Happy New Year!

President's Letter for January 2013 

New Years is my favorite holiday. I enjoy the annual entry into a new year that is wide open for possibility and opportunity. 

ICF Chicago is also anticipating a new, fresh year of programming and strategic partnership with our members, guests, Chicagoland, and beyond. Our World Café event during the December 10^th chapter meeting was full of people (50+), ideas and input from this community of coaches and we are excited to share what was “harvested” from the event.  See our website for the specific takeaways from the event, as well as more on the World Café process that you can use for your own gatherings.

We will be using this input as we plan and implement programming and more throughout this new year…stay tuned!

Speaking of harvest, one of the things I like to do at the transition of a year is to spend time looking back on what I want to harvest and take with me into the new year, and what I want to let go of and leave behind.

What do I want to take with me? I’m reminded of week one of graduate school back in the fall of 2008 where I was introduced to three questions that were to be a theme for the whole program:

·         Vocation: “What is your vocation?” Hint: “Vocation is the place where your deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.” Frederick Buechner

·         Values Based Leadership: “Why not dedicate the rest of my life to my three core values?” (This provides my great distinction.)

·         Active Reflection: “How are we/I becoming instruments of innovation, healing, renewal and wholeness for the world?”

These three questions have stayed with me and are something I have taken into each new year since 2008.

What about you…what would you like to harvest and intentionally bring into 2013?

What will you leave behind?

With Appreciation,
Wendy Balman

President's Letter for December 2012

Who Are Your Strategic Partners?

According to Inc magazine’s article “Choosing Strategic Partners that Really Partner” (http://www.inc.com/articles/1999/11/19511.html) by Lisa H. Buksbaum, strategic partners are ones who create alliances that are mutually beneficial, that are non-competitive, and that extend the reach, visibility and impact of both partners.

When considering a strategic partner, Buksbaum presents the following questions to consider:

“What's your gut feeling about the partner you're considering? Is there synergy? Is there a natural fit in terms of values, integrity, and personality? Do your potential partners "get it"? That is, do they have a solid understanding of your objectives and goals, and are they genuinely excited about joining forces for an alliance?”

With strategic partnership in mind, ICF Chicago will be hosting a World Café event on Monday, December 10^th as a way to better form our organization as a strategic partner to coaches, coaching organizations, and businesses and organizations that want to hire coaches in 2013.

Whether you are a coach, looking into the coaching profession, or want to hire a coach, join us for our World Café event so you can have a voice in co-creating ICF Chicago as your strategic partner in 2013.

Click here to sign up: http://icfchicagodecember2012.eventbrite.com

Hope to see you there!

With Anticipation,

Wendy Balman