This is a recap of my sessions I attended at ICF Converge 2019 in Prague. I highlighted the biggest takeaways I had in each session. Converge was a life changing experience. I talk about coaches coming from a place of abundance vs. scarcity. This was demonstrated so clearly at Converge. With 70 different countries represented, the passion for coaching brought us all together. Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments. I have highlighted the presentations where I got the most value.
Overall:
- ICF Converge had over 70 countries represented and there were speakers from 25 different countries!
- Next year is ICFs 25th Anniversary. ICF coaching has touched 20 Million people in the past 25 years!
1) Opening Keynote: Frans Johanssen, author of The Medici Effect: Navigating Unpredictability
- Having diversity is extremely important in a world of unpredictability. The rate at which innovation and strategy is changing is demanding diversity and inclusivity. Questions to ask yourself”
- Is the world outside of my organization changing faster than my organization?
- Instead of product or business models do leaders have the capacity to change and adopt?
- There are changes to norms and behavior as well as changes in technology.
- Examples: We were told never to get into a strangers car, yet Uber is one of the fastest growing companies
- We were told never let strangers into your home, yet BNB is flourishing
- The 10,000 hour rule is a myth
- We tend to believe that deep expertise and planning are the keys to success. This can be a drawback in an unpredictable world
- While the 10,000 hours may work for Serena Williams, it is because the rules of tennis don’t change. Dave Wondra later challenged even this in a later session. He challenged that the practice can’t just be hours of rote practice, it has to be challenging and growth based.
- An example of a very successful business with no expertise is Sir Richard Branson starting Virgin Airlines. He was not an expert in airlines, yet he knew the experience he wanted in flight.
- Another example is Apple. Nokia was 3x larger than the next competitor in the cell phone business. Then came the iPhone from a company that was not in the cellular business.
- Clearly in these examples expertise is not enough because businesses can come in and change the rules.
- The unexpected makes us stand out- be ready for it. Many times the idea we start morphs into something else based on the unexpected. Unexpected can create success.
- YouTube started as a dating site. Then users started sharing videos of other things besides dating.
- Starbucks started as a manufacturer of coffee machines and coffee beans. They didn’t make coffee until the CEO visited Milan and realized that drinking coffee could be an experience
- Pfizer created a heart drug that had an interesting side effect- Viagra was born!
- Look for opportunities to change the rules of the game
- Nike had dominated the athletic wear market for years using great Pro-athletes or professional athletic teams to sell their product. Under Armour came along and did not have that kind of cash so they changed the rules… who is an athlete? The promoted Misty Cope, a ballet dancer in their apparel. People loved this idea and the “rule” of using professional athletics like football and basketball changed.
- Draw inspiration from other fields and cultures in places other than your own. Embrace the Medici Effect- bringing ideas, concepts from one field into another unfamiliar territory.
- Hospitals have turned to the Formula one pit crews as a safety model. They are learning how to translate the split-second timing and near-perfect synchronization of Formula One pit crews to the high-risk handoffs of patients from surgery to recovery and intensive care. The racing crews can refuel a car and change all four tires in seven seconds, and no F1 driver has died at the wheel in a Grand Prix race since 1994.
- All new ideas are the combinations of existing ideas. Not all ideas are created equal
- Place more bets, try more ideas. The people that will change the world, try more ideas
- Angry Bird was the 52nd game that Rovio had made before they had a win. They were not sure it was going to work and it is a game sensation.
- Rethink the role of experience and expertise
- When adding someone to the team think about who can change the rules of the game?
- Example is the women who didn’t want to ruin their hair with a bicycle helmet. They created an “air bag” collar that deploys an airbag over the head when there is a bicycle crash.
- Use inclusion to unleash success
- How are leaders bringing diversity to bear? Different ideas come from diversity and inclusion!
- NASA had an engineer who mastered Origami and he figured out how to use Origami in rockets and created the way to fold airbags into a car.
- IBM hired a blind scientist to create Artificial Intelligence to help the blind
- Manage the risks, but double down on the “winning hand”
- A company in Sweden created the Ice Hotel, but that was not the initial idea. The overall idea was “Sell Winter”. They tested and changed based on feedback and that is what led them to the Ice Hotel.
- Started with Ice Exhibits
- Then created a snow gallery
- Then created an event hall and bar. Backpackers asked to stay there and thus was born
- How do you double down? When creating a new idea ask “What is the SES- Smallest Executable Step” This is like the Agile process. Create the idea in 2-4 week increments. Then test it. When you find something that works, double down! Keep testing until you find the winning formula.
- The world is moving in unexpected was- how will you adapt and change to be successful?
2) Escaping Our Mind Traps: Jennifer Garvey Berger
- There are 5 mind traps that humans have and can change to open their worlds
1) We believe we are right.
a. Ask yourself- what does it feel like to be wrong?
b. Before you know you are wrong, you think you are right. Then we feel bad when we are wrong.
c. Solution? We are trapped by rightness and we need to listen to learn, not listen to fix or win.
2) We tell simple stories- we are wired for narrative consistency. Stories become who we are.
a. When we create the simple stories, we make up one about us and one about other people. Sometimes those stories create conflict with that other person.
b. To escape your simple story ask “How is this person a hero? What does this person say to him/herself? Everyone is a hero in his or her own story.
3) We enjoy it when we agree
a. Dopamine gets released when we agree.
b. Ask yourself when was the last time you changed your mind to say something that was more agreeable to the group you were with?
c. How do you become more comfortable with the difference vs being right or wrong
d. Solution: Disagree to EXPAND possibilities. Conflict, when handled well, deepens and expands!
4) We like to be in control.
a. When we take a complex situation and focus on controlling, we get in our own way
b. Solution: Ask, “How can I enable conditions for success rather than trying to control outcomes?” Create conditions for growing vs. controlling.
5) We protect our identities
a. Think of 3 words that you use to identify yourself. Now think of 2 words, if used to identify you would make you cringe? Those words can hold you back. You have created a box that you live in.
b. There is an “End of History” Illusion that we have. The end-of-history illusion is a psychological illusion in which individuals of all ages believe that they have experienced significant personal growth and changes in tastes up to the present moment, but will not substantially grow or mature in the future.
c. Solution: Escape your EGO. Ask, “Who would I like to be next?” vs. staying the same.
3) 7 secrets to designing unforgettable coaching programs
- When you are self-employed you are unemployed at the end of the day unless you continuously push for the next day.
- Get and audience involved from the beginning- ask interesting questions from the beginning- have them take a quiz together. Or ask them a “what if” question.
- In any successful program you need interaction, engagement, pressure, a specific goal, worthiness/value, energy and the learning they have has to be seen.
1) Create a challenge for an intro, but build trust. Create a sense of urgency and raise expectations, but do it in a safe environment. Do not make it threatening. Threat introduces Cortisol and that can make a person shut down.
a. Tips: Give a time limited activity. Put people in teams. Raise the standard for responses to create energy
2) Create relevance- WIIFM- What’s in it for me? Our brains learn best from whole to parts. The brain resists confusion. Building in prior knowledge helps to put the brain into action.
a. Tips:
i. Build in interest and strength of your audience
ii. Activate prior knowledge by giving prework
iii. Activate prior knowledge by using real life examples people can relate to.
3) Create novelty- the brain pushes back when told what to do
a. Instead let people hear and see vs. tell. Video clips are useful here.
4) Use emotion- engage emotion throughout your presentation
a. Tips:
i. Create an emotional environment with music, quotes, greeting folks at the door or as they come on line by name if possible
ii. Tell stories and allow people to tell stories as well in pairs or groups.
iii. Ask people about someone or something important to them and use that in an exercise
iv. Affirm learners insight
5) Use hands on learning so they will use what they learned again.
6) Make it immediately applicable. Ask folks to plan how they are going to use what they learned and when they will use it.
7) Give them a field expertise.
The question is not how smart are you, but how are you smart?
4) Narcissists, Sociopaths and Difficult Executive clients (Honestly this session was not great, but here were some interesting take aways):
- Research from Nathan Brooks says 1 out of every 5 CEOs is a psychopath. To the same level as incarcerated serial killers. (Interesting, but not sure if that is really true.)
- See the superhero in your difficult client
- Any strength, overplayed, can become a weakness.
5) Breaking into New Markets
- Get curious before going into a new market
- What is going on in the industry? Read blogs and industry newsletters and magazines
- Listen to the industry podcasts
- Find out where the people in that industry hang out and go there- talk to the people who work in that industry
- Find out what drives them
It is critical to do this to be able to tell that industry why they need your coaching.
BE RELEVANT TO THE INDUSTRY YOU WANT TO BREAK INTO. Frame what you offer in terms that they care about.
6) Marketing Yourself- Jan Markel
- Know who you are and what you offer
- The 3 dimensions of coaching success are 1) coaching skills, 2) sales skills and 3) you. All three come together in a Venn diagram.
- The 3 common marketing mistakes?
- Being in a role when selling. You can’t become someone else. They are buying you, not just your skills
- Trying to sell or manipulate. Selling only works when you are truly yourself.
- Not enjoying the moment when you are talking to a potential client
- Authenticity, not selling, is what is most effective
- Listen actively, not just to respond- by listening actively, you can better respond
- Ask yourself, how did I feel when I had a great meeting? When did you fell alive?
- What does it look like when you act this way in your life?
- This is the way you should act when doing business and marketing yourself
7) You as a CEO instead of a Coach
- What do we need to let go of to go to the next level? Go through self-discovery to find this out
- Unpack you parachute- what are you doing that isn’t serving you?
- We are the common denominator!
- What do you have control over?
- What is your deficit based bias?
- What does your life feel like as a coach? Abundancy, impact, value, authenticity, courage to change, etc.…
- That is great AND you need to put on your CEO hat to be successful- you are the CEO of your business.
- How are you strategizing your business?
- How is your business evolving?
- Are you keeping track of your finances- profits and losses?
- Do you have other coaches and business people helping you?
- You can’t do the coaching journey by yourself!
- ICF events, as an example, are crucial as you get to share with other coaches and learn from each other
- Having a coach in your life is like being in the HOV lane- you can go faster Who is in the car with you in your practice
- How are you diversifying yourself? Is your business recession proof?
- The CEO continuum consists of 1) Vision, 2) Execution, 3) Delegation, 4) Accountability, 5) Support
Vision: Where do you see yourself in 3-5-10 years? What is your plan?
- Execution: We can plan all day long and sometimes we don’t launch! You have to execute for your plans to come through!
- Delegation: what are the tasks you need to outsource to focus on what will give you the most value?
- Accountability: How are you holding yourself accountable? Great to have a plan, but if you don’t have accountability, you won’t do the other steps.
- Support: who is helping you? What support are you giving to others? 2 way support is critical. You ask clients “what is getting in your way”, who is asking this of you?
- Are you in a Mastermind? If you aren’t you should be. It gives you support and accountability.
- Important things to answer before you go into 2020.
- What is your 2 month plan to wrap up the year?
- How will you plan and execute 2020?
- Write plans and put dates on them.
- Who is your board of directors?
- Ego vs. Humility- you actual need both!
- Drive and determination- who is partnering with you to grow your business?
- Ethics and Integrity: uphold them both
4 behaviors for CEOs
- Decide with speed and conviction
- Read “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill
- How are you taking care of you to be a great leader?
- Setbacks help you grow- remember that next time you have a setback… what am I learning from this?
8) Grief as Diversity: Coaching through Change and Resiliency
- We have to move beyond our own narrative- what stories are we making up?
- We need to trust the “direct” experience- the wisdom of our body and emotions.
- Be in the present moment with your clients. Ask them to close their eyes and ask
- “What are you noticing now?
- What are you becoming aware of?
- What is your body trying to tell you?
- What part of your body is carrying your response to this situation?
- Sometimes the body is more powerful than the mind in telling you something is wrong.
- Mindfulness Coaching Model
- The Vagus Nerve is responsible for resting and digesting. It goes from your brain to your spine, your gut and other parts of your body- it is extremely important
- When working with a client it is helpful to tell them where YOU feel their story and then ask them where they feel theirs.
- Numbness is a feeling also
- Try having them touch themselves by lightly running their fingers up and down their arms and over their face- soothing touch
- Ask them what they are noticing as this happens
- Then have them go back to their difficult situation and ask how it seems now?
- When getting to next steps ask “what is one small step you could take?
- If your client feels cold, ask them to make a fist with one hand and cover it with the other hand- it often makes the body warmer.
9) Deep Shift Platform- DSP (honestly, this one got a little too much into psychology for me)
- What works every time in my practice with my clients that gives them quick, sustainable results? What give fast, effective and deep sustainable change?
- You r client is a whole person and can’t be separated from the past, present and future.
- Coaching, psychology and other HT paradigms are merging and there is a tension
- Clients want more and demand better for their money.
- What is Deep Shift Platform
- A complex, simple and front end transformation
- We do not learn from our experiences, we learn from reflecting on our experiences objectively and safely.
- What is the earliest childhood memory that you have? E.g. I remember my mom going to the grocery store without me
- What is the story you tell yourself again and again? What is the meaning you giving it? E.g. I was not good enough for her to take me which translates into I am not good enough
- What do you crave to be different? E.g. I crave to be truly present and happy
- Shame is the lowest energy on the energetic scale
- Original Pain and Original Deal
- Our original pain is that first memory and what you make up about it
- We diminish our original pain, but it imprints onto our brain
- Our original Deal is the deal you made with yourself E.g. I will never disappoint my Mom again so she will not reject me. I will always be perfect.
- The key is not to let the client stay in that story, but to realize it and then move into how to change it.
- Security blankets are the beliefs we have about ourselves and others
- The journey back to ourselves involves
- Gratitude to the part of you you don’t like
- Desire- there has to be enough of a desire to make a change
- Adding choices- don’t get rid of the old part, but add different choices
10) Expand your Expertise- Dave Wondra
- Practicing 10,000 hours to be the best is a myth.
- 10,000 hours does not make an expert
- Repetition does not make perfect
- Mindful attention is needed
- It is about quality, not quantity
- Short bursts of mindful session are better than long mindless practices
- If we stay in our comfort zone we will not improve beyond our current abilities.
- We automate some experiences and get into a state of homeostasis- protecting the status quo
- This is fine for things like doing the dishes, but no in things like taking our business to the next level
- Idea- put together a learning contract
- Challenge works and helps us to develop. If you think ”what was I thinking?” you have likely found growth.
- Regular, mindful training changes the brain
- Natural talent is believed across cultures
- Even people with natural talent have to practice to get better
- Gifted people take practice to the next level
- People are often labeled a “natural talent” AFTER the talent has been somewhat developed through practice!
- To increase your expertise you need in a Belief in Self. Set clear challenging goals. Act on these goals with mindful Attention, Reflect on progress and then Refine your practice
- There is a difference between Knowing and Doing!
- Sometimes you need to try harder AND sometime your need to try different.
- People usually stop trying when they reach a plateau. Learn to love the plateau- that is where the new level of learning is launched from!
- When you are working to get your MCC, work with a master coach on your recordings.
- Belief is at the heart of everything- belief in what we can or can’t do!
11) Building a Winning Business with Winning Clients
- If you just know something but don’t do it regularly, it is unlikely you can do it or know how to do it! Building clients is a regular practice!
- Globally, 366.2 Billion is spent on global coaching. 15 Billion is the coaching industry.
- If it feels like it’s feeling harder to sell, it isn’t your imagination. People are paralyzed in their buying process!
- Coaching has 3 different “sales” problems
1) You don’t have enough decision makers to talk to
2) Decision makers don’t want to talk to you until they decide what they want to do
3) When you do get to talk to them, a lot of folks have the wrong conversation
- Have a high proximity system in your business
- Face to face meetings are 34x more effective then phone or email.
1) Have an anchor and do it at least 1x a month and reactivate your network
- High Powered Networking meetings Etc.
2) To get a meeting you must
- Be in their “line of site” which is why the having an anchor is so important
- Ask for the meeting specifically
- Don’t sell your services, talk to them about what they need and how you can solve that
- Give them a reason to meet with your now
- Have new exclusive research and data
- Have ROI and business case data
- Give them immediately actionable insights
- Have case studies with result metrics
- Bring them and talk to them about emerging best practices
3) Give them a process to work with you
- Do a needs Discovery with them
- Set a process for how an organization can work with you
- Talk about being a “right fit”
- Do a capabilities briefing
- Co-create solutions WITH them
12) Closing Keynote: Getting Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable- Luvvie Ajai
- Telling the truth is deeply uncomfortable sometimes
- If telling the truth is “special” then what is everyone else doing?
- Luvvie’s 3 core values are honesty, Integrity, Justice and Shea Butter!
- Justice should be an obligation
- For us to have a world of justice, we are going to have to be ok with being uncomfortable.
- A lie can travel around the world while the truth is putting on their shoes!
- We put harmony above truth
- E.g. If a friend asks if we like their haircut and we don’t, we usually say “Yes, it’s great” to spare their feelings. What if we said instead “If you like it, I’m ok with it”?
- We are afraid of telling the truth because of the consequences. Ask what is the works case scenario with that consequence? If it is that you are going to get fired, do you really want to work for a company that will fire you for telling the truth?
- As coaches we are challengers with the idea that we are expecting the best of everyone.
- Every day we have to be human, compassionate and empathetic. The WAY you tell the truth should be thoughtful.
- Being nice is not your job. Being KIND is your job. When we speak up about what is true and unfair, we are giving to others that don’t have a voice.
- Human beings hold harmony dear because we want to be liked. Humans are fickle and you don’t know what is going to make them like you.
How are we showing up in the world in the best way possible? When Luvvie is deciding to tell the truth she asks 3 questions
1) Do I mean it?
2) Can I defend what I am saying
3) Am I saying it thoughtfully or with love?
- Answering these 3 questions ensures she is showing up as kind.
The Privilege Walk
- All line up at the same place and you take a step forward if the statement is true and backward if it is not true for you.
- Luvvie thought she’d be in the back, but she was in the middle. She realized that she had endless power and privilege
- Use your power and privilege for the greater good
The best things that have happened to Luvvie are the things that she has done when she is afraid.
- People often ask her how you overcome fear
- The answer is that you don’t… you go through it. Recognize your fear and say YES!
I know some of these may be hard to understand because they are out of context. It was hard for me to recap after a couple of weeks since the conference and I was there! If you have any questions or want to talk further, feel free to contact me at trish.perry@harmonizeu.com.