For the last 23 years I’ve been working with coaching clients who want to improve executive function skills. What are executive function skills, you ask? Here’s a list from the Guare & Dawson Model. Metacognition — Being able to observe yourself and be aware of your own thinking. Build self-monitoring and self-evaluation skills. Planning/Prioritizing — Create, then …
The next time an “I’m not good enough” kind of thought pops up, here’s an experiment to try. The thought often comes out of nowhere making you feel anywhere from mildly dejected to certain your existence is worthless. The thought has popped up before, perhaps several times for varying reasons. It attacks your self-esteem in …
The Question to Ask When You’re Doubting Yourself Read More »
You may have heard the “big” news. Marie Kondo, the author of the Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, has decided she’s given up trying to keep things so tidy. It’s true. The lady who “could not suppress a gasp” when she saw a client’s socks rolled into balls for storage, now says that with …
How To Know What Advice You Should Kick to the Curb Read More »
Have a reason to want coaching It can be that you simply don’t like something the way it is and can’t seem to change it. Thinking it through it by yourself has you going in circles. You’re smart enough to figure it out, but you still can’t. You’re stuck and want to be unstuck. With …
I’m frequently asked, “What kinds of things can you help me with?” It would make answering easier if I were a different kind of coach. If I was a sales coach I could say I help you close more sales. But as a business/executive/worklife coach there’s a broad range of needs that have inspired clients …
Am delighted to have been interviewed about my business for GoSolo! Starting and running a business alone isn’t for the fearful. Must be ready to learn constantly and be ok with making mistakes until you get it right. Surrounding yourself with the right people is hugely important, too.
Here’s a quick story about a nice exchange that went off the rails. Not way off, but enough off that it mattered, Sharing opinions can get you into trouble. Answer these three questions before deciding whether to speak up, or shut up.
You may remember the President’s Physical Fitness Test. A couple of times a year school-age kids were required to participate in specific exercise challenges to determine a level of fitness. Some kids were great at it. Other kids, like me, were scarred for years, even decades, from the torturous experience. Sounds like an overreaction doesn’t it?
A Harvard study resulted in the finding that humans are thinking about the past or the future – meaning not in the present -an eye-popping 47% of the time.
If a person sleeps seven hours a night, that leaves 17 remaining hours. Fully eight of those are spent not being in the present.
In a conversation, misunderstanding and disagreements can happen before both people have even had a chance to speak.
It happens because we’re smart and thinking ahead. We interpret what the person has said to have a deeper meaning that the words that were uttered.
Business is personal – which was the original premise of LinkedIn.
When LinkedIn first came to be it was a platform to list and stay connected with the businesspeople you know, like and trust. If someone else you knew wanted to meet someone on your list, they could reach out to you to request a warm introduction. A lovely, civil and genuine way to build relationships.
Setting work boundaries is a challenge. Not because you don’t want them, but because you may only realize one’s been crossed when you’re massively annoyed. Then in hindsight you can see what happened. Here are seven ways to set work boundaries and avoid frustration
Have you ever received an email or had a conversation where what the other person was saying to you had you scratching your head thinking, “How in the world did they get that impression from me?!” Assumptions can be troublesome.
The experiences people are having amidst this pandemic are all over the map. People who are sick or healthy, have jobs or are unemployed, are navigating having children at home or not, are busier than ideal or have a little more time on their hands, are climbing the walls of isolation or kind of enjoy the chance to disconnect a bit more. This post is for those people who have a bit more time on their hands than usual. If this is you, read a little more.
The older I get the less tolerant I am of pretenders, poseurs and masters of hype. Having been in this business for two decades, I’ve seen a lot of it. Because the truth isn’t impressive or sexy enough people claim…
For voracious reader and those dedicated to perspnal and professional development, here are a dozen books worth your dollars and attention.
Here are some basic tips for leading your team remotely. What you need to take from here will depend largely on how you operated when you were working alongside one another. The idea is to maintain mental collaboration while being physically apart and to look after the individual needs of your people.
Here are working from home tips to be productive remotely and set you up to have a smooth transition when you go back to working on-site.
In a recent meeting, a colleague (we’ll call him Mark) mentioned that his client (Brian) a great guy in many ways, could use a coach in a specific area. Mark asked how to bring up that Brian would benefit from working with an executive coach without it being awkward or insulting. The answer lies in changing Mark’s perception of executive coaching.
I’ve tried meditation off and on for over a decade, but hadn’t been able to make a consistent practice stick. I’m not certain what’s different about now, but something is.
This meditation practice started when I read 10% Happier by Dan Harris. He’s a successful, competitive, cynical, sometimes hard-edged reporter for ABC who, after having an on-air panic attack, turned to meditation. I liked him instantly because he didn’t approach meditation with a “group hug in the harmony hut” mentality. I could relate to him.
Thanksgiving is almost upon us and if Hallmark and Butterball have anything to do with expectations, the day will be filled with group hugs, perfect food, artful decorations and so much joy that the family home emits a glow you can see from space. Maybe that’s your lived experience but it’s not mine.
There’s a way to handle performance reviews that makes them useful and energizing. This format provides a simple way to track performance throughout the year by making it a regular practice. I recommend going through this process at least once per month so the information stays top of mind.
Who among us hasn’t had to apologize for something? Everyone has reason to express genuine regret for behavior. If you’ve never felt the need to say you’re sorry, that’s another – probably larger – problem to address.
My accountability partner mentioned that he shaved three minutes off his 5k time. If you’re a runner, you’ll know that’s a pretty big improvement. If you’re not a runner, just trust me, it is! Also, trust me when I say it’s a perfect analogy to how you can also be more successful at work.
You only have so much time in a day and therefore can only serve a defined number of clients. If you sell direct to consumer and don’t know who your clients are, that’s a different story. But service based, business to business companies have to decide whom they want to serve.
It’s a common frustration that a client has gotten so difficult to work with that the business owner wishes they had never engaged with them.
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