Integrity Day
via Instant Messager instead of a Bridge Line made me a
better Coach
Heidi Costas
heidi@heidicostas.com
www.heidicostas.com
I must've "lucked out" a couple of months ago when Thomas introduced
Instant Messaging to his R&D team; we were going to use it instead of a conference
bridge line on an Integrity Day (www.integrityday.com). You got it, I got
paired up with none other than Thomas himself <g>. What an experience!
Trying to keep up with him that day felt like chasing a comet, if you know
what I mean ... However, after only a few hours of work and occasional,
brief chats I relaxed (quite a bit) and started to notice some truly
incredible changes in the way I worked and felt. I'm sure much of it was
due to the direct interaction with the "master", one cannot but feel coached
extremely well around him <g>. In any case, I accomplished twice as much
with half the usual tear and wear, that day. And, I'm still going ....
Here are some of the benefits of using the IM as a tool to significantly
increase your (or your clients') productivity, effectiveness AND well-being
instantly <g>.
1. Instant Response/Result.
The very structure of IM doesn't allow for "long"
messages. Messages are
fast and pointed. You ask for what you want in 2 words not 3 paragraphs.
This practically eliminates the danger of falling into lengthy chat mode, a
skill that I'm still learning <g>.
On one occasion, I was having trouble finishing a project. I had no clue
that I was stuck. It only occurred to me by comparison: Thomas had finished 3 or
5 bigger items while I was still chewing on mine. After a two sentence
back-and-forth, he just said "it's called typing, Heidi" (I was writing
something for my 5 Day Program). This may sound strange, but it made a
world of difference. I finished my project within 5
minutes, mailed it out, finished, done, thank you, applause... next.
2. First hand, real time
experience.
Nothing "teaches" better than experience. I never knew I could (or even should)
work faster until I found myself in the middle of it. Your IM partner can help, he/she is always "there", virtually, that
is, to help you adjust your expectations by modeling what can be done.
3. IM is extremely versatile.
You can send/receive links, files and
info and get instant feedback without having to change software programs or
pick up the phone. (virus check is in place, at least for MSN messenger).
Less steps, better workflow, more momentum ... things get handled when they
occur and the interruption is minimal (a few seconds here and there).
4. Instant, live "tune-ups" relieve pressure.
A 30 second chat can bring light back to a dull project.
Sometimes, just knowing you can ask and get an answer (support, a push, etc.)
instantly reduces strain. Then, your own solutions come more easily.
5. Competition is good for you, when done lightly.
Integrity Day via IM is like a game. Ready, set, go! It's a win-win and lots
of fun. Check-in time is about 5 seconds every 30 minutes or so and well
worth the interruption.
6. Your Integrity Day partner's pace and rhythm
is contagious.
I found
myself typing, thinking, planning faster (and better) with no added
adrenaline, well maybe just a little from the thrill of the experience. In
a team, the one who works better, faster, gets to pull the other, then you
switch. No conversation necessary on this one, it happens naturally and
no one gets drained or anything.
7. No more wiggle room.
Setting closer deadlines (and telling someone
about it) eliminates wiggle room and increases focus, things get done faster
and with less effort. When you have someone to set them with, you won't be
tempted to make excuses.
8. No more time to "overthink" or procrastinate.
That was a biggie for
me. Doing something is better than "thinking" about doing lots of things.
Being able to celebrate an achievement with someone when the joy is fresh is
invaluable and keeps the momentum going. Anticipation of the joy of celebrating becomes bigger
than fear of failure.
9. Cheering for Integrity Day
partner is inspiring, too.
When things work well, connecting via IM is like a dance;
synergy is created. The team has a life of its own, bigger and stronger than each
participant's input. A very cool thing!
10. Instant Message can make you
a better coach.
As a
coach, I now realize IM is the perfect medium to
force the essence of the issue at hand to the surface, due to the brevity of the interaction.
It is a perfect opportunity to hone your personal and coaching skills, from
listening to setting boundaries, to improving language skills. Maybe not for
everyone, but it certainly is for me.
IM is in no way a substitute for personal
interaction, yet it significantly changed and enriched my life. I now have
a virtual environment that has living beings in it and the collaboration is very
real.
Thank you, Thomas.
(more information about how to conduct an Integrity
Day, a Coaching structure/service you may wish to consider
for your clients, is free, at
http://www.IntegrityDay.com ---ed.)
Coaching from a Developing Country made possible via IM
Linda Mason-Hahn
expatCoach@aol.com
Venezuela I’ve used Instant Messaging with clients since 1997, when my husband took
a job
in a developing country. At the time, the quality of phone calls to/from that
country was suspect and the cost restrictive, hence IM.
A lot of my work is with expats, folks who live and work abroad, so most
of them
are familiar with IM. But even today, some clients are more familiar and/or
comfortable
with IM than others, so a bit of quick education may be required when you first
start.
Instant Messaging allows for real-time conversations, connections, spontaneity, and
immediate
reactions, in the same way phone calls do. There’s less filtering &
editing than
in regular email. Some programs allow you to copy and file the content.
I continue to travel, as do my clients, and IM allows me to stay connected with
clients, family, friends, colleagues, and to continue my
coaching practice, no matter where in the world I am. And
when you set the appointment and log on, no phone number
updates are necessary!
A word of caution, once you
get started and you build up a network of IM contacts, be
sure to block the others out during appointment time with
your clients!
Coach, Create, train and
become more profitable,
all using IM
Blair Hornbuckle
http://www.blairhornbuckle.com
or AOL Instant Messaging: dvAnswers
I offer clients support via Instant Messaging, which is just one of many
electronic collaboration tools I like. I started using IM with friends, and it's morphed into another way to respond to my coaching clients and
video customers. I have clients and friends who actually prefer IM over
a phone call.
Unlimited Access between Coaching Calls
I try to be super-fast when replying to email, so IM is a natural. I love
to be able to offer unlimited access between coaching calls, and these
electronic tools are a low cost way for me to be available. And now we're
doing video online too.
Transferring sample
video files for sale
I urge all of my clients to subscribe to a broadband Internet service,
usually cable or DSL. Using the Internet, IM and telephone, we can work
together on creative projects. I also use online movies as a way to
offer samples of video training products I create and sell at one of my
web sites. Transferring these files via IM means I can send the exact file
I want the client to see, at the exact moment it's appropriate.
Playing QuickTime clips
simultaneously, then training and creating
Sending QuickTime movies back and forth via IM is also quite powerful.
We can play the clips at the same time and talk about what the client has
created. I can offer feedback, and send them examples of my movies. They then
use these new files to learn new techniques and help generate ideas for their own
projects.
Reduce
your Clients' costs by Coaching via IM; open a
CyberCoaching dialogue
Lea Brandenburg
www.creatingstrategies.com
lea@creatingstrategies.com
In April, I will have been using Instant Messenger with clients for two
years. I started using it as a way to create a “real-time” coaching
experience for my international clients. IM is a great cost-effective
solution for clients who simply don’t want to pay international phone rates
every time we have a coaching session.
As many coaches do, I coach via e-mail. What I’ve found with
“cybercoaching” is that e-mail is more of a monologue, rather than a
dialogue or conversation. A client writes me with a challenge, query or win
and then I respond. It is a one-way form of communication. With IM, we
can have a conversation – a dialogue with give and take. IM enables me to
be with the client in the present moment and to coach from that place.
I’ve also used IM when co-teaching TeleClasses. It’s a great way for me to
connect with the other teacher, build on points s/he has made and make or
get gentle reminders that we may be moving away from our lesson plan or
going off-topic. All this, and we continue to lead the class without
disruption or inconveniencing the class participants.
IM may not be a viable tool to use with all clients, but it is a valuable
tool in any coach’s toolbox. The ability to type quickly is necessary for
making IM an effective coaching tool. If a client types slowly, IM may not
be useful in his/her coaching process. When coaching an international
client, the client needs to be fluent in English in order for an IM coaching
session to be valuable for his or her needs. Without fluency in the agreed
upon coaching language – searching for the appropriate words when
communicating can slow down the “real-time” process. Simply, IM is another
tool a coach can use to meet the unique needs of clients and for some
clients or coaching groups it is a highly efficient and successful tool.
Pro-bono Coaching via IM
Marta Reily
Personal Development and Enlightenment Coach
www.martareily.com
marta@martareily.com
I have one pro bono client that I coach
using IM exclusively. She is a mother and housewife, snowbound
now on a ranch in
the northern plains, unable to leave the house to work
because of three
children. She finds her outlet in playing on the internet.
We are using
that interest and ability, working together to construct a
website that she
can maintain herself, and that can generate some income. And
until income
starts to come in, we use IM so the phone bill doesn't add
up.
Everything
I have learned from CoachVille, from Thomas, and from
Dave, about websites,
attraction, passive income, ezines, ebooks, the whole
drill, is coming into
play in coaching this lovely woman. We have set
boundaries, when it is and
is not appropriate to IM, set regular appointments to IM,
set fieldwork and
due date assignments, and our fingers fly. Her horizons
advance, her
envelope is pushed, her awareness enlarges; this process
is blowing her
away. Rural Wyoming will never be the same again! And I
have such a
deepening respect for technology, and the access now
available to anyone.
Benefits: instant access, low cost (only the ISP service),
all IM and chat
abbreviations available <g>, no points for good spelling.
Drawbacks: unable to "hear" the client as deeply as one
can on the phone,
less formal method (and pro bono status) may make coaching
service less
valuable in the client's estimation.
I have very little IM contact with most of my other
clients.
IM would make me too accessible
Ernest F. Oriente
CPBA {Certified Professional Behavioral
Analyst}
www.powerhour.com
ernest@powerhour.com
With 300+ clients, if
I was using IM to support/guide/coach them, I
would lose the balance/reserve of time/fun in my life.
Yes, clients do email me...and yes, I do reply/respond within the same
day with 400+ emails arriving each day. This has worked wonderfully for
six years.
On the flipside--it would seem to me that IM would reflect my "lack of
success" as a coach, because I'm soooo readily available/accessible...
Instant Messaging
Technology helps us be more Adaptive
Mike R. Jay, Master Business Coach and
Founder
www.b-coach.com
or 1-877-901-COACH I would much rather answer a quick instant message than an email. I can
also GET to the issue much faster with IM. And because it allows you to
file and save the interaction, an Instant Message keeps on providing value,
either through information, ideas or connections to the client's issues. In
fact, sometimes it is much easier than fully synchronous coaching. Of
course, it also provides the client as well as the coach with a transcript, if
that is important which it sometimes is.
I've found that I keep some of my IM exchanges, whether it's the ones I have with peers, clients
or students, because of the ideas I can generate in the moment when I'm
not coaching. IM Technology also helps our students recover quickly from bridges that
are down, lost numbers, misplaced pin numbers, etc. (We've integrated Instant Messaging
into our Coach/Leadership Training Programs)
AND, what's cool is that it helps you become more adaptive. The
people you serve become more adaptive too, which to me is the key in today's
fast economy. If we can adapt on a moment's notice, provide a file, a
solution, an opportunity to someone in 10 seconds, why not?
It does require you to review your fee structure though. You'll want to use a
retainer system while using this system otherwise it's not fair for you
or your clients. I don't worry about client's overusing me because of
the retainer and remember, it takes two to tango, so you can set the
contract very quickly. Here's an example:
Mike are you there?
Yes...
Can we visit about something?
I have about 5 minutes. Can we do it within that time?
-----
Here's another one example of an IM dialogue:
Mike?
Yes?
What should I charge for ...?
What's the value of your time?
...........
What's the value of your service to this client?
...........
Do you know what to charge now?
-----------
I thought I'd throw that last one in there because I love to make
coaching fun and test my client's ability to do critical thinking. Most of the time, they just need some help "figuring" things out. If I have
my ego in check...and you better have it in check when you use Instant
Messenger, you can really have a lot of fun in a very short period of
time--while providing a very valuable service to your clients!
end special report |
