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Doing Good

Posted on April 12, 2021 by Cathy Liska

by Cathy Liska Cathy@CoachCert.com Cathy Liska

So much change.  So many challenges.  So much opportunity.  What do we want now?  An ideal is for everyone to be seen and treated as a human being with respect, dignity, and integrity.  How do we get there?

Coaching is an amazing profession and service that has a positive, lasting impact on coaches, clients, organizations, families, and society.  It is essential that we ensure coaching and coach training services are diverse, inclusive, and accessible.  Both the International Coaching Federation and Association of Coach Training Organizations are committed to diversity.  Each coach, coaching firm, and coach training program must also be committed.  As a profession, we are uniquely positioned to make a difference.  Systemic equity is the right thing, so let us work together for change.

Doing good starts with each coach.

  1. Learn about diversity, inclusion, regard, cultural awareness, and access through reading, research, and workshops.
  2. Self-assess and strategize by defining where you are now, where you want to be, and how you will get there.
  3. Engage in a self-reflective practice that includes building your knowledge and awareness.
  4. Communicate openness with images and language on your website, social media sites, in emails, and in conversations.
  5. Expand access to coaching through creative efforts.

The chapter “Doing Good” in Coaching Perspectives X explores each of these five areas and how individually we can contribute to the greater good by embracing Code of Ethics point 28 and doing good.

 

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Book Review of Coaching Perspectives X

Posted on April 8, 2021 by Cathy Liska

This book addresses many current and significant areas of focus for individuals and in coaching engagements.  Specifically, you can explore how to: do good in terms of social justice as an individual, work with the science of positivity to serve you and your clients, effectively express yourself, intentionally plan your path to purpose, dream, do transformational coaching, dance in the moment, enhance parent-child relationships, differentiate training and coaching, transition into a new executive role, do a personal brand makeover, and create group coaching programs. CCC COACHING PERSPECTIVES

Summary – The chapters of the book include:

  • Doing Good by Cathy Liska
  • A Positive Start by Laura Masters
  • Voice Lessons by Marie Guilloto Stuppard
  • The Path to Purpose by Kali Alexia
  • Creating and Implementing a Dream by Roxanne Ostlund
  • The Six Cs of Transformational Coaching by Jane McCarthy
  • Dancing in the Moment by Alisa Atkinson McDonald
  • Enhance Parent-Child Relationships by Vonetta Wade
  • Training Ain’t Coaching by Alan Elmore
  • Transitioning as a New Executive by Nic Kelpe
  • Personal Brand Makeover by Delby P. Bragais
  • The Power of Group Coaching by Naomi Clark-Turner

The Good:

The expertise in each area is fabulous.  The specific insights, tips, and usable ideas are an immediate value-add for each of us in our own lives and in coaching engagements.

The Bad:

Because it is a collection of individual reads, it lacks transitions from one chapter to the next.

Conclusion:

If you enjoy separate quick reads and want to further upgrade your knowledge, this is a great book!

Take a look at all our Coaching Perspectives series books here: https://www.coachcert.com/resources/recommended-reading/coaching-perspectives-series-by-the-center-for-coaching-certification-and-more.html

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VAK Poem to Make Learning and Using it Easy

Posted on April 5, 2021 by Cathy Liska

Center for Coaching Certification VAK Poem to Make Learning and Using it Easy

The learning styles are called VAK,
that is how it is abbreviated anyway.

Short for three types of NLP,
Neuro-Linguistic Programming if you please.

V is visual with the eyes,
A is auditory, ears get the prize,
K is kinesthetic, feeling the feels,
also a bit of doing appeals.

If visual, you like what you see,
and learn from seeing most easily.

Auditory people love to hear,
they take in things through their ears.

Kinesthetics want an experiential feel,
thus hands on to them has real appeal.

We all learn all three ways,
these learning styles through our days.

The order changes for each of us,
different learning for different stuff.

KAV one, two, three,
experiential, then hear, and see.

I like to do and I’m hands-on,
What does that make me, you might ask?

Kinesthetic yes, it is true,
I like to share feelings about what I do.

What it looks like is what a visual describes,
the images that pass before their eyes.

Listen closely and listen clear,
for auditory people describe what they hear.

Now you all know how to recognize,
the learning styles you can memorize.

Practice makes perfect so they say,
so practice identifying VAK every day.

Learning so the coach grows steadily,
and thus the client discovers more readily.

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Influence versus Control

Posted on April 1, 2021 by Cathy Liska

Paul Kawkabany – https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-kawkabany-b7b2a811a/Influence versus Control By Paul Kawkabany

One of the most significant questions in our lives that interfere with our thoughts, emotions, behaviors, relations, and tolerance capacity is how much we feel we have control.  What can I control?  What don’t I control?  How controllable are our thoughts?

If I notify you: Don’t think about red apples for 30 seconds, what will represent your initial thought?  Of course, it will be a red apple, and maybe a basket of red apples, as it is really hard to control our thoughts.  This will upset us because we have the idea of controlling our thoughts, instead of directing our thoughts.

Think about how we can influence our way of thinking.  Influencing is not controlling; it is about understanding and embracing these reflections and finding a way to use or convert them in terms of achieving our goals.

During coach training we learned a powerful tool with the affirmation story wherein the client chooses the thoughts they want to focus on and consistently accesses them.  Other methods that we can use to acknowledge our circle of control and circle of influence include making a list, a table, or a journal.  Be sure to organize concerns and where you have influence:

  • Concerns: prices, politics, other people’s actions, war, other people’s opinions, time, confidence
  • Circle of Influence: my words, my actions, my reactions, my schedule

Making these lists will support you to be clear on your consideration.  Define what you want, what you control, and what is possible for you to control, influence, or change.  Then develop your strategies, plan your actions, track your progress, and celebrate your successes.

 

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Focus your Mind with These Hacks

Posted on March 30, 2021 by Cathy Liska

By Ernac Clayton http://theminichip.com/

Concentration and focus appear to be simple words used frequently in our daily lives. They Focus your Mind with These Hackscan alternatively be referred to as extremely beneficial power that your mind possesses. With an increased concentration, you alleviate the quality of your work along with lowering your turn around time for the same. Whether students, working professionals, or coaches, the power of a focused mind is beyond measures.

Keeping a notepad to keep track of your work anytime and anywhere can help you in achieving your goals. Including certain simple hacks as daily habits to use the power of your mind to its full potential can help in many ways. Here are few such simple hacks that will help you in utilizing and directing your energy with utmost focus to achieve your highest potential in every task that you do.

Begin actively! 

How you begin your day determines your focus for the rest of the tasks round the clock. Start your day actively with some exercises. It will trigger your brain to be active and alert. The beginning of your day determines the course of action for your entire day. It is a good idea to kick-off the sluggishness right in the morning.

Ambience. 

One primary factor that determines your focus and concentration is ambience. The first thing you can do is make your ambience comfortable and peaceful. You can do so by arranging your workstation in the right position and having the right decor.

Go along with the music! 

Music can help to focus your mind in a single direction. When noisy, plug-in to white noise that will help you stay focused on long tasks. Instrumental music works great too!

Pay attention to your diet. 

All good things start from the inside. This is very true when you’re working to improve your concentration. Feed yourself with the right nutrition and stay hydrated so that your body functions to its full potential.

Following the above few steps may help you in developing a more focused mind over time. The power of concentration is well-known in today’s world; it’s time to leverage the same by including some focus-enhancing habits in your life.

 

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Metaphors in Coaching

Posted on March 29, 2021 by Cathy Liska

By Paul Kawkabany – https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-kawkabany-b7b2a811a/Metaphors in Coaching By Paul Kawkabany

From the Greek “metaphora” which means “transport”, the metaphor has several advantages in coaching.  The metaphor is one of the effective means to overcome blocking situations, to support or to bring about change.  It consists of taking a step back from a given situation by working with your imagination.  This tool is of great importance as it creates space for solutions to emerge by working on imagery or a visualization in the form of a metaphor.  It opens other perspectives for the coachee.

The art of metaphor in coaching makes it possible to make connections between ideas and situations that are, at their core, totally different. The solution can appear spontaneously through the metaphor.  If the client is off-center they may tend to lock themselves in.  With a metaphor, the client can step back a short distance, gain height, and change their point of view.  This opens up the possibilities.

What is a metaphor?  They are anecdotes, examples, stories (real or made up), or proverbs that occupy and distract the left brain and activate the right brain.  They plug directly into emotional intelligence.

Ask the client:

  • In this situation, what do you feel like?
  • In this situation, how do you see yourself?
  • What image do you think of when you say that?
  • If you gave a shape or a color to this image, what is it?
  • What adjectives or phrases come to mind?

The coach rephrases to the client what they feel or envision.  They invite the client to express themselves in another way: “It makes me think of …”

As learned in coach training, this opens the door for learning and exploration.

 

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Learning Styles

Posted on March 25, 2021 by Cathy Liska

By Paul Kawkabany – https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-kawkabany-b7b2a811a/Learning Styles - By Paul Kawkabany

Each of us has a primary learning style from which we operate.  We also use all of the styles.  Our learning style, also described as a representational system, is also used for memory and decision making

As you read through the following learning styles, reflect to identify which representational system you employ the most. You may find the results surprising!

VISUAL: Someone whose primary contact with the world is through their eyes.  They:

  • Pay particular attention to how they look, how their home looks, and how others look.
  • May find it difficult to concentrate on excessive visual activity.
  • Recall faces more easily than names.
  • Prefer to see your facial reactions in person, as opposed to talking over the phone.

AUDITORY: Someone who mainly operates from an auditory representational system.  They:

  • Are more aware of a subtle change in the tone of your voice and more responsive to certain tones of voice.
  • Learn best by listening and asking questions.
  • Enjoy taking part in discussions.
  • Prefer to communicate through spoken language as supposed to writing.
  • Talk through problems.
  • Prefer to have someone available that can bounce ideas off.
  • Are sequential in their thinking.
  • Are able to remember instructions and directions more easily.

KINESTHETIC: Someone whose preferences include hands-on doing and deep feeling.  They:

  • Are more aware of their bodies and their feelings.
  • Respond to physical rewards and touch.
  • Speak slower than others because are getting in touch their feelings.
  • Learn by doing, moving, or touching.
  • Make decisions based on how they feel.

READING & WRITING: Reading and writing learners enjoy words on paper.  They:

  • Prefer learning through words.
  • Take copious, detailed notes.
  • Are avid readers.
  • Easily translate concepts into writing.
  • Prefer articulating themselves through writing rather than oral presentations.

During coach training we learned that by adjusting to a client’s learning style we develop rapport and support their empowerment.

 

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Discover New Vision

Posted on March 22, 2021 by Cathy Liska

Discover New Vision_Paul KawkabanyBy Paul Kawkabany – https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-kawkabany-b7b2a811a/

Every person has 5 different elements in their life, and these 5 elements help us see our life in a holistic way.  The 5 elements are:

  • SPIRITUAL: Many people do not feel comfortable using this word if they don’t subscribe to anything spiritual; the word spiritual in this context is intended to be secular. The things we internalize about our identity lie in the spiritual core of ourselves.
  • VOLITIONAL: Volition stands for the choices we make based on our emotional and spiritual wellbeing. Our volitional decisions are our responses to who we believe we are, so if we believe we are powerful our behaviors will become powerful.
  • RATIONAL: Our rationale is what determines the choices we make because our rational symbolizes the quality of our thoughts. The quality of the thoughts governs our emotional state and emotional reactions.  People can be going through the same emotional issues or even the same circumstances and have completely different volitional responses to their situation because of their rationale.
  • EMOTIONAL: emotions are not just thought based, nor just fact-based. Unlike many physical conditions, emotions are within our control.  Whilst negative emotions seem impossible to shift for most people, they have the potential to be fleeting and temporary in the way some perceive happiness and gratification.  Which we have most in our lives is within our control.
  • PHYSICAL: Physical issues can trigger emotional conditions.  People who go through serious life-changing health issues usually become emotionally devastated by the impact their physical health has had on their life.  At the same time you have heard stories or people who rise above the challenges.

Understanding yourself and your clients is a very important process in coaching.  Ultimately one of the objectives from coaching certification is to enhance your ability to understand your client.

 

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Moving Past Limiting Beliefs

Posted on March 18, 2021 by Cathy Liska

How can you move past limiting beliefs and move forward to a powerful vantage point in life? Moving Past Limiting Beliefs

Saying the opposite of your negative beliefs in positive language will help you move forward.  Coaches are trained to ask questions to help develop this habit.  Negative messages are out there, and come from ourselves, others, and the media.  Examples of changing the negative to the positive include:

  • “I’m lazy today and haven’t done anything!” to “I’m doing positive self-care today that will benefit me and my family in the long run.”
  • “I’m worthless.” to “I’m precious (and think about the how you are precious).”
  • “I’m a failure.” to “My successes include… (and insert several successes here).”

Positive affirmations are a brilliant tool for moving past limiting beliefs. The coaches trained at the Center for Coaching Certification can help you with an affirmation story.  The affirmation story is your goals in your words creating the vision of your ideal future.  This is the most powerful tool in the coaching arsenal for moving past limited thinking. Creating mantras and affirmations and posting them where they are visible is another powerful way to start creating the affirming self-talk.  Writing, saying, reading, recording, and listening to personalized affirmations makes them a powerful option for choosing your own thinking and wiring your brain the way you want it.

As people, we all fall prey to limited thinking at some point.  A trained coach is your partner to get you back on the road to a growth mindset.

 

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Language of Limiting Beliefs

Posted on March 15, 2021 by Cathy Liska

Limiting beliefs are beliefs that inhibit us from our full potential.  They constrain us by merely thinking them.  Limiting beliefs are about ourselves, our identity, others, or the world in general. The Language of Limiting Beliefs The Language of Limiting Beliefs

Examples of some common limiting beliefs are simple, everyday statements:

I should/shouldn’t or must/ mustn’t:

We ARE bound by the law.  We are NOT bound by our should or must.  For example, we may say, “I should clean the house every day.”  Saying “should” makes it less likely to happen and we have not broken any laws anyways.  We may figure out that the task takes precious time away from something more productive.  Changing our language by eliminating “should/shouldn’t/must/mustn’t” frees us to be in the moment and decide what is most important and productive at any given time.

I can’t:

In saying “I can’t” we limit ourselves.  We waste our potential completely by just giving up.  In a book called THE SPARK by Chris Downie, he tells the story of a baby elephant tethered to a stake.  It cannot break free as a baby.  As a full-grown elephant the small stake will not hold it. The elephant does not even try to break free.  Why?  It tried and tried until it’s leg was torn and raw.  As a baby it could not break free.  As a grown elephant, it possessed the strength to break free.  Because the elephant had the limiting belief that it could not break free, it did not even try. Choosing to look for options and find solutions happens when we change “I can’t” to “How can I?”

Always/never:

Saying these particular words is extremely limiting because they are so quantified as to not allow for even one difference.  As a note, they are also rarely accurate.  Saying, “I’ll never get the job” limits.  Instead ask, “What new training will I take?”  Saying, “I’ll always fail” limits.  Instead ask, “How will I improve?”

During coach training we learn to ask a client questions when they use these words, also called Meta Models.  It is one way we partner with clients so they move forward.

 

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