Blog Articles about Coaching
November 04, 2008
Performance Management is so yesterday
Think about it. Even the words "performance management" are kind of off putting. Begging the question "Who are you to manage my performance?". I have always disliked the performance management process. I say this, even though as an HR professional early in my career, I helped put in place many performance management systems.
September 07, 2008
We should all be independently wealthy. Don’t you think?
I just came back from an extended holiday at the cottage. After weeks of sleeping in, reading the paper cover to cover, playing "Crazy Eights" with our kids, who wants to go back to work? Not me.
And I love what I do.
What's the point? Two points. One, coming back from holidays is hard even when you like what you do. Two, few of us are independently wealthy (unfortunately) but we should all act like we are.
June 18, 2008
The “Caddy Concept”
Yes I like golf but that is not what this blog is about. It is about business development. The hardest thing about business development actually doing it. Don't kid yourself, business development is something that takes years of experience to do well. After you have worked through a number of tough situations, you can handle pretty well anything. No course can teach you that. So where does the caddy fit it? Here's the story.
February 10, 2008
How do you know if someone is going to respond to coaching?
"How do you know if someone is going to respond to coaching?" I have been asked this question by several clients this week. Three people asked if it was "too late" for someone who has been exhibiting "toxic" behaviors for 20 plus years. I applaud this question. It takes courage to ask it. Almost everyone thinks it. The answer is a most definite, "It is never too late, depending on the person, their coach, and the timing."
People want to know if they invest in coaching (either through an external coach or by taking the time to really coach someone themselves), how long will it take? How will they know if it will be successful? Fair questions. Coaching, if done right, is time consuming. Whether you do it yourself or ask an external coach to help you, this time can be costly.
Here are my thoughts on this question. There are two components -- how long? How do you know it will be successful? Both are dependent upon three things.
February 04, 2008
Dealing With Difficult Bosses by Fixing Yourself
Take the High Road. Don't Give Up Power. Bosses are in the eye of the beholder. Very few bosses are universally bad for every person who ever worked for them. Keep power by suspending judgement and focusing on your own success. If you truely have a toxic boss, protect yourself by being "backed-up". Be Better. Take the high road and be good yourself, continuing to develop your professional and interpersonal skills. Become a good boss yourself, learning what not to do from your current boss.
January 29, 2008
“You don’t get to work with perfect people.”
This a quote from one of my clients. "You don't get to work with perfect people." Too many leaders who are having problems with their teams, immediately decide to remove someone or restructure. My experience as a coach tells me that you can try working with the team first. If you can get the whole team working more effectively, you can either solve the problem without letting someone go or you will highlight where the real issue is and make the right decision. You can help the whole team work more effectively through coaching the team.
Coaching teams is not the same as having a team building session. Coaching teams is far more effective than conducting team building sessions. Team building sessions create a "feel good" atmosphere during the session and maybe, if you are lucky, for a short time after the session. Coaching teams takes a few sessions, some time, some one-on-one coaching work and some measurement.
Team coaching also takes a committed and courageous team leader. The leader is the force who drives the team to make changes. The leader shows leadership by changing first. The leader must also be prepared to look at themselves honestly and make their own changes. Often there is feedback for the leader to consider. Effective teams are not solely about the leader, each person will have to commit to doing some things differently.
January 16, 2008
Leveraging Strengths Gives “Life” to People and Organizations
People think coaching is about fixing problems. It is sometimes. Coaching is most powerful, however, when it is used to leverage strengths.
The more I coach leaders, the more convinced I am of the power of leveraging strengths. Everyone has a unique approach to what they do. Everyone can get better by exploring their strengths in detail, understanding them and leveraging those strengths. It seems obvious, I know. Few people do it in enough detail to truly leverage their strengths. Even fewer teams, business units or organizations do it well.
January 11, 2008
The Third Thing.
A really smart person once told me, "When someone comes into your office, it is always the third thing."
It is not the first thing. It is not the second thing. It is the third thing.
Here's the scenario. Someone is lurking outside your door. They want to speak to you. You put down whatever you are doing and invite them in. You wait. They ask you about your weekend. They ask a question about a project. You know they know the answer to the question. You answer it. They say the "third thing". If you are listening, it is the thing that matters. It is the reason they wanted to see you.
November 21, 2007
Feedback is not positive or negative. It is information.
Feedback is merely information. Without it, you are in the dark. Few people are good at receiving it. Few people are good at giving it. Both are skills that can be developed.
November 17, 2007
“Blink” Program Development
Discuss, propose, discuss, test, discuss, propose again, tell everyone about it so they know it is coming, implement.
Seems cumbersome.
How about the following? Discuss and implement. Partner, discuss and adapt as we go along.
