It's Valentine's Day, and I’m on my home from the monthly ICF-OC dinner meeting. I’m already in trouble at home for being gone on Valentine's Day, and, to make matters worse, someone at the meeting decided to honor the special occasion by serving sugar cookies instead of the usual warm chocolate chip cookies. (What was that person thinking!?) One of the main reasons I enjoy going to the ICF-OC dinner meetings is to have one of those big, warm, delicious chocolate chip cookies!
But, having now worked through my disappointment, I would like to share with you the top ten things I learned at that very informative meeting:
#1: "Learn from a great speaker"
February's speaker was Jonathan Good, who talked about social networks. At first I thought, “I’m already married, so how will this help my coaching business?” But was I ever wrong! After listening to Jonathan, I’ve decided what I’ll do with all the requests I’ve recently received to join “LinkedIn” networks. Jonathan is a very nice guy and also very passionate about social networking (which, by the way, has nothing to do with dating). Jonathan explained what social networking is and how to use it to grow my coaching business. Now the whole package of web sites, blogs, and social networks makes more sense to me; I realize that it can help me find new clients in a more effective way. But there’s one more step I have to take to make this newfound knowledge really valuable: I know that other coaches will be talking about their new social networks at our next monthly meeting, so I had better finish filling out my profile for LinkedIn. (Is that what they mean by “accountability”?)
#2: "Actively participate in beneficial networking"
I met somebody new while standing in the registration line for the dinner (who
was that redhead at the registration table, anyway?), and I met the two people who sat next to me at dinner. I also met the speaker, Jonathan Good, and had the benefit of working with him one-on-one during the "touchy feely" exercises that all coaches seem to love (see #3). Then, of course, there was the scheduled networking time we offer every month. This is the time when I usually stand around trying not to look out of place, watching everybody else talk in small groups as if they came to the meeting with their best friends. But not this time! First I was assigned to a small group of coaches and given a topic to discuss. Then someone from each group was asked to stand up and share with the rest of the room what we discussed. (Wow! The other groups were really smart.) I was encouraged to meet, talk to, and listen (see #3) to four new people about my business and me. This exercise really fit in with the theme for this year, "alliances," which encourages you to get to know other coaches who can help you network and grow your business.
#3 "Sharpen my coaching skills at the BCE"
BCE meetings are not about Booze, Candy, and Entertainment! (But that might be kind of entertaining, now that I think about it.) These Business and Coaching Excellence monthly workshops offer new tools to help sharpen your coaching skills by practicing with other coaches. (Here comes the "touch feely" part!) Imagine my surprise when I discovered a cool new way to have conversations with people! I used to think that I was a good listener, but this exercise took me to a whole new level. (The big bonus came when I went home and practiced it with my wife. Now there’s a new idea—actually listening without giving advice! I wonder if the rest of the coaching world knows about this?) At the end, I even received a certificate for continuing education credits that the ICF requires for coaching credentials.
#4: "Grow my business through new marketing ideas"
I learned about a great new marketing tool with the social networking concept. During the networking exercise I met another coach whom I might work with. And the BCE workshop helped me improve my listening skills, which should help me retain my existing clients. But wait! It doesn’t end here! At next month's meeting, I’m going to bring 3 x 5 cards to hand out during the networking exercise. On one side of the card, I’ll describe my ideal client; on the other side, I’ll write how I can solve my client’s challenges. This ties into the ICF-OC theme of "alliances" as we will share these cards with one another other and discover how we can work together or help one another grow our practices.
#5 to #10:
What? Did you think this was a talk show or something? I don't really have ten things to say, and, besides, I think I made my point. Even though I was disappointed about the absence of the chocolate chip cookies, I still obtained great benefits from attending the ICF-OC meeting this month!
Please join us at next month's meeting, and be sure to introduce yourself to me at the dessert table. I'll be waiting there with a chocolate chip cookie just for you!
See you in March!
Doug Gfeller, MCC
President, ICF-Orange County Chapter |
