On GCC and its

Dialogue Philosophy

GCC – the Global Community of Coaching, has developed and evolved since 2007 as a practitioner driven Dialogue about the situation of coaching around the world. This Dialogue relates to the impact, needs, value, perspectives, objectives, and inspirations of, and for coaching. The Dialogue has emerged on coaching’s relationship with other disciplines and its boundaries and common threads, in short, about those aspects which might help to create a common understanding of what coaching can become as an established process with aspects of a profession that distinguish it from what would normally be associated with the typical shadow aspects of ‘profession’. This Dialogue had its first outcome and expression through the Dublin Declaration on Coaching and its annexes in 2008, and has moved forward through different initiatives and meetings in different cities, having its second Global expression at the Rainbow Convention in Capetown in May 2011. What emerged from this Capetown Dialogue was a decision to convene in Singapore in 2014 and we defined the purpose to generate 360 dialogues all over the world in physical meetings , joining each other over the GCC ning community platform (http://gccweb.ning.com).

 These Dialogue circles are meant to generate ‘true’ dialogue in the deep understanding that dialogue is not ‘talking and exchanging’, rather it is not ‘giving and receiving established theories and practices’ ; the dialogue is a collaboration towards possible new approaches and shared visions. The root of the word Dialogue is Dia-logos, ‘making meaning together’, and is the emergence of new inspirations and perspectives out of the exchange of people committed to listening, thinking, feeling, sensing and guessing together by capturing the essential outcomes to further build on them. It is an exploration for common understanding.  Practicing Dialogue is the core essence and sense of community, lacking as it does any intention to prevail in opinion. It is a commitment to explore the outcomes which sets the stage for information and knowledge exchange which can be captured by the group only as a starting point for Dialogue.  Therefore, Dialogue theorists of diverse origin recommend following the ageless humankind ritual of meeting in circles without any objects inside to interrupt the flow Once a Dialogue emergent is agreed on, there may be time to debate and discuss, expressing beliefs and positions, which may help in shaping the ideas that will be shared with the worldwide community at large. We kindly encourage us all to try and experience this approach thus keeping and promoting the spirit of GCC as the space where Coaching stakeholders of the world can create its own future by nurturing boards and institutions all over in understanding, designing and experiencing Coaching for the good of everyone involved.

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Dialogue Circle

PhilosophyThe BIG idea that came from the GCC Rainbow Convention in

Cape Town in 2011 was to organise 360 Dialogues between

now and 2014 when we will all gather again in Singapore,

hosted by Dennis Tay and

See Luan Foo. So what is a GCC Dialogue Circle?

A GCC Dialogue Circle is a group of 8-10 qualified coaches

who get together as many times as they can between now

the

Singapore 360 Convention in 2014. They meet for a few

hours each time and Dialogue about what is important to

them as coaches.

At the end of the Dialogue Circle, one of the members will

spend some time reflecting and there & then, produce a 300

– 500 word note which captures the essence of the Dialogue.

The note is read out at the end of the Circle and anyone in

the circle can suggest changes to the note and everyone

must agree that this was the essence of the Dialogue. The

essence note is not a minute of the Dialogue – minutes can

be recorded separately.

Once agreed, someone from the Dialogue Circle types up the

essence note and posts it to the group that they have

established on the GCC Ning platform (

http://gccweb.ning.com).

Once the essence note is posted, the essence note will be

added to all other essence notes and they will be analysed

for theme and narrative among all the Dialogues that have

been held. With this volume of themed data, it is expected

that we will be able to produce a ‘Book of GCC Dialogue’ and

use this as a source for the next level of Dialogue in

Singapore 360 in 2014.

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Dialogue Circle

PhilosophyA FEW PRINCIPLES OF GCC DIALOGUE

GCC Dialogue is based loosely on the work of David Bohm

(1917 -1992).

It is not discussion or debate and it is not conversation.

‘DIALOGUE’ comes from DIA (through) and LOGOS (the

word). It means to understand the meaning behind the word,

it means that something new must emerge from the process

and not just the communication of opinions or views.

GCC Dialogue is a flow which needs head, heart, gut and

shadow to be present in their full quantity. It slows down our

process of thought to unfold end enfold what is in the

collective unconscious. It is an engagement with chaos

(which is order of a higher nature). It is a process of creation

that creates the environment to think thoughts that have

never been thought before.

It needs servant leadership, courage, awareness and the will

to unlearn and learn at the same time. It uses multiple

intelligences coming from love, alertness, sensitivity and

maturity. Everyone takes a servant leadership role. There is

no facilitator.

Observe a three second rule. When people have spoken –

allow three seconds for it to settle before the next person

speaks. Suspend assumptions and judgments. Listen deeply

to what is being said and to what is not being said. Release

yourself from the tyranny of your own limited thinking and

creatively welcome in the whole thinking of the group and of

all the societies that make up that group. Value your

ignorance – express your frustrations and emotions. Get to

the source of the thought and let the truth find you – not the

other way around.

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Dialogue Circle

PhilosophyA FEW PRINCIPLES OF GCC DIALOGUE

Own your own position and do not force it on others. Do not

try to convict or to persuade. Keep all the questions open

and curious. Take personal responsibility for yourself and

partake in the truth that emerges rather than insisting on

getting your own truth validated by the other members of

the group.

Suspend all you thought you knew and open yourself up to a

fresh thought in the group at that moment. Release yourself

from the pressure that sits behind your assumptions. A GCC

Dialogue group is like a sand painting on a beach – it is

beautiful and then the tide washes it away leaving only its

essence which will be captured in the essence note.

Slow down your thoughts, do not walk away when you are

frustrated, stay in awareness and postpone your

gratification to get a result from the Dialogue. The Dialogue

IS the result. Accept the paradox of task and process, be

serious about saying what your really feel and think. Be as

comfortable as you can with the erratic nature of Dialogue.

Accept the power of collective thought and collective

reflection. Welcome the diverse view that says no and that

does not know as much as you do. They bring moments of

clarity, grace and truth.

Above all, notice what is incoherent and try to find the

coherence through shared meaning. Accept reality as a

collection of concepts and memories and be prepared to

create a new reality. Allow consciousness to reveal itself in

your Dialogue group. Find the deeper purpose of your

Dialogue. Dance with the unknown, a higher form of cosmic

intelligence and when you have danced, share the essence

of the dance with the rest of your Global Coaching

Community.

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Dialogue Circle

PhilosophyHOW TO SET UP A DIALOGUE GROUP ON GCC NING

Go to http://gccweb.ning.com

If you are not a member, please sign up. If you are a

member, sign in.

Go to GCC GROUPS which is located on the top menu bar

Click + GROUP – Complete the data capture form

Choose the features you want and CLICK ADD GROUP

Invite members by email by adding their email addresses

and CLICK SEND INVITATIONS

THAT’s IT !!! Your group will now appear on the main page

on the lesft hand side under GROUPS.

When you want to add content, Go to the Group and you can

invite more people, add discussions, add comments, add

pages, add photos and video. From this location, you can

email everyone in the group at the same time.

ADDING AN ESSENCE NOTE TO A GROUP

Go into your Group. CLICK ADD DISCUSSION.

Give the discussion a title which dates and located your

group.

Give the Dialogue a reference number e.g. Dialogue 1

If you want, you can add pdf’s and other files to the

discussion

Type the essence note into the discussion box and click ADD

DISCUSSION

THAT’s IT !!

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