Image of a woman looking at her desk, coffee, and laptop with zoom meeting of 9 people and the words Free Group Coaching Via-ZOOM Coffeeshop Coaching Virtual 02 May 2021

Posted by & filed under Coffeeshop Coaching.

Find answers, take actions, & get results – Coffeeshop Coaching!

Join me online via-ZOOM for my next Virtual Coffeeshop Group Coaching! It’s free! You help choose the topic and direct the group discussion by answering a few questions when you register. To register, click this link: 02 May 2021

  • Be prepared to share something you discover from the questions you answer when you register, and ask more questions to the group via chat during the ZOOM- Coffeeshop Coaching.
  • Think about what you would like to hold yourself accountable for, and your possible next step. A coaching journal is a great way to create accountability and track your success!
  • Open your mind and together let’s uncover new perspectives and valuable takeaway tools for your life!

Virtual Coffeeshop coaching is confidential while using a more relaxed and informal platform that being part of an online coaching group can provide, and can be done from the comfort of your home, no need to travel! We meet online via ZOOM over a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever is appropriate for your time zone. Every participant and Coach Melody will join from their respective current global locations which gives the event a very international touch. Diversity is an added twist of value as each of the international participants contribute from their specific approaches adding a variety of new perspectives. Perspectives are valuable in the coaching process for clarity, opening up and leaning into what’s new in any change process. This gives a great latitude in creating tools for change. These group coachings usually last 90 minutes, and they are FREE!

If you are struggling with big changes in your life, need to make a decision, or just need to be heard, coffeeshop coaching can be the perfect platform for you. Coaching is a productive relationship enabling YOU to:

  • Creatively explore solutions
  • Prevent self-sabotage
  • Take actions that move YOU forward
  • Achieve YOUR goals
  • Attain clarity in what YOU want

Life is meant for awesome adventures, good friends, great coaches, and LOTS of coffee!

Melody Taylor-Fliege

NOTE: If the link above does not work, copy and paste this link directly into your browser https://lifecoachingwithmelodyllc.as.me/coffeeshop-coaching-free-virtual-group or go directly to the booking page on my website and click on the Free Virtual Coffeeshop Group Coaching appointment. To sign up follow these steps: 1) click the registration link, 2) click the orange set time zone button, 3) choose date, see the time, and click continue, 4) answer a few questions, 5) click the orange complete appointment button, 6) then you will see a confirmation page and receive an email with the ZOOM link, meeting ID, and password to be used when you join the meeting on Sunday.

Image is handwriting list of tasks to do on yellow notepad. Post is about detachment to discover

Posted by & filed under Personal Growth.

“Detach from needing to have things work out a certain way. The universe is perfect and there are not failures. Give yourself the gift of detaching from your worries and trust that everything is happening perfectly.” 

Anonymous

Next time you feel like you can’t get your feet on the ground to begin your day’s list of tasks, consider going with the flow and surrendering to the detached feeling. Let go of your agenda for a moment and focus internally to notice where your whole presence seems to be. Take the opportunity to observe and examine yourself and life from a different perspective. You might find new ways of watching life unfold before your eyes or appreciating each interaction happening around you or noticing something new in a memory that is surfacing in your mind. After you’ve experienced this shift, you may choose to interact differently with your tasks or find new ways to make connections and participate with others differently than you might previously have selected. Take what is give and utilize it to create something new. In other words, accept the detachment you feel like an opportunity to see what life is trying to gift you.

Stepping back from our work and our lives for reflection opens new perspectives. From this place, we may notice unique personality aspects of colleagues, friends, and those close to us as they interact with others. Every situation has multiple levels or layers of experience, search the details, watch for connections and inconsistencies. If that fails, spend the time thinking of what you would like to do instead, then use what you learn to make some changes in your life.

Utilize your next detachment from ordinary life to discover something extraordinary.

Image of a desk, coffee, and laptop with zoom logo on the screen and the words Takeaway From Free Group Coaching Via-ZOOM Coffeeshop Coaching Virtual 04 April 2021

Posted by & filed under Coffeeshop Coaching.

Today’s Takeaway from Free Virtual Coffeeshop Group Coaching – via ZOOM – 04 April 2021 is:

“Success in life requires learning as fast as our VUCA world changes around us, doing it, or dying trying!”

Melody Taylor-Fliege
  • How do you navigate, manage, and function in times of the COVID pandemic and VUCA phenomena? 

VUCA, no, it doesn’t stand for VERY Unpredictable Chaos All-around, but it kind of means that. It stands for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. According to Wikipedia, it was first used in 1987, drawing on Warren Bennis and Burt Nanus’s leadership theories to explain the general conditions of the times and later used by the U.S. Army War College to describe the VUCA world perceived as resulting from the end of the Cold War. Any way you describe it, it takes adaptability and resilience to get through times like these – like the time right now that we are all experiencing!

Today’s zoom group coffeeshop coaching did not precisely talk about that, but the idea came up. It comes up with many clients and teams that I coach. But today, without disclosing confidentiality, because in group coaching, every person has a different topic, we did address issues around self-sabotage. While it is very human to suspect external forces or persons, many times, we create insecurities, assumed expectations, and imaginary competition with others that stand in the way of happiness and eventual success. The challenge is to find when we allow these inner forces to create an imbalance between different impulses we have -impress others through our extreme efforts or do the opposite and sabotage our actions out of spite.

With more COVID surges in the USA, Europe, and other countries, many people are a bit thrown off their center right now, out of alignment with their old and new realities. Today’s topic also centered around finding center, finding balance—another common issue in coaching because it has to do with finding balance through change. In desperate attempts to find clarity and self-determination, I see clients making choices and decisions from a place of fear and trying to control something in their life rather than from a place of full-body certainty. What I find is that more inner stillness calms the fear and anxiety. Finding ways to connect and ground with life and nature like meditation, relaxing walks in nature, and getting our hands or feet in the dirt helps slow down our business.

  • What helps you slow down, ground, and find your center?

Image of a desk, coffee, and laptop with zoom logo on the screen and the words Free Group Coaching Via-ZOOM Coffeeshop Coaching Virtual 04 April 2021

Posted by & filed under Coffeeshop Coaching.

Find answers, take actions, & get results – Coffeeshop Coaching!

Join me online via-ZOOM for my next Virtual Coffeeshop Group Coaching! It’s free! You help choose the topic and direct the group discussion by answering a few questions when you register. To register, click this link: 04 April 2021

  • Be prepared to share something you discover from the questions you answer when you register, and ask more questions to the group via chat during the ZOOM- Coffeeshop Coaching.
  • Think about what you would like to hold yourself accountable for, and your possible next step. A coaching journal is a great way to create accountability and track your success!
  • Open your mind and together let’s uncover new perspectives and valuable takeaway tools for your life!

Virtual Coffeeshop coaching is confidential while using a more relaxed and informal platform that being part of an online coaching group can provide, and can be done from the comfort of your home, no need to travel! We meet online via ZOOM over a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever is appropriate for your time zone. Every participant and Coach Melody will join from their respective current global locations which gives the event a very international touch. Diversity is an added twist of value as each of the international participants contribute from their specific approaches adding a variety of new perspectives. Perspectives are valuable in the coaching process for clarity, opening up and leaning into what’s new in any change process. This gives a great latitude in creating tools for change. These group coachings usually last 90 minutes, and they are FREE!

If you are struggling with big changes in your life, need to make a decision, or just need to be heard, coffeeshop coaching can be the perfect platform for you. Coaching is a productive relationship enabling YOU to:

  • Creatively explore solutions
  • Prevent self-sabotage
  • Take actions that move YOU forward
  • Achieve YOUR goals
  • Attain clarity in what YOU want

Life is meant for awesome adventures, good friends, great coaches, and LOTS of coffee!

Melody Taylor-Fliege

NOTE: If the link above does not work, copy and paste this link directly into your browser https://lifecoachingwithmelodyllc.as.me/coffeeshop-coaching-free-virtual-group or go directly to the booking page on my website and click on the Free Virtual Coffeeshop Group Coaching appointment. To sign up follow these steps: 1) click the registration link, 2) click the orange set time zone button, 3) choose date, see the time, and click continue, 4) answer a few questions, 5) click the orange complete appointment button, 6) then you will see a confirmation page and receive an email with the ZOOM link, meeting ID, and password to be used when you join the meeting on Sunday.

Image of a woman looking at her desk, coffee, and laptop with zoom meeting of 9 people and the words Takeaway From Free Group Coaching Via-ZOOM Coffeeshop Coaching Virtual 07 March 2021

Posted by & filed under Coffeeshop Coaching.

Today’s Takeaway from Free Virtual Coffeeshop Group Coaching – via ZOOM – 07 March 2021 is:

“Balance is not better time management, but better boundary management. Balance means making choices and enjoying those choices.”

Betsy Jacobson

Each participant has their own topic in these group coachings, and each group relates and connects in a way that creates an overall topic. Today it was clearly about finding the balance between duties and the right amount of self-care. One way of finding balance is setting boundaries, deciding how much you want to give and receive. Sometimes we need a healthy distraction or a little marker of positive things to help remind us that we are not victims of life, rather creating our lives. With tomorrow being International Women’s Day, I add a few quotes by women about finding balance in life.

  • “You can’t do a good job if your job is all you do.” —Katie Thurmes
  • “Careers are a jungle gym, not a ladder.” —Sheryl Sandberg
  • “A flower does not think of competing with the flower next to it. It just blooms.” —Hannah Lavon
  • “ The warrior knows that her heartbreak is her map.” —Glennon Doyle
  • “We need to do a better job of putting ourselves higher on our own ‘to do’ list.” —Michelle Obama
  • “Don’t compromise yourself. You are all you’ve got. There is no yesterday, no tomorrow, it’s all the same day.” —Janis Joplin
  • “Never get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” —Dolly Parton
  • “Burnout is about resentment. Preventing it is about knowing yourself well enough to know what it is you’re giving up that makes you resentful.” —Marissa Mayer
  • “For fast-acting relief, try slowing down.” —Lily Tomlin
  • “Nothing is impossible, the word itself says ‘I’m possible!” —Audrey Hepburn
  • “Invite people into your life that don’t look or think like you.” —Mellody Hobson

Image of a woman looking at her desk, coffee, and laptop with zoom meeting of 9 people and the words Free Group Coaching Via-ZOOM Coffeeshop Coaching Virtual 07 March 2021

Posted by & filed under Coffeeshop Coaching.

Find answers, take actions, & get results – Coffeeshop Coaching!

Join me online via-ZOOM for my next Virtual Coffeeshop Group Coaching! It’s free! You help choose the topic and direct the group discussion by answering a few questions when you register. To register, click this link: 07 March 2021

  • Be prepared to share something you discover from the questions you answer when you register, and ask more questions to the group via chat during the ZOOM- Coffeeshop Coaching.
  • Think about what you would like to hold yourself accountable for, and your possible next step. A coaching journal is a great way to create accountability and track your success!
  • Open your mind and together let’s uncover new perspectives and valuable takeaway tools for your life!

Virtual Coffeeshop coaching is confidential while using a more relaxed and informal platform that being part of an online coaching group can provide, and can be done from the comfort of your home, no need to travel! We meet online via ZOOM over a cup of coffee, tea, or whatever is appropriate for your time zone. Every participant and Coach Melody will join from their respective current global locations which gives the event a very international touch. Diversity is an added twist of value as each of the international participants contribute from their specific approaches adding a variety of new perspectives. Perspectives are valuable in the coaching process for clarity, opening up and leaning into what’s new in any change process. This gives a great latitude in creating tools for change. These group coachings usually last 90 minutes, and they are FREE!

If you are struggling with big changes in your life, need to make a decision, or just need to be heard, coffeeshop coaching can be the perfect platform for you. Coaching is a productive relationship enabling YOU to:

  • Creatively explore solutions
  • Prevent self-sabotage
  • Take actions that move YOU forward
  • Achieve YOUR goals
  • Attain clarity in what YOU want

Life is meant for awesome adventures, good friends, great coaches, and LOTS of coffee!

Melody Taylor-Fliege

NOTE: If the link above does not work, copy and paste this link directly into your browser https://lifecoachingwithmelodyllc.as.me/coffeeshop-coaching-free-virtual-group or go directly to the booking page on my website and click on the Free Virtual Coffeeshop Group Coaching appointment. To sign up follow these steps: 1) click the registration link, 2) click the orange set time zone button, 3) choose date, see the time, and click continue, 4) answer a few questions, 5) click the orange complete appointment button, 6) then you will see a confirmation page and receive an email with the ZOOM link, meeting ID, and password to be used when you join the meeting on Sunday.

Image of multiple things representing virtual team coaching concept

Posted by & filed under Team Coaching.

“Failure is simply the opportunity to begin again, this time more intelligently.”

Henry Ford

During March, Spring awakens in the Northern hemisphere with newness everywhere. The COVID vaccines usher in light at the end of a dark pandemic tunnel. It is a great time to launch a new project for a team, business, or individual. Systemic team coaching is my new project. I’ve been taking online courses during the entire COVID pandemic. Contact me if you know any teams that might be interested in team coaching.

Before launching any project, it is essential to carefully plan each stage’s architecture not to compromise the vitality of the operation. So it is with Team coaching, first the research (inquiry stage); gather data to understand the purpose forward. Then from the data collected, create an action plan (develop the team charter, agenda, team contracting stage) that moves you consciously forward (the coaching-business-as-usual stage) in an expansive manner that provides value and learning for all stakeholders. The last stage is the review process, evaluating all the data, agreements, actions, results up to this point. Then determine the best next step(s) to create the most value for all stakeholders future-back, outside-in. High-value teams are learning teams. Growth and development come through good and difficult times.

Dealing with failure as a learning process for individuals, teams, and businesses can be overlooked. Understanding the value and benefits gained through failure can be supported effectively by coaching. Coaching can help identify patterns that have previously prevented an individual, team, or business from being successful. A learning process creates more value when you become aware of the contributing factors of failure.

Coping with failure as a responsible leader, team member, or an individual requires simple commonsense awareness that you pay the price when taking a risk. Realizing that experience is the best teacher can allow you space to fail, fall short, or try differently. Let go of trying to avoid failure and instead welcome it as a basis for success beyond what you can imagine! Looking at failures as opportunities to learn and expand creates a culture rich in creativity and resources rather than lacking.

Let the COVID pandemic be a wake-up call rather than any damaging failure. I challenge you to look for ways this crisis has expanded you in developing talents you didn’t even know you had. Look for what this crisis has helped you heal and move past.

  • Looking back, how have you adapted?
  • What have you achieved?
  • When did a failure lead to a success?
Cute cartoon bull representing 2021 Chinese New Year of The Ox

Posted by & filed under New Years.

“Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Suffering follows an evil thought as the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draws it.
Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Joy follows a pure thought like a shadow that never leaves.”

Gautama Buddha

February 12th was the Chinese New Year of the Metal Ox! Last year was the metal rat (the beginning of the 12-year zodiac animal cycle), this year is the metal ox, and 2022 will be the tiger’s year. The 2021 Year of the Ox (or Buffalo) brings to mind words like big, powerful movement, discipline, hard work, loyalty, consistency, routine. It has the pioneer’s characteristics, understanding that life is not fair but doing the hard thing anyway materializes reality. Today is the result of yesterday’s efforts. What we do today creates tomorrow.

My February newsletter focused on failure as a vital component to positive outcomes. Do you think an ox worries about failure or even processes the concept? Whether they do or don’t, they work hard, and hard work is full of moments where you wonder if your efforts are worth it and question if you have failed. 2021, the Year of the Ox, is sure to be a year of hard work and plenty of obstacles to overcome as we come out of this COVID-19 pandemic and focus on priorities with respect for others and the environment around us. It’s a good year to focus on routines and realistic strategies, practical processes that are real and concrete, learning from our mistakes along the way. Let your theme for the Year of the Ox be “Fail Forward Fast!”

Change is hard, and growth requires a particular type of courage, courage to move forward into unknown places, trusting that by doing so, even better things will manifest than our current expectations. Expectations are tricky to let go of. Most of the time, we aren’t even aware that we have them. Instead, we get angry at others, lash out, and block our hearts from the disappointing hurt when things don’t go our way.

This year stay moving, especially when it’s hard. Take healthy action before your negative thoughts invade and give you all the reasons not to. Let change during the Year of the ox come through slow and steady routines. Wait until next year for pouncing into more radical, fast pace change actions. This year dare to step into a state of impeccable self-responsibility. Discover creative ways to heal past wounds, especially when experiencing great upsets this year. Like an ox face difficulty head-on, only use more mindfulness – take a breath, let go, and have faith to see the truth within guide your next move.

Image of a desk, coffee, and laptop with zoom meeting of 9 people and the words Takeaway From Free Group Coaching Via-ZOOM Coffeeshop Coaching Virtual 07 February 2021

Posted by & filed under Coffeeshop Coaching.

Today’s Takeaway from Free Virtual Coffeeshop Group Coaching – via ZOOM – 07 February 2021 is:

Today’s topics related to finding ‘home’ right where I am physically, mentally, and emotionally, even in my professional world, when dealing with my current challenges and going after my dreams. A centered gravitational pull through the discussion continued to arrive at being reminded of how I am the first person responsible for me, and no one can do it for me, even though they may do things for me. My life is about my growth, my expansion from all that I knew to be true into something new, comprised from all that I’ve experienced so far with space for more. Two powerful questions from today:

  • Do I have the power to choose what I focus on, or does it come from the list of priorities?
  • What is group coaching, and how can it benefit us individually?

In the last few minutes, we took time to reflect over 2020 this past year, not only COVID-19 but also the best moments of these virtual group Coffeeshop Coachings. A few great quotes surfaced.

“Things to love about group coffeeshop coaching: collective feedback, inspirational group synergy, the company of familiar faces, for the newcomer’s the connection when opening up, virtual breakout rooms, timed talking for more interaction, unique short exercises like the imagined spoon full of saliva, demonstrating to remind us how we can carry our topic into all the other exercises, one in the ‘coaching chair’ for a live demo, the fabulous tone, love, affection, wholeheartedness, kindness, shared links, flexibility, great space, and energy, relaxing…” 

07FEB2021 ZOOM Coffeeshop Coaching Group

“Life is like a train. On your journey, some people get on, and some people get off. No one will go with you for the entire journey. You have to be responsible for yourself.”

Natalie Lee LiHui李慧

“Don’t be too serious; things come and go. Don’t look for that place of balance; just do what you have to do, and it will find you.”

Anna Kuznetsov

“Gotta love the train experience! When you travel on a train, looking on the window, things are moving so fast and are so easily going, and when we stop at the station, everything is so clear on one thing: the station; stable and focused.” 

Giannina Cornea

Diverse faces of people from Coach Melody Taylor-Fliege's Coffeeshop Coaching

Posted by & filed under Coffeeshop Coaching.

My Coffeeshop Coaching Journey – 我的咖啡店教练之旅 – Meine Coffeeshop Coaching Reise

With this text, I intend to take you along a little bit of my coaching journey, particularly on the stretch where I developed and practiced coffeeshop coaching.
我打算通过这篇文章带您了解一下我的教练之旅,特别是延伸 到咖啡店开展和操练教练技术的部分。
Mit diesem Text beabsichtige ich, Sie ein wenig von meiner Coaching-Reise mitzunehmen, vor allem auf den Streckenabschnitt, auf dem ich Coffeeshop-Coaching entwickelt und praktiziert habe.

After a childhood in a family with 15 siblings in Idaho, USA, and an eventful life full of various professions, including a military firefighter in the Army National Guard, I moved to Germany in 2003. Then in 2013, I became a life coach. A few years later, I moved to Beijing, China, and suddenly was in the almost surreal diplomatic situation of being an American representing Germany in China.
我生在美国爱达荷州一个拥有15个兄弟姐妹大家庭,度过童年时期后,就开始了多样的职业生涯,其中包括在陆军国民警卫队做军事消防员,然后2003年移居德国,并成为了一名人生教练。几年后,我搬到了中国北京,突然以一种不可思议的外交身份,作为美国人在中国代表德国。
Nach einer Kindheit in einer Familie mit 15 Geschwistern in Idaho, USA, und einem ereignisreichen Leben voller verschiedener Berufe, darunter auch Militärfeuerwehrfrau in der Army National Guard, zog ich 2003 nach Deutschland. 2013 wurde ich dann Life Coach. Ein paar Jahre später zog ich nach Peking und war plötzlich in der fast surrealen diplomatischen Situation, eine Amerikanerin zu sein, die Deutschland in China vertritt.

As a diplomatic spouse, I was in China on a non-working visa and could not have a regular profession. However, having become passionate about coaching and very interested in contributing to Beijing’s international community, I evaluated my options to contribute by volunteering coaching. After considering several options for how I could give individual coaching and assessing several possibilities for locations, I finally decided that I wanted to try on coaching several clients at a time. Therefore, I decided to try group coaching, something I hadn’t done extensively before but something that had always interested me.
作为一名外交官家属,我在中国持有非工作签证,不能正常执业。然而,由于对教练工作充满热情,也有兴趣为北京的国际社区贡献力量,就决定做教练志愿者,为此评估了几个选择,以决定用何种方式在哪里开展个人教练活动,最终我决定试试一次教练几个客户。因此,我决定尝试做群体教练,这是我以前没有广泛去做,但一直有感兴趣去做的事情。
Als diplomatische Ehepartnerin war ich mit einem Nicht-Arbeitsvisum in China und konnte keinen regulären Beruf ausüben. Da ich jedoch leidenschaftlich bezüglich Coaching war und sehr daran interessiert, zur internationalen Gemeinschaft in Peking konstruktiv beizutragen, erforschte ich meine Möglichkeiten, durch ehrenamtliches Coaching einen Beitrag zu leisten. Nachdem ich über mehrere Möglichkeiten nachgedacht hatte, wie ich individuelles Coaching geben und mehrere Möglichkeiten für Standorte ausloten konnte, entschied ich mich schließlich, mehrere Kunden gleichzeitig zu coachen. Deshalb habe ich mich dafür entschieden, Gruppencoaching auszuprobieren, etwas, das ich vorher nicht ausgiebig gemacht hatte, aber etwas, das mich schon immer interessiert hatte.

When looking at potential locations where I could coach with members of the international community for free, I came to the observation that several coffee shops in Beijing, where coffee is not part of the traditional culture, are becoming more of a popular hangout. I noticed a variety of coffee shops, some of them part of the typical American coffee shop chains as well as smaller local coffee shops, were frequented by members of the international community. Additionally, Chinese citizens are finding both a taste for coffee in conjunction with a coffee shop’s relaxed atmosphere as a nice meeting location. Initially, my coffeeshop crowd consisted of a few members of the international community in Beijing, who already knew me and were either curious about coaching in general or already knew about coaching already and were interested in making it a part of their ongoing routine.
为了寻找能够为国际社区人员提供免费教练的潜在地点,我去观察了北京的几家咖啡店。咖啡并非中国传统文化的一部分,但正变得越来越受欢迎。我注意到各种各样的咖啡店,其中有典型的美国咖啡店的连锁店,也有较小的本地咖啡店,都是国际社区成员经常光顾的地方。此外,中国人不仅是来喝咖啡,也因为这里的轻松气氛,把咖啡店作为一个很好的开会的地方。最初,来咖啡店参加群体教练的都是些已经认识的国际社区人员,他们或者总体上对教练工作感到好奇,或者已经知道教练技术并且有兴趣把被教练作为日常生活的一部分。
Als ich mir mögliche Örtlichkeiten ansah, an denen ich kostenlos mit Mitgliedern der internationalen Gemeinschaft coachen konnte, kam ich zu der Feststellung, dass mehrere Coffeeshops in Peking, wo Kaffee eigentlich nicht Teil der traditionellen Kultur ist, immer mehr zu einem beliebten Treffpunkt werden. Ich bemerkte eine Vielzahl von Coffeeshops, von denen einige Teil der typischen amerikanischen Coffeeshop-Ketten sind sowie kleinere lokale Coffeeshops, die von Mitgliedern der internationalen Gemeinschaft besucht wurden. Darüber hinaus entwickeln zunehmend chinesische Bürger sowohl einen Geschmack an Kaffee als auch an der entspannten Atmosphäre eines Coffeeshops als angenehmer Besprechungsslocation. Anfangs bestand mein Coffeeshop-Publikum aus ein paar Mitgliedern der internationalen Gemeinschaft in Peking, die mich bereits kannten und entweder neugierig auf Coaching im Allgemeinen waren oder bereits über Coaching Bescheid wussten und daran interessiert waren, es zu einem Teil ihrer Alltagsroutine zu machen.

While at first, I was a little nervous about coaching groups. I learned very fast how groups can develop dynamics that are very supportive of serious coaching and can enhance the outcome when participants create synergy with their contributions to the group. Soon I had participants who were not members of the usual diplomatic and business expat circles but had learned about the group coaching through word of mouth or had simply noticed us in our meetings in the coffeeshop and were curious. This development brought in more Chinese nationals, many of whom were relatively new to the concept of coaching. Being aware of ICF Chapters’ advantages for coaches, I also had joined the ICF Beijing Chapter. This way, I was aware of the development of coaching in Beijing and could refer my clients to the ICF Beijing Chapter. I also listed the ICF Global website coachfederation.org on all my handouts, explaining it as a reference to find myself and search for other great coaches worldwide using feature preferences like language, coaching specialties, and even search for accredited coaching schools. As more than one of my participants developed an interest in a coaching career of their own, it was very convenient to have a point of reference with the high standards of coaching and the global connections that ICF Global offers. This way, I could make sure coaching wasn’t ending for them after my time in Beijing came to an end.
起初我还对群体教练有点紧张,但很快就学会了如何发展群体教练动力,这对于严肃的教练活动非常有帮助,当参与者协同作用贡献力量时就会产生更好的效果。不久,来参加我的教练活动的人就不限于常规的外交圈和商业界老外,那些在咖啡店听到我们说话或是注意到我们开会感到好奇的人也加入了进来。这样就有了更多的中国人参与,相对而言很多中国人对教练的概念还知之甚少。意识到ICF(国际教练协会)对于教练的益处,我也加入了ICF北京分会。这样,了解到了北京教练的发展,就可以把我的客户介绍给ICF北京分会。我还把ICF全球网站coachfederation.org列在了我的宣传单上,并给大家作为参考解释了在这个网站上,可以通过功能偏好,比如:语言、教练特长 等,搜索到我本人和世界各地的其他教练,甚至能搜索到公认的教练学校。 由于好几位参与者发展教练生涯 有兴趣,我的介绍可以方便大家参考高标准的教练技术以及与 ICF 全球教练建立联系。这样,可以确保我的客户不会因为我日后离开北京而结束教练生活。
Während ich anfangs etwas nervös war, was das Coaching von Gruppen angeht, habe ich sehr schnell gelernt, wie Gruppen Dynamiken entwickeln können, die ein ernsthaftes Coaching sehr unterstützen und die Ergebnisse besonders an den Tagen verbessern können, an denen die Teilnehmer Synergien mit ihren Beiträgen zur Gruppe entwickeln. Bald hatte ich Teilnehmer, die nicht Mitglieder der üblichen diplomatischen und geschäftlichen Expat-Kreise waren, sondern durch Mundpropaganda von dem Gruppencoaching erfahren hatten oder uns einfach bei unseren Treffen im Coffeeshop bemerkt hatten und neugierig waren. Diese Entwicklung brachte auch mehr chinesische Staatsangehörige, fuer die das Konzept Coaching meist relativ neu war. Da ich mir der Vorteile der ICF-Chapter für Coaches bewusst war, war ich auch dem ICF Beijing Chapter beigetreten. Auf diese Weise war ich hinsichtlich der Entwicklung des Coachings in Peking auf dem Laufenden und konnte meine Kunden an das ICF Beijing Chapter verweisen. Ich listete auch die ICF Global Website coachfederation.org auf allen meinen Handzetteln auf und erklärte sie als Referenz, um meine eigene Webseite zu finden und nach anderen großartigen Coaches weltweit zu suchen, indem ich Feature-Präferenzen wie Sprache, Coaching-Spezialitäten und sogar die Suche nach akkreditierten Coaching-Schulen verwendete. Da mehrere meiner Teilnehmer ein Interesse an einer eigenen Coaching-Karriere entwickelten, war es sehr praktisch, einen Bezugspunkt zu den hohen Standards des Coachings und den globalen Verbindungen zu haben, die ICF Global anbietet. Auf diese Weise konnte ich sicherstellen, dass das Coaching für sie nicht endete, nachdem meine Zeit in Peking zu Ende ging.

Typically, in the Coffee shop, I first asked participants why they came and what they were hoping to receive by joining one of these group coachings. This not only uncovered a topic for the afternoon or evening but also provided a nice ice-breaker, initial conversation, and an enticing start into a productive coaching session. Of course, I would always come equipped with a variety of possible topics, which had the potential for good coaching. I offered sessions twice a week or even more frequently. My typical participants would not need quite as much coaching and choose their own rhythms, which also provided for variety through varying compositions of the groups and, in consequence, varying group dynamics. The activity, therefore, provided me with one of the most culturally diverse professional learning experiences in my life.
通常,在咖啡店里,我首先问参与者为什么来,以及希望通过参加群体教练活动获得什么。这不仅开启了一个下午或晚上的话题,也是一个很好的破冰初始谈话,引导大家进入一个富有成效的教练会议。当然,我总是带着各种可能的话题而来,都是些做好教练工作的潜在话题。我每周提供两次免费群体教练,有时甚至更频繁。典型的参与者不需要那么多的教练引导,而是选择他们自己的节奏,不同人组成各样的教练小组,因而提供多样化教练方式,结果就会形成多样的群体动态。因此,这项活动为我提供了一生中最多样化的专业学习经历。
In der Regel ermutigte ich die Teilnehmer, ein Thema für den Nachmittag oder Abend vorzuschlagen und zu vereinbaren. Dies sorgte meist fuer einen schönen Ice-Breaker,ein erstes Gespräch und einen ansprechenden Start in ein produktives Coaching-Treffen. Natürlich kam ich immer selbst mit einer Vielzahl von möglichen Themen ausgestattet, die das Potenzial für ein gutes Coaching hatten. Tatsächlich nutzten jedoch vor allem die Mitglieder jeder Gruppe die Chance, die Initiative zu unseren Themen zu ergreifen. Ich bot Treffen zweimal pro Woche oder noch häufiger an. Meine regulären Teilnehmer brauchten nicht ganz so viel Coaching und wählten ihre eigenen Rhythmen, die auch für unterschiedliche Zusammensetzungen der Gruppe und damit unterschiedliche Gruppendynamik und für Abwechslung sorgten. Die Tätigkeit hat mir daher eine der kulturell vielfältigsten beruflichen Lernerfahrungen in meinem Leben beschert.

In short: My initial intention was to keep my coaching going to some extent and primarily to give something back to the international community and the host nation, both of which had welcomed me in. I cannot help but believe today that I was the greatest beneficiary of my coffeeshop coaching. In honor of the host nation, I took the time and inspiration to develop a unique decision-making coaching tool based on the Chinese tradition of the 5 Elements. My last coffeeshop coaching event before my departure took place in a Beijing conference hotel with the participation of some 50 of my previous coffeeshop coaching clients. (You can find the tool and download it for free in the yellow section of my website. https://life-coaching-with-melody.com ) This coaching event gave me an additional occasion to refer everyone to the local ICF Beijing-Chapter and ICF Global as resources after my departure, so coaching didn’t have to end for them. The event created one of the most impressive and most cherished professional memories in my life.
简言之:我最初的意图是让我的教练工作在一定程度上,主要是为了给国际社会和东道国一些帮助,因为两者都欢迎我的到来。如今我不禁相信我才是咖啡店教练活动的最大受益者。为了致敬东道国,我花费时间通过灵感,根据中国五行传统文化,开发了一个独特的决策教练工具。我离开中国前的最后一次咖啡店教练活动是在北京的一个会议酒店举行,我以前的50多个咖啡店教练客户都去参加了这个活动。(您可以在我个人网站https://life-coaching-with-melody.com上的黄色部分找到该工具并免费下载)。这让我有了一个额外的机会,向大家介绍ICF北京分会和ICF 全球资源,在我离开中国后,大家的教练活动不至于结束。这次教练活动为我创造了一生中最令人印象深刻、最珍贵的职业记忆之一。
Kurzum: Meine ursprüngliche Absicht war es, mein Coaching bis zu einem gewissen Grad am Laufen zu halten und vor allem der internationalen Gemeinschaft und der Gastnation, die mich beide aufgenommen hatten, etwas zurückzugeben. Ich kann heute nicht anders, als zu glauben, dass ich selbst der größte Nutznießer meines Coffeeshop-Coachings war. Zu Ehren der Gastnation nahm ich mir die Zeit und Inspiration, um ein einzigartiges Entscheidungsfindungs-Coaching-Tool zu entwickeln, das auf der chinesischen Tradition der 5 Elemente basiert. Mein letztes Coffeeshop Coaching-Event vor meiner Abreise fand in einem Pekinger Konferenzhotel statt, an dem etwa 50 meiner früheren Coffeeshop-Coaching-Kunden teilnahmen. (Sie können das Tool im gelben Bereich meiner Website finden und kostenlos herunterladen. https://life-coaching-with-melody.com) Dieses Coaching-Event gab mir eine zusätzliche Gelegenheit, alle Anwesenden auf das lokale ICF Beijing-Chapter und ICF Global als Ressourcen nach meiner Abreise zu verweisen, so dass Coaching für sie hier nicht enden musste. Die Veranstaltung schuf eine der beeindruckendsten und wertvollsten beruflichen Erinnerungen in meinem Leben.

While the coffeeshop coaching took place uniquely based on volunteering my services, it helped create networks and a base of clients, which are a valuable asset of my coaching business today.
虽然咖啡店教练活动以志愿服务为基础,但帮助我建立了人际网络和客户群,成为我当今教练业务的宝贵资产。
Während das Coffeeshop Coaching ausschliesslich auf der Grundlage meiner ehrenamtlichen Tätigkeit stattfand, half es, Netzwerke und eine Basis von Kunden zu schaffen, die heute ein wertvolles Gut meines Coaching-Business sind.

As a follow-up, I developed online-coffeeshop coaching right after my return to Europe. I had barely set myself up to do it all virtually when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Germany and the rest of the world. Today, I still offer a free virtual coffeeshop group coaching session once a month over ZOOM. The composition and dynamics of the group are always changing. While there are still some participants who became part of my coffeeshop coaching crowd in Beijing, new participants from all corners of the globe also join. Providing online group coaching to this international audience keeps my cross-cultural abilities and group coaching skills up-to-date. I still give back to society and benefit through international exposure of my coaching activities, networking, and incredible inter-cultural experiences.
作为后续工作,我回到欧洲后就开发了在线咖啡店教练辅导。当新冠疫情COVID-19大流行袭击德国和世界其他地区时,我几乎没有做好准备就去做了这一切。今天,我仍然提供免费的虚拟咖啡店团体教练辅导,每月一次通过网络会议 工具zoom进行。小组成员的构成和动态总是在变化。在北京参加过我咖啡店教练活动的一些人仍在参加,也有来自全球各个角落的新参与者加入进来。通过向这些国际受众提供在线团体教练辅导,使我的跨文化能力和团队 教练技能保持最新。通过向国际社会展现我的教练活动、人际网络和难以置信的文化间的体验使来回馈社会使之受益。
Als Follow-up habe ich direkt nach meiner Rückkehr nach Europa ein Online-Coffeeshop-Coaching entwickelt. Kaum hatte ich mich darauf eingestellt, alles virtuell zu machen, als die COVID-19-Pandemie Deutschland und den Rest der Welt traf. Heute biete ich immer noch ein kostenloses virtuelles Coffeeshop-Gruppencoaching einmal im Monat über ZOOM an. Die Zusammensetzung und Dynamik der Gruppe verändern sich ständig. Während es noch einige Teilnehmer gibt, die Teil meiner Coffeeshop-Coaching-Crowd in Peking wurden, kommen auch neue Teilnehmer aus allen Ecken der Welt dazu. Das Angebot eines Online-Gruppencoaching für dieses internationale Publikum hält meine interkulturellen Fähigkeiten und Gruppencoaching-Fähigkeiten auf dem neuesten Stand. Ich gebe nach wie vor der Gesellschaft etwas zurück und profitiere weiterhin durch die internationale Präsenz meiner Coaching-Aktivitäten, Networking und die unglaublichen interkulturellen Erfahrungen.