Act! Act now! Act on the information you’ve received. Asking for feedback requires action, particularly when asked of employees. Consider a few situations. If asking has determined that someone on the bus is not a fit, act now. Moving quickly can preserve the culture and morale of the team. It also increases trust, one of the four attributes of great leadership. It may be hard to believe but relieving the team of a bad fit …
“You mean I need to say it again?” Yes. “Even though we just had our weekly meeting?” Yes. What is so important that I had a client repeat it again and again? In this case, it was the company’s vision. It could also be the mission statement or the firm’s values. It may be a reminder of this quarter’s goals. As mentioned previously, communication is the most common failing in an organization larger than one. …
Now that vision is out of your head and onto paper or its technological equivalent, what do you do with it? That grand exercise you undertook has yielded fruit and your excitement is palpable. Purpose and mission as well as action steps are the obvious next place to go. But let’s keep this at the 30,000 foot level and recognize the importance and power the vision statement brings. For a solo-prenuer, the next step is …
Waa-waa. Waa waa-waa waa waa. Sound familiar? Perhaps like the teacher or the parents in the Charlie Brown features? Or did you say your significant other? Each one of us has surely thought this at one time or another when someone was speaking. Is this what is being heard in your team meetings and other company communications? How can the vision for the organization be shared if this is all that is heard? There are …
Did you start your business with a fully formed vision of what you wanted it to be? Most of us don’t. Circumstances such as a loss of a job, relocation or dissatisfaction with a previous position cause us to just take action and launch. Our focus is on “doing” our business, and getting it off the ground rather than what we want the business to “be”. Ready, fire, and then aim (maybe!). The vision (aim) …
The Gift of Listening addressed the importance of quieting your mind and giving your full attention to the person speaking, listening to the words, and also hearing what is not said. Listening involves more than just letting the voice hit your ears. It is providing a safe place for someone to truly share. Lack of communication is one of the most common challenges I hear in my work with teams. While there might be complaints …
Are you at a point where you have done and tried everything you know to move the needle on your personal and professional goals? Do you feel that as a capable business person, you SHOULD be able to make this happen? The glut of information on the Internet contributes to this feeling of “should.” With information so freely available you SHOULD be able to figure this out, right? Just because you are a capable business …
How do you find that greater purpose with your work? Does it require a retreat into the woods for some navel gazing? Does it just appear like a vision? Is there a course you can take? Sounds like a daunting task with few guidelines to help you get there, doesn’t it? Let me offer a hands-on, action-focused way to get you there. As a college student I could not wait to graduate and get to …
What would your life look like if you took control of it? Imagine your perfect day at work and sketch it on a piece of paper. How would the day start and how would it be structured? Would there be specific times for meetings and other times for executing? Where does professional development fit in? Can you see that some days or part of days may need to be focused on specific tasks and goals? …
As big as the concept of time is, there are just as many underlying issues, remedies and strategies to help you control it. Instead of the continual ticking of the clock, what if we approached our days with the idea of rhythm? A piece of music has harmony and melody and we use a metronome to keep us in rhythm. A horse also moves in rhythm and we use a metronome to measure the rhythm …
The most valuable asset of any organization is not reflected on the balance sheet. It is not fully insurable and at times can be hard to replace. This asset can also represent one of the biggest risks to a firm. It can result in lost revenue and clients and increased expenses. It can personally drain you of income and of energy. Challenging and time consuming and not why you created a business, your team is …
“Begin with the end in mind” is a well-known Stephen Covey quote you want to keep in mind when hiring a coach. Does that surprise you, coming from a coach? How will you know when it is time to move forward from a coaching relationship? How long is a coaching relationship and does it have to end? As referenced in How to be a Great Client and the e-book What to Consider When Hiring A …
Just as there are questions to be asked of a coach in the hiring process, there are also questions a professional coach will consider when deciding to take on a client. Do you have the potential to be a great client? Here is what you need to know about how you will be evaluated. 1. Why Why do you seek the services of a coach? You may be crystal-clear that “in order to grow your …
New Year, new goals, new dreams. Or is it that you are simply determined that this year the goals and dreams from last year will become reality? We all get stuck. Whether it is a lack of knowledge about what we are trying to accomplish or a naiveté around the size, complexity and grit required to make it happen. Life also gets in the way. Family changes, health issues and business adjustments can shift our …
How do you find the right coach for you? Considering that you have: identified the type of challenge you are trying to solve, determined that you are ready for outside input, change, and forward movement, narrowed the field to professionally trained coaches – Start here Now it is about fit. Here are some things you will want to consider. Is it important that the coach have experience in your field or industry? There is not …
Specialization is essential in our wired world today. We “google” to discover if something exists and to remember those facts that escape our memory. Searching for a coach can be accomplished in the same way. But googling leaves us at the mercy of search algorithms, paid advertising and word confusion. Did you want a sports coach, a financial coach, a coach for weight loss, a coach for personal and professional growth or a Coach handbag? …
A professional coach is more than just a description on a business card. For those who have invested in the process it represents a reputation and a set of standards that clients can expect. Not everyone who claims the moniker of coach will go through the process to earn a credential. As a consumer, you should know what to expect. With or without the credential, here are the standards and where the bar has been …
As I sat across the desk from a new acquaintance, he shared that he meets coaches all the time in his networking activities. As I sat across the table from a prospective client, she shared that their firm had worked with coaches for several years and appreciated the value they brought to the employees. As we sat in the coffee shop, he shared that he had a coach previously, a mentor that had helped him …
How I came to work with a coach is how it happens for many people, IF they feel comfortable asking. Sharing with a friend, colleague or perhaps a boss that you would like some support around life or business decisions takes trust in the other person and guts on your part. Eight years after my initial search, coaching has continued to grow as a profession and more and more people are at least familiar with …
You’ve come to a point where you are just simply stuck. Things aren’t working for you and a vague sense of dissatisfaction creeps in during those few quiet moments when you have time to reflect. Too big and nebulous of an issue to deal with, you change the subject in your head and move on. This is exactly where I was in early 2008, happy and successful in my career until I said out loud …