What is The Coaching Commons?

I am blown away by the sheer energy in this site. This is a quick visit on route somewhere else but I will be coming back as soon as I can.

Hi everyone,

It is great to see the site in action! I think it is a fantastic use of time and resources, but the proof will be over time, if this grows as I expect it will.

I have spoken with a number of coaches who appear to be successful and knowledgeable who are not affiliated with any single coaching organization. So, I think it is great to have a neutral (and subsidized!) territory for all interested parties to get together and continue to build our field.

As one deeply involved and committed to the Global Coaching Convention that will be held in Dublin this coming July, I think this represents the logical and perfect step in the growing dialogue around coaching. Here the dialogue that has begun can be carried on as we go forward in developing the future of coaching in its many forms and foci.

The bottom line is coaching works…and…should be applied to all organization development processes to improve people to people interactions.

When a person faces a challenge and becomes stuck, he or she may seek the services of a personal coach or mentor. Once this commitment is made, the person begins to experience a different, more hopeful, world as his or her perceptions evolve in meeting the personal challenge.

Even though a person undergoes untold millions of individual experiences in his or her life, only a few lessons are usually ever learned. The attainment of wisdom is slow and painful, and few are willing to relinquish familiar views (even if they’re inaccurate); resistance to change or growth is considerable. Nevertheless, there remains free choice and therefore a considerable potential for individual mobility and variety of experience, which makes alternate options available.

Mentors and coaches are people who guide others from where they are to wherever they want to be. The coaching relationship is all about the person being coached. It is not the coach’s work to decide what the person being coached should want but to assist him or her in achieving whatever he or she desires.

Moulding and accelerating the trend of personal coaching and mentoring throughout organizations matters.

At first glance this site looks impressing, bountiful and a value adder for the profession and I hope for me personally. I look forward to get acquainted with this site and fellow coaches world wide. I will be back shortly.

What an exciting virtual quad for the coaching community! For those of you who love to dialogue with others who have a stake in coaching in organizations, another resource that might be of interest is the International Consortium for Coaching in Organizations (ICCO) which can be found at http://www.coachingconsortium.org. I’ll be heading to the symposium on Developmental Coaching in Los Angeles later this month, honoring the work of Frederic Hudson and you can learn more on the site I already mentioned.

Huge thanks to Marywayne, Andrea, Francine, Linda and everyone involved in making this forum for exchange about the coaching world happen. It’s wonderful to see how you’re making the world even smaller, more flat, and more related. Kudos!

First, I think this is a a really interesting site and potentially a great resource for the exchange and development of ideas.

What I want to add to the mix is that my vision of coaching is not just about those of us who see coaching as our profession. For me, coaching is not a process, or a skill set, or an intervention; it’s an attitude of mind.

What do I mean by this?

I work mostly with management teams (from organisations ranging from 30 to 3000 people). For me, the biggest breakthrough is the moment when a manager, when approached by one of their team members who says ‘What should I do, boss?’, instead of telling them what to do like they normally would, asks them a question. Maybe it’s ‘What do you think you should do?’ or perhaps ‘What options have you considered?’ These guys have acquired the mind-set of a coach, even if they don’t have all the tools, the knowledge (or even the wish) to be coaches in any greater way than this.

Truth is, at this point they ARE coaches. Not full-time, not paid, not consciously opening a ‘coaching session’, but just suddenly using a different mind-set.

It is getting the thousands – the hundreds of thousands – of managers in organisations across the world to make this simple change that will transform the world faster and more profoundly than all of us ‘professional’ coaches combined.

My personal vision is not just to coach – and certainly not to create a mystique around the power and effectiveness of the coaching specialist – but rather to infect the organisations I touch with a coaching mindset that every manager there can then employ in some way or another.

And that’s what I would like to see added to what I see here already. I would like this site to be a source of encouragement and affirmation for these ‘nascent’ coaches (if I may call them that) as much as for those of us who wear the label of ‘coach’.

Hi Chris, thanks for this valuable addition. I tend to agree with you. My questions back to you are:

- how can we make this kind of addition, in your opinion, and based on the wealth of your expertise with this population?

- what tools, what language, what resources? or is it something else entirely you’re thinking of?

- if you were to imagine just what you describe showing up here at the site, what would it look like? (how would you do it?)

Interesting stuff…I’d love to hear more.

As a counselor for at risk youth and young adults, it is nice to see something of this calibre online that is NOT out to make money from those who seek out help. With such ease of access to a computer and internet these days, there are many more on here looking for help because of the privacy factor than there are in your local communities. I applaud your philantrophic work and hope to see it grow positively in the years to come!

As the founder, I’m reluctant to jump in to this discussion, but people often ask me why I’ve decided to invest so much money in the coaching field, and Chris Sanders’ post is one of the answers.
I believe, as Chris does, that the coaching conversation can transform the world. Coach Tracy Gary convinced me years ago that philanthropy can help create large-scale social change.
I see coaching as a gentle way to do just that.
I wish that everyone, worldwide, could be well and happy and free from fear. I wish for peace on earth – in which each individual is at peace. I believe the coaching conversation is one way to help create this reality. Imagine a world in which every conversation assumed that there is greatness within each of us, in which questions are curious and respectful, in which comments are meant to be supportive and helpful but not cruel or coercive. I believe coaches can and should bring their skills to every conversation, not just the ones they’re being paid for, and that this modeling can transform the culture. I hope this site will eventually provide links to free resources to help each person develop coaching skills. Tomorrow marks the fifth anniversary of the death of Thomas Leonard. When he was alive, his for-profit business also gave this kind of information for free. I used to refer hundreds of people to his site to get valuable instruction on how to have a coaching conversation. I have worked with other generous coaches, like Natalie Tucker Miller (president of the International Association of Coaching) who made some of her intellectual property available for the asking. These are just two of the countless examples of coaches being willing to share what they’ve learned.
Perhaps we can collectively create The Free College of Coaching Knowledge (or whatever y’all want to call it) for anyone who wants to develop the coaching skills that will transform conversations in homes, businesses, schools, places of worship, and governments. The cornerstone philosophy of my philanthropy is “unleashing untapped capacity.” I’m betting millions on you, the coaching community, to unleash the untapped capacity in yourselves and your world.

Ruth Ann Harnisch, thank you for jumping in. It is refreshing and a relief to discover a place where the heart of coaching beats freely. You have eloquently summarized the point and potential of coaching as a way of being and a means of ‘unleashing untapped capacity.’ Although coaching has evolved professionally, it is the call to heal the world that most coaches initially answer. Thank you for creating a site that may act as an anchor for our original intent.

Dear Gail,
“Where the heart of coaching beats freely.”
That beautiful phrase affirms the intentions and work of those who helped to create everything you see: Andrea Lee, Mary Wayne Bush, David Goldsmith, Vikki Brock, Francine Campone, John Bennett, Linda Ballew, Robyn Logan, Jenny Raymond, Vanessa Koury, Renee Freedman, Deborah Brown-Volkman, and so many more.
By the way, when I clicked your name I went to your website. You stand for transformation. No wonder you feel at home here at The Coaching Commons!

If I could see it (Coaching Commons) be or do anything what would it be?

Ruth Ann said she believes that ‘coaching conversations can transform the world’ and that ‘perhaps we can collectively create The Free College of Coaching Knowledge… to develop coaching skills that will transform conversations in homes, businesses, schools, places of worship, and governments.’

That is a brilliant idea! Imagine going one step further and transforming conversations BETWEEN those who belong to places of worship and governments who have conflicting beliefs! We know where that often leads.

When the Dalai Lama was in Vancouver a couple of years ago he said at first he thought that Buddhism was the way. But then he met people from different religions and then realized that there is no one right way, there are many.

I think that conflict often occurs (whether on a grand scale such as war or on a smaller ‘personal argument’ scale) when those involved think their way or opinion is the only way and the right way. A defending and attacking occurs instead of an opening to new ways or ideas.

So teaching people coaching skills for a variety of situations or places would support the person using the coaching skills to create a safe environment for any conversation to be an opening vs a defending. Plus showing and calling out a person’s greatness sure can help!

If I recall correctly, Thomas Leonard’s main premise when starting Coachville was that ‘everyone is a coach’ so lets give them skills to be one in their life. So this would be bringing that alive again.

P.S. Ruth Ann – I love the philosophy of your philanthropy – ‘unleashing untapped capacity.’ Wow!

Somewhere I recently read :
“Cathedrals were built progressively over decades even centuries without architects without blueprints. The final design was visible only in the end.”

As part of this unfolding conversation I’d like to add a stone or two.

This conversation started by asking three questions:
1: What do you think of The Coaching Commons?
2: Is building it a good use of time, energy, effort?
3: If you could see it be or do anything what would that be?

What is The Coaching Commons? We will look back and know. Yes. It is a good use of time, energy and effort. Last night was the 80th Annual Academy Awards. One of the reporters on the red carpet said this event started as an intimate dinner party. Would these founding
members have ever guessed that 80 years later the world would be showing up for this party? What I do know is many big events start small.

Thank you Ruth Ann Harnisch for launching this party. I am wondering how this site can contribute to the cornerstone of your philanthrophy ( see post 10 ) “unleashing untapped capacity.” This begins to touch on question number three, posed by Andree Lee. I can’t step over that not only has Andrea designed an elegant enviroment for exploring radical possibilities but she took the time to open the door for a beginner with gracious hospitality. (she is helping me get this posted )

I’d like this site to help unleash. How do things get unleashed? How do people get unleashed? What I know for sure is people are afraid. People are afraid of looking stupid publicly and this is one place where you wouldn’t want to – especially in front of your peers.

So to begin to unleash the space has to be safe. I’m not a writer. I am a talker. So the first step is to invite all talkers in to play. Start with a word. One word. A sentence will follow. I highly recommend a book: The way of the small by Michael Gellert. To begin to unleash start small. What is untapped is incredible and extraordinary but the way in is with a micro-movement. Offer a blog/post ambassador. Trust me the first time someone tries something even if it is easy they want hand holding. Not everyone needs this but it would be invaluable to offer a real person who can
help.

I hope this space can celebrate the common ie: coaching commons and create a dialogue that allows all of us to say a word or two at this table. Out of the blue one word leads to another. Thank you fo helping me unleash an untapped capacity.

This is the beginning and I’m encouraging someone who has never written a word for public view to add one stone to this unfolding conversation.

Quote yourself and unleash a word of your own.

Katherine Gotshall English

hallo!

ich habe ja schon geschrieben ,das ich nur die deutschesprache verstehe und auch lesen kann ,ja das ist so ,denn ich bin auch schon 52 jahre alt und ich glaube nicht das ich noch die englischesprache lernen kann !!

also ist es für mich nicht möglich mich bei ihnen zu betätigen ,denn ich kann das was sie so schreiben ,nicht lesen ,okdanke für ihre bemühungen ud ich muß gleich aus dem internet denn es wird mir zu teuer!

also tschau und nochmal danke

Hartmut Hacke
___________________________________________________________________________

Hello!

I have already written that I just understand German, and also can read, and indeed this is so, because I am already 52 years old and I do not believe that I can learn English!

So for me it is not possible to easily respond to the comments. I can write what they are, not read them, ok?! I thank them for their efforts and I must leave immediately from the internet because it is too expensive!

So again thanks and good bye

Hartmut Hacke

Delighted to see this site. I think it is a wonderful concept. At a recent seminar, we were discussing vision and missions. I spoke of the usefulness of having a personal mission. When asked, I replied that at this stage of my life, my goal is to :”Help People Grow”.

I would be happy to contribute to the Coaching Commons, in any way I can.

I am indeed impressed. Once I figure out how to join, I plan to be an active contributor. I am currently involved in one of the newest areas of coaching: Executive Coaching/Anger Management for disruptive physicians. This is niche within a niche.

Ditto Chris Sanders’ comments. Bravo Ruth Ann Harnisch, Andrea J. Lee and the rest of what is clearly a formidable team.

This is already an amazing achievement and I’m sure fills a real need. Thinking back to when in 2002 someone first told me I should look at coaching and I then spent a long weekend trawling the Internet for information, with – in hindsight – predictably mixed results, a site like this, beholden to no school or commercial enterprise, would have been a boon.

Picking up on George Anderson’s “once I figure out how to join”, I have to say that having wandered around the site for the past half hour, a most pleasurably spent half hour may I say and certainly not the last, I am still not clear whether this is a site those of us who are not part of the team just visit and the community is whoever visits or is there “something to join”? I appreciate there is a newsletter we can sign up for, but I feel the site would benefit from an easily found explanation on the joining thing.

Not that I *need* another thing to join, but this is obviously something special and it would be nice to see laid out somewhere some specifics about “participation”, if that is feasible and appropriate.

And Happy First Birthday!

What do you think The Coaching Commons is? Is building it a good use of time, energy, effort? If you could see it be or do anything, what would that be?

I like that this site is non commercial, neutral and non-profit. It’s nice to see an organization reach out to and support coaches.

Coaching changes lives. To support people to bring joy and success into their lives, that’s a gift, a real gift. To support people to discover their own answers is empowering for them and rewarding for a coach. I love celebrating people’s successes,even the small ones.

I am fascinated by the power of coaching and the research being done into positive psychology.

What would I like?
* Resources and tools that any and all coaches can use. The benefits of various coaching models, tools and resources and areas of concern.
* Easy access to the most current research that is a quick read: summarize the points and provide tools and activities that support the coach to support the client.
* As a personal note I wish the site was organized differently to be more intuitive.
* I very much like the idea of a free coaching knowledge wiki. Free ebooks that can be read would also be nice.
* Free courses and workshops to improve skills and knowledge. I want to grow as a coach and become better at it.
* A place where coaches can go if they are dealing with a challenging situation and ask for support.
* Advocating for the coaching community in general.

Dare, thanks so much for these great suggestions. As coaches tell us what they need and want, the Coaching Commons team works to make it happen….