I recently attended a presentation given by another executive coach and gleaned two interesting observations. See what you learn from this. Question to the audience: How many of you have worked with an executive coach? Out of 40 plus attendees only two hands raised, mine and one other. The presentation proceeded focusing on the topic of life and balance. Then the next question came: Think about a time recently when you have felt powerful. A …
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 …
When did work become a four-letter word? Always. It literally consists of four letters. Figuratively speaking, even back to its earliest roots, work has more of a negative than positive connotation. Is work a four-letter word to you? It does not have to be. I won’t be changing the spelling but read on to see how you can change your perception of work. From the first use of the word, work has been synonymous with …
19 years without a major win. 19 years of finishing in second place or worse when it comes to the big matches. 19 years, but who is counting? Would you stop counting? Or would that number loom large in your head as you faced yet another challenge in your professional career? Almost two decades is a long time even in our ever-increasing lifespan. Assume a life span of 100 years and it is one-fifth of …
What if you could get a grasp on this slippery nebulous topic of time management? How would your days, weeks and life look and function differently? If only…if only you had a trick or magic wand. If only… Instead of a trick or magic wand, how about a tool to help you identify the areas of time management that are holding you back? Yes, there is a tool that can help you do just that. …
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 question, ‘Is it nature or nurture?’ often comes up in the workshops I lead and in one-on-one coaching with clients. Once someone has identified their natural talents and can see the role they have played in their life, they become more and more curious. How much of what I do today and how I view the world was determined before birth? How much was developed by the environment in which I lived? Research doesn’t …
Every single one of us is talented. Natural talent exists in us from the moment we are born. For some, talents present early and for others talents lie latent awaiting an experience that demonstrates their existence. Either way, the existence of talent does not mean we are or will use it. Here is how we limit the power of our natural talents and what we can do about it. Dismissal of talent – occurs when …
Early on in my blogs I shared this story… Usache (my horse) and I began showing competitively in early 2008. For the first few shows we (okay, me) were thrilled just to be there. After our third outing came the wake-up call. We had an okay showing but it was obvious there were some skills yet to be learned by me and some teambuilding for the two of us. Usually the Sunday night after a …
Curious to know more about the book that ranked #2 on the Wall Street Journal best seller list behind StrengthsFinder 2.0, I downloaded The Energy Bus on Audible. Less than a week later I was ordering multiple hardback copies as holiday gifts. What inspired and excited me about this book to want to share it with others? Why do I recommend this great little book? Because it visualizes possibility and potential and makes it accessible …
“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 …
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 …
Headed for the Big Leagues! Addressing the maintenance issues in our lives frees us up to move to the big leagues, to tackle the real issues that get in our way. No longer majoring in minors, we can focus on areas that have the greatest impact on our future. Let’s get a few things clear before we tackle these bigger issues. If you are not sure what the minors are, those basic maintenance items that …
Are you majoring in minors? We all have them; those things we aren’t so great at. Often referred to as weaknesses, they can keep us from getting what we want, performing as expected or showing up as we would like. They get in our way or in the way of others. But do you own your weaknesses? Or do they own you? Are they a major or minor part of your life? Consider the commonly …
Seeking to understand one’s place in life is a noble endeavor. Yet it is not a project to be defined by action plans and steps. It comes from focused effort yet is not the direct product. Let me explain. Many of us desire to understand our purpose in life or a stage of our life. What is the meaning of what we do? What does it matter in the end? Stepping away from our daily …
Stepping into a new leadership role can be overwhelming. There is the excitement of the new opportunity, the chance to prove yourself and a bit (or more) apprehension of your ability to do so. The combination of adrenaline and fear can be deadly or powerful. Which will it be for you? Reading this you are taking the first step, and that is acknowledging that the promotion or new role is not the place to celebrate. …