The Chronicle of Coaching provides a snapshot of what’s happening in the coaching profession, and is updated weekly. Compiled and edited by Linda Ballew and Ruth Ann Harnisch.

In this week’s Chronicle: In Coaching News, a Wall Street Journal article discusses the evolution of a changing work force which could include coaching as part of the hiring package.

We also track a wave of health coaching articles including family practice offices hiring full time nurses and training them as health coaches, a large health insurance company adding health coaching for their subscribers, Duke Integrative Medicine weighing in on health coaching, and an online health coaching service.

We see retirement coaches training to help baby boomers invest their money, executive dads who may want to seek life coaching to balance family and work, and even a gardening coach who will show you how to grow the garden of your dreams! Take a happiness quiz and find out the correlation between happiness and money, or take a “best and worst case scenario” quiz and learn to deal with either outcome.

Coaching is shown to help wholesalers, the newly-hired executives, and businessmen who will mentor businesswomen. Bloggers offer free coaching sessions, advice on surrounding yourself with a group to help through difficult work situations, commentary on a leadership development book, and how to identify the five distinctions of leadership.

Are video games a way to learn business leadership skills? In this blog, an executive coach cites an IBM sponsored study, and notes that IBM will launch its own business management game soon.

Gaining publicity: a workshop offered by a money coach, and a conference to discuss methods of tracking ROI of the coaching process.

CONTRIBUTORS: We welcome your suggestions for inclusions in The Chronicle of Coaching. Please let us know about articles, broadcasts, blogs, and other instances of coaching in the culture. This week’s edition includes a tip from David Goldsmith, Co-Founder of The Foundation of Coaching.

The Chronicle of Coaching strives for 100% accuracy and regrets any deviation from that standard. Our policy is to correct errors promptly and prominently, in the next edition and in the online archive. Please tell us immediately if you see something wrong.

And as always, if we missed anything, let us know at info@thefoundationofcoaching.org

Coaching Plays a Role as Workplace Becomes More Flexible
June 16, 2007, Wall Street Journal, (USA)
In competition for talent and leadership, companies are dealing with a more diverse work force who expect flexible schedules and a more customized career path that might include coaching or mentoring.

College Offers Retirement Coaching Program to Financial Planners
June 20, 2007, Accounting Web (Indiana, USA)
This program will provide professionals with “an in-depth understanding of the special needs, issues and decisions affecting Americans during the second half of their lives.”

Health Coaches Viewed as Effective Strategy to Overall Well-Being
June 17, 2007 EMax Health (North Carolina, USA)
Health coaching manager at Duke Integrative Medicine explains, "People have sought the support and guidance of coaches in a wide range of disciplines, such as athletics, career and life, to help them move to new levels. Health coaching brings these two worlds - healthcare and personal coaching - together."

Executive Dads: Coaching May Help Family/Work Balance
June 15, 2007, HR BLR.com (USA)
Children aren't particularly impressed with their dad’s work achievements. What they want is more time with their parents.

A Gardening Coach Can Help You Grow
June 15, 2007, The New York Times (New York, USA)
Gardening coaches show people how to reach their gardening goals, helping them identify and develop skill sets needed to grow the garden of their dreams.

Health Coaching Program Helps People Address Risky Lifestyle Choices
June 16, 2007, PRNewswire (New York, USA)
With a focus on wellness and prevention, Cigna is helping subscribers give up smoking, lose weight and manage stress.

New Health Partnerships Will Provide Patient Coaching
June 15, 2007, American Family Physician (USA)
Family physician clinics at 16 primary care centers will employ full-time nurses, known as "health coaches," who will be trained to help patients understand and make positive health behavior changes.

Coaching Club Helps Fuel Wholesaler Boost Profits
June 14, 2007 Convenience Store Decisions (Pennsylvania, USA)
The article describes the Hidden Profits Coaching Club as different from other kinds of consulting or training because the emphasis is on implementation. “Ideas and strategies are presented in a paint-by-the-number fashion, making it easy for members and their staff to get results even in the busiest environments.”

Men Get Coaching to Mentor Women
June 14, 2007 Wall Street Journal (USA)
Ernst and Young’s program to mentor more women for leadership roles includes men learning new communication skills, helping women get out and form professional relationships, and understanding what it feels like to be the gender-minority in most meetings.

Ease Transition for New Executives with Onboarding
June 12, 2007, Business Week (USA)
The onboarding process includes regular feedback from key stakeholders with follow-up to make sure communication is effective, and coaching that provides an objective, outside perspective.

Audition To Qualify for Free Business Coaching
June 19, 2007, Evolving Times (Canada)
Business coach will personally choose seven entrepreneurs and lead them through his new business turnaround program.

Positive Psychology Coach Offers a Business Game to Help Gain Perspective
June 18, 2007, Senia.com Positive Psychology Coaching (New York, USA)
Player writes down best and worst case scenarios, most likely implications of each, and plans for handling each outcome.

Coach Says Gather a “Black Hole” Team for Business Blues
June 18, 2007, The Business Coaching Company (UK)
According to this business coach, all business owners experience periods of major problems, and should develop a group of friends and/or colleagues known as their “black hole” team who will listen to their woes and then help them move forward.

Blog Offers Personal Development Resource Compilation
June 17, 2007, Victor-fam.com (USA)
Blogger lists 77 articles on personal development, financial independence and technology.

Can Playing Video Games Coach Leadership, Management Skills?
June 17, 2007 The Leadership Blog (USA)
To find out, IBM sponsored a study on gamers, and will launch a business management game of its own.

Executive Coach Discusses Leadership Development Book
June 17, 2007, Bangkok Post (Bangkok, Thailand)
Discussion includes feedback techniques, evaluating the important skill of listening, and using the powerful tool of gratitude.

Blog Explains Five Distinctions of Leadership
June 17, 2007, Joyful Jubilant Learning (Hawaii, USA)
Coach discusses these five distinctions: a desire to lead, impatience with following, future-focused ideas, visionary clarity and the ability to articulate it, and great management skills.

Life Coach Blogs: Increase Income, Increase Happiness?
June 15, 2007, Embody Blog (UK)
This blogger helps readers rate happiness, includes a study on how money affects happiness, and offers commentary on the true nature of wealth.

Money Coach Offers a Workshop
June 17, 2007, The Money Blog (USA)
A seminar is offered in four cities to help get out of debt and/or buy a first home.

Online Health Coaching Available
June 15, 2007, PRLog (Bucuresti, Romania)
MyHealthCoach.com provides support in the areas of weight management, blood pressure and cholesterol control, nutrition and smoking cessation.

Conference: Training, coaching and development represent opportunity, not cost
June 13, 2007, Personnel Today (UK)
This one-day conference included some of the latest methods and approaches to training, coaching and support, and discussed the latest thinking on tracking ROI which is traditionally difficult to quantify.

By Vikki G. Brock

In the 1970’s Fred Kiel, a clinical psychologist from Minneapolis, St. Paul, opened his practice called The Center for Behavior Modification. There were no third party payments for mental health services, and marital and family therapy had not been invented.

In the 1980’s Fred was jarred out of the traditional medical model when he began working with senior executives and Fortune 500 companies in leadership development, management style training, leadership development work.