NCCA Notes and Newsletter

26 February 2004

Attendees

Irene, Christine, Joan, Carl, Martha, Bobbie

Announcements

• Christine is "on the edge" with her new program "The Path of a Daughter of the Earth" – about accessing the wise woman tradition.  She just had her first group last Monday, done as a teleconference with 6 people
• Christine's friend, Alex North, has a couple of great marketing classes coming up  www.smallbizoperative.com
• Dorothy Williams is putting on a seminar on marketing books www.selfpublishingresources.com
• Christine has changed her name to a Coaching Business rather than a Coaching Practice. 
• Joan is delivering a workshop at her house in June – A Day of Wisdom Perspective.  Deep and Intimate, aiming for 30 people
• Joan is also collaborating with a psychiatrist in Boston – "Transition Pathways".  Collaborations seem to be working!
• Joan is offering a "Life Purpose Certification" that she talked about at the December party.  She's done it with 15-20 clients so far, people are amazed at the clarity they get by going through the process.  It is ICF certified for 10 hours of training, and gives you certification in walking people through the process.  She help coaches to get past the barriers that clients raise to achieving clarity.
• Joan will be signing her book at a women's conference at the beginning of March.
• Bobbie just attended CTI training with Christine, was impressed, and signed up for Relationship Systems Coaching
• Bobbie is building a labyrinth on her property, and also wants to have an isolated yurt for people to meditate
• Bobbie is thinking about facilitate interfaith community building
• Martha is working more closely with Dave Ellis on Falling Awake
• Carl has been selling books but not at a high rate; he's feeling like his own energy is limiting the growth
• Carl has passed off leadership of the HP Coaching Network to a new group of leaders who are excited and energized.
• Carl has been accepted as a coach for leadership development inside HP
• Irene is moving into Fort Collins and selling her place in Rist Canyon

For Sale:  Mountain property - cozy log home on 70 acres.  Writer’s retreat or full time living. All amenities. Secluded, yet close to town. 45 min. NW of Ft. Collins.  Cute as a button on wooded property.  Occasional deer and wild turkeys included.  Must see for $285k.  Call Irene at 970-484-2592.

• Irene is starting up again with the Coaching Research Symposium.  Organization meeting on 3/8, she's trying to recruit people to help out
• Irene is focusing on adult students and the transformational process they go through
• Irene's PHD dissertation will focus on the relationships that are going on in a coaching conversation

New Officers

• Now's the time to express an interest in continuing or becoming an NCCA officer for the new year

Colorado Regulation

• We're OK so far, the bill is still intact with our mention of Coaching as exempted
• So far so good!
• There are wide divisions in our profession on the definition of coaching itself, and approaches.  We are pretty far apart.

Membership and Dues

• $25 yearly dues are due now!  If you haven't paid, send a check to Martha Conant

  PO Box 273381
  Fort Collins CO 80527

• We will be cleaning up the website to remove people who are no longer members
• There was some discussion about the large number of NCCA members who aren't actively involved in meetings, circles, or activities.
• Creation of membership circle:
  • What would it take to expand membership
  • Do we want to change the rules about what it takes to be a member
  • Should we change the way we meet
  • Joan and Bobbie are starting this, contact Bobbie if you're interested
  • Goal to come back and report at April meeting

Discussion – What do we think is trying to happen here?  (our group, NCCA, our profession)

• It's not about rules, structure, limits – it's about expanding.  Things are bubbling, birth, even chaos.
• Coaching was born out of that – it's not based on the traditional way of organizing and thinking.
• Lately there's been a wanting to go back and find the foundational stuff – the theory connected to current knowledge so we're not reinventing the wheel
• There's similar threads in all the different training programs, there's a desire those threads more clear and how do you describe the variations
• Some people care about that theory, and some don't because they know it works
• It's good that we also have the intuitive, bubbling side
• We're seeing the stabilization of the coaching profession which is necessary for the broad acceptance of coaching – they need to know what coaching is and what they can expect of it
• We're seeing a societal shift in consciousness
• There's a lot of people trying to hold on to what's TRUE in an environment which is shifting dramatically
• The different points of view seem to be solidifying their positions
• People are trying to find new ways to restructure their thinking because things are changing dramatically – it may be a DECADE process
• Coaching came about because Psychology was defined quite rigorously and there was a desire to address needs in a new way
• Maybe coaching is really 26 different professions?
• Coaches see things as inherently creative
• We see people as having a right to direct their own future
• There's value to saying that everybody should have the ability to operate in a "coach-like manner" – dialogue skills

Next meeting

• Subject: deeper discussion about what's going on with our own coaching and practices
• We'll ask Anne to lead that discussion
• April meeting: What is trying to emerge in the NCCA?