Chapter News
ICF Membership Renewals Update
ICF Global and ICF North Texas will allow extra time for membership renewals for those of you who have had unforeseen impact to your coaching business.
Rather than the end of April, ICF Global memberships will now expire on June 30, 2020. If members are unable to renew their ICF membership by June 30, they will have a two-month grace period. If they are unable to renew by August 31, 2020, ICF Global member benefits will expire on that date.
We at ICF North Texas want to serve our community of coaches during these uncertain times. Rather than continuing to send out renewal notices to our local members on a rolling basis, we are placing notifications on hold and extending the deadline for all March – June membership renewals to June 30, 2020. Renewal notification reminders will resume on June 1. Coaches who wish to renew their ICF North Texas membership before June 30 are welcome to do so at any time. Coaches who have not renewed their ICF North Texas membership by June 30 will have a two-month grace period. Members who are unable to renew by August 31, 2020, will have their membership expire and they will lose access to their ICF North Texas Member Benefits after that date.
As coaches we value our caring, collaborative community, and if you ever have concerns or questions about membership renewal, please reach out to us at memberships@icf-nt.com.
ICF North Texas Chapter and North Texas Food Bank Partnership 2020
International Coaching Week is May 4–10, 2020, and we will have two focuses. Just as the theme "Experience Coaching" suggests, we will educate our community about coaching. In addition, we will provide a comprehensive coaching experience for our partner at the North Texas Food Bank (NTFB), which is now serving 60,000 families each week and growing.
Watch for your opportunity to sign up to volunteer later in April. We'll offer resources to help us all share why coaching is so valuable, especially during this time of important transition as a society.
We are giving NTFB time to adjust to the many transitions they are making, including a different work model, source of workers, and a new experience for clients. We are especially impressed with how they began work with those who have lost wages, such as hotel and restaurant employees, with Shiftsmart and activated partnerships with The Red Cross, The Salvation Army and Volunteer Now.
Our ICF North Texas member coaches will have the opportunity to provide 1:1 and group coaching this year, starting this summer. In return for your commitment to providing five or more volunteer hours, you will take part in a comprehensive, meaningful coaching experience. We need coaches with all levels of expertise.
- We need 25 volunteers to coach in 1:1 sessions (that you will schedule yourself)
- We’re looking for 10 volunteers to conduct group coaching
- We need up to 10 volunteers to facilitate Zoom sessions (training will be provided)
Thank you for considering volunteering, and please watch for your chance to register soon.
Coaching Through a New Normal
While it may feel like we are suddenly stuck in parallel universe, the pandemic has brought an incredible moment to each of our lives and a new era in history. As coaches, we have an especially meaningful role through all of this as people go through shock, adjustment, processing, acceptance, and a myriad of emotions brought on by COVID-19 and its effects. We are often exactly the ones to support our clients as they enter unexpected transitions.
Check out this blog featured on ICF Global by Shiri Ben-Arzi, PCC, to support your clients.
How are ICT North Texas Coaches Navigating Through These Weeks?
When some of her clients were impacted in recent weeks and had to postpone their coaching plans, Staci Witten, ACC, responded quickly. Staci explained, “I shifted my energy to reconnecting with previous clients and prospects. I have been using Facebook Live to connect with people every Monday through Friday, serving my community with hope, joy and helpful tips as they learn to juggle family, work, and crises all under one roof.” In addition to the coaching she offers, Staci’s excellent experience in career coaching is sure to support people who will need to look for a job (with tools including resume support, Zoom, LinkedIn and other training). She has been getting a lot of positive messages and remains open to possibilities ahead.
Jay Harris, PCC, said “I have been greatly surprised that clients are excited about their opportunity for coaching sessions within their otherwise decimated work schedule. They come in anticipating a myriad of questions, thoughts, possibilities, challenges and opportunities, ready to make the most of the new dynamic they are finding themselves in.” Clients are realizing that having their world shaken up can help them to discover structures and contexts, their true values, and more. He summarized by saying, “Yes, this is a time of great challenge, and it is a time of fresh new thoughts, considerations and possibilities, making it a very rich conversation and journey for everyone.”
Steve Hendon, PCC, shared that his clients from across different industries have also remained active and he is finding the one thing they all share is some measure of fear. “I am staying as close to them as possible (virtually) to reassure, listen, and be present with them,” Steve said.
And Steve has also created something new to extend his coaching influence in his area. “I reached out to our local Chamber of Commerce, Economic Development Corporation, and the City of Cedar Hill organizations and I recommended partnering to create several small mastermind groups,” he said. This provides a forum for business owners to have an outlet for creative thinking, collaboration, strategic planning, and support.” Group discussions will be held virtually each week, and Steve will facilitate as many as he can, and help others facilitate more as needed, to connect business owners and help them navigate these unprecedented times. “I have seen this pandemic bring out the best in people. As coaches, we have so much to offer and share.” Steve offered, “Let me know if you would like to learn more about how you might get involved or try something similar in your community.”
How ’Bout Your Coaching?
Do you have news about how you are navigating your coaching through change? Please visit us on our public Facebook page and to share your silver lining.
Reminder: Demand for personal and business coaching has been on the rise. According to an ICF Global survey, 32% of organizations use internal or external coaching practitioners or managers/leaders use coaching skills. More than 83% of organizations plan to expand coaching during the next five years. With the changes that have come, while it could decrease in some organizations, there are strong reasons for many to get even more dedicated to a coaching culture to move ahead. While no one can predict what will unfold with the economy, we can be sure that people will need coaching—a lot of it—as they have been thrown into unexpected and major transitions.
Consulting and Coaching Resources for Small and Medium-Sized Businesses
Save My Business Now: COVID-19
When Plano executive coach Susan Shapiro and her entrepreneurial husband Jon Shapiro saw how the small to medium-sized businesses in their community had been affected by the Covid-19 outbreak, they decided to take action. They, along with Jill Perrin, wanted to provide support to those hit by the pandemic and help them keep their teams employed. Their solution was to match executives, business consultants and leadership coaches with small and medium-sized businesses who needed help. They call the effort, Save My Business Now.
Together with over 60 professional consultants, executives and coaches, they will volunteer their time to give small to medium business owners FREE consulting.
If you are a consultant or coach and are willing to provide free services to those in need please request to join the group https://www.linkedin.com/groups/12385917/. It does not matter where you are located. Consulting and coaching work for Save My Business Now is done on the phone and via video conferencing. We deliver support in one-hour to four-hour increments. We need you to give of your time, even if it is just one hour. Topics we can help with range from HR strategies, policies, coronavirus relief package, grants, aid, cash flow, landlord negotiation, supply chain disruption, pivoting product offerings, and coaching topics such as leading teams virtually, dealing with stress, uncertainty, prioritizing, communications, to name a few.
We serve small to medium-sized businesses in any industry and we are starting in North Texas. Please tell businesses you know to register by emailing info@savemybusinessnow.org and we will help them right away.
Our website will be ready next week. Come join us in this meaningful service to the business community.