This 8 session series is for new coaches who want the kind of  support that can help them build their skills and practices quickly and effectively. I’ve sharpened my pencil so that prices are 30% of normal coaching rates!

Once you’ve received your coach training, this is one of the best investments you can make towards becoming a masterful and successful coach.

From some July participants:

Angela’s group coaching session offered a very different and eye-opening insight into the coaching experience. The approach certainly allowed me to better understand different interactions between coach and coachee. –Godfrey Oyeniran

We learned about coaching skills in practice, and not only that, we also gained an expanded vision by listening to others’ issues and how each participant comes up with their own realization.  The process is most inspiring. –Pandora Woo

This was an informative and inspiring session.   It was a safe, comfortable environment where I felt confident is sharing. I gained my own valuable insights from being coached, but also from watching Angela coach the others in our group.   As a coach myself it is a rare and valuable treat to be able to observe another coach in action.   I picked up tips about how to coach, how to respond and questions to ask.  –Carole Lewis

Make a commitment to your coaching practice with a Group Coaching Series:

You’ll get eight 90-minute group coaching sessions with between 3 and 5 participants, your peers who are also developing their coaching skills and businesses. Each participant will receive individual coaching from Angela while other group members witness masterful coaching. With group agreement, we may also practice coaching with feedback, have longer individual coaching sessions, group brainstorming etc.

This means all the benefits of coaching plus an excellent means to improve your own coaching ability by modeling real coaching in action. Read on here for more information on why this program works.

In-person Evening Series

When: 6:00 to 7:30pm, two Tuesdays per month starting Sept. 7, 2010
(exact dates to be agreed by the group)
Where: A meeting room in Central, Hong Kong
Price: 4 monthly installments of HK$2450 (Total HK$9800)

HK$2450/month for 4 months

In-person Lunchtime Series

When: 12:30 to 2pm, two Wednesdays per month starting Sept. 8, 2010
(exact dates to be agreed by the group)
Where: A meeting room in Central, Hong Kong
Price: 4 monthly installments of HK$2450 (Total HK$9800)

HK$2450/month for 4 months

Telephone or Skype Series

When: 11:30 to 1pm, two Mondays per month starting Sept. 13, 2010
(exact dates to be agreed by the group)
Where: On a telephone conference line (US long distance call rates may apply) or by Skype
Price: 4 monthly installments of HK$1450        (Total HK$5800 approx. US$745, SG$1020)

HK$1450/month for 4 months

Not sure if this will work for you? Try a sample session.

Group Coaching In-Person Sample Session
When: Aug 19, 6pm to 7:30pm
Where: A meeting room in Central, Hong Kong

HK$1500

Group Coaching Telephone/Skype Sample Session
When: Aug 24, 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm
Where: On a telephone conference line (US long distance call rates may apply) or by Skype

HK$800

The world needs demonstration more than it needs teaching.
~ Wallace D. Wattles from The Science of Being Great

Another key to being an excellent coach is to receive great coaching. It’s time that coaches in Hong Kong had the chance to both witness and receive coaching with their peers. Starting in July 2010, I will offer some sample group coaching programs for coaches so that you can:

1. get coaching on all aspects of your coaching practice
2. watch and learn from others receiving coaching
3. benefit from high quality coaching at reasonable rates
4. be immersed in shared learning and development with a small group of coaches

If enough people sign-up and like this format, then I will run a series of sessions so that small groups of coaches can come together for a longer period of support. I wonder how many of you will like this format? Will you give it a try?

How will group coaching help me build my coaching practice? These sessions will help you in three ways:

1. By becoming a more masterful coach through observing masterful coaching,  you’ll attract higher quality clients, retain your clients longer, get more referrals and stronger testimonials.
2. You’ll set goals for your coaching practice and start taking steps to achieve those goals. With the group’s support, you’ll be able to reach your goals more effectively than you would on your own.
3. By experiencing high quality coaching, you’ll find more ways to use coaching in all parts of your life.
4. There is no better way to convince your clients of the value of coaching than through your own investment in coaching.

Why is Angela Spaxman the right coach to lead this group?

• I am one of very few coaches in Hong Kong with more than 10 years of full time experience in both corporate and personal coaching. I have more than 2500 hours of coaching experience.

• I am passionate about coaching and committed to the expansion of coaching worldwide into all aspects of society for the benefit of all as demonstrated by more than 9 years of volunteer leadership service with the Hong Kong International Coaching Community and the International Association of Coaching. I want to support new coaches to make an impact in their communities.

• I am experienced in coaching coaches. I’ve coached more than 30 individual coaches.

• I am well grounded in coaching groups. (In the early 2000′s, I used to run a group coaching series called the Personal Foundation Program. I’ve used group coaching methods in my coach training programs with HKU since 2005 and in numerous corporate training programs.)

From Pandora Woo, participant on July 8: “During the session, each participant took turns to be coached by Angela, while others observed the process as spectators. We got the benefit of being coached, which is learning more about ourselves through the issues that we have chosen to discuss.  At the same time, through observing Angela coaching other participants, we learned about coaching skills in practice, and not only that, we also gained an expanded vision by listening to others’ issues and how each participant comes up with their own realization.  The process is most inspiring.”

Requirements: Participants must have completed a coach training course and must be managers using a coach approach, coaches-in-training or professional coaches. Minimum 3 and maximum 5 participants.

Fees: HK$1500 per live in-person session or HK$800 per conference call session

Choose one or more of these live in-person meetings:

Group Coaching Sample Session 1 –FULL
6:00pm to 7:30pm, Thursday July 8

Group Coaching Sample Session 2
7:00pm to 8:30pm, Wednesday July 14

Group Coaching Sample Session 3
12:30pm to 2:00pm, Monday July 19

For those who prefer the convenience and value of telephone coaching, choose a teleconference session:

Group Coaching Sample Session 5
11:00am to 12:30pm Tuesday July 20
On a telephone conference call

If you’re keen, but these times don’t work for you, please let me know!

Do you have a small group of friends who would like to be coached together? Let me know and we’ll come up with a special deal.

It will be great fun to work with a small group of coaches to see every one of you bringing more quality coaching services into the world. Great things happen when coaches get together!

But because spiritual
words tend to be emotionally loaded and misunderstood, it is easy
to create resistance or scare clients off with our talk of spiritual
things.

In September 2009, I held a meeting (through the Hong Kong International Coaching Community) with 14 coaches of different backgrounds and levels of experience to share examples of the successes
we have had with helping clients find their own value in using
spiritual concepts and practices. As a result, I have compiled a list of
approaches for bringing spiritual things, in the broadest possible sense, into coaching relationships. These are simply ideas, in no particular order, that can be tailored for use by a variety of coaches according to their clients' preferences.

• Listen for what makes meaning for your clients and point it out to them.
• Use the same words your clients use to explain spiritual concepts. Even the word 'spiritual' can be negatively charged.
• Ask “do you have any spiritual practice?”
• Fully accept and endorse your client's current thinking and relationship to spiritual things, even if it is very different from your own. This may require you to expand your own perspective to be able to see the value in other mindsets.
• Use silence to help your clients tap into their deeper thoughts. Then ask, “what is your heart telling you?”
• Encourage your clients to be helpful or of service to others. Helping brings joy.
• Encourage your clients to find their passion. It is a route to finding meaning and connecting with a bigger purpose.
• Ask 'why is this important to you?' or 'what is important to you about life?'
• Ask 'who will you become …?'
• Create a safe space by being open, accepting and ensuring confidentiality. 
• Be willing to witness your client's pain, joy and changes. Stay with them without being drawn into the emotions.
• Use your client's upsets or challenges as opportunities to breakthrough to new ways of thinking and being.
• Point out the benefits of spiritual practices as your clients experience them.
• Learn to share your own understanding in words that are inclusive and understandable by many different kinds of people.
• Translate your spiritual practices into practical steps that relate to practical goals so that your clients can clearly see the benefits and try it for themselves.
• Expand your own spiritual practices to gain deeper and wider understanding.

In what other ways do you share your most esoteric learnings with your clients?

Also on the same page, as a bonus from my personal internet security guy, there's a clear description of a simple and free way to greatly improve your Windows privacy and security.

What else would you like me to refer you to? Books on leading, coaching, career change? Personal development tools? Anything else?

So instead I keep a webpage with the latest options that I know of and my opinions about advantages and disadvantages. Please see Coach Training Options in Hong Kong.

I'd love to hear if and how this is useful to you, and how I might make it more useful.

2. Walk the talk. Become a model. 
Whatever qualities you believe are lacking in your organization,
develop them first in yourself to the highest degree. You will influence others
and they will want to know how you did it. 

3.
Practice coaching at every opportunity. 
Practice
makes perfect. Use every opportunity at work, at home and with your friends to
practice your coaching and coaching skills. Start with people you feel
comfortable with and experiment with others as you gain confidence. 

4. Develop yourself so that you are very attractive as a
coach. 
When you are open, positive, supportive,
and fully confident in being yourself, people will want you as their coach. Reduce
your smallnesses and emotional reactions. Develop your personal
foundation. 

5. Get clear about who your
ideal clients are. 
Start noticing what kind of
person is attracted to you as a coach. If you also want them as your client,
great! Tailor your services for them. If you want a different kind of client,
upgrade yourself so that you're attractive to the right people. 

6. Discuss your experiences with other people who are
learning to coach.
Connect with other new or experienced
coaches and share your experiences. You can learn from others' successes and
mistakes and also through sharing your own experiences.  

7. Collect stories and examples of how coaching has helped
someone.
When you are very clear about the value of
coaching, you'll see more clearly what you need to do to be most effective. And
you'll be able to sell your services more easily.  

8. Take part in a coaching group and learn from an
experienced coach. 
Just as when you have your own
coach, you will be able to model the coach's techniques, develop yourself
through the support of the group and demonstrate your belief in the process. In
addition, you will be able to watch and learn from the coach coaching other
members of the group. If you can't find a local group, hire a coach
and form one, or join an international one that meets by telephone. 

9. Get clear about why people want you to coach
them. 
When you understand exactly why your
clients want you as their coach, you can influence them easily, you'll know
what you need to do to help them. 

11.
Surround yourself with other people that coach. 
Your environment has a profound influence on you. When you stay close
to others who coach, you'll absorb their attitudes and naturally model their
behaviours. Join a coaching community.

I asked a group of
people how they chose their coaches and then matched the responses to create
the following diagram. 

The first thing people look for when hiring a
coach is specific knowledge and experience. Clients want a coach who has
achieved goals or had experiences that give them special insight into their
issues. This knowledge and experience, which I call the coach's
niche, is one of the easiest ways for the client to assess
the coach's value to them. For coaches this means that how we define our niche
and how we describe our accomplishments is key to our success in attracting
clients. 

The second set of
criteria that people mentioned was what I call presence.
When people are interviewing prospective coaches they want to feel fully
understood and comfortable with the style of the coach. People will assess this
criteria based on their gut feeling when they interact with the coach. When it
comes to longer term coaching results (the key to keeping clients), the coach's
presence is the most powerful factor and it acts like a catalyst for the
effectiveness of all other aspects of what the coach delivers. 

Coaching skills is another
criteria prospective clients use when comparing coaches. Coaches with highly
developed skills and an effective tool kit will be able to impress prospective
clients by helping them make concrete progress in their trial coaching session.
But for coaching skills and tools to be effective, the coach's presence is
still the foremost requirement. 

Sometimes a coach's outlook is the
key attraction for a client. I've had clients hire me simply because they
notice that my can-do attitude and positive focus will have an immediate impact
on their results. Also, clients may be looking for someone with new ideas or a
completely different perspective to stimulate or inspire them. 

The baseline requirement for clients is that
they trust and respect the coach. Clients are concerned
about the integrity, honesty, supportiveness, trustworthiness and confidentiality
of the coach. They want a coach that they respect and are proud of. Usually
they will assess these criteria based on their intuition, but they will also
pay attention to others' opinions and will sometimes ask for references. If
they do not trust and respect the coach, any amount of value in other areas
will not convince them to hire that coach. 

In summary,
coaches wishing to attract clients should clearly describe their niche, narrow
or broad, so that prospective clients understand what special knowledge and
experience they have to offer. The coach's presence will be assessed
intuitively by the client and is critical to the clients choice to hire and to
keep the coach. The coach's skills and outlook influence clients' choices
through the impact they make during a trial coaching session. Coach's must have
a high level of integrity to ensure they are worthy of the trust and respect of
their clients.