Twitter chats are an increasing way to learn and develop. David Goddin tells us about coaching chats this week
This week is International Coaching Week from the International Coach Federation, so providing an opportunity for a week-long celebration of coaching.
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No matter what your interest or professional affiliation, it’s a great opportunity to celebrate, share and discuss coaching for the betterment of coaching.
A few years ago for International Coaching Week I hosted a series of guest blog posts from a variety of authors exploring aspects of coaching.
These blogs remain a great lasting resource in my opinion and it certainly engaged a broad audience who either use coaching or have benefited from coaching.
To reach beyond the practitioner conversations to a wider audience is really important I think.
This year a few fellow coaches and myself have devised something different and more globally interactive. A short series of bitesize Twitter chats each weekday morning this week at 9am (UK time) using the hashtag #ICWbites
Each facilitated 40 minute Twitter chat is covering in a series of open questions on the following facets of coaching:
Monday 16th – “Social Media in Coaching”
Tuesday 17th – “Coaching for Emotional Health” (it’s also Mental Health Awareness Week)
Wednesday 18th – “Coaching and Leadership”
Thursday 19th – “The Democratisation of Coaching”
Friday 20th – “Coach Development”
Quite fittingly, I think, the first Twitter chat this morning on “Social Media in Coaching” turned into a very fast and diverse range of conversations.
Social Media
We started with the question “how do you see Social Media currently being used in coaching?”
Responses showed how coaches are using tools such as Twitter to share resources and to stay in touch with coaching clients as well as peers.
Given our increasing use of Social Media platforms this is perhaps what we might expect.
My sense is that beyond the more familiar channels of Skype and sharing articles we are only just starting to find uses for Social Media in coaching.
Opportunities
Te next question asked was “what are the opportunities for using Social Media tools/platforms in coaching relationships?”
Interestingly this question started to open inquiry around whether coaching in person or to a rigid set of sessions was still needed or necessary for a successful coaching relationship.
Much of the opportunity may rightly depend on the needs of the client but it seems there are some familiar conventions ourselves as practitioners can work beyond.
Risks
Following up to this, the next question asked was “what are the risks or barriers to using Social Media in coaching?”
With new communication channels such as Social Media there are potentially a new set of considerations to think about.
Various facets emerged around contracting and awareness. Interestingly, the need for the familiar contact of face to face presence came up again as a potential barrier but was also neatly challenged with the phrase the “supremacy of face to face” – how important is it really?
Similarly, relationship building was raised – can you build a good connection only through a Social Media channel? Much of this rich seam of inquiry I think touches on the adaptability and professionalism of coaches to work with clients where they are, not just where us coaches are used to being!
Positive impact
Finally, the last question posed was “how could Social Media positively impact the recipients of coaching?”
One of the big facilities of Social Media platforms is the ability to have an ongoing interaction so there was good observation about the potential for spaced out and reflective conversations.
Social Media platforms potentially provide a very readily accessed private and confidential space for coaching with less external variables. To my mind it also opens up the potential for coaching to reach far greater audiences with less cost.
More chats this week
It was certainly a fascinating series of conversations in 40 short minutes and definitely a celebration and discussion for the betterment of coaching.
The full transcript of the Twitter chat can be found here.
I’m sure the remaining chats this week will be just as interesting! If you can please do join in on Twitter each morning using the hashtag #ICWbites
Finally, thanks to Jon Bartlett @ProjectLibero, Vera Woodhead @VeraWoodhead, Ali Germain @AliGermain1 and Tony Jackson @Jacksont0ny for their support and involvement in making this series of chats happen.
About the author
David Goddin is the founder and Managing Director of Change Continuum and can be contacted through david@changecontinuum.com or @ChangeContinuum
Read more about coaching:
The importance of integrating coaching into managers’ mind-sets
Get more into social media:
Attend the TJ social media for professional development webinar
