Matthew’s Blog

Passed along to me. I don’t share jokes often but. . .

Why Parents Go Gray

The boss of a big company who needed to call one of his employees about an urgent problem with one of the main computers, dialed the employee’s home phone number and was greeted with a child’s whisper, “Hello.“

“Is your daddy home?” he asked.

“Yes,” whispered the small voice.

“May I talk with him?“

The child whispered, “No.”

Surprised, and wanting to talk with an adult, the boss asked, “Is your mommy there?“

“Yes.”

“May I talk with her?“

Again the small voice whispered, “No.”

Hoping there was somebody with whom he could leave a message, the boss asked, “Is anybody else there?“

“Yes,” whispered the child, “a policeman.”

Wondering what a cop would be doing at his employee’s home, the boss asked, “May I speak with the policeman?“

“No, he’s busy“, whispered the child.

“Busy doing what?“

“Talking to Daddy and Mommy and the Fireman“, came the whispered answer.

Growing concerned and even worried as he heard what sounded like a helicopter through the earpiece on the phone the boss asked, “What is that noise?“

“A hello-copper” answered the whispering voice.

“What is going on there?” asked the boss, now alarmed.

In an awed whispering voice the child answered, “The search team just landed the hello-copper.”

Alarmed, concerned, and even more then just a little frustrated the boss asked, “What are they searching for?“

Still whispering, the young voice replied along with a muffled giggle:

“ME”

Received this in the mail today. It seems legit. Now being an organic meat eater I have a bit of a problem with it being a non-organic farm. The desire to help those in need over-rides that this time. Perhaps we can write letters thanking them for this generocity and encourage them to go organic.

Goose Aflight

goose aflight
loose alight
moosing in dawns early light

loons adive
coons alive
swooning in earths spring thrive

Wecome Spring
Upon the wing
of goose, cardinal, and sparrow they sing
what a wonderful thing
spring

Guess I am in a rhyming mood today. So things don’t go ~ afray while nature and the pulse have their way.

Funny thing happened on the way to talk to the trees.
After last weeks amazing adventure with the Trees of Lake Harriet, I decided to venture again. This time the trees were mum. . . . until I got it and they had a good guffah.

As I walked away from “Fred” (that’s what I call him, or at least that is what I recall him geing called) I heard “your laces.” I thought that was rather odd as I wear boots and they rarely come undone. My laces are under my jeans, how would the tree know. Was this a joke.

No joke. They were not right. Then I noticed that I had not crossed over after the eyelets. So I undid my left lace and relaced them. Immediately I felt the pain in my shin go away. I had been having a challenge walking up until this point, as if I hadn’t stretched, but I had. Lo and behold my walking was pain free from there on.

I walked with a boyuant gate the rest of the way to Dunn Bros. Then as I reached the top of the hill I saw this glorious elm. What a magnificent tree with a wonderful canopy just ready to burst out into bud.

I walked a few steps and noticed a young tree that was perfectly balanced and appreciated it too. “Laces”

That’s funny I had forgotten about the laces. I looked down and lo and behold – my never coming undone laces had done just that.

I looked up and they were all giggling.

Fun with trees.

Dick Leider during the question and answer period of the program was asked about how he would select someone to recommend as a coach. What credentials would he look for? After very deliberate reflection he responded with two key components and several other adjunct criterion. I loved his response.

1. Show me you statement of ethics
2. What is your anthropology of coaching?
3. Organizational Grounding (to work in businesses, corporations or with executives)
4. Belong to a coaching organization
5. Credentialling & Specialties (Niches) & credentialing in those niches
6. You must have a coach yourself

It is on the first two and the last that hold the most juice for me and as such have been the topic of many conversations in the past three weeks.

What is your personal code of ethics? What about your professional Code of Ethics? Is it stated in every introductory packet and in your literature? Having served on the ICF Ethics and Standards Committee for over two years I can tell you how important it is to not only have a code of ethics but to know them and follow them. A code of ethics makes questionable actions really clear and provides a clear choice for decision making outside the heat of the issue. Both the ICF and the IAC have strong Ethical Code for its members. The ICF code is annually revisited and honed to be a stronger tool and educational instrument. If you are a member of either organization you are required by the membership and certification agreements to abide by those codes and keep abreast of their updates. For example the ICF Board just approved a new code on 1/22/2005. As an ICF or IAC member you will be held accountable to that code of ethical conduct.

http://www.coachfederation.org/ethics
http://www.certifiedcoach.org/ethics.html

Second comment was the idea of having a personal anthropology of coaching. What is your view of the nature of human beings? What is your view of the nature of coaching? Where has it come from and where is it going? Have you asked yourself the big questions?

So ask yourself what are the 7 or 10 statements that reflect my anthropology of coaching? What do I believe about coaching? It is important to not to just repeat what your coaching school taught you, but rather truly understand and investigate the nature of what you are saying. What is your point of view? Dick Leider (and Dave Buck & Thomas Leonard) would argue that great minds and leaders have a point of view. As coaches we are leaders – We inspire people. What is your point of view?

Third – You must have a coach yourself. This will be my topic in the May Catalyst.

What powerful programs we bring to the Minnesota Coaches Association. I am so proud and delighted by the strength of this community, its leadership and its members. Together we are learning and by a direct result of our learning, changing the world.