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: News of a coaching program to help minorities apply for graduate degrees in business tops this week’s Chronicle, which also features stories on help with the pursuit of (job) happiness, how to get a job, how to ace the interview, how to get a promotion, how to do less and achieve more. Coaches weigh in on chasing too many good ideas, building on the strengths of current employees, the power of positive thinking, planning for the second half of one’s life, how to find love if you’re a middle-age woman, succeeding as an entrepreneur, and getting your obese pet down to a healthy weight. This week’s featured blogs include 15 reasons NOT to hire a coach, as well as a quiz to help you choose a coach. And we don’t know where to put this one: in full-page ads for American Express, comedian Larry David’s “profile” lists his occupation as “Life Coach.” The creator of Seinfeld uses “life coach” as the comedic premise of a major advertising campaign for an international business giant – we think that’s noteworthy.
And as always, if we missed anything, please let us know.

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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.

Management and Leadership Program for Minorities Offers Coaching
June 30, 2007, News Channel 10 (New York, USA)
African Americans, Latinos and Native Americans can learn how to apply for MBA programs at some of the nation's top business schools, using these seminars, which include one-on-one coaching.

Career Coach Encourages Pursuit of Happiness
July 2, 2007, Animation World Magazine (California, USA)
For people unhappy in their current job, she says to think of ways to improves the situation, ask to change positions within the company, prove useful in other skill sets, or think of ways to make the job more interesting.

Form Allies with Co-Workers, Executive Coach Advises
July 3, 2007, The Wall Street Journal (USA)
When executives take charge of a new area, one tip is to find additional internal allies savvy about "key players" you need to please.

Business Coach: Concentrate on Current Goals First
July 2, 2007, Stuff.com (New Zealand)
Before chasing what may look like great new ideas, make sure that core business goals are being met and that the new ideas strengthen the path to those goals.

Finding and Coaching Top Talent is Essential to Business Success
July 2, 2007, Colorado Springs Gazette (Colorado, USA)
To produce great results in organizations, management takes a good look at every employee in the company, lets them know that they are important, and helps them learn to be better at what they do.

Survey Shows Integrity is #1 Desired Quality in Leaders
June 30, 2007, CNNMoney.com (USA)
Executive coach says, “Integrity is vital to building trust-filled relationships with all those around you, from vendors to clients.” Experience and communication tied for second place.

Overweight Businessmen Can Get Coaching to Lose Weight
June 29, 2007, Business Edge (Alberta, Canada)
Article says some companies are slower to promote overweight employees because of future health problems, a perceived lack of self control and a reduced energy rate. A telephone coaching program may help with weight control.

Pet Fitness Program Includes Life Coach
June 29, 2007, PR-Inside.com (Austria)
Team will travel the country and teach pet owners how to create healthier lifestyle for their pets, and includes a wellness expert, a clinical professor and a gourmet chef/life coach.

Success Coach: Think and Create Success, Health, Happiness
June 28, 2007, The Law of Attraction Blog (Colorado, USA)
She believes that thoughts, words and feelings, not just actions, create an individual’s reality.

Work Coach: Your Perfect Career is Out There
June 28, 2007, The Work Coach Blog
Blog says read career books, explore your interests, research your current company for additional options and perhaps consider a career coach.

Bank’s New Employee Development Program Includes Coaching
June 28, 2007 MSN Money (USA)
The new division will focus on three areas: talent management and work-force planning; executive, leadership and management development; and coaching and development.

Many CEOs, Not Enough Executive Coaches
June 28, 2007, The Times of India (India)
Indian School of Business plans to launch a study program to train more executive coaches.

Intentionally Prepare for Second Half of Life
June 26, 2007 Dental Economics (Oklahoma, USA)
Executive coach says to move forward and grow in the second half of life, ask these things: what parts of life do I want to hold on to or let go of? What new skills, attitudes, and behaviors are worth learning, and will those carry me closer to meaning and purpose?

Executive Coaching Thrives in the UK
June 27, 2007 The Training Zone (UK)
Organizations want coaches with a previous business career and professional attitudes, and count on coaching to retain leadership and talent.

Acting and Improvisation Help Companies Coach their Staff
June 18-24, 2007, Crain’s New York Business (New York, USA)
The employees and executives learn everything from public speaking to team building through role play with sketches that are customized for their particular organization.

Coach Offers Definition of Life Coaching
July 2, 2007, A Life Coach’s Blog (Florida, USA)
He says part of a coach’s job is to align with the client and help them see that they already have the resources to do whatever it is they want to do.

Executive Coach: Use Job Interview to Observe Company’s Values
July 2, 2007, Ordinary Life, Extraordinary Living Blog (Colorado, USA)
She says the interview should work both ways. It is also a job-seeker’s opportunity to interview the company, to see if values, job description and work environment are a good fit.

Coach Decides to Take His Own Advice
July 2, 2007, Business Performance Coaching Blog (Canada)
He will build his business model just as he tells his clients; by identifying his delivery of products and services, and developing a plan to differentiate his business from others. He will document his progress on the blog.

Do Less, Achieve More, Says Life Coach
June 30, 2007, Success.com
She explains that the “Do Less Attitude” comes to work with a clear and focused vision, a knowledge of which activities are closest to the bottom line, and the ability to delegate or dismiss tasks that are not the best use of time.

Executive Coach Offers 15 Reasons Not to Hire One
June 30, 2007 Kent Blumberg Blog
He offers a quiz to identify a person’s work life balance, perceived leadership skills, changes in work responsibilities and more.

Blog Helps Lawyers Find a Business Coach
June 30, 2007, Legal Sanity Blog (New York, USA)
Blogger says a lawyer’s coach should help set realistic goals and take action to achieve them in his client’s practice arena. Blogsite also offers resources for more information.

Business Blog Has Quiz for Coaches
June 29, 2007 R&R Business Development Blog (California, USA)
Executive coach says potential clients want to know one thing: Can a coach help them? And if the answer is yes, the next question is how will that happen?

Real Women Blog Features Business Coach
June 29, 2007 Real Women Blog (Netherlands)
Business coach answered questions about her business, her challenges, her inspiration and offers advice to other female entrepreneurs.

Dating Coach Has Program to Help Middle Age Women Marry
June 28, 2007 Business Wire (California, USA)
Dating services are customized for each woman based on personal needs and preferences.

Coaching Program Aimed at Helping Entrepreneurs and Independents Succeed
June 28, 2007 PRWeb (London, UK)
Delivered online, this program teaches that powerful marketing strategies combined with the strong mindset of the owner equal a winning strategy in small business.

By Vikki G. Brock

In every culture, the sages or the wise elders have used the process of asking questions and drawing out the personal wisdom of the individual to find their own best answers. According to Richard Leider, author of “Repacking Your Bags: Lighten the Load for the Rest of Your Life,” the coaches in Africa are the elders sitting around the fire. Coaching is a universal process.