International Women's Day
Submitted by bron.bi on Tue, 03/08/2011 - 10:33
Today is International Women's Day. On this day every year many activities are organised by women. Last year to celebrate the 100th International Women's Day, events occured all over the world. You can read about them here. Today is a day to acknowledge women for the work they do around the world. Of all the coaches around the world, most are women. A survey done a few years back noted that around 80% of coaches are women. Women are the major contributors in the helping profession of which coaching is a part.
In Edgar Schein's book 'Helping' he explains how being "thrust into the role of helper is immediately a gain in status and power-literally if I help someone up who has fallen, or symbolically if I am a counsellor, consultant or coach who is being asked to provide wisdom and expertise to solve a problem.'
However today is a day to celebrate all those women who did not accept the status and power in their role as helper. This is possible through recognising that a coach is not an advisor but rather a person who empowers another to seek their inner wisdom and expertise.
Bill Gates and High School speech
Submitted by bron.bi on Mon, 03/07/2011 - 17:51
I read today a list of 11 rules Bill Gates believes are not taught in schools and should be. Each rule is based on some large assumptions and judgements that Gates makes. They include judgements around teenagers being untidy, lazy, blameful, dreamers. This speech Gates gave highlights for me that he is not in touch with teenagers and the many pressures they face in school today. Every teenager is reminded daily of the grades they need and the results they must achieve. They are reminded also of how their grades reflect the school they are going to and their parents needs for them.
We are living in times where being the top is expected of every child, yet we know there is only one top position. Children today are expected to take extracurriula activities, to study for hours on length, to find that child genius inside them to make their parents proud. Their social activites are curbed during their school years and so too are their hobbies and passions.
Yet when they complete all their studies and arrive at their first day of a new job the most important attributes needed are social skills. In addition they are required to be creative and flexible yet they have just left a system where they are required to follow a very strict pathway and to stop creative activities ie hobbies, passions etc. Read more »
Three important Values
Submitted by bron.bi on Fri, 03/04/2011 - 16:14
There are three values that I am really aligned with. They are integrity, humility and gratitiude. I recently read a book by Dr. Wayne Dyer, The Power of Intention and he mentioned the same values. Here is what these values represent for me-
1. Integrity - say what you say you are going to do - follow through on your promises. Be in integrity with yourself and also with others.
2. Humility - This is the place where our awareness is healthy. We notice what others contribute and we can acknolwedge their great work. We put our ego aside and create a space for those around us to be seen and recognised.
3. Gratitude - We are thankful for the people and communities we work and live within. We express this through our actions, giving unconditionally. We are also open to receiving from those around us as well.
When we practice these three values we see changes within ourselves and around us. We see greater leadership and changes in workplace cultures.
What are your three values you are most aligned with?
It's time
Submitted by bron.bi on Thu, 03/03/2011 - 13:33
For some time now I have ben wanting to write up in this blog everyday but hey things happen and I just never got around to it. Well now is the time to do so. I want to start dsicussing how we work and how we need to change the way we work. So let me begin and please feel free to jump in and respond.
I was recently having a conversation about Leadership. What does Leadership mean? We debated back and forth. Is someone who has taken people or their country or company to horendous ends a leader? If someone is followed for evil or wrong doing, does this make them a leader? There are many definitions of leadership and one could go to that place if you wanted to get the exact meaning. But what is exactness anyway - someone else's meaning of the word. Read more »
The Blame Game
Submitted by kurt.stewart on Fri, 03/12/2010 - 00:05
“Come on down Peter, come on down Mary, come on down John, come on down everyone. You are about to begin the blame game. Step up to your little stand and on the count of three yell out all the names of the people and situations in life you would like to blame for not being rich, successful or happy. Ready the countdown begins, 3……2………..1 Go!”
Names are being yelled out left right and centre, screaming voices are heard, anger in building. Finally the bell sounds to end the blame game.
“Okay we have a winner. The person who yelled the most names, who was the angriest, who was the most excited about naming names, who wanted to blame everyone is contestant number 4. Come on down winner of the blame game. You are officially the angriest most blaming person here today. You are the greatest victim here. So tell us contestant number four, what kind of a life do you have?” Read more »
On being overly significant
Submitted by kurt.stewart on Mon, 03/08/2010 - 18:41
Sometimes we can’t help it – we get caught up in our lives, wound up about issues, work, relationships and a thousand little things that build up throughout the day. And we can get weighed down by it all. Maybe we take ourselves a little too seriously sometimes too.
We talk about this in one of our coaching tools called “Lightness v. Significance”. We look at what happens when we become “significant”- and some ways to shift our perspective to a lighter, more positive one.
What is Significance? Here is a Buddhist tale that illustrates what happens when we become overly significant.
A young monk was traveling with an older monk. Along the way, they came to a stream where a beautiful woman was standing, afraid to cross. Without hesitating, the old monk picked her up, carried her over the water and placed her down safely on the other side. The young monk was shocked but said nothing. They walked on until they reached their destination. Finally, the young monk, who was so disturbed by what he had seen, could hold back no longer.
“Why,” he asked angrily, “ did you carry that young woman across the stream. We monks have rules – it is forbidden to touch women!” Read more »
Welcome to Lobii!
Submitted by kurt.stewart on Fri, 12/04/2009 - 22:32
Welcome to Lobii!
Lobii is our vision of the possible. It’s where we want to realize coaching’s full potential. It’s the beginning of a growing, worldwide community of people.
Coaches, yes, but also teachers, parents, health professionals, doctors, executives, psychologists – in short, people dedicated to adding their skills and experience to the growth of human development.
Lobii is the name we’ve given to this new company. It is the result of International Coach Academy’s 8 years of experience in the coach training business. While ICA continues to focus on the profession of coaching and professional training, Lobii will be looking to the future of what coaching can become.
With Lobii, we are beginning a process of discovery. We ask the questions, “ How else can these coaching principles be developed?” and “Where else can we apply them?”
Lobii is open to anyone curious to find out answers to these questions and future questions that the coaching profession, as it stretches and grows, will be answering.
Find out more about our project of discovery and register with us as we expand coaching worldwide into new and unexplored territory.
Cheers
Kurt Stewart
