Join the Coaching Wisdom Circle

This fresh, interactive approach is designed to continue to build your coaching skills through the exploration of Core Competencies identified by the International Coach Federation (ICF).  You’ll leave this session with a deeper understanding of the competency and tools that you can put into practice right away.

Dialogue for the evening will focus on Active Listening. Gregory Owens, a graduate of the Community Foundation’s Community Coaches program, will facilitate this dynamic process.

Enjoy sharing and hearing the wisdom of your peers to expand your skills. You are in for a dynamic, educational and fun evening with your colleagues.

Communicating Effectively - Active Listening is defined by the ICF as: 

Ability to focus completely on what the client is saying and is not saying, to understand the meaning of what is said in the context of the client's desires, and to support client self-expression. 

1. Attends to the client and the client's agenda and not to the coach's agenda for the client.
2. Hears the client's concerns, goals, values and beliefs about what is and is not possible. 
3. Distinguishes between the words, the tone of voice, and the body language. 
4. Summarizes, paraphrases, reiterates, and mirrors back what client has said to ensure clarity and understanding. 
5. Encourages, accepts, explores and reinforces the client's expression of feelings, perceptions, concerns, beliefs, suggestions, etc. 
6. Integrates and builds on client's ideas and suggestions. 
7. "Bottom-lines" or understands the essence of the client's communication and helps the client get there rather than engaging in long, descriptive stories. 
8. Allows the client to vent or "clear" the situation without judgment or attachment in order to move on to next steps.

We are hosting Wisdom Circles to support our local coaching community’s furtherdevelopment of ICF Core Competencies, which are the fundamentals for high quality professional coaching. Core Competencies identified by the ICF help define our accountability and responsibility as a coach. 

 This session has been approved by ICF for 1 CCE for Core Competency.

Gregory Owens is a graduate of the Community Foundation’s Community Coaches program and provides pro-bono management consulting services to youth serving non profits in Jacksonville, Florida. Recently, Mr. Owens received his professional coaching certification from Goal Imagery Institute for the following areas: holistic, career, leadership, and executive coaching. 

Mr. Owens is a Customer Contact Center manager for JEA, a municipal utility in Jacksonville, Florida. JEA is one of the nation’s largest municipal utility system providing electric, water and wastewater services to nearly one million customers in NE Florida. Gregory joined JEA in 2003 following an 11 year career with the City of Jacksonville. His responsibilities include leading a team of customer care employees to provide quality customer service utilizing industry best practices in customer satisfaction.

Mr. Owens has over 30 years of experience in government and the non-profit sectors serving in various executive and management roles. 

Formerly served as founding president and CEO of City Kids Art Factory, Inc.; co-founder and executive committee member, Jacksonville Community Engagement Group; founding member, trustee, and co-chairman, Eartha M. M. White Legacy Fund Advisory Board; and founding member and former treasurer, board of directors, Profectus Learning Systems, Inc.

Mr. Owens earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Maryland and has completed extensive post graduate work in Urban and Regional Planning at the University of the District of Columbia. Mr. Owens is also recognized as a Certified Six Sigma Green Belt by JEA; a certified Grants Consultant and Specialist by the National Grant Writers Association.

Mr. Owens is a graduate of the Community Foundation’s Community Coaches program and provides pro-bono management consulting services to youth serving non profits in Jacksonville, Florida. Recently, Mr. Owens received his professional coaching certification from Goal Imagery Institute for the following areas: holistic, career, leadership, and executive coaching.