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Corvus Coaching Book Recommendations

Corvus founders, Michael J. Coffey and Kendra Fujiwara, have looked through their coaching libraries and selected these books to personally recommend. Corvus is proud to support the locally-owned Powell's Books, and each book is linked to Powells.com so that you can purchase it if you're interested.

Coaching Yourself

Creating Your Future by Dave Ellis

Dave Ellis is the first coach I ever met. A friend, one of his clients, invited me to a workshop he was doing while he was here in Seattle during the book tour for this book. His approach is a nice combination of the practical and more ethereal or spiritual. For example, rather than urging you to "just trust the universe," he instead suggests in one place that you write down your goals for yourself (and for others!) and just set them aside for a couple of months and wait to be surprised by how many come to pass.

Beyond this friendly, encouraging, and laid-back tone, the book as a whole describes a system for achieving your goals, which are described in five "steps": Commit to the process; Create goals; Construct a comprehensive plan; Carry out the goals; and Celebrate each achievement. Each step is broken down into easy-to-do exercises and processes that are flexible and powerful.

And even better than doing it alone, have a regular "Creating Your Future" group! I did this for a couple of years and made amazing progress in that time. We met some time near the change of the season and shared our goals, successes, challenges, brainstormed solutions, and did more goal-creating and vision-clarifying exercises from the book. Great stuff! Reviewed by Michael J. Coffey

Wishcraft by Barbara Sher

Live the Life You Love by Barbara Sher

The Portable Coach by Thomas Leonard

Take Time for Your Life by Cheryl Richardson

Communications

Nonviolent Communication by Marshall Rosenberg

This book is one of the three I would encourage everyone to read. Nonviolent Communication, also known as Compassionate Communication, or just NVC, is a way of communicating that allows people to connect on a deeper level more quickly. As the Sufi poet Rumi once wrote, "Out beyond the ideas of right and wrong there is a field. I'll meet you there." NVC is the process that can help you find that field.

The basic concepts covered in the book include differentiating observation from evaluation, distinguishing emotions from interpretations (for example, "lonely" vs. "abandoned"), being clear about what basic and universal human needs are being met-or are left unmet-in the current situation, and the difference between a present request and a demand.

Rosenberg combines these ideas to show how you can more easily empathize with someone, give yourself "emergency self-empathy" in difficult situations, or diffuse potentially explosive situations by connecting with the other person or people involved on a basic, feelings-and-needs level. I use the things I've learned from this book (and the occasional workshop when Marshall Rosenberg is in town) almost every day. It has improved my coaching skills, and the perspectives and ideas in the book have been helpful to many of my clients as well! Reviewed by Micheal j. Coffey

Creativity and Thinking

Conceptual Blockbusting by James Adams

Six Thinking Hats by Edward de Bono

Dealing with Negatives

Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers

I LOVED this book! Reading it and keeping an open mind has helped me make major changes in my life and they are all for the better. Susan Jeffers' insights into the human mind and heart strike me as accurate and compassionate.

The exercises in Feel The Fear And Do It Anyway seem as if they were designed with personal coaching in mind! They are versatile, heart-centered, and effectively designed to motivate and guide people into a new way of looking at their world. I use many of them with clients as well as continuing to keep them as part of my daily routine. I highly recommend this book to every one of my clients and friends. It's a wonderful example of what a self-help book should be--helpful! Reviewed by Kendra Fujiwara

Taming Your Gremlin: A Guide to Enjoying Yourself by Richard Carson

The "gremlin" is referred to by several coach training schools, and it all comes from this book. A fun read, Taming Your Gremlin is best described by its subtitle: A Guide to Enjoying Yourself. In an almost deceptively simple way, Carson covers all the basics of enjoying yourself. He begins by talking about what the book is and what it isn't, what you are ("...a pure life force... not limited to your concepts and ideas about who you are") and what you aren't ("...your body, your feelings, your thoughts, your personality...").

Then he launches into the gremlin bits. He describes what your gremlin is and what it does, different types of gremlins-including "Big Ugly," "The Reverend" and "The General" -and then spends some time on how to raise your awareness of your particular gremlin's strategies. The book concludes with sections about being at choice and staying in the process, and doing the "Pleasant Person Act." One of my favorite suggestions from these sections is transitioning out of gremlin-induced "I can't" to a powerful choice in a four step process: "I can't do X" becomes "I choose not to do X which turns into "Until NOW I haven't chosen to do X" and finally to "I am now choosing to do X."

The simple ideas presented in Taming Your Gremlin are a great addition to a coaching practice, or applied to your own life. And, to leave you with one more quote, "I hope that you will not try to figure out the gist of what I am saying, for both 'trying' and 'figuring out' are a waste of time. To try and/or figure out is to invite your gremlin into our relationship. ...Instead... simply relax and breathe comfortably..." Reviewed by Michael J. Coffey

General Coaching Skills

Co-Active Coaching by Laura Whitworth, et al.

Co-Active coaching should be required reading for every person who calls him or herself a coach. It is definitely on its way to becoming a timeless classic. Anytime I feel my coaching is in a slump, I pick up this book and read a chapter or two. Not only does it re-ignite my passion and energize me, it also gives me something new with every reading.

Through the use of story telling, sample dialogue, exercises, tips, and, of course, questions, Whitworth et al have managed to encapsulate the idealized coaching experience. I have found the coach's toolkit contained in the back of the book to be immensely valuable to my coaching practice. It contains forms, checklists, exercises, and resources useful to any coach. If you don't already have this book in your library, you should. Reviewed by Kendra Fujiwara

Coaching for Commitment by Dennis Kinlaw

Coaching: Evoking Excellence in Others by James Flaherty

Marketing and Business

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting a Home-Based Buisness by Barbra Weltman

This book is definitely for you if coaching is your first venture into being self-employed with a home-based business. Before reading this book, I couldn't have told you the difference between Inc., LLC, and LLP. I had no concept of expenses, deductions, and write-offs.

To be honest, I'm still a little shaky on these terms, but at least I know what to pay attention to and can conduct intelligent conversations with my accountant.

The wealth of information provided by Ms. Weltman is staggering. It would be completely overwhelming to me if not for the beloved and recognizable format of "The Complete Idiot's Guide To" . . . series. I had many of my questions answered upon casually flipping through this book and many more upon a closer inspection of various sections. Go to the library and do your own flip through. If it doesn't tell you anything you don't already know then place it back on the shelf. However, if you find yourself looking for a pen and paper to start taking notes, buy this book immediately! Reviewed by Kendra Fujiwara

Get Clients Now! by C.J. Hayden

Are you new to marketing? Me too! I really had NO idea how to go about finding clients or getting referrals. Get Clients Now! was referred to me by several coaches before I finally saw it on Michael's book shelf and asked to borrow it. I got tremendous use out of the book and when I realized I was contemplating keeping it and giving Michael an innocent, "are you sure? I thought I returned that." when he finally asked about it, I decided to purchase it from Amazon. I have never regretted that decision.

CJ Hayden does an excellent job of breaking the marketing process down into manageable chunks. She provides a framework that you then customize to best fit your own needs. This book is written with the service based professional and consultant in mind.

Most helpful to me are her categorization and description of dozens of different marketing tactics and methods. If you get nothing else from this book you will at least know the difference between and the importance of filling the pipeline and closing the sale. Reviewed by Kendra Fujiwara

Marketing with Speeches and Seminars by Miriam Otte

What an amazingly helpful resource! If you have ever thought about or are currently in the process of using public speaking as a way to market yourself, you must read this book. Ms. Otte has written a comprehensive and user-friendly reference guide for the small business owner delving into public speaking. I especially found this helpful as a sole-proprietor with a service based business.

This book starts with how to find audiences and ends with a bonus chapter on how you can turn speaking into an additional profit center. Along the way you will receive guidance on everything from how to create a speech or seminar to turning your audience into potential clients. Ms. Otte speaks from personal experience and keeps the tone light and fun. She is also generous in sharing her resources and formulas.

I have personally used the book to create 3 workshops and one key-note speech with great success. Check it out! Reviewed by Kendra Fujiwara

Selling with Integrity by Sharon Drew Morgen

Growing a Business by Paul Hawken

Strategies for Common Coaching Topics

Your Money or Your Life by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin

What Color Is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles

The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs

Vision and Passion

Do What You Love, the Money Will Follow by Marsha Sinetar

I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was by Barbara Sher

Live the Life You Love by Barbara Sher

Other Books of Interest to Coaches

The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge

Michael recommended this book to me. After reading the introduction, I realized that the principles behind systems thinking are applicable in our personal as well as our professional lives. Understanding and recognizing systems is the first step in learning how to influence them. As a coach, I am dedicated to empowering people to take charge of their lives and supporting them as they implement effective change on a personal and global level.

The Fifth Discipline inspired me to change my thinking regarding the underlying systems in my own life. Not only is this shift helping me achieve permanent change, it is showing up in my coaching. I feel I am more sensitive to recurring patterns in my clients' lives and I am more apt to point them out and facilitate long-term solutions, as opposed to "quick fixes". This book has strengthened my ability to coach clients as they implement changes in their own lives. Reviewed by Kendra Fujiwara

Please Understand Me by David Keirsey and Marilyn Bates

The Cultural Creatives by Paul Ray and Sherry Ruth Anderson

The Man Who Listens to Horses by Monty Roberts

Have you read The Horse Whisper or seen the Robert Redford film based on the book? Monty Roberts is the original horse whisper. Mr. Roberts discovered through his observations of wild horses that effective communication is much more than just getting his own needs met. In order to really communicate with and train horses he first learned their language. He is now able to connect on a much deeper level with horses than many "experts" ever thought possible. This connection is based on love, respect, and honesty--he asks the horses' permission and invites them to partner with him.

Roberts does not limit himself to horses. He has taken children and adults who come from abusive and neglected backgrounds and invited them to trust, respect, and love themselves and others. Much like a personal coach, Monty Roberts encourages not only people, but also animals to reach their full potential by allowing them to be while providing guidance, love, and respect. After reading this book, you are guaranteed to be a better coach. Reviewed by Kendra Fujiwara