Serban Chinole

The last video message from Tony Robbins was about Sly Stallone and his dream to become an actor, how easy was for him to have this dream and what was the importance of not giving up.

Without pretending that my dream is similar, I choose to share it with you, five years ago while working with Steve Mitten MCC, I was challenged about my dream on coaching and development of this new profession in Romania.

The early days looked similar with ICF global story, I traveled to Timisoara and participated in a discussion with potential team members for ICF Romania, the resistance and skepticism I found made me wonder if this is a good idea. After all many new things started there, however in the coaching case we were asked what is the benefit of participating in this common project.

I did not take this personally, somehow two persons were open to support my dream so in August 2006 we opened the local chapter. The years after we grew up as a chapter slowly and many times I wondered if all the obstacles are part of this journey. Now I know and I want to acknowledge the effort of the active members and the accredited ones because they honour their commitment to themselves and coaching profession.

I also want to thank Alain Cardon,MCC, who develops coaches according to the ICF 11 competencies, also Gerard O’Donovan who kindly accepted our invitation last year in our first conference.

We celebrate the 15 years of ICF global by launching the 2nd conference and we benefit from 3 fantastic speakers, join us in our dreams, come with yours and let us see the resonance.

Two years ago during ICF conference in Montreal I had the honour to see Vandana Shiva

speaking about the importance of seeds. At that time I was not aware of her work, or about the importance of original seeds. Take a moment, and ask yourself how much of the food you eat now is natural and has organic base. It is useless to say that food is food, and it is not important if we still eat organic tomatoes or vegetables, if our flowers that we love and give to our wives, mothers and friends are from our gardens, if the eggs and meat we buy have hormones and chemicals inside.

Spring is here and if you have a small garden you can choose to start a small organic garden, there is a seeds bank in Romania who can provide organic seeds if you convince them that you want to grow organic vegetables.

What is the link with coaching?

Let me explain, 15 years ago a group of enthusiast people in US decided to start a non-profit organization, called ICF. In the early days they were around twenty people, today ICF has more than 16.000 members, over 150 chapters in more than 45 countries. It is offering the only global recognized, independent credentialing program. This process is based on eleven competencies to support understanding the coaching profession.

The way of working in every country is like having a small organic garden, every member of the local chapter participates to the greater effort of educating the market, of course one person at a time. Last year our local effort was globally recognized in Orlando in the section for small chapters with global spirit.

This year in Bucharest we will benefit from the wisdom of three recognized international coaches, Andrew Atter, Alan Seale and Alain Cardon.

We invite all the ”organic” seeds of coaching from Romania and Balkans and why not Europe to join us in celebrating 15 years of ICF and 4 years in Romania.

I dedicate this post to my wife Raluca, also business partner, coach and friend.

We both graduated in 2007 Coaching Training Institute, and I remember how I sold her the idea, in the first two days of her Fundamentals, she called me saying that coaching is not for her. In the last day, somehow she recovered and became motivated to continue.

The context for starting a new career was not very good, she was busy with our daughter Ana, and thinking on going back to her corporate life.

First clients were enough to make her change her mind, and despite the tough and unknown market, she is now coaching C-level and High Potential executives.

How easy is to be in coaches family? Well, if we just ask each other using our tools, action does not take place, is just like having two opposites forces. The good part is that we can agree on our commitments and have precise boundaries.

In my last working group, in a coaching exercise, when I shared my project for this year about ICF Romania 2nd conference, one of the managers asked me: so, Serban who is organizing this event, my wife I answered, and everybody laughed, and then I was asked: what about you?

My answer was: I am in charge with strategy. So it is nice for me to design a nice plan and ask questions the project team, but  I am confident because she is in charge.

I still recall the days I went to my first CTI coaching training. CTI approach is to help you absorb what is like to be a coach through an experience.

Woaw, what an experience. I was shattered by that experience. I found myself with the choice of getting to be a COACH. At that time I was a successful salesman at Microsoft. I chose to be fulfilled over comfort and to grow by being a coach.

It was quite a journey. A hard stretching one. If I would have known how hard it is, I would have considered more before leaving the comfort zone. But here in the learning zone is the place where the growth happens.

After more than one year I managed to have my record revenue month. Besides the personal coaching I am having I  coach a team of Sales Management Executives in one corporation and there is one more about to be signed.

What helps you?

Choose the right niche, built a strategy, use your inner strengths exercised wherever you live and be in constant contact with your spiritual part.

Now guess what are some of the coaches biggest problems?

• Clients, how to get them? How to choose a niche and how to deal with it?
• Find resources that would make the human in the coach and  client transcend all these problems?
• How do you coach in the corporate world?

Does any of the above sound familiar to you?

If you are curios how to get to be a professional coach, how to coach in the corporate world and how to tap into the infinite resources reservoir you are at the right place, in the right moment. Join us at the International Coaching Federation - Romanian chapter 2010 conference. If you consider that you want to get the answers click here.

In  the last two weeks I had a chance to work with three groups of managers, to discuss with some prospect clients and to work on launching the ICF Romania 2-nd conference.

What is my learning point? The only way to project and make yourself clear about what coaching is and why is considered one of the best ways to achieve change and results long term, is when you practice.

Talking or promoting is not enough, selling is even worse, however when you embark in a coaching journey no matter in what format you are in a different reality.

I heard comments on the recent Oscar awards, and many reported disappointment for Avatar score. I wonder why, my answer is simple, many of us have fantasies and avoid what IS.

The Iraq war is reality and we like to believe that this will not happen to us, the analogy I see here is that people are determined to pursue fantastic outcomes, but will avoid what is here NOW.

Five years ago I was wondering if coaching can change lives, now I measure the results, and boy, the journey is just starting.