How have you earned the right to coach?

What an incredibly provocative question, especially when posed to new students as they take their first classes, but even more so for seasoned coaches to respark their creativity and inspiration around coaching.

I do remember how uncomfortable I was in my first two classes as CoachVille. In our first breakout session, as everyone introduced themselves I felt small. I was in a breakout with seasoned coaches with MBA’s and degrees in social work and psychology and I wondered how I fit into this field called coaching.

How had I Iearned the right to coach was always in the back of my mind.

You all don’t know me well enough to know this yet, but I talk…A LOT. Enough to have my family insist the “help I’m talking and I can’t stop” novelty t-shirt was designed with me in mind. Enough that when I took my ACC live practicum for the ICF I had a 24” x 36” piece of paper with a large magic marker note on it that exclaimed in LARGE letters – STOP TALKING.

Yet…in my first two classes, I was the silent, lurking wallflower who contributed little and tried very hard to come up with excellent reasons why I couldn’t participate in breakouts. Yes, it is true “not now I have a headache” does not work so well in class either, especially when an energized Dave answers back. “OH COME ON…YOU CAN TRY! I WILL PUT YOU IN YOUR GROUP ANYWAY!”

Knowing more about how I earned the right to coach would have changed the whole process for me from day one. Instead of thinking in terms of education, training or degree (don’t get me wrong, I LOVE learning and will collect degrees and education like Real Housewives collect plastic surgery) I should have been thinking about how I played the game already.

Instead of comparing myself to others, I should have been looking inside and asking, have I walked the talk I want to coach? Have I played big and will I continue to play bigger? Rather then questioning my credentials I should have been looking how being different gave me the right to coach.

How have you earned the right to coach? What kind of person makes a great coach?

CoachVille and the Center for Coaching Mastery have a belief that clearly and cleanly sums up on who will be an extraordinary coach:

1) You have been a good player (or a great player in at least one of the many games of life
AND / OR you have an approach to life that has proven successful for you.

When you get started as a Coach, the basis of your credibility comes from your own life accomplishments.

The games of life that you could look to include: business, career, health, romance, leadership, athletics, family. Or any of the many unique skills that are a part of these games like: sales, networking, management, eating well, dating, speaking, creating a vision, increasing speed or parenting.

Anything that can be developed as a useful skill can be coached.

An APPROACH to life could be something like: attraction, creativity, integrity, inner awareness, relationship building and MANY others that you may have learned or developed on your own.

Important: be VERY WARY of a common tendency to undervalue what you have achieved. If you feel good about your accomplishments, that is good enough.

2) You continue to LOVE the game, even if you don’t play the game anymore.
You have to LOVE the thing you are coaching in order for people to want you as their coach! e.g.. you may LOVE management and coach managers even if you are now an entrepreneur in your own business.

If you are going to coach around an approach to life, then you MUST be living and loving that approach every day.

3) You LOVE helping other people play better and win on their own terms.
You get great enjoyment from seeing other people develop, grow and succeed.

This is an essential quality of a Coach: the absolute JOY you feel when you help other people win.
You also have to be able to challenge people when they are not living up to their own standards – sometimes you have to be TOUGH!
You also have to be able to BE THERE when your player is facing BIG challenges without getting sucked into the story or drama.

4) You have the COURAGE to play BIG in the world.

You must be keep playing big, expanding your comfort zone – even if the game changes – in order for you to have solid integrity when you challenge your players to play big. Your past successes are important but you can’t rest on your laurels if you want to thrive.

5) You are a force in the world for good.

Coaching is leadership. As a Coach you are a LEADER in the Play BIG – in the world – Revolution. No Joke. You have to know that what you do every day as a coach plays a part in making the world a better place; this attitude is vital to sustainable success. Of course you will have your good days and bad just like your players do, but you need a solid core to keep playing and coaching in the face of your own challenges. YOU KNOW that the challenges you face are PERFECT for you as they mold you into the force you desire to be. Human Greatness only emerges in the face of challenges.

So ask yourself…

What games have you played REALLY BIG in the world and you will find why you’ve earned the right to coach. In the games that you’ve played well you also  will find the inspiration you need to play bigger as a coach NOW,  in these games lie the stories that will inspire potential clients to hire you, in those games lie your brand, your voice and your impact on the world of coaching!

Ask yourself…how…have YOU earned the right to coach?

A great class for those newly considering this question is The Become A Coach Game, it is an amzing opportunity to try both coaching and CoachVille on for size, a test drive if you will!

And for the coaching growing their practice and even for the seasoned coaching looking for new inspiration, Business Academy –Step Up and Stand Out – find your voice and inspiration and really recognize your brand.

For more information click on the links:

Become A Coach – 21 Day Game    ***   Learn if Coaching & CoachVille are RIGHT for YOU!

http://blog.coachville-220824.mystagingwebsite.com/?page_id=285

Invest: $21
Become A Coach – 21 Days Game
Wednesdays 2PM ET – 8:00PM ET
Nov 29, Dec 6, 13, 20, 27 ; 2010
Instructor: Deanna Stull, ACC

Step Up and Stand Out – How & Who have you earned the right to coach?

http://blog.coachville-220824.mystagingwebsite.com/?page_id=65

Step Up and Stand Out – Business Academy – Module 1 – 022311-2P
Feb 23, 2011 02:00-04:30pm,
Mar 2,9,16,23,30, 2011 02:00-04:30pm
Instructor: Deanna Stull, ACC

Step Up and Stand Out – Business Academy – Module 1 – 022311-8P
Feb 23, 2011 08:00-10:30pm,
Mar 2,9,16,23,30, 2011 08:00-10:30pm
Instructor: Terri Zelenak – Hase, PCC

TO REGISTER:

To Register…
1) Register as a CV Member (see the buttons in the upper right side of this page)
OR Login using your existing membership ID and Password

2) Click on the Registration Center Tab (under the main banner)

3) In the center column find the Become A Coach Or Step Up & Stand Out Link (click it)

4) Find the time and payment option you want and click the Register Button