In a recent coaching conversation with a client, my client envisioned a bold, exciting and ambitious vision for her career over the next 5 years. When asked, how she could move toward her career ambitions, one idea she had was to “find a mentor”. As we further explored this idea, my client realized that there…
I first heard David Whyte recite his astounding poetry at a conference almost 20 years ago. He has since gone on take his perspectives and poetry into the field of organizational development where he has worked with many US and international companies. Just a few years ago, a colleague of mine gave me the following…
Do you ever talk to yourself? It’s not out loud but the voice in your head that never seems to want to shut up. Occasionally, it is accurately a voice of warning. It could be a voice of encouragement. But more often than not, it’s a critical voice that causes anxiety and worry. It may…
The Johari Window is a useful model about communication, originally named after its inventors Joseph Luft and Harry Ingham. Though this model has been around since 1955, it still has relevancy to help us understand human communication and build deeper relationships. It graphically divides interpersonal communication into 4 quadrants: Open SelfInformation about yourself that…
To be a good coach to others, it is necessary to be extremely coachable yourself. Many managers or leaders think they are “coachable” when in reality they are not. Rate yourself as “extremely coachable” if you can give yourself a 10 (with 10 being the best in a 1-10 scale) on the following attributes: How…
I have coached many individuals to work on becoming “Strategic Thinkers” versus being stuck in the details. Paul Schoemaker, founder of Decision Strategies Internationa,l has written a concise 6 point article which highlights the 6 things that strategic thinkers do really well. They are: Anticipate Think critically Interpret Decide Align Learn Follow this link for…
Many years ago, I took a course through The Hudson Institute in Santa Barbara called “Life Launch” and have often recommended the “Creating Your Lifeline” activity we did in this course to some of my clients. You are your “story”. Each of us lives within a dramatic pattern that reveals who we are. Your “story”…
How well do you know how you are perceived as a manager and/or a leader? You might think you are doing well as a manager or leader but all of us have “blind spots” about our behavior and its impact on others. Especially in these challenging economic times, while you are doing more with less…
If you’re like most family owned businesses, this is likely one of the toughest economic climates your business has ever faced. You may have less business these days; the business you do have probably was more competitive to get and there may be less profit in it. With layoffs and a slimmed down staff, you…
Charles Garfield penned a book in 1987 called Peak Performers: The New Heroes of American Business. He spent 20 years studying “peak performers” and ascertaining what made them so. His conclusion is that “Peak performers are not born – they are made”. One of my favorite stories from this book, that I have referred to…