Last week I attended a Fellowship of Christian Business and Professional Women’s (FCBPW) luncheon here in Minneapolis.  It was a good time of sharing how God meets us in the workplace. 

Following luncheon and program, I enjoyed a rich discussion with two fellow small business owners and service providers – a financial planner and an interpreter for the hearing impaired.  As we discussed the impact of the economy on business and on our clients, the financial planner said she was running out of new ways to speak words of encouragement to her clients.  She blurted out,

“All I can do is listen to my clients and love them.”

As she developed the thought, she shared with us that rather than making sales calls, she was simply taking her clients out to lunch – and offering them her presence.  Previously she had been strategizing new ways of saying, “in these times it takes a lot of courage to stay the course…” she has moved on to the plan of simply offering her presence and being sensitive to the Spirit about how to love.

The interpreter and I both immediately began to resonate with how we wanted to intentionally offer our clients the same – our presence to include a listening ear, sincere prayers (either spoken or silent) and love activated by the leading of the Holy Spirit.

Professional coaches do not provide the consultative expert industry advice that financial planners do.  In contrast professional coaches provide structure and process to a relationship that focuses on facilitating our clients’ goals and helps them move toward meaning and fulfillment.  Skilled listening and powerful questioning for the benefit of our client’s self-discovery is what we do.  As Christian coaches we do these things for the benefit of the client, with the hope and intention that ultimately there is movement toward God’s purposes. 

However this past week, I’ve been pondering “all I can do is listen to my clients and love them” and appreciating the thought.  It’s a compelling reflection of Scripture as well as a simple bottom line statement that summarizes a powerful and meaningful client relationship.

Bless your listening and loving.

It’s been a week since President Obama’s Inauguration Address and one phrase has stuck in my mind…

“The world has changed and we must change with it.”  Yes, I know.  His theme has been change, so why am I surprised?  I’m not surprised at the words – but I am surprised at how this time the words have stuck with me.   

The Eleventh Annual International Coaching Week takes place February 1-7, 2009.  Jerri Udelson, MCC, founded Coaching Week in 1999 as a way to promote the profession of coaching.  On her website, she describes the event:

“The purpose of International Coaching Week is to provide a week each year to educate the public about the value of working with a personal, business or executive coach and to provide an opportunity for coaches and their clients to acknowledge the results and progress made through the coaching process. Coaches offer a variety of pro bono services in their communities during the week, including free coaching sessions, lectures and workshops.”

If you are participating in Coaching Week you can register your activity at the International Coaching Week site.  Also, there is a contest at www.coachingcommons.org for the “best” coaching week ideas – those that best promote the value and profession of coaching.