BizTips on Thursday: Twitter

This year I am starting a new column for the Group Coaching blog on BizTips. Many coaches continue to struggle from a business perspective. This is particularly true in the current economic climate. Keep posted for BizTips which will be posted on a semi-monthly basis to support you in a different aspect of your business success. Many of these topics are ones that I passionately have lectured on as a former Business Faculty Member, cover in the 90 DayBizSuccess program, and work around in the small business coaching work that I do.

This week's post is all about one of the latest social media crazes -- Twitter.

Wikipedia describesTwitter as:
" a free social networking and micro-blogging service that allows its users to send and read other users' updates (otherwise known as tweets), which are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length".

If you've heard about twitter and are wondering what it might do for your business, here are some great web resources to get you started:

Duct Tape Marketing has produced a short Twitter for Business booklet which you can download here.

Some Tips from Claire Chapman: http://fabulouscoaching.typepad.com/growasacoach/2008/12/back-to-basics-22-basics-for-getting-up-and-running-on-twitter.html

The Twitter Handbook: http://www.twitterhandbook.com/


How are you using Twitter? What success stories do you have about it? What's the downside?

As always, please feel free to comment below. You can find me at Twitter at http://twitter.com/jennbritton.

Have a great week!

Warmly
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Group Coaching Essentials

Join me for lunch: Tuesday Feb 3 at 12 noon (ET)

I hope that you will join me next Tuesday Feb 3rd from 12 - 12:45 pm (Eastern) for a lunchtime speaking engagement with the ICF-GTA Chapter Practice Talks call. I'll be speaking next week on Expanding Your Reach - Tips and Tools for Group and Team Coaching.

Each month a 45 minute teleconference call on issues related to coaching and business building is held.

I hope that you will join me next week for an engaging lunch time discussion.

Here are the details:
Date: Tuesday Feb 3 from 12 - 12:45 pm (Eastern)

Dial in to: (218) 339-2626, access code 164873 (Note: Callers are responsible for their own long distance charges)

What I'll be talking about:
Wondering about how you can leverage your time and serve more clients outside just a 1-1 model? During this month’s ICF GTA Practice Building call, Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC, will be covering some quick tips and tools to support you in expanding your coaching reach to groups and teams. She’ll be discussing how group coaching is similar to, and also different from, individual one-on-one coaching. She’ll also share how you can adapt some of your current coaching tools to teams and groups. Please bring any and all of your questions about group coaching to this month’s lunchtime call.

There's no cost and no need to register.

I look forward to having you join me for lunch next week!

Warmly
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC, CHRP
Potentials Realized
Group Coaching Essentials
Phone: (416) 996-TEAM (8326)

4th Annual Sherpa Executive Coaching Survey Now Available

The 4th Annual Sherpa Executive Coaching Survey has just been released and is now available for download. You can download your own copy of the survey here.

The survey answers questions including

• What is executive coaching?
• Who gets a coach?
• How are services delivered?
• Who becomes a coach?
• How do they get their training?
• How much does coaching cost?
• Is it worth the money

1500 participants, primarily executive coaches, participated in the survey. Participants came from the US, Canada and 40 other countries, showing the global nature of executive coaching. The survey also highlights some interesting differences about the background, training and type of work executive coaches are doing on both sides of the Canadian and US border.

I hope that you will take a look at the 4th Annual Sherpa Executive Coaching Survey .

If you are aware of other surveys on coaching which have been released recently, please feel free to comment below. The need for more research on the profession continues to be a major issue - as such it is always wonderful to hear of new survey results being published.

Have a great week!

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC

Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960

Email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com

Exercises: The Backbone of Any Program

Exercises: The Backbone of Any Program
Copyright 2009 - Jennifer Britton. All Rights Reserved.

I am preparing this month for a number of team and group engagements -- both in person work and virtual work. I am reminded of how exercises really form the backbone of any group coaching or team coaching program.

When considering your next choice of exercise, consider the following questions:

1. What is the theme/message/learning you want to create for the exercise?
2. What's the tempo that will work for the group?
3. How will this exercise support different learning styles?
4. How will it compliment other exercises - in terms of theme/learning styles?
5. What risks are associated with this exercise?
6. When would this exercise be most suited in terms of placement - i.e. icebreaker, closure exercises etc?
7. What else does this exercise need as a compliment?
8. What questions should follow/be part of this exercise to allow the group to learn the most from it (jot down 3-5 questions you will follow the exercise with).

Challenge this week: If you are preparing for a new program, use these questions to help you take your exercise choice to the next level.
If you don't have a new program on the books, but are looking to create the foundation for a new one of your own, pick a theme (i.e. leadership, work-life balance) and spend 30-60 minutes gathering/researching exercises you could include.

Looking for some inspiration? Check out James Neill's Wilderdom.com -- which houses a really fantastic resource base of group exercises (copyleft!). Thanks James for this contribution. Know of other resources -- please feel free to comment below!

Have a great week!

Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Group Coaching Essentials
Toll Free: 1-866-217-1960
Email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com

PS -- There are still a few spaces in two programs which are starting this week: Group Coaching Essentials starts Wednesday evening from 8-9:15 pm (ET) this week (Jan 14th), and the 90 Day BizSuccess starts Friday (the 16th) at 12 noon (ET). Looking forward to having you join me!

Upcoming January Programs

It's a new year and a great time to put some structure behind making those new year's resolutions - especially if you are a coach and have resolved to start offering group programs this year or grow your business.


Here's what's on tap this month:


Group Coaching Essentials – Wednesdays 8-9:15 pm (EST), January 14, 21, Feb 4 and 11 plus a fifth call in March. Cost $275 US. Come celebrate our 3rd anniversary of this program! The ever popular Group Coaching Essentials program will be offered again this month. If you are a coach wanting to offer group coaching to your clients this program is for you. Full of tips, tools, exercises and other resources, you will leave the program with:

• A structure to quickly design your next group coaching program - whether by phone or in person


• Exercises to incorporate into your programs


• Marketing ideas so you can get "bums in seat"


• Your own group coaching program design.

Space is limited to 6-8 coaches. As part of the program you will have pre and post course 1-1s with me, and receive a 90 page manual (sent electronically in modules)

90 Day BizSuccess Program: Now entering it's second year, the 90 Day BizSuccess program is for coaches serious about focusing on, and growing their business. We meet twice a month for a one hour group coaching call, and you'll also schedule a 1-1 lazer coaching session with me.

Some of the topics we cover include:

• Creating a Powerful Vision and RoadMap for Your Business


• Busting through Limiting Beliefs about your business


• Essential Business Systems (budgets, marketing plans etc)


• Leveraging Your Network


• Social Networking 101: Twitter, Blogging, Facebook - Make it work for you!

Cost: $347 US for the 3 month program which includes 7 group calls, 3 lazer 1-1s, a 70 page workbook manual and 36 e-biz tips delivered to your email box. Calls are held Fridays from 12 - 1pm (Eastern) on January 16, 23, Feburary 6, 28, March 13, 27, April 17, 2009.

Click here for more information or to register

For those interested in designing and delivering Workshops and Retreats, the Workshop and Retreat Essentials program will be held on Fridays 10:30 - 11:45 am(EST), Janaury 23, Feb 6, 20 and 27 plus 5th call in March. Click here for more information on the Workshop and Retreat Essentials program. Cost: $250 US

If you have any questions, please give me a call at (416) 996-TEAM (8326) or drop me an email at info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com. (AND if you are Canadian and prefer to pay in Canadian dollars, please let me know)

Have a great start to 2009 with your groups!

Warmly

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC

Group Coaching Essentials

Taking Stock of 2008 and Planning for 2009

I hope that you are having a wonderful holiday season and are finding the time to do those things you love to do.

Every year at this time, I encourage my newsletter subscribers to carve out some time to do some year end reflection, and new year planning. Give yourself the gift of 15 minutes of quiet reflection time over the next week or so to look at where you have been and where you want to go.

To support you in this process here are some of the questions I'm posing this year:

What was your greatest success as a business owner this year?
What was your greatest step forward this year with group work?
What did you become known for this year?
Where do you want to shine more light?

Looking Ahead to 2009:
What (and who) do you want to be known for during 2009?
What is a STRETCH Goal for you for 2009?
What work do you want to continue doing? Why?
What work do you want to stop doing? Why?
What work do you want more of? Why?
What do you need to say no to? Why?
What's going to be your primary FOCUS this year?
What 1% change will you commit to in the early part of the new year?

I hope that you will have a terrific start to 2009!

Warm wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC
Potentials Realized
Phone: (416) 996-TEAM (8326)

9 Tips for Your 2009 Group Programs: Workshops, Retreats and Group Coaching

I want to thank those of you who joined me late last week for my 5th Annual Year End Group Programs call. I really enjoy this year end tradition which I started in the first year of my business. This year we had callers from the West and East Coast of Canada, the US, and also a caller from Jamaica. It is really great to see more and more coaches and trainers connecting from all over the world!

This year's call focused on 9 Tips for Your 2009 Group Programs. If you weren't able to join us for this year's call, here's the first 19 minutes of the call. I hope that you enjoy! I will eventually be posting the recording on the Group Coaching Essentials website...but until then, please enjoy the first part of the recording here.



I also hope that you will take some time to explore the blog -- there's over 3 years of material here to support you with your workshop, retreat or group coaching program.

For those looking to expand their work in the realm of workshops, retreats and group coaching, and if are looking from a structure, tools, resources and support, I hope that you will consider joining me in the new year for one of the following 2009 programs:
Workshop and Retreat Essentials - Fridays 10:45 - 12 noon, starts January 23
Group Coaching Essentials: Wednesdays 8-9:15 pm (ET), starts January 14

The 90 Day BizSuccess program will also return in January on Fridays from 12-1 pm (ET) starting January 16. This 3 month group coaching program provides small business owners and solopreneurs the opportunity to focus in on the growth of their business, while gaining essential tools and systems to make their business work for them. Topics covered include business visioning, establishing your niche, how to leverage social media and networking to leverage your business, and building your platform. We meet twice a month as a group, and for a 15 minute 1-1 lazer monthly. Cost: $347 US for the program. Click here for more info or to register. 5 spaces remain!

Have a great holiday season!

Warm wishes,
Jennifer

Jennifer Britton, PCC, CPCC, CHRP
Potentials Realized
Group Coaching Essentials
Mobile: (416)996-TEAM (8326)
email: info{at}potentialsrealized{dot}com