When you listen to others, do you know what the intended purpose of the discussion is? This question is for both you and the person you're chatting with. This seems like a simple question, but you can miss a lot if you don't identify the type of dialogue the situation calls for. I've been …
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I recently began my 23rd year making a living as an executive coach. My stated goal with each client is to help them get better results by becoming a better leader. I ply my “trade” by listening deeply to what they have to say to ensure I understand their challenges. I assist them by opening …
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Marshall Goldsmith is perhaps the preeminent executive coach in America. A key part of his Stakeholder Centered Coaching model, which I now use, requires the client to identify one key goal that could have the greatest potential on their performance and to solicit feedback on their progress on a …
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One of my favorite shows used to be the radio program, A Prairie Home Companion. The show centered on a fictional Minnesota town called Lake Wobegon. The motto of the town was "where the women are strong, the men are good-looking, and all the children are above average." That was said …
The other day I ran into a fellow who is the reluctant president of a board that I'm on. He's an accomplished individual but rather quiet and reserved by nature. I don't think he enjoys his leadership role but I used this chance encounter to ask again about a pending issue for the board to …
I was at an interfaith service recently and a Muslim cleric stated the following: While it feels good to hate what we believe is bad, what is really bad is the hating mind. I thought a lot about that. In today’s politics - national, state, and local - we see a lot of effort to demonize or …
Continue Reading about “Hate” A Colleague’s Idea? 4 Ways to Keep Your Attitude in Check →
I thought I wanted to be a playwright because I was interested in stories and telling stories. - Francis Ford Coppola Note: This post was originally published on Oct 13, 2015. I was reminded of it during a recent speaking engagement I had, so I'm republishing it today with an updated intro for …
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Kim Scott was a long time director at Google and is currently a faculty member at Apple University. In addition, she's an acclaimed coach for companies like Twitter and other Silicon Valley notables. One of Kim's goals was to create a company that had "bullshit-free zones where people could love …
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Tuesday’s with Morrie is a book by Mitch Albom that came out in 1997 and topped the bestsellers list for Non-Fiction and was also made into a movie. It is about Morrie Schwartz, a former Brandeis University sociology professor who contracted ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease, and the relationship Albom …
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The conclusion of the election last week did not bring any sort of cathartic closure to more than half of the voters from an almost 2-year campaign. To Clinton supporters, the "other side" won and the demonstrations/rioting in the streets of major cities reflect their profound displeasure and …
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It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much. - Yogi Berra I recently came across an interesting article: "Six Habits of the Best Conversationalists", by Stephanie Vozza, and it contains many excellent insights. It started me thinking about some of the very best …
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Mary Barra was named the first female CEO of General Motors in 2014. Two months into her tenure, Barra announced the recall of 1.6 million GM cars with faulty ignition switches responsible for the deaths of 12 people—a mechanical flaw that GM knew about for a decade before issuing the massive …
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