Is the Window of Opportunity Closing on Your Dream of Coach Certification?

Today I got a call from a coach I knew years ago. He was trying to access the IAC website to finish their online certification test on the old Proficiencies before it’s taken down on January 1^st and wondered if he still had time to get certified.

Yes, there’s still time – three days. So, if you haven’t gotten certified in the Proficiencies yet, then it’s probably time for you to begin studying the Masteries! ;-)

Are the Masteries just the old Proficiencies with different language? No.

I taught Thomas Leonard’s Proficiencies for years. They were a big upgrade in coaching technology at the time. Teaching them was priceless learning for me AND now that I’m teaching the new Masteries, I’m quadrupling what I’m learning.

I’m also shocked (and thrilled) to see how fast new coaches are learning mastery, using SCM’s unique approach to coach training. When I reflect on the teleclass format we used at the schools I studied at, as well as those I previous taught at, all I can say is “WHAT WERE WE THINKING??”

Of course graduates of those coaching schools got stuck in limbo, neither masterful nor successful, when their primary way to learn coaching was to get on a phone line and listen to somebody else talk about coaching (while students answered their email, cleaned house, or - like me - worked out)!

That’s crazy.

You need to be fully engaged in class, using new skills as soon as you learn them and getting precise feedback right away from an expert, so you can step into mastery immediately. Otherwise, you could spend a lifetime in triads and study groups without ever knowing if you’re getting it right or not.

I’ve been preparing coaches for IAC certification since it came into being, because it’s based on the one thing clients care about: masterful coaching. And these current newbies are going to coach better than us veterans pretty soon. Exciting – and kinda scary!

Anyhow, if you missed the boat on Proficiency-based certification, don’t fret. You can still get certified in the Masteries and if you want to blow the top off your own coaching ability – and make sure you actually get certified this time – then you may want to check out SCM’s Certified Coach Training Program. http://www.schoolofcoachingmastery.com/cctp.html (Can you tell I'm biased?)

It’s for experienced, trained coaches who intend to be the best at what they do. You’ll be challenged, your skills expanded, your confidence solid, your mastery unquestioned. (And we’ll pay your certification fee!)

January is the perfect month to join. Have questions? Email here. Or call here: 877-224-2780

(If you're a new coach, we have a program for you too)

New Address for IAC St. Louis Coaching

I just moved our blog to this new website, so our URL would be friendlier to search engine crawlers. That way, when someone does a search for coaching in St. Louis, we'll likely come up. At this early stage of this new coaching chapter, we're all about getting the word out and no better way than via web search!

IAC St. Louis Coaching Chapter Gets Mentioned in the VOICE

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

The October issue of the IAC VOICE came out, with a mention of all the new IAC Chapters, some as far away at Hong Kong and Spain! If you you're committed to coaching excellence and you haven't subscribed to the IAC Voice yet, go here.

IAC St. Louis Coaching Chapter was mentioned, too. Cool!

We're planning our own newsletter for IAC St. Louis, to keep members updated on coaching events and opportunities in the St. Louis area and also give our members an opportunity to announce their own events. Watch for the IAC St. Louis News, beginning in January.

Subscribe to the IAC St. Louis Coaching Chapter and get the IAC St. Louis News here.

Another Great Meeting

Sunday, October 14, 2007

We're cookin'! Last Thursday, we planned out a great calendar of events for 2008, when our official meetings begin. In the meantime, we're meeting casually through the end of this year to plan IAC St. Louis. Right now, we're inviting speakers for upcoming meetings and working out the details.

Upcoming events will focus on how to build a great coaching business, how to deal with sticky situations, what to do if you're working way too hard ~ and more!

I just added our Google calendar in the upper right hand corner of the blog page. More info will be added, as it becomes available.

What I love about this group is that everybody is actively involved, so plans are moving quickly. We're small, but mighty! ;-)

If you're a St. Louis area coach and want to jump in, you are very welcome!

Register here for the IAC St. Louis mailing list.

Our next preliminary meeting for IAC St. Louis

Our official meetings begin January 17th at St. Louis County Library Headquarters. In the meantime, we're meeting informally to clarify our vision for this new local association for St. Louis coaches. Our next meeting is tomorrow night, October 11th at 7 PM. You're invited to join us (below)

One issue that we're clear on is the need for coaches to master the art of filling their practices, so they can free up their time, energy and consciousness for coaching their clients brilliantly and creating wonderful lives for themselves. Thoughts on that? Add your comments below, or email me at info@schoolofcoachingmastery.com

And by the way, if you have friends or colleagues who might benefit by getting involved with this new group, do them a favor and forward our blog address to them ~ Thanks!

Join the IAC St. Louis Mailing list here.

Upcoming Schedule for IAC St. Louis

IAC St. Louis won the lottery - well, sort of!

We just participated in the St. Louis County Public Library Headquarter's "room lottery" and won a spot on the schedule at this fantastic meeting location. Beginning on January 17, 2008, we'll be meeting on the third Thursday of each month from 7-9 PM in the East Room at the Headquarters' building at 1640 S. Lindbergh Blvd., across from Plaza Frontenac. We're excited about this schedule and location, because it's easy to get to from anywhere in St. Louis, even during current highway construction, and it's late enough in the evening to avoid rush-hour traffic.

Preliminary meetings will continue through 2007. Please join below, if you'd like to get involved in grassroots development of this exciting new resource for Midwest coaches.

Join IAC St. Louis here.

IAC St. Louis Has Its First Meeting!

Friday, October 5, 2007

On Wednesday, September 26th, a group of passionate St. Louis coaches met to plan the new IAC St. Louis Chapter. What a great conversation!

What did we talk about? Why we wanted to meet. How this Chapter can fill our needs and those of other St. Louis coaches. What would be a great location for us? What's the perfect schedule?

What will we talk about in our meetings? Building a successful coaching business. Preparing for the elite IAC Certification. Training options for new coaches. Coaching standards and ethics.

This meeting worked because the coaches who attended are all smart, passionate and ready to collaborate. Does that sound like you? Would you like to meet once a month with other St. Louis area coaches for fun, learning and inspired conversation?

Join IAC St. Louis here.