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TOPICS
1. Use Training Slides and Manuals to Support Client Learning
2. Valuable Questions Can Guide Choice of Coach Training Organization
3. What's New from Coaching Literature
USE TRAINING SLIDES AND MANUALS TO SUPPORT CLIENT LEARNING
Many coaches who provide services to business clients are often asked for information on particular business topics. We receive requests from coaches for leads regarding overheads, presentations or slides, and manuals on a variety of management, organizational or business topics.
To meet these requests, Peer Resources has formed a strategic alliance with Oak Training, a supplier of over 50 innovative, practical information modules. All of their modules have been designed and tested by senior executives operating within high performance organizations. The fifty topics range from 360 Degree Feedback to Training Needs Analysis; there is even a module on Coaching/Mentoring.
Oak Training has agreed to provide coaches who receive this Coaching News issue a 20% discount off the regular retail price of $30.00. Des Fitzgerald, the Managing Director of Oak Training, Ltd. has provided this special discount as part of his interest in building a community of coaches who want quality resources that they can easily customize for their own use and that of their clients. It is important to note that are no major restrictions on the materials and users can place their own logos or other personalized information on the easily downloadable materials.
In addition to the generous discount above, Oak Training will also make a matching 10% donation to Peer Resources which Peer Resources will donate to a local charity for homeless youth - again reflecting the shared philosophies of community building within both Peer Resources and Oak Training.
To review the list of topics or to learn more about Oak Training, visit the their website at www.oaktraining.com. This 20% discount will only be available following registration and receipt of appropriate passwords through the following email address: peer@oaktraining.com. All orders are typically filled within 72 hours.
VALUABLE QUESTIONS CAN GUIDE CHOICE OF COACH TRAINING ORGANIZATION
The late Thomas Leonard, acknowledged as the founder of the modern coaching discipline, had as one of his goals the availability of 100,000 coaches located around the world. Typical estimates put the number of coaches practicing today at 10,000, and a recent study suggested that number would swell to 50,000 by 2007.
To meet and contribute to these numbers, coach training organizations have multiplied and today at least 125 such organizations provide a variety of courses, certifications, approaches, and services. Choosing a training opportunity can be a daunting task. Efforts have been made to create common standards and an accreditation procedure, however, even among the schools that are accredited, important differences exist. And some high quality schools even reject accreditation as inappropriate or unrelated to their training goals.
Over the last few years Peer Resources has provided a free-service that combines the Internet's most comprehensive list of coach training organizations with a telephone-based "placement" service. As a result of their experience listening to users of this service, the placement coaches at Peer Resources have created a list of questions and suggestions to help individuals make a better choice in selecting a coaching school. Here is their list which is also available on their Coaching Schools descriptions page:
1. Start by making sure you know your own coach training needs and goals. If you are unclear, talk with a coach or other person you experience as a good listener and can challenge your uncertainty or ambivalence and help you determine your need, goals and preferences.
2. Search for coaches who are doing the kind of work you are doing and find out from them what they did to prepare themselves for the role.
3. Contact the prospective school and find out how long they have been in business and what they can tell you about their financial stability.
4. Find out about the qualifications and experience of the school leaders and instructors.
5. Ask the school for the names of current participants or graduates so that you can interview them to learn the gritty details.
6. Ask the school how it tracks the progress of its graduates and solicits feedback from graduates about the role the school played in their current work life.
7. Enquire about the percentage of recent graduates who are actually working as successful coaches. Ask them about their definition of successful.
8. Find out what they can offer you prior to actually enrolling such as a sample newsletter, a free telecourse, or other activity that can help you learn how they operate and the quality of their interactions.
9. Determine what policy the school has for return of tuition or refunds (including reimbursement to you should the school cease operations).
10. Examine the school's website to assess the degree to which they are connected to the professional coaching community.
11. Find out what system they have for resolving disputes, including a difference of viewpoint regarding the degree to which your previous experience counts towards completion requirements.
12. Find out which other coaching school(s) have a reciprocal arrangement with them for transferability of courses and activities.
WHAT'S NEW FROM COACHING LITERATURE
Peer Resources continually scans the professional and popular published literature to find articles of interest to coaches. A recent addition to the searchable, <www.peer.ca/SearchB.html>annotated bibliography includes:
Kampa-Kokesch, S. & Anderson, M. Z. (2001). Executive coaching: A comprehensive review of the literature. Consulting Psychology Journal: Practice and Research, 53, 205-226.
The Coaching News is provided to subscribers every 45-60 days by Peer Resources <www.peer.ca/coaching.html>. To become a member of the Peer Resources Network and receive a more comprehensive monthly publication as well as the only print magazine on coaching, visit www.peer.ca/PRN.html or call 1.800.567.3700 in North America or 1.250.595.3503 outside of North America. To be removed from this mailing list send an email to <info@peer.ca>.
All articles and information included in this newsletter have been prepared by Rey Carr and all copyrights are held by Peer Resources. To submit information or articles for possible inclusion in future issues, please send an email to coachingnews@peer.ca.
