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Where are the non-starters?

Comments about Co-active Summit Pathway voting from Master Coach Steve Mitten:

Aye, ye, ye….I thought this process of choosing a few favourite pathways would be easy. Usually, in program descriptions to any coaching conference I have been to, it is a quick job to rule out the “non starters”. 

Not so here.  There is a lot of really good meat to sink your teeth into.

So, since I was interested in almost everything, I took the approach of “what do I think would be of most value to the greatest number of coaches?”

From this perspective, 2 offerings really jump out at me.

First, I think pathway Number 11 – Integral Spiral Dynamics – will help coaches gain valuable tools to be able to look at their clients and the world with a developmental perspective. (This is a very powerful model and perspective and it will definitely help you coach, work and market more effectively.)

The other one that jumps out is Number 13 – Overcoming Immunity to Change.  I believe this work, so nicely explored in Kegan’s book (Immunity to Change), will help coaches understand the important differences between a technical and an adaptive change, and perhaps provide a few very concrete tools to move their clients forward past their most thorny obstacles.

The last thought I had while going through the pathways, was “what might be missing”, or, “what else should be here”.

While we are definitely following our collective passion for growth and exploration, I would suggest a few offerings relating to how to gain more commercial traction in your coaching practice, might also be of great interest and use to a large number of coaches.  (This is a huge need and hunger in our tribe.)

Great observation, Steve! Anyone want to suggest a topic they feel is missing?

  • Hey Steve- thank you for your perspective. As a presenter, I wanted to elaborate on our project a bit- #10 IMAGE CYCLING. In this workshop John Hinrichsen and I are leading a pathway of mind/body awareness where we will lead a unique spinning class which will take each participant through the coaching experience. The workshop offers an alternative way to coach that will shift your clients mentally and physically through motion with motivating music and incredible images that will have them hooked and wanting more. Please dive into John's website for more info:www.imagecycling.com. Our quest is to stop stepping over the alarming trends we are seeing in the obesity levels worldwide by shifting into a new definition of "fitness". Through movement we tap into creativity and the pedaling of a bike can help our clients open up their creativity, while pumping their heart, taking in the sites and having fun. Remember how much fun it was to to bike with your friends? Hope to see you there Steve! Maryellen May

  • Ok - well you've asked for suggestions/opinions! Firstly, well done everyone who is behind this Summit - it is really hard to organise and plan a massive event like this. And this is your first one - and there will be great things that will happen as well things that the organisation will learn from in order to grow and mature as an organisation. I also think it's great how many people put together thoughtful and well-thought out proposals for workshops - what fantastic creativity we have in this community!

    What I would like to see in the agenda of this Summit is some debate and discussion - sometimes there is very passionate debate on the coactive network which unfortunately often decends into attacking and position holding. But in the right environment, with creative techniqes and moderation - wow, some of debate topics that the network focusses on could be electric, they could generate new ways of thinking even.

    If I was going to the Summit (I'm not going because financially I've spent about £20,000 with CTI on core curriculam/certification/leadership in the past few years and I need to pay down debt - not add another £2000 to it! ) I'd want to explore issues like how integral to coaching is to the desire to change the world - we all know some of us think coaching is merely about personal growth and others think it's also about holding an agenda for the whole world. Is social change/politics incompatiable with coaching?

    I'd like to see people talking about pro-bono coaching - giving examples of how they do this in practice and the difference it makes. I'm thinking of my friend Moyra Weston begin_of_the_skype_highlighting     end_of_the_skype_highlighting who has been tirelessly leading a movement of coaches committed to providing pro-bono coaching for clients of not-for-profit groups who wouldn't ever benefit from it. Or Coaching for Kids - or Dave Ellis (he is an amazing speaker - we have invited him to the May European Co-Active Community Day in May). Again, you could have some debate - there is a strong views within the coaching community that doesn't approve or agree with pro-bono coaching - discuss it!

    It would be interesting to have people who are involved in global movements - that are creating change in many different ways. People doing Change Labs (Adam Kahane), processwork, Art of Hosting, World Cafe's.... even if they are from outside our community.

    And I'd like some discussions about this big ole' Co-Active community/tribe and the relation of this community to CTI . Are we part of a movement - really ? Or are we stakeholders? Or are we simply customers of CTI who buy services/products from the organisation BUT who create our own tribes? Are there tribes within the co-active community? Maybe you could give some space to those tribes to meet.

    And finally - what is the spirit/level 3 I would want at this summit? One of inclusiveness, generousity, flow, CURIOUSITY - I'd like to feel people are curious about me and, are curious about each other - no matter what your rank at CTI is, no matter whether you've paid more for a premium ticket, no matter whether you are a leader or not. That's why I love ALIA (Authentic Leadership in Action) - you immediately feel part of something, that people want to know you and what you think. ALIA was listed as the number one leadership event by the Washington post and is generally acknowledged to an organisation that is leading a movement - a movement of Authentic Leadership. I recommend their 'Little Book of Authentic Leadership Practice' - it has great suggestions for how to organise gatherings that are full of values like generousity and inclusiveness. (Find out more about ALIA here - http://www.aliainstitute.org/institute/home.html )

    Anyway, I'm not so interested in marketing for coaches or business development. I feel like I've developed my coaching practice fairly successfully - it has taken 3 years but I'm now feeling like I have built a growing coaching practice - there are thousands of books out there on marketing, nicheing, developing your profit on the web, social marketing - I've read and applied alot of what I have read. And I don't think there is any shortage of this information out there - sometimes I think people just delay the actual DOING it - you need to experiment, play and get out there. But maybe you could have a panel discussion with people who have built a their coaching practices - maybe over one of the lunches or early evenings perhaps?

    That was ONE LONG COMMENT I know! If you have reached the end of this comment, thank you for your patience!

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