Pittsburgh Coaches Association
Holiday Party
Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Join in festivities and fellowship as we kick-back to celebrate the holidays of the season! Whether you are new to our group or a long-time member, this is an opportunity to get to know other coaches in a relaxed atmosphere.

Festivities include a special buffet luncheon, holiday icebreaker and reflection, and Holiday Jeopardy game complete with team prizes. As a special bonus, we will be having a drawing for a Grand Concourse Sunday Brunch, generously donated by our host restaurant! In this season of giving, our event will also include a monetary donation box for the Greater Pittsburgh Food Bank, which is in great need due to the difficult economic conditions.

Please join us!

In addition to coaching and speaking, members of the Pittsburgh Coaches Association conduct workshops and seminars and for several years have also conducted teleclasses on a regular basis. These teleclasses are now held monthly, and are an opportunity for Pittsburgh coaches to share some of their coaching knowledge and experience with participants, as well as their passion for helping others to move forward and reach new levels.

Teleclass topics range from sales and marketing to creating space, leadership, and finding your dreams, and can help people to make important changes and take steps to reach their potential.

Join us for a great learning experience with Pittsburgh coaches. Teleclasses take place throughout the day and are free to anyone who registers. Click here to register for one or all of the teleclasses. Registration takes just a few seconds and is FREE. A conference call number will be immediately sent to you via e-mail.

Organizations have one goal: results. But it's not finance or strategy or technology that's the magic bullet. Teamwork offers the real power that drives top performance.

Jane Patterson, managing partner of Cornerstone Team Development, helps leaders and their teams achieve results through professional assessment, coaching and training. A leader with more than 20 years of executive experience, Jane knows how to leverage teamwork for success. "I'm convinced people want to be on a high-performing team and want to contribute. Most of the work I do as a team coach is to remove the barriers and create the supportive conditions so that the individual team members can fulfill this need and teams can excel."

Jane's clients include executive leadership teams; family business teams; IT project teams; cross-functional teams; and teams undergoing transition as a result of merger, acquisition or new leadership. Teams learn how to communicate, engage in constructive conflict, recover from breakdowns, work together and hold each other accountable for producing results.

As a professional certified coach through CTI and with advanced training in organization and relationship systems coaching, Jane is one of a select group of coaches with expertise working specifically with teams of all sizes and function.

A member of the Pittsburgh Coaches Board of Directors, Jane has served as both Treasurer and Secretary. "Joining the PCA was one of the smartest things I did once when I began coaching. Being surrounded by experienced coaches helped build my skills and confidence." She encourages all members to get active with PCA and consider a Board position as a way to grow professionally and gain exposure.

Do You Take Writing for Grant-ed?
By Janice Sabatine and Sally Beatty

Does your job involve a lot of writing? For many people, the answer is yes. But for some, the stakes are high - their jobs hang in the balance. Contrary to businesses whose revenues come from the products or services they sell, some 'businesses' such as academic research programs, non-profit organizations, artists, and community groups rely on external sources such as foundations, associations, and the government for financial resources. So, how do you acquire the money to support these valuable endeavors? If you work in one of these environments, you are all too familiar with the need to write grant applications to secure this funding.

Novices are faced with a barrage of other questions: How do I apply for a grant? Who would be interested in my work? What information do I need to provide and in what format? How soon will I get the money? They quickly learn what the seasoned grant writer already knows: the process of going from having a great idea to cashing the check from the grant award can be quite involved.

Although grant writing is a necessary part - a crucial part - of the job, the amount of time involved and the pressures surrounding this task can be overwhelming and can distract you from your central job responsibilities. Contrary to what some may believe, the government and funding agencies are not simply waiting for you to ask for the money. Competition is stiff. Recent government spending cuts and decreases in foundation assets along with an increased number of people applying for these awards has made the competition even stiffer.

A fundable application requires a strong idea. However, a strong idea alone is not enough. Even the best ideas can be lost in poor writing. Winning applications contain good ideas written in strong convincing language that is both clear and concise. Busy reviewers must quickly understand what you are proposing and be convinced of its importance. Scientific researchers and directors of non-profit organizations are not necessarily professional writers, adding to the stress of creating a well-written application. Many of these people now realize they may not be able to manage the task alone.

Are you one of these people? Do you need to write grants to fund your academic research or to support your organization's activities? Are you concerned your application won't merit funding? Do you agonize over the process and procrastinate unnecessarily? Are you frenzied as the deadline approaches? If so, you should consider hiring a writing coach.

A writing coach can help you:

• Create an overall game plan to put the project in perspective
• Break the project down into manageable steps to avoid feeling overwhelmed
• Set and meet mini deadlines to minimize stress
• Overcome writer's block
• Rearrange daily routines to allow a commitment to the project
• Realize and overcome subconscious obstacles that impede progress
• Acknowledge areas of weakness and identify helpful resources such as a professional grant writer

We invite experienced coaches, as well as those new to the profession, to join the Pittsburgh Coaches Association (PCA). This is an exciting time to be a member! We are a 501(c)6 professional organization, and an International Coach Federation (ICF) chapter.

Additional benefits for member coaches include networking opportunities with other professional coaches, a profile on PCA's 'Find a Coach' website directory, discounts for monthly luncheon meetings featuring interesting and relevant speakers, a forum to offer teleclasses on coaching-related topics of your choice, and special events to raise the profile of coaching within the community. There are many more benefits; please don't hesitate to become a part of one of Pittsburgh's best professional associations.

You can now register to become a member online at www.pittsburghcoaches.org. Join today. (Renewing members save $10 if you register by 12/31/08.)

We would love to hear from you! Just hit Reply to this newsletter with your ideas and feedback. Suggestions are very welcome, don't hesitate.

Not a Coach? Now you can join PCA as an Associate! We invite all professionals in the Pittsburgh area to join us. Are you interested in meeting coaches, supporting coaches but are not a coach? Join us now as an Associate Member of the Pittsburgh Coaches Association.