What (exactly) Is Coaching?
Coaching has become somewhat of a buzzword in ministry circles and in the business world. It's trendy to say you are "coaching" someone, or getting "coached".
But what does "coaching" really mean?
First off let's be clear that no one owns any word and we all know words can mean more than one thing. In fact, we have all seen words grow to mean different things in our lifetimes. Over the last few years, our society has morphed the meaning of some of the following words:
Masked, Essential, Agenda, Woke, Lockdown, Triggered...
Please stop for a moment and take a deep breath before we go on.
No need to get wound up, I'm just trying to make a point that when someone thinks of "woke" they no longer simply think of when their alarm clock went off, or in many circles, the word "agenda" does not simply apply only to what you will be talking about in an upcoming meeting.
It's similar, but not the same with the word "coaching".
Coaching always includes some sort of...
What's Up With Your Middle?
Let's talk about middles.
We all have them. We are all in the middle of something.
Maybe we are literally traveling, but more likely we are in the middle of a project, or a life change, or making a decision.
Every actual accomplishment has a start and a finish.
It's the middle where the work happens though. Or where we get stalled out.
In Proverbs 4:11 God says, "I am guiding you in the way of wisdom, and I am leading you on the right path."
It's a matter of discernment isn't? Figuring out how He is guiding us takes savvy. We get an inkling of where we should move toward something and we either heed it or we don't.
There's discernment needed for timing too. Sometimes we put things off that we should invest right away, or we jump the gun and put our energy into something too soon.
But most often we lose heart after we get started and stall out. Middles can be costly or boring or just plain take too long.
Good...
Why Jenn Was MAD At Me and What That Has To Do With Patrick Lencioni
Jenn is a business professional who goes to my church. She contacted me a number of months ago asking if there was any way I would mentor her.
I responded with my usual thoughts about mentoring (Check out the mentoring blog here.) And that's exactly what she wanted.
How fun!
Until our last session.
Jenn started out by pulling the Bridges "Traction" book out of her purse and told me she was "mad" at me and we would get to that later. We processed a work conundrum she was walking through and talked about the podcasts she had listened to since our last time together. She had asked me for book recommendations and so I had worked on a short list I thought might benefit her with descriptions of the books and whether they were secular or faith-based etc.
That's when she let me have it!
"Why is your book not on that list?", she asked in no uncertain terms.
"Your book has helped me more than almost any other I have read!" (I mean, of course, I will mentor her if she...
Is It Time? Set Yourself Up For What's Next! (Guest Blog by Eric Scott)
Man oh man, if you are like me you are ready for a New Year -- it’s time!
Especially if you are in a leadership role anywhere, you know -- it’s time!
It’s time to dust off some old initiatives, reinvigorate your team (which may be you and your children), and make some forward movement.
Our pastor reminds us weekly we were made on purpose for a purpose. But I’ll be honest, it has been a bit hard to hear that some Sundays this past year.
At times it has felt like the purpose was just to survive the day, another cancellation, another shutdown, or dread of all dreads, to actually try to navigate travel on an airplane.
Yet, here we are.
We’ve almost made it through 2020.
And you know what, I am willing to bet you are the stronger for it.
Mark Batterson, pastor of National Community Church in D.C. said recently, “We just got a master’s degree in leadership through all the adjustments needed to be made this past year.” I think he’s...
Without These Powerful Questions, Your Coaching Is Just a Good Chat
Okay, I gotta be honest.
I was surprised and thrilled when Dr. Walt Hastings helped take my coaching to a next level with this simple tip.
I first met Walt when he was assigned to assess the recorded coaching sessions I submitted for credentialing. If you know me you know I am a go-big-or-go-home kinda gal and I had it in my head I should go ahead and apply for CCNI Master’s level credentialing on my first go. Walt was so kind when he let me down easy that I needed a little more work before that level. (I am proud to say I have a CPCC credential now (Certified Professional Christian Coach) and am working toward CMCC this year.)
Walt’s assessment taught me so much that I hired him to do Mentor Coaching for our Bridges Next Level coach training.
In that course, he shared his coaching prep form which shared the simple key I want to share with you today.
Without an articulated outcome your coaching conversation is just a good chat!
A good chat allows the other person to...
5 Fears All Good Leaders Have
We all have them, or at least we should.
Good leaders want to hit the mark. They want to make a difference. They want to be worthy of following. Good leaders want to help others toward achieving clear goals and helping them get there in the best way possible.
That being said – here are five fears all good leaders have.
- Fear of missing the mark.
- Fear of being status quo.
- Fear of leading people in the wrong direction, or maybe just not the best direction.
- Fear of nebulous targets.
- Fear of a floundering pathway.
These healthy “fears” should fuel good leaders toward good leadership!
Yet most of us have probably had experiences where the goals were not inspiring and action steps were not actually clear. Sometimes, it seems we need to go back to a document or email to remember where we were going or what we supposed to be doing.
Good Coach Training will clear up these concerns and alleviate these fears once and for all!
Before understanding the coaching...
How NOT To Gamble With Your Destiny!
Do you know what an acorn grows up to be?
How about a kitten? Or maybe a tadpole?
Knowing what is “seeded” within you changes everything! And yet, many people don’t know what they are made of, or what they are meant to become.
When we aren’t sure of what’s in us, we run the risk of gambling with God’s intended destiny for our lives.
Psalm 139:13 says God knit us together in our mother’s womb. He’s the one who decided how tall you would be, what color eyes you would have, whether your hair would be curly or straight and so much more.
These external DNA markers make each of us unique, but wait - there’s more.
So much more.
We have an internal DNA that sets us apart from each other even more than how we look.
Our internal DNA consists of things like:
- Personality type
- Motivational gifts
- Strengths and weaknesses
- Five-fold ministry gifting
- 7 Mountains calling
- Personal passions and unique interest arenas
And the list could go on.
...
What Is Coach Training? Here's How to Make Engaged Disciples
When I got my master’s degree I did these coaching “labs” on the side. Turns out they were optional, but I’m so glad I didn’t know that!
Let me explain.
The coaching “labs” were actually coach training and the education I received through them changed my life!
Coaching does not come naturally to most so when I was going through my coach training I really wanted a few things, so I really got seeped in the paradigm.
- I wanted to be coached, and experience what that felt like. I wanted to see if it really worked.
- I wanted to see others being coached so I could observe it being done well.
- I wanted someone to watch me coach and tell me if I was doing it right or wrong if need be. (To be honest, I was a little nervous about that, but I also wanted the affirmation enough to do it.)
- I wanted to have plenty of time to talk through the concepts with a certified coach and know I was heading in the right direction.
The training I took left me...
7 Ways Coaching Promotes God's Plan For Spiritual Growth
So, what EXACTLY is Coaching?
I get this question a lot! Usually whispered under someone’s breath, but I get it - the reason they aren’t sure is that there are a few definitions out there and it’s not clear what’s what.
The word coaching originates with the concept of a stagecoach or a Cinderella-type coach, which takes people from one place to another.
ALL coaching does that –- takes people from one place to another.
Sports coaches take a team from the beginning of the season to the championship.
Consultants take a company from where they are to where they want to go.
Personal Trainers help people move from their current weight to an ideal one.
The big difference is HOW!
All the above may consider themselves coaches and they truly are taking people from one place or space to something new. The difference between this coaching and the kind we are talking about is that they do so by telling people what to do. They are experts and they are in charge of...