Earning an ICF Credential, Teresa Saxton

Earning an ICF Credential

Here at CCF we get a lot of inquiries about ICF credentialing and the impact it has on the coaching community.  As many of you already know, ICF has recently updated its credentialing program to reflect the rapid changes in the coaching industry and to ensure a standard of competency among coaching professionals.

Many coaches I’ve spoken with have expressed concerns over the impact this will have on them and their ability to either gain or maintain their ICF credentials.  Attached is a link to an excellent webinar and presentation created by ICF to help clarify the credentialing process.  The presentation also contains the steps to gaining an ICF credential and some great tips on preparing for the oral exam.

For coaches who currently hold an ICF credential, CCF offers an excellent CCEU program to deepen your coaching skills at a very reasonable rate.  We are approved by the ICF to issue 1.0 CCEU (Continued Coach Education Unit) credit under “Core Competencies”.   To get more information on this valuable program click on the link to the CCF page:  http://chicagocoachfederation.org/meetings-events.cfm?id=66 

As always, the CCF board is here to serve you:  The Chicago Coaching Community!  Please feel free to reach out to any of the CCF board members if you have any questions about ICF credentialing or the benefits of becoming a member of the Chicago Coach Federation.

Teresa is President Elect of the Chicago Coach Federation and Founder & Principal of Saxton Coaching & Consulting Services focusing on professional financial organization and coaching individuals around their personal relationship with money. Her company advises coaches, professionals, entrepreneurs and small businesses in financial best practices, including optimal legal entity selection, accounting system conversion, implementation, training & support, budgeting and goal setting.  Her goal:  to ensure that all her clients can focus 100% of their attention on growing successful businesses.

Message from the President April

Message from The President

April 2012

Early Spring or Early Summer?

1.      Life is full of miracles. This year is no exception.  We have actually enjoyed the Midwest winter in earnest, including sporadic snowfalls. My life has completely turned around because of my association with CCF.  Our intention of ‘Connect and Grow’ has really begun to grow on me. Connect in every interaction and grow with every connection is becoming a conscious choice. As president of CCF I have met many great leaders on the board, speakers and coaches of high acclaim, new and experienced coaches, students from around the world, and great coaches like you. Here are some of the amazing things I have learned so far. Do not take anything for granted. Life is given, living it is a choice. Keep an open mind. Do what my heart says, and let the head support it. Do not judge people based on my experiences. Remain open to any opportunity to learn. Do things I have never done before. Learn from every critiques, advice and opportunity. It has put me in a place where I experience joy and peace more frequently, and make forward movement more sustainable.  How about you?

Midwest Regional Conference (MRC)

2.      Just heard that the deadline for early bird has been extended to April 6, 2012. Whew! Just if you were on the fence, jump right in. I am going to the MRC (icf-midwestregionalconference.com). The website is complete and information packed. – the keynotes, session presenters, exhibitor opportunities, volunteer opportunities and registration information are all there. You can register at will. Registering before April 6 2012 makes it Early Bird and saves you $100/- off the already low registration investment. Having attended ICF conference last year in Las Vegas, I can sense it is going to be at par in coach experience and value. I feel the excitement in the air. Join my team of, at least,200 coaches from Chicago land.

a.       While there, you can enhance you joy even further by giving a fraction of your time to volunteer for one of the sessions – a minimum of two hours of your time. Two hours to know and introduce one of the presenters and facilitate the session. Imagine meeting someone you have not known before, learning from them, learning about their audience, and meeting them. I think it will be cool. If you have never been in public light before, here is your first chance to start out slow and feel the feel. Who knows, you might become one of the speakers next time around because of this experience. We need 50-60 kind hearted and energetic coaches (my heroes) to come forward and experience joy. Want to rise even higher – become the general coordinator to manage this entire activity. Let me know and I can explain more about it.  Volunteering has its own rewards.

Renew Your Membership

3.      Membership renewal is in full swing. Hope you have already renewed your membership or are in the process now to continue the membership benefits uninterrupted. I find ICF to be a great organization where I can learn a lot in becoming a very effective coach and benefit the coach community. Remember at CCF we love you and will continue to work for enhanced value for the coach community. We are ‘all things coaching’ and we mean it.

4.      Its that leadership time, again at CCF. Want to make a difference in the Coaching community? Are you ready to show up as a leader? Are you full of ideas and inspiration that you have wanted to share? Then perhaps it’s time to be a part of the 2012-13 CCF board. There’s an easy way to see if it’s a right fit for you. Jump in and try out one of our committees. Make a big splash!

Here are a few team opportunities to think of…

a.       Programming—first hand interaction with top names in the Coaching industry as you help our team locate, schedule, and coordinate our monthly meetings and special events.

b.      Alliance—foster and explore relationships with other organizations as well as regional chapters.

c.       Membership—design new ways to engage with our coaching membership.

d.      Marketing—effectively spread the word of all our opportunities and events through our website and newsletter, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

e.       And many more like the blog master, etc.… just ask.

f.       If you know of someone who you would want to nominate, please let us know that too.

Chicago Coach Federation is the place where you matter. Tell us what you think and what else we can do to make your membership much more exciting and worth your while. Weam ready to listen. E-mail me: citkam@gmail.com.

Let me conclude with one of the frequently used term from the movie Hunger Games, “May the odds be always in your favor’.

Sincerely,

Kam Gupta

CCF 2011-12 President

Message from The President

April 2012

Early Spring or Early Summer?

1.       Life is full of miracles. This year is no exception.  We have actually enjoyed the Midwest winter in earnest, including sporadic snowfalls. My life has completely turned around because of my association with CCF.  Our intention of ‘Connect and Grow’ has really begun to grow on me. Connect in every interaction and grow with every connection is becoming a conscious choice. As president of CCF I have met many great leaders on the board, speakers and coaches of high acclaim, new and experienced coaches, students from around the world, and great coaches like you. Here are some of the amazing things I have learned so far. Do not take anything for granted. Life is given, living it is a choice. Keep an open mind. Do what my heart says, and let the head support it. Do not judge people based on my experiences. Remain open to any opportunity to learn. Do things I have never done before. Learn from every critiques, advice and opportunity. It has put me in a place where I experience joy and peace more frequently, and make forward movement more sustainable.  How about you?

Midwest Regional Conference (MRC)

2.       I am going to the MRC (icf-midwestregionalconference.com). The website is complete and information packed. – the keynotes, session presenters, exhibitor opportunities, volunteer opportunities and registration information are all there. You can register at will. Registering before April I, 2012 (no fools day here) makes it Early Bird and saves you $100/- off the already low registration investment. Having attended ICF conference last year in Las Vegas, I can sense it is going to be at par in coach experience and value. I feel the excitement in the air. Join my team of at least 200 coaches from Chicago land.

While there, you can enhance you joy even further by giving a fraction of your time to volunteer for one of the sessions. Just two hours of your time, to know and introduce one of the presenters and facilitate the session. Imagine meeting someone you have not known before, learning from them, learning about their audience, and meeting them. I think it will be cool. If you have never been in public light before, here is your first chance to start out slow and feel the feel. Who knows, you might become one of the speakers next time around because of this experience. We need 50-60 kind hearted and energetic coaches (my heroes) to come forward and experience joy. Want to rise even higher – become the general coordinator to manage this entire activity. Let me know and I can explain more about it. Volunteering has its rewards.

Renew Your Membership

3.       Membership renewal is in full swing. Hope you have already renewed your membership or are in the process now to continue the membership benefits uninterrupted. I find ICF to be a great organization where I can learn a lot in becoming a very effective coach and benefit the coach community. Remember at CCF we love you and will continue to work for enhanced value for the coach community. We are ‘all things coaching’ and we mean it.

Chicago Coach Federation is the place where you matter. Tell us what you think and what else we can do to make your membership much more exciting and worth your while. We am ready to listen. E-mail me: citkam@gmail.com.

Let me conclude with one of the frequently used term from the movie Hunger Games, “May the odds be always in your favor’.Let’s stay connected and grow from our experiences. Stay in the positive.

Sincerely,

Kam Gupta

Message from the President, Kam Gupta:

Important Messages of value: MER and MRC and ICW:

1. ICF Membership and Member Eligibility (MER)

ICF has redefined and aligned its membership requirements. These requirements will go into effect March 2013. So we have one year to make sure we are in compliance to remain ICF members. ICF remains the leader when it comes to defining coaching profession. So, what they say and do matters. Here is a brief outline:

a. If you are an accredited member of ICF – such as ACC, PCC or MCC – you meet all the requirements. You can continue to renew as before.

b. If you are a member of ICF and have gone through sixty hrs of coach training by an institution accredited by ICF (such as iPEC, CTI, and many others), you meet the requirements of remaining ICF members. Continue to renew as usual.

IF you do not meet the requirements of b. above you have following options:

i.                    If you are a member of ICF renew your membership and complete the requirements by this time next year.

ii.                  If you are not an ICF member, its time to become one. Enroll in a coaching institute and accumulate sixty hrs of training by this time next year and start enjoying all the benefits right now. ICF and CCF are two great places to belong for Chicagoland coaches.

You can review complete details and information on www.coachfederation.org.

2. Midwest Regional Conference (MRC)

Be amongst the select coaches to attend the upcoming Midwest Regional Conference in C.H.I.C.A.G.O. June 22 and 23, 2012, with an opening reception on Jyne 21 at 7:00 pm. Packed with high impact Keynote speaker, MC, and session presenters, this conference is bound to draw nationwide acclaim. My vision is to bring with me at least 200 members from Chicago Community. Early registration will save you money and enhance value. We are already looking at many other ideas about networking, get-to-gathers, and fun activities that it might become fun filled learning environment throughout. And it is packed with 12+ CCEUs.  Early registration ends soon. If you plan to attend, I’ll like to know. If you plan to give part of your expertise to make this conference even more effective and meaningful, let me know too. I will forward your interest to MRC committees. Visit: www.icf-midwestregionalconference.com.

3. International Coaching Week (ICW)

First week in February was ICW. Send me your sharing activities that made this week so special for you and made a difference. We will publish your news and also share with ICF. Coaches are specially known for giving and I am sure you are no exception. Kudos to you and thank you.

We are all about ‘connect and grow’. Connect in every interaction; and learn with every connection. As Chicago Coach Federation President, I along with our board, are at your service. Let me know how we can support. Come join one of our upcoming meetings. Visit www.chicagocoachfederation.org.

Feel free to contact me directly at citkam@gmail.com.

Cheers!

Making Extraordinary Success Happen: One Hop At A Time

Have you heard of the name Don Bennett? Well, Don Bennett was the first amputee to climb Mount Rainier, fourteen thousand four hundred and ten feet on one leg and two crutches. When Don was asked how he made it to the top, he said, “One hop at a time.”

One step at a time is how most extraordinary things you want to have in your life are accomplished. As much as you deeply desire that tempting golden carrot dangling in front of you, you cannot simply leap to the top of a mountain. You can only get there by taking it one step at a time, or in Don’s case, one hop at a time.

In order to understand what we want to do to successfully reach our goals, it’s useful to first take a look back over the past year to see what’s happened in our lives.  For many people I’ve talked to, there have been issues with lost jobs, pay cuts and people needing to move somewhere else to get a job.  People are unmotivated and unengaged because they are having difficult times and they’re not sure if they are will keep their job and their standard of living.  People have complained about collecting money from clients; there have been budget cuts and not enough people to handle all the projects.  People are spread thin and they under a great deal of stress because they are working long hours during the day and are unable to muster the energy to do all the things that they want to do. So think about your twelve past months.  Have any of the things that I’ve mentioned affected you?

We sometimes find ourselves paralyzed by the mere scale of these challenges and changes that we’ve had to endure over the last year.  People complain that it just seems just too overwhelming.  I contacted my girlfriend, Alice, last week and said, “Hey, let’s get together for lunch or maybe coffee,” She said, “I have to get back to you at the end of April.”

Now I know that Alice has a lot of challenges going on in her life. Alice not happy with her job plus she’s trying to take care of her aging parents and she’s putting many things on hold because she’s just trying to survive.

These challenges can seem overwhelming and challenge us in keeping moving forward.  But so is looking up the top of a mountain like Don was doing when he was challenged to hop up the mountain. But that’s why Don would tell himself, “Just one foot at a time.  Anybody can hop from here to there.” And so he did, fourteen thousand four hundred and ten times.

It Is A Wonderful Year

President’s Message by Kam Gupta
President, CCF

Last month we stated 2012 as being a wonderful year. As I look forward and see what’s happening, I think it is a wonderful year.

a. Feb 5-11 is designated as ‘International Coaching Week. During this week, we must remind ourselves of sharing one our most effective talents – coaching. We can offer complimentary coaching to individuals and teams in any non-profit organization, agency or educational institution. We have the freedom to invent where we want to offer our services pro bono. Please document and send me what you did and your experiences, and I can share with all the members of coach community. This is an opportunity for every one of us to connect and grow.

b. March-April timeframe is generally busy with membership renewal activity. This is the ideal time to update your records on the ICF web site. As you might be aware, ICF has created new membership requirements (MER). It DOES NOT affect majority of its members. Only some members of ICF are affected. That’s why it is important to update your records and see where you are. Here is a brief glimpse of MER:

For the current Members:
• If you have a current ICF credential such as ACC, PCC or MCC
Do nothing and renew your membership by March 31
• If you don’t have a credential, but have completed at least 60 hours of coach-specific training
Do nothing and renew your membership by March 31

• If you are a members of ICF and do not have at least 60 hrs of coach specific training, your membership is safe if you renew it by March 31, 2012 and complete the coach specific training OR become ICF accredited as ACC, PCC or MCC before April 1, 2013.

For the New Members:
If you are a new member to ICF and do not meet the above requirements…
• Become enrolled in an ICF-approved (ACTP or ACSTH) – 60 hours minimum – coach training program by April 1, 2012 and declare your enrollment to ICF.

If your situation is not covered here or for any specific questions on MER please do not hesitate to contact ICF at www.coachfederation.org. Or contact me any time at citkam@gmail.com. I am keeping up with the latest on MER for our members’ convenience.

c. Mark your calendars for June 22 and 23, 2012. The first of its kind and full of excitement and value, Midwest Regional Conference (MRC), is happening here in Chicago and we are excited to be the host chapter. Registrations are coming soon. Stay tuned to CCF news channels for further and useful information. Let us register in great numbers and become part of this unique experience. You may also visit http://icf-midwestregionalconference.com for more information.

d. In this New Year, one resolution that we all can keep is our desire to give, share and make a difference; and to connect and grow. Think of giving to your own organization, the CCF. Volunteer on any committee, board position, or on the periphery. We need your expertise.

Do something is the title of this very interesting post-it note, that I came across the other day and found to be extremely helpful in motivating me to do those little things that take away so much of my energy. Here is this do something for your pleasure.



Let’s stay connected and grow from our experiences. Stay in the positive.

Welcome to 2012

2012 is a wonderful year. This is the year filled with excitement and energy. The movie ‘2012’ sheds added curiosity to it. I am making the year 2012 a year of ‘conscious observing and learning’. Here are some thoughts and experiences that I would like to share with my fellow coaches.

Coaching is becoming more recognized around the world as my conversations in India, Italy and other places have revealed to me. Coaching is also highly acceptable in Brazil, Spain and other Latin American countries. In the next five years, coaches who are actively learning, practicing, and connecting at all levels will see their fortunes skyrocket… that’s my prediction.

If you speak a second language, it is time to polish it. It could lead to new markets for you, both at home and abroad.

Learn to connect in each interaction from the place of understanding. You are bound to learn and grow from each such connection. Make it a conscious choice. Stephen Covey once said, “Seek first to understand, and then be understood.”

Clarify your intentions for yourself. Create thoughts around those intentions. Focus energy around those thoughts and see your intentions becoming reality. That’s the greatest ‘Secret’ of all times.

Watch what you say. The words we choose and use can define us inside out. When we choose and use the words consciously, we create a relationship through those words. We become genuine. Recognize when negative thoughts enter, and consciously let intuition take over. Learn to trust yourself. When we don’t trust others, we are saying that we do not trust ourselves. Learn to add verifiability where greater trust is in the making. Ronald Reagan once said in dealing with the Russians, “Doveriyay y poveriyay”, meaning ‘trust and verify’. That adds to the dimension of accountability.

We have unlimited opportunities, potential and choices. We can choose to be living coaches – a holistic approach to internalizing the learning; or we can take a more topical approach, which separates one’s personal life and thoughts from those when coaching others. Living coaches become more inside out, transparent, and aligned people in their lives and rise to higher levels of positive energy and effectiveness. Living coaches are more likely to create lasting and loving relationships because they are naturally accepting, unconditional, and non-judging.

I am learning all this and learning it consciously. I am also working to internalizing it first. I am excited to be at a place of peace in 2012. I invite and welcome you all to be at a place of your choice in 2012.

Let’s work together to raise our positive energy levels, and then make a difference in the lives we touch. Through ‘connect and grow’ it is absolutely possible.

I wish you joy, love and abundance in all things possible. Let me know your thoughts at citkam@gmail.com

Happy New Year 2012.