Staying Sharp
Practical skills, techniques and insights that enhance coaching competence.
Two weeks ago, I started to tell clients formally that I am retiring at the turn of the financial year, March/April 2028.
The more times I say it/write it out loud, the more real it becomes.
And the more I need to think about how I want these last two years of my working life to be. Debbie Frith has been a brilliant support (and challenge) with that, as we have been discussing it behind the scenes.
One thing that will be different, sadly, is that I will be discontinuing group and 1-1 mentor coaching for ACCs and PCCs from January 2027. That’s a big deal, given that it’s what I’m known for.
I will continue with MCC mentor coaching, so that will not change.
But for you, if you’ve been contemplating doing your ACC/PCC/ACC renewal mentor coaching with me, but haven’t quite got around to it, then this year will be your last opportunity.
It will also be more cost-effective to do it this year, as the Enhanced Mentor Coaching process kicks in January 2027, and that will likely see mentor coaching prices increasing. My rates remain the same this year, as long as you complete your mentor coaching and submit your ICF application by 31st December 2026.
The two sets of dates that I have running for groupwork are:
- 29th June to 1st July; and then
- 14th, 21st September and 19th October.
These will give you ample opportunity to complete your 1-1s over the three-month minimum period that the ICF requires, and be done by the end of the year.
Get in touch if you are interested in one of the remaining ten spaces. Or register directly here: Event Registration – Clare Norman Coaching Associates. I so want to work with lovely people (that’s you) to make this a good ending.
I’ll be sure to keep you up-to-date with how the next two years are looking for supervision, aspiring MCC mentor coaching, and a new retreat so that you can book in for one of those if you’ve been hoping to work with me sometime maybe. And towards the end, I’ll start talking about what the next chapter will look like for me. I have lots of ideas – perhaps too many, given that I want to create more whitespace!
Staying Safe
Ethics, boundaries, professional standards, risk management.
Something I learned on retreat that I am starting to use in supervision, and that is to do with happy accidents that tip us into new wisdom. We create those happy accidents by pausing and creating. That might be through writing poetry, painting, listening to music, walking mindfully in and with nature, or meditating.
Not to be a great poet or a famous artist or a perfect meditator.
But to allow ourselves to sink into what we already know but haven’t given ourselves enough pause to access.
I’ve been helping people to tap into their multiple intelligences for many years, but this feels different somehow, considering all of these as ways of causing happy accidents. Going past the old patterns and knowing to find the NEW QUESTION that we need to be asking ourselves.
What’s the question you need to be asking yourself that you haven’t dared to ask? Maybe a happy accident might help you to access it.
Staying Sane
Self-care, sustainability, emotional resilience, perspective
“We’re too isolated in our experience, our own trembling, our own longing, our own uniqueness; there isn’t a fabric of interdependence. There’s this emphasis on autonomy and resilience. This is the most unnatural way of working”.
So said Amy Elizabeth Fox on a recent Coaches Rising podcast that took my breath away.
“We need skills for co-regulation, building on ideas, disagreeing with one another, having robust [and healthy] conflict”.
Yes! We do.
And these are some of the people who are influencing the change:
- Helena Clayton: Acts of Love for Tough Times
- Amy Elizabeth Fox and Nicholas Janni: Leading in Chaos
- Christi Bryerly: Holy Rebellion
- Marie Quigley: Fierce Love
- Allard de Jong on LinkedIn
That is it for this month. I hope there is something here that sparks a reflection, a conversation with a peer, or a small experiment in your next session.
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Until next time,
Clare
