President's Letter for August 2014

THE COMMUNITY OF ICF CHICAGO

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." – Margaret Mead

ICF and the precursors to ICF Chicago were started by small communities of colleagues committed to building organizations for coaches to support each other and grow our profession.

Our ICF Chicago mission is “To foster a community of Chicagoland coaches committed to learning and collaboration through powerful programs and community involvement, resulting in the success of its members.”

Communities are about relationships not just about sharing content. I relish the feeling of community that comes via the collaboration. The notions of interdependence, communication and connection mix together to form a recipe for trust and collegiality. I hope you do too.

How can we engage in our ICF Chicago Community?

PARTICIPATE
I invite you take part in and help grow our community through the following upcoming venues:

August Core Competency Call
8/6/2014 at 2:00 p.m. (CDT) ICFC’s Bonus Call – The 12th Core Competency! Learn and also earn CCEUs.

Community Coach Cafés
Throughout Chicagoland, Community Coach Cafés meet in small “Master Mind” groups of 5-7 people interested in social and business collaboration, learning and development of their mutual group objectives.

September Chapter Meeting
9/8/2014 – Program TBA - Earn 2 CCEUs
No August program (Summer break)

Online
Engage in our virtual communities and join the conversation.

ICFC LinkedIn Group with 478 members
ICFC Facebook with thousands of hits and 298 likes
ICFC Twitter with 2,215 followers
ICFC All Things Coaching Newsletter read, share and/or submit an article
ICFC Blog

CONTRIBUTE
Invite
Ask a colleague to join you in an ICF Chicago activity.

Fall Elections
Stay tuned this fall for more information on opportunities to participate on the Board of Directors and in other leadership positions at ICF Chicago in 2015.

Volunteer 
Share your expertise and talents by joining a committee. We welcome you to contribute as a one-time or ongoing volunteer.

COMMUNICATE
We will continue to seek input on your vision for our ICF Chicago community. We encourage you to contact out to us with questions, comments and recommendations.

I look forward to collaborating with you in person, on a call or online.

With gratitude and in community,

Murray 

Murray A. Mann, CMCC, CELDC, CCM, CPBS, CSBA
President
ICF Chicago

Notes from the 2014 Regional ICF Conference

I came away from the ICF Global conference last week in Cleveland absolutely thrilled and
reenergized. To be honest, I went in with very low expectations. I wanted to hear the keynote, Dr. Richard Boyatzis, and get some CCEUs for my ICF credential; no other expectation. I have been to many international ICF conferences over the years and didn't expect much from a regional conference. Boy, was I wrong. From start to finish, it was a top notch conference. The keynotes were powerful and the breakouts excellent. I learned a lot, met fun, cool coaches, got new ideas and even met someone I contracted with to revitalize my marketing on the day I returned. And best of all, I was thrilled to be a coach and be with coaches. I was proud of ICF and the coaching world we are so lucky to be a part of. I plan on going to the conference next year in Kansas City and invite you to come!

I am a better coach this week because of what I learned! Big fun using some new tools and questions - immediately!

Susan Spritz Myers, MCC

Kolbe Certified Master Team Consultant

847.242.0351

President's Letter for July 2014

Gratitude & Passing the Baton

Summer has begun in the Midwest! Along with the season change (and warm weather finally here to stay) it is also the time for leadership change. As of July 1, I will pass the baton to the next ICF Chicago President, Murray Mann. It has been my privilege to serve on the board of ICF Chicago in the role of President since October 2012, and I am also grateful to have had the opportunity to serve alongside a quality board of directors, committee chairs and other volunteers during that time. The Chicagoland coaching community is a collection of some amazing people who are up to great things!  

Reflecting back on what moved me towards this role in the first place back in 2012, it is still the same reasons I have today…to advance coaching as a profession both in Chicagoland and in the Midwest region and also to do my part to make that happen. 

Thank you to each of you who have been a part of the leadership team over the past two years… your dedication, willingness, and commitment are matchless. Thank you!

Thank you also to all the coaches who put your heart and soul into what you do. Your collective impact across Chicagoland will transform this city and region. You matter.

Elections in the Fall

Stay tuned this fall for more info on opportunities to participate on the Board of Directors and other leadership positions at ICF Chicago in 2015. What would you like to create together?     

ICF Global 2014 Conference—North America Midwest

The conference was a raving success! The programming was top notch and it was also the most engaged crowd I’ve experienced at a conference. On Friday, many of the coaches from Chicagoland, plus some new friends, ended up getting a private dining room at an Italian restaurant and having a fun evening getting to know each other better over authentic Italian food.

The day before the conference, the Global Leaders Forum (all ICF Chapter Board Leaders invited) met for a full day to learn about ICF global updates-resources-tools, a presentation on chapter board leadership development, and breakouts by region. The Midwest region (MRAC), which has 14 Midwest ICF chapters that meet monthly (virtually), met during the afternoon breakout to discuss goals for the next 6 months.

July Core Competency: Managing Progress & Accountability!

The ability to hold attention on what is important for the client, and to leave responsibility with the client to take action. Demonstrating follow-through is vital to the coaching relationship. Attend ICFC’s in-person and virtual programs this month to practice and learn more on this competency!     

With Gratitude & Expectation of good things,

Wendy Balman, CPCC, ACC

ICFC President (Soon to be Past President)