, coach and trainer. She empowers people to build careers and companies that are successful, sustainable and full of soul. She is the author of Awaken Your CAREERpreneur: A Holistic Road Map to Climb from Your Calling to Your Career and has been featured on CNN, NBC, CBS MoneyWatch, ABCNews.com, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes.com, Mint.com and dozens of other media. Learn more about Alexia at AlexiaVernon.com and follow her on Twitter @AlexiaVernon.

What does it matter to me?

As discussed in the August 12 blog post, ICF Strategic Plan: 101, the ICF operates according to a strategic plan. Having this plan in place ensures that the ICF remains focused and prepared to work toward specific goals that will provide the best value for members.

But how is the strategic plan pieced together? Do the contents of the strategic plan actually mean anything for ICF members? How does it ensure that members will receive the most value for their membership? Why should I care? How do the decisions made by the ICF affect me?

Will you attend a call next week so you may have a better understanding of the ICF Strategic Plan? Three calls, hosted by the ICF Board of Directors, are scheduled next week to allow members the opportunity to ask these sorts of questions. If you have ever asked yourself the above questions, will you make time in your schedule to be present during one of these calls?

Call schedule:

• Monday, September 19 at 9 a.m. (New York);
• Monday, September 19 at 4 p.m. (New York); or
• Call in Spanish: Tuesday, September 20 at 1 p.m. (New York).

Bridge line: +1.866.215.3343 (PIN: 4889)

See additional dialing instructions if calling from outside North America (PDF).

If your schedule will not allow you to join a call, send your questions to us via email at icfpr@coachfederation.org , via Facebook (post on our wall) or Twitter (tweet us), or post a comment to this post.

Energy Work and Coaching SIG Starts Back

Hello coaching colleagues and members of the Energy Work and Coaching SIG. I missed everyone this summer but am glad I took the time to buy a house, move, and begin remodeling. Opening up the living space to expand my practice, and clearing my energetic structure so that I can heal my physical concerns are two areas where I focused my attention. What about you? Did you take any classes that invigorated your spirit? Have you continued deepening your coaching by adding meditation to your daily practice? Please jot me a note at rpost@thehealercoach.com or tweet me (Rhona Post) to share your summer adventures.

This fall we are going to delve into the conversation about energy, and what it means to set our intention to use our sensing skills, bringing our awareness to what’s in front of us, as we use our attention to heal. I am inviting my colleagues, both coaches and healers to co-lead some of our discussions this fall so stay tuned.

The reliance on intuition and sensing skills helps us get underneath a client’s narrative to see the emotional triggers pulling or pushing the person. It is the difference between treating the symptoms and getting to the root cause of an issue. This kind of work is deeper, and the results are transformative, as what is revealed is resolved.

Rhona Post, MCC

We will continue to discuss the value of having a strong spiritual practice as we work with others, and we will spend time discussing how we position ourselves in the marketplace.

I invite my coaching colleagues who are interested or who already incorporate an energy modality in their coaching to join our call on September 19th, 11:00am EST.

For more information on Energy Work and Coaching please contact Rhona Post, MCC, 941.554.8466 or www.thehealercoach.com.