Imagine

2010-12-20T13:22:00.000-08:00

Imagine a culture in which everyone truly believed in one another; their calling, their vision, their life purpose, and the significance of their contribution. And because they so thoroughly believed in one another, those in that culture supported, encouraged and affirmed each other in the discovery and the pursuit of their dreams.

Because the members of this society are all about other's success, even at the expense of their own, their relationships are authentic, deep and meaningful. The community is such that everyone learns from one another. Each person's ambitions for making a real difference in their world are being realized. In their enthusiasm, the people are growing relationally; being transformed spiritually and even prospering financially.

Leadership is emerging in this community through groups and individuals where you might not have expected. The schools in this culture are ranking as some of the highest in the nation. The local government is free from corruption, crime is decreasing and commerce is flourishing. Families are healthier, the media is more accurate, entertainment is more wholesome and the community is more united. It's as if every member of this society has a specific assignment in the overall success of their society, and to the extent that each resident stands up and takes their God given responsibility, to that same extent the society prospers.

Now imagine that such a culture exists in your home town. Imagine that this is the social fabric in Daytona Beach, Deland, or Port Orange; New York, Shanghai or Mozambique. Not that these values don't currently exist at all in these cities but knowing that the more they do exist, the greater the benefit to that community.

This is the vision of Equip Coaching; to be intentionally encouraging, advancing and building such transformational cultures. Strengthening what exists and pioneering what yet doesn't. We're doing this through coaching existing and emerging community leaders to empower those they serve. We're doing this through "Life Calling Discovery Workshops" where every member takes time to reflect on who they are, what their social role is and how they will become successfully activated in it. And finally, we're training life coaches; people who are being equipped with the heart and disciplines of transformational life coaching.

So don't just imagine that such a culture could exist, but participate in a culture that should exist. Don't just be a participant in it, but become a catalyst for it. It's not just possible, it's inevitable. "Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven." Mt. 6:10 Together we can bring social and cultural reform in 2011 to our home towns. It won't take some great new leader it will take a great renewed people.

Have a wonderful, transformational new year and seek to make it transformational for someone else as well!

Lee Conway

Life Coaching

2010-07-18T20:06:00.000-07:00

Instructing, coaching and mentoring differ. Instructors disseminate knowledge[citation needed]. Coaches help clients build skills. Mentors shape mentee attitudes[citation needed]. Alternately, instructors train to immediate tasks, coaches accompany achievements, and mentors provide whole-life shaping[citation needed].
There are many definitions of coaching, mentoring and various styles of line management and training. The position is complicated by the perceived overlapping between many of these activities. A more succinct definition positions coaching as follows[citation needed]:Managing is making sure people do what they know how to do.Training is teaching people to do what they don’t know how to do.Mentoring is showing people how the people who are really good at doing something do it.Coaching is none of these – it is helping to identify the skills and capabilities that are within the person, and enabling them to use them to the best of their ability – and by that increasing the independence within the individual, and reducing reliance”.[2]Coaching rests on the professional use of a specific range of linguistic skills such as targeted restatements and the limited and judicious use of powerful questions with the aim to help clients shift their perspectives on an issue or ambition, and thereby discover different solutions and options, in order to achieve their goals. These linguistic skills are indifferently used when coaching clients in any field. In this sense, coaching is a form of meta-profession that can apply to accompanying clients in any human endeavor, ranging from their concerns in sports and personal, professional, social, family, political, spiritual dimensions, etc.