Is your coaching blog or web site really ready for visitors?

One of the pleasures of writing this blog is scouring other coaching blogs and web sites for marketing news and information that will be useful to you, my readers. Eager to find the “good stuff,” each week I end up reading dozens of blog posts and visit as many web sites.

Now and then I run into a coaching blog that tries to get it right but stumbles here and there. “Stumbling here and there” is what we humans do. To err is human, right?

Most of us with blogs have had this experience: we edit, proofread, spell check, read it again, and feeling we’ve covered all the bases push that “publish” button. Only then do we see the mistake, the name we didn’t get right, the link that isn’t working, etc. So, back we go, hoping we can correct our errors before anyone sees it.

Today I found a blog post that seemed perfect to discuss on CNE: “The Important Rules of Business Coaching.” We all want to know what the rules are, how they might complement whatever “rules” we currently follow, or if — as some might suggest — there are no rules.

Here’s the link– the actual blog post is useful. I don’t know if it is original material, but that’s not why I mention it. The problem is that the blog itself is not ready for prime time. In the header it reads, “Let us healp you Earn Some Wealth.” Beneath the blog name, “Earned Wealth,” we have those ubiquitous Latin fill-ins “Lorem/Ipsum/Dolorem.” Not exactly the way to build confidence in the author or the wisdom he/she is trying to share with us.

Certainly this is an egregious example of not being ready for one’s readers. However, it makes a point worth making: sometimes the most glaring mistakes are the ones we miss.

For several weeks I had a blog sidebar that was getting pushed down to the bottom of the page. I never saw it because I always used my main desktop computer to work on the blog. Only when I loaded the blog into my laptop did the error show up. Goodness knows how many readers also saw it. So now I review all my web sites and blogs on both computers, each with a different OS and web browser.

In the spirit of ”what are friends for,” perhaps it would be proper to drop a friend a carefully-worded note if we do see something out of kilter on their blog or web site. Besides being a good reason to touch base, your friend will appreciate your thoughtfulness — after the initial embarrassment wears off.

Life Coach, David B. Bohl, suggests 10 things to notice every day.

Called “An Exercise in Observation,” life coach David B. Bohl, gives readers of his blog ten things to pay attention to every day. The coach says that when we are discouraged, we tend to notice discouraging things. Pleasant things, however, tend to improve our mood.

Here are five things worth noticing on the coach’s list:

1. When you wake up in the morning, notice that it’s a new day. Before your day starts, contemplate the promise every new day holds.

2. Notice your spouse or significant other. Be mindful of all they give, every day. Notice their unique gifts. Recognize how blessed you are to have your partner beside you in your life.

3. Do you have children at home? Little ones? Big ones? Truly notice them and what they’re involved in, focusing on the positive. Notice their boundless energy and the sound of their laughter. Notice how much they seem to take in, despite their young age.

4. Notice what you put in your mouth. (This one does double duty.) What is it that you’re eating? Is it fuel or simply filler? Notice the tastes, textures and aromas of what you eat.

5. Notice the rhythm and poetry of nature. When you go for a walk, leave your headset and cell phone at home. Instead of focusing on other things, just allow yourself to take in your surroundings.

To read the rest of David Bohl’s list, click here.

Universities becoming more involved in coach training.

In a recent post on Coachblog.com, David P. Hale, noted the impressive increase in coach training programs being offered at some of our best colleges and universities: Harvard, Stanford, The Wharton Business School, Yale, and George Washington University.

Hale asks: Why Are Universities Getting on the Executive Coaching Bandwagon?

“The hallowed halls of higher education are looking to greatly legitimize executive coaching as a viable industry. In most cases, to reach the upper echelons of executive coaching with Fortune 500 corporations, coaches not only need experience, but also have the training and education to back it up,” answers Hale.

Does that mean non-university training is at risk. Not at all, says the author:

The corporate coaching program being planned by CoachVille, which should be first offered in fall 2008, will offer all of the above positive qualifications. The program will offer in-depth course offerings, plenty of practical exercises, university-level curriculum, and the possibility of becoming involved in cutting-edge corporate coaching specific research.

After evaluating many of the training and certification programs currently available, we believe a shake-up is coming in the world of coaching. With better training will come higher standards, better credentialing, and greater professionalism in the industry. Some organizations and coaches will fall by the wayside as a result. But, overall, it’s a positive trend for coaches, their clients, and the coaching industry.