Coaching Matters: February 2008

IN THIS ISSUE:

• Feature: Super Tuesday

• Story of the month

• Quote of the Month

• Q&A

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Super Tuesday

It's Super Tuesday and, like you I've been listening to candidates' speeches—listening for the stuff I can get behind. No one candidate has a corner on my personal market, but these are some of the convictions that get my Coach-like attention when I hear them:

1. The world, and our individual lives, works best when we each take personal responsibility for our "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". (Much better than delegating or abdicating that responsibility).

2. The best products and services are produced by people who are doing #1.

3. The most fulfilling compensation (financial and otherwise) results from #1 and #2.

4. And it's necessary to invest in staying safe from beliefs and philosophies and actions that focus on blocking, controlling or destroying #1, #2, and #3.

Knowing you, you'll have your own convictions to add, but those four are on my mind this Super-Tuesday morning. Let me know what you think.

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Story of the Month: Points #1-#4 in action

The little beach community where there's been a Burgin Beach House for most of the past forty years experienced a hurricane on December. For two days the wind blew steadily at 85 mph, gusting to 130 mph. Most people lost power, trees, news and the ability to travel for most of a week. They leaned on each other as the work of rebuilding began to come into focus.

In response, a few citizens called a "Storm Community Open Forum", and 350 of their neighbors showed up.

They met in the elementary school and broke into twenty-four small groups discussing everything from trees to emergency supply kits to how to keep track of their senior citizens and people with disabilities. Also they had a potluck. To read their story and their next steps as a community, check out their blog: www.eyeofthestormforum.blogspot.com.

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Quote of the Month

"Do one thing everyday that scares you."

Eleanor Roosevelt

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Q&A

Ask the Coach . . .

Do you have questions about working with a coach, or just pursuing more happiness in your life? Please send them to me. I can't do this Q&A thing without your Q's.

Q. I don't live in Seattle. Can I still work with you?

Dear "SeattleCoach,"

I've looked at your website and think we'd be a good match to work together. But I live on the East Coast. Is there anyway the phone could give us a solid enough connection?

Thanks,

Dan

A. Dear Dan,

Good question. The short answer is a resounding "yes!" Part of my training as a coach has been to listen more deeply than I ever used to—for words as well as for everything else that we use to communicate (energy, pauses, wonderings, etc.) I compare it to the skills that I imagine blind people must have to develop. Let me know if you'd like to run this question by my clients in Europe!

Be in touch,

Patty