A time for giving thanks

Welcome to the 200^th edition of CorporateCoach newsletter.

It's Thanksgiving in the USA, and I am celebrating my 200th editorial. So, it's definitely time to look back and give thanks.

It seems that this issue of CorporateCoach is going to be a series of lists. But never mind, because they are all links to valuable resources that you might choose to use.

I have had a very busy year this year, with major investment in personal and professional development. There has been some justification, in addition to the pure pleasure of learning, because I am preparing for a major international initiative in 2010.

So let me work through the year, recalling the greatest teachers who have helped me on my way.

As far as I can recall, the first major event of 2009 was the Breakthrough Experience with Dr John Demartini. Demartini is a phenomenon. He claims to have read many, many thousands of books. His training is full of content and his workshops go on late into the night; correction, into the early morning. One of my commitments to 2010 is to go back through his workbook and study it in depth. What I achieved out of this workshop was to develop a detailed personal mission statement running to two full pages.

As well as the general summary, it includes sections for spiritual, mental, vocational, financial, familial/home, social, and physical. I read through these together with my affirmations each morning and I have recorded them with background music for use on my iPod. As ever, Demartini provides an excellent structure around which to work. So, I have listed my mission statement summary in a past issue of CorporateCoach.

Hard on the heels of this workshop, I attended T Harv Eker's three day Millionaire Mind Intensive. I had never heard of Eker before but was offered a free ticket through my membership of XL Results Foundation. This was another very long day experience. Harv Eker is a program designer as well as presenter. Unlike many international speakers, he integrates the best from all sources rather than developing his own specific ideas. I related well to this, because I do the same; I am an integrator.

However, part way through I suddenly noticed a very significant difference. Whereas I tend to work with groups of 12, Harv Eker was working effectively, providing interactive learning, with a group of 2,400. It occurred to me, that this was a multiplying factor of 200 times!

In addition, it appeared that he was working very specifically from pre-prepared scripts. This means that he can be cloned, and I've since experienced other excellent trainers delivering his content.

Since this is very much in line with my plans for 2010, I signed up for his complete program called "Quantum Leap".

The first workshop I attended was "Never Work Again" in Singapore. Although this comprised 20 modules highlighting specific opportunities for investing in passive income, which was not my particular interest at the time, it had a significant impact on my mindset and live video link with Joel Comm provided me with a complete reappraisal of my Internet business.

Tom Hua provided me with a set of Internet tools that I have yet to apply (he is a presenter worth seeing, whether you are interested in the Internet or not).

Next I attended "Train the Trainer" in London. This was delivered by Blair Singer who claims to have trained most of the international speakers with the exception of Anthony Robbins. I had been right in my conclusion that here was a powerful template that could be rolled out for major trainings around the world. I immediately signed up for the follow-on "Making the Stage" advanced training, from which I have just returned, in Thailand.

I can unreservedly recommend this training to anybody who has aspirations to train large number groups.

The next event in the quantum leap was "Guerrilla Business Intensive" in London. Once again, a large number of people, at Alexandra Palace, went through a templated practical interactive programme in which, in this case, they prepared individual business plans.

T Harv Eker's programmes have only reached the United Kingdom this year, having come via Singapore through Success Resources. They are available in North America, South East Asia and Europe. This approach is a means of mass-producing personal and professional development and you should be aware of them.

As a result of signing up for quantum leap, I got a bonus programme, which Eker claims is his best. "Enlightened Warrior Training Camp" is an activity event comprising four 'rites of passage' exercises as well as group training. In this case there were 'only' 280 participants! For me, the tremendous value came from the support and feedback from the 70 people in my particular 'tribe'. This has changed my self image and, I hope, taken me to a new level.

It would be only fair to add mention of Joel Roberts, who contributed two sessions to the business planning workshop. He is definitely not a clone of Harv Eker. Roberts is an ex prime-time talk show host from Los Angeles. He has his own particular style; his presentations appear to be completely unstructured; and he does love to talk. However, his teaching is very effective, working through the case studies and exercises he does with participants. He has already helped me greatly.

I have purchased a CD set and signed up for further training in London in January.What he focuses on is helping people to define exactly who and what they are in the shortest possible time. I have no particular interest in becoming a radio personality but, clearly, it is of great value to me as a professional to be able quickly to establish with potential clients who I am and what I offer.

Joel Roberts and Train the Trainer are a perfect match, together with Blair Singer's sales training – which I haven't mentioned.

In addition to quantum leap, I have also continued my studies with Roger Hamilton and the Wealth Dynamics Institute. I was already a master practitioner of Wealth Dynamics and this year's programme in Bali reinforced my existing knowledge, as well as introducing Hamilton's new "wealth spectrum". Wealth dynamics now provides a comprehensive basis for coaching entrepreneurs, business people and teams.

On Wednesday I fly to Orlando for the International Coach Federation for the ICF annual conference. Who knows what I shall learn there!

Thoughts for coaches

So, what is all this to you? When I was in Malaysia on the Warrior training, several people came up to me and commented how much they appreciated my presence. This, I discovered, was because it was a real example to them that learning continues for ever. I was contributing by role modelling learning.

One of the things that Blair Singer teaches is the "yearn to learn". As coaches, it seems to me, that we have two things to demonstrate other than our purely technical skills. One is the concept of abundance. The other is that we, too, are continually learning. We learn as we work with our clients. We should also study and participate in learning activities; those who wish, at the ICF conference this week, will be able to get CPD stamps for every workshop we attend.

Coaching is part of our clients' continuing professional development allied with continuing personal development and we should both demonstrate it and encourage it.

Roger Hamilton says "to know and not to do is not to know that all". Although I already have some training programmes booked for 2010, my main objective is to put into practice what I have learned this year, as well as passing it on to my clients.

If you were to review your year now, what would you be thankful for, and what should you start to set in place for next year's New Year resolutions?

And, if you are a coach yourself, what messages and greetings should you be sending to your clients during this holiday season?

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Richard Winfield is founder of Brefi Group.
An international facilitator, he coaches and
facilitates directors and boards in transition:
helping them to make progress by
bringing structure and clarity
to their thinking.