ICA Community Bulletin

Wow! How expansive and inclusive to offer personal and professional to all who are interested—to create a “gathering place.” I look forward to hearing more about “Lobbi” in the future.
Blessings,
Nicki

Hi Bronwyn,

Thanks for your message. I do share Iris’ reservation about the new name. I am also German-speaking and “lobbying” has more of a negative connotation.

To be honest - I would not have signed up for a course by an organisation called “Lobii” and I liked the name ICA as it reflects professionalism, the coaching context and the fact that it is primarily a “school for coaches”.

I am a bit concerned about mixing p too many different things.

What is happening to students who have signed up (and paid) under the ICA label?

Warm wishes

Heike

Hello Bronwyn,

Thanks for sharing your creative ideas with us. I’m all about creativity (kudos to you for having a vision you feel so passionate about). At the same time I sense the ‘Lobii’ name does not serve many of us in the community. I agree with Heike that I would also not have signed up with a school by the name of Lobii. Perhaps consider Lobii as a sister site if you will. I’m a terrible speller and I wonder how challenging it might be for others to spell the new name as well?

When I first signed up with International Coaching Academy I was attracted to ‘International” and “Academy”. To me these two words said everything. International: far reaching mixed with the understanding and acceptance of people everywhere. Academy: a place of ancient and profound learning, significance, and self growing awarness (as in Socrates). I would lobby that Lobii be used as a branding mechanism for this new concept you wish to portray but at the same time keep International Coaching Academy intact. ICA has a strong ring of power, professionalism and wide scope in it. If its not broke why fix it? What about a reframe of ICA itself? One could also chose to bake the Lobbi concept into the ICA teachings as a value added coaching tool.

I’m curious to hear what other students and graduates are thinking and feeling.

With warmth from Colorado,

Russell Haack, MABC
President Health Associates Inc, & The North Star Coach LLC.

I too am going to have to voice my concern over the name. From a professional training association perspective, Lobii just does not jump out as professional. I agree that you may want it to be a sister company so you can maintain the professionalism of ICA.

I do think adding services to others is good, but should be a separate company so that you can maintain the ICA brand, which is what sold many of us as coaches.

Hi Bronwyn,

Having heard your voice recording, and read the comments posted by fellow students. I can understand both sides. Whilst ICA is definitely an impressive name and it does have a more “prestige” ring about it compared to Lobii, and I would very much like to see this name continued to be used for the educational aspect of your organisation, at the same time, I also feel that “Lobii” is innovative, and have a “younger” feel to it compared to ICA.

It is with mixed feelings I write this comment to you. But I truly respect what you are trying to achieve.

I may not be able to offer a lot more ideas than what has already been suggested, however, may I be so bold to share what is on my mind? I was thinking along the line of :

“Lobii- An International Coaching Academy. Where future Change Agents gathered to make a difference”

Something to this effect may help bring both Lobii and ICA together.

Warmest regards,
Daisy

Hello Bronwyn,
Thank you for sharing your message and I’m glad to hear that ICA is continuing to grow! I do, however, have a lot of reservations about the new name, “Lobii.” I unfortunately don’t understand it - it is not a recognizable word to me. I turned to my dictionary (I live in the U.S.A. and “lobii” does not appear in it - I think the “American” version is “lobby” which means “a group trying to influence public officials for or against a specific cause”)

To me, “International Coach Academy” is descriptive and clear. I too, was attracted to this name because of “International” and “Academy.” I feel very strongly that “academy” connotes academic study, like what you would find in a university or college. That is part of the reason that I chose ICA - I wanted a school that sounded serious about it’s training. “Lobii” just doesn’t speak to me that way. Rather than sounding academic, or professional training-oriented, it sounds like an organization that is going to work to influence legislators or public officials. That purpose definitely has it’s place, but I don’t think I would have chosen it as a coach training school.

My biggest concern is that I signed up with ICA because it is an Accredited Coach Training Program by the ICF. Will this be changing too?

I really like Russell’s suggestion of “Lobbi” being a sister school or sister site.

I feel very proud to be part of the “International Coach Academy” and I feel disappointed to lose that name because I think it says a lot. I just don’t feel the same pride with “Lobbi.”

I’m looking forward to hearing more about where ICA is going. Please consider our comments here, and on the discussion board as well.
Warm regards,
Corinne

Hi Bronwyn. I too was excited to read about your dreams and visions for ICA and for coaching. I have been enrolled in ICA since last September and have been overall very pleased with what I have been receiving as a student. However, I also have concerns over the new name, Lobii. I was at a local chapter ICF conference a few weeks ago and many people asked me what school I was from. When I said ICA many did not know what that stood for and I got some strange looks. But when I said International Coach Academy there was no further explanation needed. I can only imagine what the reaction would be if I were to say “Lobii”. I really feel that the name takes away from the professionalism that should be associated with a coaching school.

As coaching continues to become mainstream in the US I think that belonging to a school with a prestigious sounding name goes a long way. Lobii, to me, sounds more like what you are intending…a gathering place.

I do see room for both and hope that you will explore that route instead of doing away with the name that ICA is building for itself.

Thanks for your time.

Nancy

I second my colleagues concerns about the the name. I also did choose ICA, among many others, due to its name. In all honesty my decision to enter the school came to price and the words “International” and “Academy.” These were more important than anything else, including a 1-hour Q&A I had with one of the coaches. I was seeking a professional credential that would validate my coaching skills in different industries/professional levels. “International” and “Academy” continues to serve as a selling point when I present credentials to prospects.

Some more thoughts below:

“International” acknowledges cross-cultural sensitivity, global awareness, and international scope.

“Academy” helps gives more validity to the coaching profession. In most of the social/professional circles I am part of, the word “academic” helps reinforce a more scientific/research based approach to the discipline. In my experience, many people believe coaching is a fad composed of feel-good pseudo/pop psychologies and affirmations (ie. you can do it, unleash the power within, create your destiny, etc.). I strongly believe there is a lot more to personal change and growth. I am concerned ICA may fall into this growing ocean of books/articles/speakers/websites/DVD’s which basically say/teach/promote the same thing in different ways. Academic reminds others (and myself) that there is a solid grounding to this profession.

Some pros/cons:

Conceptually, I get Lobii. The challenge is getting that point across. Lobii (at least for me) does not communicate coaching/professional/training/international. It may get confused or associated with the name of a bank, a lobbying agency, a mediating organization, or a household product name.

I do like the way the name sounds and how it looks. Lobii is very Web 2.0, which sounds and looks appealing, while it may also shrink your market niche that is not web savvy. Plus it is a cool word to develop a great logo.

What if Lobbi becomes a division of ICA with its separate website? I can see that working.

I will be happy to discuss all this in further detail. I have many years of branding and marketing experience and consult with different businesses and advertising agencies. I can be reached at: jf@jorgefusaro.com

Thanks for reading and opening up the floor for us to share.

All the best,
Jorge

Dear Bronwyn,
Thanks for your update.
I add my voice to all previous colleagues who are not favoring the new name. I enrolled following the name, and would love to have all my material and my final certification embossed with International Coach Academy (ICA) and not Lobii.
If you are not going to change your mind about the new name despite all the negative feedback, I would appreciate if you at least promise the current students that all their documents will be under ICA name and not Lobii. Can you do that, please?
Regards,
Hala

To Bronwyn and all at ICA,

As a newly minted graduate with certificate that arrived just yesterday, I can’t express how pleased I have been to have been associated with the International Coach Academy. I have had much pride in telling others about the program, and in spreading name recognition among my mental health counselor-colleagues, and bragging about ICA’s high standards.

The news this morning of a name change is, I’m afraid, quite disturbing and unwelcomed, for the following reasons.

Lobii as a replacement for International Coach Academy is a bad mistake, in my estimation. The idea of being a graduate of a Lobii is disappointing and discouraging at best.

I find I can’t scratch up any sense of pride in being associated with Lobii, for as Heike says, it sounds like the name of a toy or gadget. I too would be embarrassed to claim it as my alma mater. Consequently, this — combined with the elimination of the exam — would end my vocal public support for what has been a fine training program.

This move reminds me of the disasterous experiment decades ago when Colorado Woman’s College changed its name to Temple Buell (a big money bags donor). All of a sudden people thought it was a synagogue not a 4 year school, and enrollment dropped drastically. After 5 years of laying off teachers, eliminating degree programs, and shutting down dorms, they finally got smart and returned to calling itself the slightly adapted Colorado Women’s College. But that still didn’t save them from their mistake — they had to give in to being bought out by the University of Denver and the campus was taken over as UD’s law school.

As an alum of both schools, I’d hate to see what happened to CWC be what happens to ICA, all because of an ill-considered name change.

I strongly urge you to reconsider this change before it’s too late.

~ Deah Curry, PhD, CPC
(June 2009 graduate

Bronwyn,
I agree, change is the name of the game to stay competitive, profitable, and attractive to new and expanding markets. I know that this change has already been implemented in many places, so all this negative feedback will be difficult to assuage, But I add my voice to the throng to urge some type of alternative.

Does LOBII stand for something? Can it stand for something? ICA, in and of itself is not so impressive, but International Coach Academy is very clear and impressive. I too wonder what credentials of “graduated from Lobii as a Certified Professional Coach” will look like when compared to other coaching credentials. I don’t know anything about CoachU, but subconsciously I discount its value because of its name. Since Lobii will be diversifying and expanding to new markets, new services, new audiences, perhaps each of those sub-businesses would benefit from their own name, and the coaching academy portion could have a new Coaching School type name.

I personally chose ICA for its depth in curriculum, breadth of knowledge, and completeness in coverage, so in that I remain completely satisfied.

I am anxious to read more from those alumni/students who can provide the positive slant to this conversation, and share it with us - afterall, what we could use here is a shift in PERSPECTIVE!

Looking forward to all the other changes,
Victoria

I must echo the concerns of other students here. While I can understand wanting to rebrand, Lobii is not a professional-sounding name and does not convey anything to indicate that this program trains coaches. I do not feel that being an alumni of a program with that name will enhance my credibility. It is hard for me to imagine that many students would want to enroll in such a program.

Additionally, I am concerned by the intimation that this name change is in part to expand the program to cater specifically to non-coaches. While I think coaching skills are great to use outside of the role of coach, I also think that the role of coach (as opposed to using coaching skills as a non-coach) is a very specific one. While I could see overlap and could imagine ICA creating a non-coach track with some overlapping and some separate curriculum, I hope that ICA will continue to recognize that coaching is a specialized profession requiring specialized training. I would not have come here to learn generalized coaching skills nor would I recommend a generalized program to prospective coaches.

I am also concerned by the elimination of the written exam, and especially by the fact that you do not share your reasoning for eliminating it other than a vague reference to being “fresh and relevant.” The written exam is the only comprehensive check that the program has for us to prove overall comprehension of the course material. Since it is open-book, it can be completed by anyone who does the work, but it does force you to truly do that work. You will diminish your credibility and that of your graduates if you allow people to graduate the program without having demonstrated understanding of the course material.

I think that your taking these steps is premature and will prove to be a poor business decision for you. Please consider discussing these ideas further with your students, graduates and prospective students before implementing them. Please also consider allowing your current students to graduate under the name you had when they paid their tuition, so that they may market themselves in the way that you implied would be possible when we joined this program… and paid 100% up front.

Drear Bronwyn,

I think it’s nive to expand the community, but regarding the name Lobii it relaly has negative meaning in Europe at least. The word Academy sound more professional and serious. I don’t want to graduate a school with this kind of name and because I am still in my 30 days with ICA I am really thinking if I want to continue here or not.

Another concern that is not yet being voiced much but that clearly underlies the move towards non-coaches, is the idea that coaching is a skill set (as per the transcript of your audio).

I respectfully but strongly beg to differ.

If coaching is just a skill set — as opposed to a profession — then we could all acquire it from a weekend intensive for less than $250. It wouldn’t require 6-12 months or more of training, or supervision, or $5000+ of our money.

If coaching is just a skill set, it would be on par with things like the Marshall Rosenberg Non-Violent Communication model. Nothing wrong with NVC, but it in itself is not a profession. It’s a conversation format. As such it wouldn’t need business plans and marketing strategies.

If coaching is just a skill set, it wouldn’t matter who calls themselves a coach, or how they use the skill set tools. There’d be no need for standards or ethics. The lone advantage is that there’d be no need for regulation and licensure, either.

If coaching is just a skill set, it wouldn’t command top dollar from our clients. It would be harder to market, and practitioners of this skill set would have even less recognition and credibility in the public mind than we currently do.

Seems to me that taking the position that coaching is a skill set rather than an emerging profession is a very dangerous path to tread.

~ Deah Curry PhD, CPC
June 2009 graduate

I hope that the ICA leadership is also reading the conversations about these two recent changes which is taking place on the student forums. Please see the various threads in these areas:

http://learn.icoachacademy.com/forum/index.php?t=thread&frm_id=12&rid=1920&S=ef9cc8caf9fc01ee7a5df7d4f83f0379

http://learn.icoachacademy.com/forum/index.php?t=thread&frm_id=13&rid=1920&S=ae2783e064103edaa0e910f07d036fd2

You will see that most students who commented on the boards would like to brand themselves to their clients as graduated from a program called International Coach Academy that is training professional coaches specifically, though some are also supportive of the idea of having a subsidiary or sister group called Lobii or somethign else suitable that is geared to a non-coach audience. I hope that you will consider the needs of your students and graduates when you reassess and/or decide how to implement this decision.

YAY! I finally figured out how to post here!!

Dear Bronwyn –

Thank you for the chance to respond to the audio message that you sent. I hear clearly the excitement in what you communicate, but have very strong reservations.

When I began with ICA in February, it was after much thought and research — long conversations with Desiree Simon (alum of ICA and enrollment advisor - and EXCELLENT, by the way!), a conversation with Merci, and much thought. As an educator by background, I had many questions about the educational methodology, the teleclasses, the lack of required sequencing in the course modules, and more. My questions were well responded to. My experiences have been - all in all - quite positive.

I had researched coaching programs since 2006 when I was completing doctoral work, and opted for ICA after much looking around, as it seemed a substantive alternative to some other paths. Its relationship to ICF credentialing in positioning grads well in that regard, its international community, and the fact that it did see itself as an “academy” — a school, an intense training, a setting to learn and to practice, an educational forum — these were all pluses.

I admit to a very strong reaction in the negative to Lobii. I agree with other post-ers about its lack of clearly recognizable identity. I work sometimes with those involved in liturgical ritual and they say that if you have to explain something, you miss it. I really did not enter Lobii, but ICA… I did not seek graduation from Lobii, but from an academy for international coaches.

I also agree that Lobii may be a name that is entirely appropriate for a different market within this arena — for those not pursuing professional coaching, but who want a little background. It’s a bit like adult ed versus a masters degree. You don’t name them the same. (My present day job is in a grad school). I would be very disappointed to put a graduation from Lobii next to other professional and academic credentials, not because it’s not a creative name, but because to those who look at these things (and I read transcripts and degree programs and look at accreditations daily) - it looks a bit like a ’shopfront’ with no clear content. ICA has MUCH content and much to offer, and so, although the Lobii title may be creative, I don’t think it does justice to the investment in time, effort, study, practice, and - frankly - dollars that students and graduates have invested.

Because I also work in connection with a faith based audience, its lack of professional clarity in title may have it being interpreted negatively by some as the type of ‘trendy’ that is seen as psychobabble or ‘new age’. Clearly these are perceptions only, but perceptions are what influence marketing. This particular market is important to me.

I would support those who suggest that, should Lobii be the name for all of ICA’s outreach — new markets and professional coaches training — that those who entered the program under ICA’s title should, in justice, be able to complete their training with that title. Name is not everything, but it is certainly something. I really would hope it could stay as the name for the professional coach training component, for credibility’s sake on graduate’s websites.

Respectfully, I hope to see/hear response to these very real concerns from many individuals within the community. This decision affects us strongly, and at present, it feels to me a bit like a name ‘bait and switch’. The content is present, but it may not look that way to others…

Joanne Cahoon, D.Min.
http://www.in-spirited.com

Hi to all ICA students
I want to first thank you for posting on this blog and for expressing how passionate you are about ICA. I too am passionate about ICA and it is from this same passionate intent that I want to respond to your questions and to move forward together.
To begin I feel as though explaining our name change and also the removal of the exam together in the one announcement has caused people to become concerned about the educational rigor of ICA. Let me address this point first. AS many of your posts mentioned you joined ICA for its educational rigor. Educational rigor is one of the most important values that we hold at ICA. We believe strongly in training people to be outstanding coaches. This can only be done by having educational rigor. The reason why we have removed the exam is because it is not the only way or the most effective way to measure the knowledge of a student. There are many ways to achieve this. I also know many students struggle with the very notion of an exam and we are committed at ICA to providing an education that is not frightening or asking people to learn something just for the purpose of an exam. This is not in alignment with the very nature of coaching and our training which is about a self directed learning approach. So what we have decided to do instead is to explore other ways that provide students with an opportunity to demonstrate their competence in coaching. We will be doing this by asking students to write their answers to new questions in our new modules. Their will be a dedicated forum for each module when we launch phase two of our plan, our new learn site. All students are still required to complete their research paper, peer coaching, supervised coaching etc. Our aim in bringing about these changes to the assessment is that it is more friendly for you, is that it measures your level of competency better and that it is aligned with self directed learning. We also go way beyond the ICF requirements that we need to meet to have our program accredited. We are running a teleclass next week around assessment and I encourage you to see these changes from the perspective of improving our program rather than lessening it. We are also making these changes as a result of direct feedback from you as students.

In relation to our change of name. Again I want to explain that just like when a person decides to change their name it does not mean they change as a person. It does not mean that who they are will be any different. This is exactly the same about ICA. Who we are will not change just the name. The reason behind our change of name is to be able to provide you with clients and to be able to truly be the leaders in coach training. Every student trained at ICA wants clients. We need to have a website where they can meet you and where you can meet them. This means having a site that attracts both coaches and clients. ICA is an academy. It is not a place where your clients will be coming to. Lobii is a name that we chose, after many years of research, thought and testing, that will allow all of us to be together. We know many coaches want to train up their clients in some coaching skills, we know that some coaches are already doing this. We are so committed to the future of coaching that we want to be the ones to deliver this service to your clients. They come to us to provide the coaching and we partner them with you to do the coaching. This works to our skills training and to yours coaching. We have been requested to do this by students and graduates for many years and finally we are ready to implement what has been requested.

ICA is also often confused with the many other coach training schools that have a similar name to ours. When we made the change to ICA no one else had a name even remotely similar to it. Now there are so many coach training organisations, accredited and not accredited, that have the name International or coach or academy in them. We really want to stand out in the market place. Lobii will achieve this. When we survey people looking for coach training they chose the name Lobii because it stood out and intrigued them. They also gave us feedback that it felt like a warm inviting safe place and that as a name on a certificate it would have great credibility.

If you would still like to have an ICA certificate this is absolutely fine. We will keep the ICA website up for sometime until we develop the brand recognition we want with Lobii.

Today I had a chat with a graduate, Deah, and I explained that I am sure she didnt know that we had a different name before ICA. We needed to change our name to ICA to grow the coaching industry and now here we are again wanting to grow the vision of the coaching industry. I believe enormously in the power of coaching and how providing people with some coaching skills we empower people everywhere. This is a wonderful thing. I know we are all in alignment with wanting this goal. I know with the name of Lobii we can create it.

I would like to share with you the process of how Lobii came about. I live in Shanghai and one day, after three years of trying to come up with a new name for ICA, i decided to go and relax and have a massage. I hadnt been thinking about any new ideas for ICA but as I lay on the table being massaged I began to visually see many people’s names in ICA come before me. I started to play with these name. Some of you may know that ICA has two directors, Robyn Logan and myself. I started to play with our names visually and what I can up with was the LO from Robyn’s name and my initials BI. I then put these two together. LOBI. Then I started to think about how to say this name, it sounded like lobby, a meeting place, bringing about change and yet it was also very special because it was very personal. I raced back to my partner and told him about it and Robyn and we added another i to the name so that graphically it looks like two people talking to each other. This to me was the moment of great excitement. We then tested it on all staff, graduates and the general public. The response we got was only positive and people , mostly graduates have been asking how they can be involved in going forward with our vision. We have amazing staff at ICA who embraced the vision and now own it as it has empowered them to see their role in a bigger picture.

I encourage each of you who have posted or who are reading this post to be empowered to see the bigger picture. I want you to know that we will still be the same in our hearts and values but that we want to make this a bigger greater place for you. You are the community of ICA - the future.
I encourage you also to think about the perspectives I have written above, in going forward. As we all know there are many perspectives and I have learnt a great deal from reading yours. I ask that you read mine as just that, another perspective to be had. Please do not react to it but if you have any other questions, ask them to gain clarity rather than make any assumptions. As you all know everyone at ICA is here to support your learning. This is another stage in that process.
Lets begin a chain of communication that brings positive energy to all of us and that aligns with our passion, to grow ICA and to grow the coaching industry.
Thanks
Bronwyn

Hi,
my very first response was recoil from the word ‘lobii, as I write this I had to scroll back up to determine how to spell it. My second response is an image of a small furry creature in a science fiction story.

Incorrect, or unidentifiable spelling with no etymology is concerning for non native english speakers and native english speakers alike.

I was outlining my qualifications to another professional just yesterday and said I was certified through the International Coach Academy, and it gave me a thrill to be able to use such a professional sounding title, and I was also proud to say I received a truly exceptional training. I am sitting here trying on ‘Lobii’, considering the effects of unfamiliarity aside, it does not have such a professional ring to it.

I also trained with ICA as it was an ICF certified program. I love the idea of a sister program adjunct to the existing ICA program, and deem it to be incredibly helpful in the process of life after graduation!!

I also want to support creative, innovative business and community building ideas so wish you well on this decision. Being in the business of change agency we are all aware of human reactions to change, with all things being equal it must come down to a branding decision and for me the title ICA took me over the line to train with your organisation and not others which could be seen as hokey, unscientific, unqualified, feel good, vacuous courses, its easy become a life coach in a day!

Keep on being a cutting edge training organisation!

Deep Peace and ongoing brilliance
Helen

Dear Bronwyn and fellow ICA students,

I would like to start off as you have suggested Bronwyn, with some specific questions. The answers to these questions will be essential to understanding our relationship with ICA going forward in your new plan.

1) Most importantly, at the moment, ICA stands as a professional program to obtain a certification, therefore my first question is:

*Have you discussed these changes with ICF and what was their feedback? How prior certifications and future certifications will “hold up” to other coaches in the market place is a cause for concern.

2) The Exam or Other Assessment Tools

*If you are doing away with the exam, can you please describe in further detail the types of assessment tools that will be used for graduation. Again, I believe this goes to the same concern surrounding marketplace perception.

3) A Note About Perception
Right or wrong - in business, perception is reality so how this name is received in the marketplace actually means a great deal. We as students know what our program is here, but what the market perceives it to be is equally as important. I particularly stress this, because I am living in Asia where name, brand, “face” all matter very much.

4) The name Lobii

Bronwyn and Robyn - I respect that you have built a business and I understand why you would want to put your name on it. I also understand your warm intentions of openness and inclusiveness surrounding the idea of a “lobby” where people congregate.

However the roll out of this new name, I feel, as I have seen others voice, is not what I (we) would have liked to brand ourselves under. My concern is the following:

*Even if we graduate with ICA on our certification, how much future value will that hold as a brand when the name disappears? And further, if the mission of the program changes (next topic) how will that dilution also impact our branded certification in the future?

5) Global Community

I have enjoyed my time thus far at ICA and I love the global and flexible nature of the program. I personally have taken calls from Thailand, Hong Kong, New York, and Vermont and I don’t know of another program like it.

However, I, like many others, decided to get my professional coaching creditials as a means of legitimizing myself in the industry as well as learning and growing with serious professional coaches.

Personal growth is a wonderful - shall I call it - side effect. One would personally grow in a PhD program for Psychology or even in getting an MBA as well, though perhaps differently. The sound of either of those kinds of professional programs would “open” up seems a bit odd - so why would we do it? Coaching is just coming into its own as real, legitimate career with structure and professionalism. My first impression is that the expansion not only - dilutes - our professional caliber as a student body, but that it potentially has an impact on the industry.

* How would you incorporate non-professional course students with those enrolled in the full course? For instance, am I going to find non-coaches on our calls going forward in the core curriculum?

* As others have suggested, is it not possible to make Lobii the “social and public” aspect of ICA while maintaining the integrity of the professional program separately?

Thank you very much for taking the time to read my comment. I think it is important to get to the bottom of some of the questions I have outlined - for me personally anyway.

I am open to any discussion about this and I would welcome a phone call from you Bronwyn. I am sure there are solutions.

Warm regards,
Perri
Founder

metamorphosis coaching limited
http://www.be-thebutterfly.com
http://www.twitter.com/bethebutterfly

I forget one point I wanted to bring up about the exam.
I am sure I am not alone in wanting to graduate with world class caliber people who are committed to completing a rigorous and academic program.

While not the best way to wholly evaluate an individual, an exam is an objective way to assure that the people graduating have in fact put that effort in with a straightforward method of measurement. A program solely based on subjective assessments has a high likelihood of inconsistent output. No serious professional should be “frightened” of an exam either….It should be expected.

Thank you.
Perri

Bronwyn,
From “The 22 immutable laws of marketing” by Ries & Trout p68:

“Law 12 - The Law of Line Extension
There’s an irresistible pressure to extend the equity of the brand.”

Is market research suggesting that the coach training market is getting saturated? I don’t know but would be surprised if that was so.

The marketing side of me thinks this might be a branding exercise to later sell the business as a web3.0 “coaching supermarket”
Say it aint so!

Dear Bronwyn, fellow students and our ICA staff,

I would like to voice my opinion on changing the name of our school.

While I appreciate Bronwyn’s ideas and efforts to take ICA further, I am still a much greater fan of International Coach Academy than of a name like Lobii.

I have done a bit of a research my self among the people I know and have to say that the reactions to the new name and the change were not positive.

As one of the students from Greece mentioned, for many of us, being able to use a name like International Coach Academy makes it much easier to explain the training, get the credibility and also point out the international aspect of our coaching work.

However having to use a name like Lobii instead will indeed make our job of selling and educating so much harder.

Thanks to another student’s links I was able to read several of the threads in the discussion about the change of the name and almost all comments are urging against the change, or at least for keeping ICA parallel with using Lobii for one part of the school.

So I guess the only question now is whether our opinions actually matter in this situation.

With Best Hopes ~

I also suspect that ICA wants to change the name and become the premier social media web community of coaching. The name Lobii is a Web 2.0 name, there is no doubt about it.
Does ICA want to become the Facebook of coaching?

Bronwyn’s response to our concerns shows no sign she plans to change her mind. The change is happening regardless of how we feel.

ICA is no longer a one person operation. ICA is a community, a group of people connected with a common purpose and vision, and in this case, a common knowledge. The community needs to be part of this kind of process. Its the least we can be part of.

ICA needs to consult with your alumni and current students before making such a move.

Ask for input. Evaluate what other’s say. Make decisions, together.

I wish ICA would have made us part of the process and let us voice our ideas/concerns/dreams for coaching and the academy rather than simply taking action.

I am very upset. My opinion/feedback was never considered. I feel this announcement was made final.

Dear Bronwyn, fellow students and our ICA staff,

I want to let you know, that I too am very upset about the changes at ICA.
I enrolled with ICA, not with Lobii, which to me does’t convey anything about coaching nor sounds professional.
I find it very disappointing that you are lowering the examination standards.

Kind regards,

Peter Strijdonk

Hi Bronwyn (and others)

I agree with a lot of what has been said by others regarding the name choice. For me though the key issue is that I have paid a significant sum to enrol in a program that I believed would give me the edge when it came to coaching qualifications. I researched all programs I could undertake from Australia and, like many others, thought that ICA sounded the best option. Maybe I dont understand properly, but why should the whole world have access to something that cost me $5,500? I find that disturbing.

Also, although I haven’t yet submitted them, I have almost completed most of my graduation requirements (the written ones) and if the assessment is moving in a new direction as stated previously by Bronwyn “We will be doing this by asking students to write their answers to new questions in our new modules. Their will be a dedicated forum for each module when we launch phase two of our plan, our new learn site. All students are still required to complete their research paper, peer coaching, supervised coaching etc.” am I going to have to do more than I have already done?

I have so many questions, as we all seem to, and I am frustrated by what I feel is a lack of communication about the changes.

Sue.

There is so much discussion going on here and I’ve not been actively participating since graduating, so I will throw a comment in here now. I graduated from ICA last December.

First, regarding the written exam: personally, I found this time-consuming but a very valuable exercise that had me reflect further and in more detail about how I coach. I don’t think it’s a deal-breaker, in my view, if you eliminate it, though I do think you need to insure that the same credentialing standards are met. It sounds as though you have already done that.

Second, regarding the name change, I have to admit that I was also taken aback when I first heard the name a few months ago on an alumni call. I still don’t understand completely what the ‘new’ organization will look like, but as a ‘change agent’ myself, I am open to the change. I recall Robyn’s explaining it to us as “Coke” and “Pepsi” — who knew what those names meant when their products first rolled out? And, who doesn’t know what those names mean today?

Third, in reading Bronwyn’s response, I found a deeper reason for the change that I had not been aware of and I would like to make a suggestion to our leaders here. Please make it more transparent or make it easier to find your vision for our new organization, whatever name it may take. I hear the concerns from other students and alumni about watering down our coach training and hence, our reputation, if ‘anyone’ can enter the site, I second that concern. I also surmise that we really don’t understand the whole picture, do we? Where can we find, see, and experience the bigger picture? We are reacting to only a piece of it, are we not? How do all the pieces fit together? Where are the ‘checks and balances’ to insure our reputation and credibility as a premier coach training school?

Bronwyn mentioned ICA’s interest in bringing coaches and clients together — as a graduate myself who is finding being ‘on my own’ very challenging, I realize I had more momentum when I was still actively taking classes at ICA than I do now. That’s sad and I don’t think it needs to be this way. I know that not every graduate experiences this. I would appreciate an ongoing, active community of coaches who help each other with business-building, client referral, continuing personal development, etc. The journey doesn’t stop just because we all receive that sought after certificate. If Bronwyn and Robyn are talking about an active networking community, I support it and look forward to seeing what unfolds. I’m also wondering as others have asked whether it’s like ‘facebook’ for the coaching industry. I certainly hope it’s much more than that.

On a practical matter, I have been onto the Lobbii site but only have access at the moment to ‘alumni’ and ’social’ discussion groups and that’s not really giving me a feel for what this is about. I attended a call about Learning Leader and was intrigued by the ideas presented there, yet I cannot actually access Learning Leader schedules on the site.

I have to admit that I’m not crazy about the name, “Lobbii” for a coach training school, but I won’t shoot it down either without hearing greater depth and detail about it. The only constant in life is change. As coaches, we are all too familiar with how resistant we can be to change. It’s not something we embrace readily, unless we’ve felt somehow in control or a part of it, but it’s something we help our clients to move through and ‘embrace’ every day, isn’t it?

It sounds like it may be time for lots of information sharing and hearing of all the voices in this story that still feel a need to be heard. It also sounds like the wheels are already set in motion in which case it may be time to take a deep breath, envision the best and highest outcome, trust, and move forward into the unknown. It could be a ‘flop’ — though as coaches we kow there are no failures, but only lessons to be learned–and it could also be a wonderful transformation. The caterpillar doesn’t become a butterfly without first melting down inside that cocoon.

Thank you all for listening if you have read this far.

Blessings and best wishes to all of us for our success,
Melissa Nuwaysir

Hello,

I found out about the proposed changes on the first day of the announcement but have held off commenting until now so that I can respond instead of react. Here are a few of my thoughts on the changes to ICA:

1. The name: I am not a huge fan of Lobii but I can see the marketing potential. How many people thought “twitter” was a silly name and would never amount to anything? How many people looked at “google” originally and said to themselves “yep that is going to be a billion dollar company”? To be honest whenever I write an email to someone I always double check the ICA website to make sure I have the full name correct: is it “International Coach Academy” or “International Coaching Academy”, so for me at least, the name did not stand out incredibly. Almost every coaching school has the word coach within it so I think they all sort of blend together. I am willing to see how how Lobii grows as a brand.

2. Credibility of our papers: saying that you received your training from a group called Lobii may not sound to impressive, but that does not stop Lobii from coming up with an impressive title for our degree, something like:

“Graduate Diploma in Coaching Excellence from the Lobii Institute”

There are ways that they can keep the high level of academic feel to our program while maintaining the name Lobii.

3. Overall organization: many have commented on making Lobii a “sister site” versus a direct relation to ICA. I see this as going the other way: Lobii is the overall organization that provides many services one of which is a coaching school. So, the ICA would be an academy within the overall organization: “International Coach Academy” part of the Lobii group or something like that.

4. Various programs: I have read some complaints that casual people will receive the same training as we do for free. I am not sure, but I don’t think this is what Bronwyn meant. I am thinking Lobii will offer various programs, sort of like a product funnel:
A. Personal Improvement teleseries: $199
B. How to make change in your life teleseries: $229
C. Accredited Coach Training: $5000

5. Business Building: Last week in a class with Ronnie she mentioned that when naming our businesses we may want to make the name more general by leaving the word “coach” out of it so that you can offer and market a wider variety of products. The “International Coach Academy” restricts Bronywn and Robyn from expanding their business in a wider number of directions.

This is how I see the Lobii concept working:
1. Lobii is created as a general personal development brand with a forum and some free content. This draws a wide variety of people to the site.
2. Lobii offers some personal development courses that some of this community pays for and they become more interested in the concept of coaching.
3. Some of these people then look for actual coaches to help them and the Lobii site provides a place for them to find coaches.
4. Some of these people realize they would like to be coaches and they then pay the tuition and enter the academic stream of the Lobii site.

Personally, I think it is time to take a deep breath and see how it all unfolds.

Just my thoughts,

Jeremie

Dear Bronwyn,

Congratulations on growing ICA to its current level of respect in the coach training field. I understand that it is time to take the next leap. I think the name LOBII is a catching name and it is nice that it is personal to you and Robyn. I like the positioning that it is a gathering place. The word lobbying does have a negative connotation in the USA because it has been the tool of big business (the Tobacco and Pharmaceutical industries) to influence legislation. This image can be changed through marketing, differentiation and positioning of the name LOBII.

As an MBA with a lot of Brand Marketing experience, I would strongly urge you to keep the International Coach Academy name as the certification brand. It is the place where coaches get trained and certified. The fact that other organizations are using names with parts of ICA just proves it is a great name. There is a lot of brand equity in the name and I agree with other coaches that it is more validating to be a certified coach at the International Coach Academy than at Lobii which sounds like a great gathering place to exchange ideas and share in growth. People have heard of International Coach Academy, it is respected and even if they have never heard of it before they get it—the names says it is a culturally diverse education institution. Lobii is a great complement to ICA and ICA can help launch Lobii rather than Lobii replacing ICA. ICA can remain the premier professional academy for coach training and education. Lobbi can be developed to become the premier gathering place for personal and professional growth. They can feed each other and both will grow.

Also I read somewhere above “who knew what Coke or Pepsi were before”. The Coke name came from the fact that originally the formulae contained 9 milligrams of cocaine per glass and now they use an extraction process of the coca leaf that eliminates the active cocaine. Pepsi was named Pepsi because of the enzyme pepsin used in its formulae. Cola was used in both names because of the Kola nut used in both of them. So both of these Brand Names were strongly tied to how they were made and the were originally created by pharmacist for medicinal purposes.

With great sincerity,
Sherry Wrana MBA, CPC

Bronwyn,

Congratulations on the advancements that ICA is making to continually improve your product. I, however, have concerns with the name change. One of the reasons I selected ICA was because the name reflected professionalism and a global presence. What does Lobii convey?

I am a business professional who is transitioning from a corporate career to my own firm. So, the body granting my certification is importaant. I would respectfully request that my certification be issued by the International Coach Academy, since that is the organization that I selected for my certification.

Best regards,

Felecia Roseburgh, MA
The Graceful Life Coaching and Consulting
http://www.thegracefullife.com

Hello again, All,
It is fascinating to read all the opinions, concerns, ideas, objections, passions and visions expressed. It seems that this discussion has become a place for us to “gather,” for we all care very much about our profession, its future, and where ICA/Lobii is heading.
I am a huge proponent of personal growth, as are many of you. Whatever we can do to bring others into the fold wherein they can grow and develop will contribute to the quality of humanity everywhere. The world certainly needs increased personal consciousness!
I, like many of you, also am glad/proud of who we are becoming as professional coaches. I truly hope that there will be a separate division within “Lobii” wherein our craft will be studied and mastered, standing alone on it’s own professional merit. Perhaps this consideration will be forthcoming in what lies ahead.
Finally, I think that each coach’s inner valuing of what s/he has accomplished and is developing as s/he serves the world as a coach, outstretches any name that our training institution has. I’m sure I will identify myself always as a part of ICA—no matter what it is called; like you, I am a coach, first and foremost. That matters most of all. The present name, ICA, sounds professional to me, as well as reflecting the inclusivity of our entire (professional) global community. Will “Lobii” do that, I wonder? I hope so.
Perhaps great value for non-coaches will emerge as a “gathering place” is developed. It will be interesting to see what happens in the months ahead.
Blessings wished for us all,
Nicki

LOBBII
L: Leadership in the
O: Outer World
B: Building
B: Bridges with our
I: Inner World
I: Impacting our human way of BEING
It is a matter of evolution .Coaching is a profession born of change embracing change and providing skills to dealing with change effectively.
We as coaches and the potential ones are looking for CHANGE .So I want to ask the community this question:
What motivate you to be a Coach????? Many answers could be collected but if we do some reflection on this there is only one answer:
WE WANT TO EMBRACE CHANGE
The Coaching discipline has to understand that ACADEMY is a place where you learn liberal arts and COACHING is a discipline that provides the tools to be a better human being,( you do not learn that in the ACADEMIC WORLD)
Build the bridge between BEING AND DOING is a process and takes you to a great understanding of our purpose in this world.
So to be a COACH is to get the compromise to do that BRIDGING PROCESS ,SO THIS NEW brand MEANS EVOLUTION and that is the new paradigm.
Get rid of antique mental models
L.O.B.B.I.
ª BUILDS THE BRIDGE BETWEEN TODAY AND TOMORROW THE INNER AND OUTER WORLD.

ªBETTER HUMAN BEINGS EVOLVING TOWARDS BEING EXTRAORDINARY