I Told Myself “I’m Not a Distance Driver”
I’m NOT a distance driver. At least that’s what I told myself for essentially 43 years of my life. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve always loved road trips. When I was about 7 or 8 my family spent a whole month of August driving from Oakville to Fort Lauderdale and back again, exploring various spots…
Have monitor, will travel
It all started with my 21 year-old daughter saying, “Mom, you can live anywhere in the world right now”. Sure… for a minute I heard the story in my head of being a Mom who is no longer needed…“I’m back at University now. I’ve got this. I’ll check back in when I’m announcing grandchildren for…
Stop Telling; Start Asking
Getting the best out of your employees today requires a new set of skills. You need to help your employees achieve their goals, but too much “telling and pointing” will backfire. More than answers, today’s leaders must offer questions. This is the essence of coaching and a skill-set imperative for leading. At the risk of…
Face Up. Your Boss is Human Too!
All too often, we start a new position full of enthusiasm only to find as the weeks have gone on that the boss you were so excited to work for has turned out to offer less promise than you’d hoped. I’ve noticed that my clients who are most successful in moving through this disappointment are…
Onboarding Success: The Team’s Accountability
Even with a pandemic and remote work, most organizations are doing a much better job than they did years ago, of preparing new hires for their new role and environment. In keeping with the philosophy “the best gift you can give an employee is a great boss”, I’ve also observed that organizations have made improvements…
Millennials and Gen Z: Gaining Leverage In Your New Job During a Pandemic
Those of you who know me already, are aware that for many years I have coached people to ramp up successfully in their new positions. Over the past 7 months during the pandemic, it’s been fascinating for me to research what basic truths about onboarding success have held fast, and what is wildly different about…
CEO Sounding Board: Accessing Your Moral Compass
What a bizarre time for new business development in SO many industries. Is it appropriate to share opportunities to do business with your organization at a time when you know so many of your potential customers are struggling? This question has plagued me since March 13th. My empathy score on Emotional Intelligence assessments is frankly…
Pandemic: The Exec Team Members are Parents Too!
Remember the early weeks after March 13th, 2020? Your executive team moved promptly into emergency planning mode. You were so proud of how they hunkered down, learning everything they could about pandemic planning and safety protocol. Together, you made arrangements for everyone that could, to work safely from home. New technology was implemented at lightning…
What to Ask When Choosing a Team Coach
My last blog post described the difference between Team Building and Team Coaching. So, now that you’ve decided that Team Coaching is right approach for you and your team, how do you go about choosing a great coach to partner with you? A frankly unnerving task and the risk is high! Here are some recommended…
Distinguishing Team Coaching from Team Building
OK…so this image is a bit of a tongue-in-cheek metaphor for what team building sessions can become. No disrespect intended. I have led many a Team Building experience, which resulted in exactly what the client hoped to achieve. Team Building often involves a one-off shared experience away from the regular work environment. The goal? Typically…