“If you want to be the boss, you must deal with a lot of sh#t!” said my usually reserved Dad, who was then President of Dix Enterprises, Inc., a mid-sized athletic equipment reconditioning company. I worked with my Dad the month before I started graduate school, and I had asked him what it was like […]
Category: Executive Coaching
Stop Trying to Fit In
Be yourself; everyone else is already taken. Oscar Wilde There is a real problem with trying to fit into a role or corporate culture that is misaligned with your values. Fitting in takes more willpower than you have available. You cannot tap into your natural motivation to find the role satisfying. You cannot force yourself […]
How to Create Excellent Performance
What Does Excellence Look Like? “I don’t understand why three of my sales reps can be so much more successful than the rest of my team,” shared my coaching client, who is a senior sales manager at a large international firm. “What do your rock stars do differently than your garage band players?” I asked. […]
Why Some People Hate Working Virtually
Jennifer, a Senior VP of a large corporation, slammed down her cellphone in frustration when she read the latest corporate email announcing their indefinite extension of virtual work from home privileges of most employees. What motivated Jennifer’s intense reaction to the announcement? Jennifer is one of the estimated 20% of humans who is naturally motivated […]
Effective Executives Are Power Providers
When I think of an effective executive, I think of a power block. An effective executive is plugged directly into the organization’s power current. They are the power providers for those connected to them. An effective executive is a surge protector for their team. They provides safety in storms to prevent those connected to them […]
How Can You Relate?
“What skill do you think is most valuable for a founder to develop?” asked my executive coaching client.“Relatability powered by the empathetic understanding of others,” I replied. Relationships Require Connections Being in an interpersonal relationship with anyone requires the ability to relate to each other meaningfully. Relating, by definition, means to establish a connection. Where […]
How to Stop Your Shoulding From Making You Musty
Even my most idealistic executive coaching clients can become frustrated and angry at other people they interact with. As they passionately vent their feelings to me, I quickly hear the voice of their values, cluing me into their underlying values-system, values judgments, and expectations. Three red flag words mark a values judgment: SHOULD, OUGHT, and […]
Executive Coaching is Change Management
Executive coaching is change management. ADKAR® can be used for individual change and professional growth.