Coaching Collaboration Reaches New Heights Down Under
By Mark Joyella

It seems there's little that coaches aren't willing to work on in 2010--they are ready to join forces and tackle the toughest topics.

In this year of cooperation and collaboration--with coaching associations working together, and international researchers joining forces--a coalition of coaches in Australia are at work developing a set of executive coaching standards that could potentially become government guidelines for the coaching profession.

"The Coaching Standards project is certainly making significant progress," said Peter Zarris, who serves as Chair of the Coaching Psychology Interest Group. Zarris says the work being done down under will "change the landscape of how workplace coaching is both perceived and utilized here in Australia."

Coaches in Australia will get their first look at the standards in the form of an Executive Coaching Handbook, a draft of which will be released for public comment in July. Many coaches say after hearing about the project's work, they're eager to see the document. Others, privately, admit they're "a little dubious about what our government is going to get us into," as one coach put it. Read story.

May Quote: Present

"The future depends on what we do in the present."

- Mahatma Gandhi                                                     

Who is Mahatma Gandhi?

Good News! Get Paid To Write For The Coaching Commons
By Linda Ballew

Coaching News - Past

In 2006, I began researching coaching news stories for The Chronicle of Coaching, a weekly global news roundup offered on the (now retired) Foundation of Coaching website.

Back then, it was a challenge to find credible news stories about professional coaching.

In 2009, when The Foundation of Coaching transitioned to The Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital, a Harvard Medical School Affiliate, news and feature stories about coaching were not only easy to find - combing through the daily feeds became time consuming, tedious - AND very exciting.

When The Chronicle of Coaching was archived and the Coaching Commons took over reporting the news to our readers, a new challenge was born - there were SO MANY coaching stories, that reporting only once each week created a long and exhausting document for our readers to view.

Coaching News - Present

We updated the reporting format and the Commons now gathers and prints the latest global coaching news every day - 7 days a week.

Also in 2009, the Coaching Commons hired its own Coach Reporter, the first journalist to exclusively cover the "coaching beat," writing original news and feature stories for the Coaching Commons audience.

And we appreciate our many readers, coaches and researchers who have volunteered their coaching blogs and stories to the Coaching Commons as guest contributors. (Applause to Vikki Brock, who volunteers snapshots of Coaching History each week.)

New News

The thrilling next step is an invitation to our community of coaches/writers (and to freelance journalists and reporters) to pitch stories to our Editorial Team, and if the story is accepted, write for the Coaching Commons and get paid! Read how.

Start Each Day with the Coaching Headlines

Executive Coaching Family CEOs: Mom and Dad
By Mark Joyella

Perhaps there's no other company in the world that puts out a product as important as the family. And like the best corporations, some coaches believe the best families know the power of good coaching. "Being a parent is the most sacred work we do," says Gloria DeGaetano, a parent coach and the founder of the Parent Coaching Institute, which has been training parent coaches since 2000.

"Partly, parent coaching can support and relieve anxiety and worry and also support parents to be their best for their children, just like we have coaches for CEOs and business managers-and parents sure are the CEOs of their home and really deserve the best support they can get." Read story or listen to podcast.

Coaching History: 1996 Book - Coaching Knock Your Socks Off Service
Written by Ron Zemke and Kristin Anderson of Performance Research Associates, Coaching Knock Your Socks Off Service looks at shifting from boss to coach.

As with many of the books written during the mid-1990s, this book presents a four step coaching 'conference' for the boss - what today we would call a conversation. Read more. Read more.

May Coaching Question: From Nancy Powers

"What Inspires You about You?"

Read more of our reader list of brilliant coaching questions.(And submit your own!) 

Reflections from a Coach: CAM - 200 Master Coaches Meet on Sacred Ground May 12- 15, 2010
by Suzi Pomerantz

Nestled in 193,000 acres at the foot of the majestic Sandia Mountains on the sacred ground of the Tamayame tribe of New Mexico, 200 master coaches from around the world convened for four days of frolicking, friendship, and fabulosity at CAM10: Converations Among Masters 2010.

The event was infused with native tribal symbols, from the blessings for friendship and prosperity we each received with a painted corn necklace, the tribal flute music that opened the conference, the welcome prayer in the native tongue of a member of the Bald Eagle Clan, the tribal decorations, to the peaceful wisdom of the mountain.

It was apparent from the outdoor dinner the first night; this is a gathering of the Who's Who of the coaching world. Founding members of associations, training programs, authors, researchers and philanthropists milled about, reuniting. Reading nametags was a trip through the hallowed halls of coaching's best. Read story.

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