September 10, 2009

Note from the President
Feature Article -- Best Places to Live
Upcoming Events -- Calendar of Great CFR Seminars
We Recommend --Appreciative Coaching by Sara Orem, Jacqueline Binkert, and Ann Clancy

Greetings Colleagues!
Frances Shuster, PCC President, Coaching For Results, Inc.

This time of year is always an exciting one for me. The start of a new school year holds the promise of new beginnings and bright futures. As I watch my granddaughters become engaged in their schools with excellent learning opportunities, I wish the same for every student in each of our schools across the nation.

Warmly,

Frances Shuster
Frances Shuster, PCC

Our Monthly Newsletter
All of our newsletter articles are written by CSR Coaches and provide relevant information for school leaders and coaches. This month we continue a three-part series on Why the Brain Needs Coaching, written by Kathy Kee, PCC and founding member of CSR. We know you will find this article to be extremely valuable to your work.

Our electronic newsletters are provided as a gift to individuals who sign up to receive this service and we never share your information with other parties. In our newly updated website, a bonus soon to be provided to our newsletter recipients will be access to our archived newsletters, which will be organized by topic and International Coach Federation (ICF) Competencies. A little added gift for those connected to CSR.

Best Places to Live
By Reba Schumacher

Recently Money magazine featured an article titled “100 Best Places to Live.” Towns were rated according to a half dozen criteria including population, job availability, low crime, affordable homes, things to do, and top-notch schools. Criteria selected to rank the towns were determined by a poll of more than 43,000 people who listed their most important concerns when selecting a place to live.

As I read the article, I wondered if the same 43,000 people would be as certain about the criteria for how they want to live. Very often in coaching, we ask our clients what it is that they want most from their lives. This question is usually followed by a long pause or even a, “What do you mean?” as if they're suspicious of some underlying trick. Changing the question to, “What are your goals?” evokes responses such as:

to be a superintendent of schools
to lead an exemplary campus
to earn my doctorate by age thirty
to have a beautiful home; and so on

While these are, without question, worthwhile things to achieve, another question, “What will be your legacy?” evokes strikingly different responses:

leading with authenticity
having open, honest, collaborative relationships
feeling joy in all I do
expressing gratitude for what I have/am
creating a happy family
doing the right thing for students
living a balanced, calm, ordered life
being perceived as caring, genuine, transparent

When the question is framed around legacy, are we defining our real desires when it comes to the best places to live? Do the answers reveal what matters most in our lives? I love the quote from Annie Dillard: "How we live our days is how we live our lives." If our days are frantic, disorganized, incomplete, or unsatisfying, will we become paralyzed with regret or stuck in dispassionate pursuits? On the other hand, if we intentionally choose for each day to include relationship building, joy, gratitude, a bit of organization and purpose, some honest work, and a bit of fun, will we celebrate growth wherever we are?

If we know what matters most in the towns where we live, shouldn’t we know what matters most, day-in and day-out, in our lives?

Reba Schumacher is a coach and trainer for Coaching For Results, Inc. and is credentialed through the International Coaching Federation. She works with individuals, school leaders, and school district leaders to clarify what they really want (for their lives and their organizations) and explore multiple pathways for success. For more information about Reba and our other coaches, go to www.coachingschoolresults.com and click on “coaches.”

See details and register at www.coachingschoolresults

All seminars listed below are four days in length. Some seminars are held on four consecutive days while others are held in two-day increments over two months. Please check the seminar dates carefully.

Each seminar below has a series of three, hour-long follow-up teleclasses specifically designed for seminar participants and provided at a nominal fee. Those registering for a seminar will want to be sure to sign up for the follow-up teleclasses!

Leadership Coaching for High Performance: Dallas, TX September 17 - 20, 2009
Follow-up teleclass Series (10/9, 11/4, 12/11)
Powerful Coaching, Level II: Dallas, TX December 16-17, 2009 AND January 6-7, 2010, Hosted by Lewisville ISD
Follow-up teleclass Series (2/4, 3/4, 4/1)

Appreciative Coaching by Sara Orem, Jacqueline Binkert, and Ann Clancy

"This is an excellent book for understanding the key principles and stages of Appreciative Inquiry. The book is written for coaches and other leaders interested in a strengths-focused way of enabling change and growth. "

Let Us Hear From You
We are always interested in receiving your feedback on how we're doing as well as what you'd like to see more of as we move toward the future. You can provide that information by emailing us at support@coachingschoolresults.com.