Roger Bannister busted the 4-minute mile limit. Once he achieved that, the limit got busted over and over again. His record-breaking run gave the world of runners hope and belief that they could do it too – and they did, many times over. The moral of the story? We don’t know what we are capable of until we push our limits. And what about those limits? I know one thing: they’re often self-imposed. Here’s an …
Are you ready for your next best step? I thought I was… until a coaching session revealed a big issue. It was my issue – and nothing that anyone else could fix but me. I hadn’t recognized it until a coach pointed it out to me and it pervaded every area of my life. I Needed to Overcome Hesitation (but I didn’t know it yet). After years of not owning a horse, I now own …
Success is achieved by developing our strengths, not by eliminating our weaknesses. -Marilyn vos Savant Powerful partnering can benefit both parties. How do you pair up? Strengths are never used in a vacuum. Make the Most of Your Business Partnership You’ve seen countless examples in my articles where strengths have collided, been navigated or been effectively deployed in negotiation. When it comes to strengths, there is always a ripple effect. You may be wondering how …
It’s on the calendar. That critical conversation or meeting that must happen between you and a client, employee, vendor, your boss or significant other. How do you navigate when the stakes are high? Preparation. Yep, no big secret or special formula, just good old-fashioned preparation. In my experience with hundreds of clients, the biggest challenge to successful high stakes navigation is the lack of preparation. Preparation requires that you are armed with facts, figures, and …
Great leadership is often demonstrated when things are at their most heated. In the crossfire that occurs within teams and with clients, truly great leaders shine, and the result is a stronger team and an improved client relationship. But do we have to go there to get the results of great leadership? I work with clients on navigating the crossfire and recently helped a new leader with this. His homework assignment was to “watch for …
Whether you are pitching a product or trying to get a seat at the table, getting buy-in from decision makers matters. So why aren’t you getting buy-in with those who matter? You are passionate about your product or idea and prepared with a great pitch but you still don’t have a seat at the table. What’s missing? Let’s play with a simple example and eliminate the confusion and frustration. I LOVE HORSES! Just to look …
Square peg, round hole. Not a fit. Round peg, round hole. A fit. Yet nothing stands out. If the fit is really good, the round peg blends right in with the rest of the surface. How do you fit in and yet be known for something? This is a dilemma a client recently faced as he took on a new role at a new company. There are those awkward few days of simply learning how …
“Your reputation precedes you.” Is this a compliment or a condemnation? You are known for something. Or are you? Reputation is a matter of perception. You view yourself as a team player that contributes specialized knowledge and experience to the project. The other ten people in the room also view themselves as team players that contribute specialized knowledge and experience to the project. Who’s right? Everyone. So that means your contributions compete with those of …
So you’ve gone and done it. You pushed off from the safe harbor and have ventured into the vast sea of “something new.” You prepared by charting a course yet along the way tides, headwinds and storms have blown you off course. With only the sea on the vast horizon you’re not sure if you are even rowing in the right direction. Not rowing is not an option as it would leave you “lost at …
“Can’t never could” and other well-known encourager statements exist to remind us that we are more powerful than we imagine. When we lose that bit of edge, “can’t never could” tells us that yes indeed, I can! Powerful in the moment, you are going to need much more than an encourager statement to get you to that next level. If you haven’t done something before, you will need to develop in new ways. How can …
If I just had the chance to… If only there was an opportunity to… There likely isn’t one of us who hasn’t uttered those words. When we are feeling hemmed in and the future looks bleak, we wish for the opportunity to… do something different move up in the organization make that big presentation Waiting and wishing won’t make that opportunity appear. It doesn’t arrive with a bow and a gift tag. In fact, it …
In this time of resolutions and promises made, I want to ask you a different question. How will you challenge yourself this year? Answer that question and you can answer this next one: What makes this challenge worthy of effort? Is it the lure of the pay-off? Why would you do something if there is no pay-off? What would the point be? If pay-off is what makes the challenge worth it, how do you measure …
In the sport of dressage, the trainers’ adage is you are either training or untraining. Every step counts. Every step counts as it prepares you for the next. There is no middle ground. You are either training or untraining your horse and yourself with every step. Dressage originates from the military. Horses were trained to carry their riders into battle and to serve as weapons before rifles and artillery made it onto the scene. In …
It is that time of year for giving gifts. Here is a gift for you as we move into the new year. Grab your favorite warm beverage and settle into your reading chair or that special place by the window. Give yourself the gift of a few quiet moments to consider the following: What is it that you most want to get in 2018 for your professional development and career? Do you know what that …
Do you know what that is? What will 2018 bring for you? What do you want it to bring? Opportunity doesn’t show up like presents under the tree with a bow and a gift tag. Most of the time it arrives disguised as something else; usually NOT what you were wishing for. Or we miss the opportunity altogether. We don’t see it, even when it is not disguised because we don’t know what we are …
A lump of coal has a negative connotation in our holiday traditions. Misbehaving children would receive a lump of coal in their stockings instead of gifts as a reminder to do better next year. Is the delivery of a few lumps of coal on your list this year as a leader? How can negative feedback, that lump of coal, be a gift to both the organization and the recipient? Just the thought of delivering negative …
“Like.” “Like.” “Like.” “Thumbs up.” “Heart.” This is the feedback we give and receive on social media. It’s a thrill to see someone like what we shared. It’s also fun to give this feedback, sharing with others that we agree in some way. But what meaning does it have? Not much in most cases. This feedback is done quickly with the press of a finger. Some apps don’t even require that the article or post is …
Feedback, feedback, feedback. Sound familiar? Except it is not just for Christmas or any other holiday; feedback is something employees and team members are demanding more and more on any day. Point the finger at overly-involved parents and school and sports programs that provide feedback constantly to the younger generations in our workforce. And only positive feedback some might add! This sea change to more feedback is not simply a cry from the younger generation. …
Those Darn Millennials make up a good portion of my client base. For all the disregard and disrespect that is heaped on them, I find them to be eager, exciting and enthusiastic clients to work with. They are hungry for self-development, focused on making the most of their professional careers and willing to learn and experiment with different ways of thinking. They face the same challenges that all of us do in balancing careers, family …
A company I work with has recently employed a Talent Manager. The term is becoming more common in the Human Resources function as the search moves from just warm bodies to the identification of talent to ensure the best and brightest are part of our organizations. What is not to like about this? Nothing. Not one darn thing. Assuming we know talent when we see it, this is a win-win for both parties. Only it …