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The International Coach Federation (ICF)

 

I became aware of the work of Terrance Barkan CAE and GLOBALSTRAT through ASAE and learned about the quality work and thought leadership that they offered. 

The growth of the International Coach Federation (ICF) had been significant for many years but we had a problem focusing our efforts for the best long-term outcomes. As always, the opinions within leadership were plentiful and the possible directions that were considered were rather diverse. Our Board of Directors was certain that it was the time to engage a knowledgeable, experienced and unbiased party to help us to develop a plan.

GLOBALSTRAT was one of the several groups responding to our request. Based on the thoroughness of that proposal and a deep understanding of the issues we were facing, it was clear that they were the right partner in this endeavor.

Terrance and his team conducted a lot of research independently of the information we provided them. They were very attentive to the needs and desires of the staff and the Board for information, input or explanation. The plan they designed for us was very comprehensive and provided us with a detailed and specific roadmap on how to continue our growth globally. 

The plan called for some strong positions and necessary actions that by some may have been considered unpopular. GLOBALSTRAT was persistent. They used sound logic and business reasoning to support their recommendations. As a result, they managed to convince  the Board to pursue the plan. 

We are glad they did – three years later we are still observing an unprecedented growth worldwide, our retention rates continue to increase, even with an increase in membership dues, and the sharper focus of the organization seems to be attracting more professional and seasoned coaches as members.

GLOBALSTRAT, with their experience, expertise, industry insights and a track record of always staying current in the affairs of global associations is a proven resource for anybody who plans to grow internationally or for those that want to strengthen their international presence.

 

 


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What It Takes to Go Global 

Authors for the the Harvard Business Review (HBR) Douglas Quackenbos, Richard Ettenson, Martin S. Roth and Seigyoung Auh recently published an article about which internal traits firms and managers share that allow them to successfully exploit international markets.

 

According to the authors, successful companies; 

Prioritize global business expansion by:
  • Reviewing international initiatives at all major internal meetings
  • Assuring that global managers and leaders have titles conveying the roles’ significance
  • Cross-pollinating HQ and international leadership
Assure the firm has the right knowledge and skills by:
  • Aggressively training staff
  • Hiring required external skill sets
  • Blending internal company experts with the international team
 They align scale and scope of the overseas opportunity with the firm’s goals and capabilities by:
  • Making sure all stakeholders understand international opportunities often differ in size from markets in the current portfolio
  • Ensuring internal awareness of objectives and pilots
  • Adjusting the geographic footprint of the initiative to ensure internal significance or avoid overwhelming the organization
 They adapt the firm’s marketing policies and practices to the opportunity by:
  • Educating HQ on prevailing target-market standards
  • Training and sensitizing stakeholders on cultural differences
  • Proving the “business case” for the initiative despite different overseas standards and practices
They assure that the firm’s legal and ethical practices allow for overseas flexibility while maintaining corporate compliance by:
  • Benchmarking competitive practices in country to ensure willingness to compete
  • Encouraging open discussion of potential knowable issues
  • Clarifying objectives and “deal breakers” before entry
They reinforce a corporate culture that tolerates some financial ambiguity and market uncertainty by:
  • Considering strategic objectives versus only financial ones
  • Recognizing that market success may only have a modest impact on the overall business
  • Remembering that deviations from forecasts are to be expected when navigating unfamiliar territory
 They assure the firm is committed to global initiatives even in the face of setbacks by:
  • Clearly and consistently communicating commitment to the international strategy
  • Publicly reinforcing stated goals
  • Avoiding “public punishment” of players in failed initiatives

The findings of the researchers in the corporate world provide insights and parallels that can easily be applied to trade and professional associations.

It reinforces what our own research has shon use for more than 20 years; organizations that have a well developed international strategy and that implement that strategy consistently outperform organizations that do not.  

Interested? 

Take the Global Griowth Trends survey and we will send you a full report that you can then use to benchmark your organization.