The holidays are a perfect time for baking and cooking... but an epiphany? The word "Epiphany" can be both a holiday and a feeling. Perhaps you know that the Epiphany holiday is celebrated near January 6, as a traditional time for feasts, fruitcakes, Twelfth Night,...
Change or Die
Change or Die A long-time friend often says, “If two people tell you to stop drinking, then it’s time to stop.” In my world, if two people reference the same book, then it’s time for me to read it. Like a brick on the forehead, I just read an article and scanned the...
Welcome to this blog, plus some tips
Welcome, It may be obvious, however, I want to encourage you to: 1. Scroll over the boxes/categories on the sidebar for key words that interest you. 2. Enter any word in the search button. Then follow that post to more posts. 3. Write a comment. Your thoughts are...
Daddy, What are the 2 keys to success?
Recently our high school-aged daughter asked, "Daddy, you talk to people all day long about their success. If you can make it simple, what are the two keys to success?" If she was quizzing me, then I failed. Perhaps because I did not expect the question, perhaps...
Why I hate the phrase “Soft Skills”
I hate the phrase “soft skills.” Yesterday, I was at a project site, working with 10 people in 10 hours, and each person had concerns related to CORE business skills. Nothing ”soft” at all. Their concerns included: conflict management, communication, delegation,...
From Total Immersion Swimming to …. your challenges
My undergraduate roommate was a NCAA swim champion. All of his friends shaved their heads and legs to prepare for important swim meets. And they coerced me (and everyone who lived in that hallway) to take swimming lessons. So, I became a Water Safety Instructor...
Who/ What do you listen to?
One of my coaching clients recently shared some CDs based on this question. He provoked me. And I loved it. Take this quiz: 1. I watch the evening news (despite its focus on violence and deprivation) 2. I listen to negative feedback from customers more than...
How to Make Decisions using the Importance Screen
This morning one of my coaching clients was struggling with 1) a new manager, 2) a new role, 3) a former manager who expected him to continue doing the old work, 4) former colleagues who were not aware that his billable hours were now charged to a different business...
A Daily Prayer…
Imagine if we started each day or each meeting with something like the following... Father God, and the Great Spirits, I pray that just for today I choose to uplift others by reinforcing their strengths and maximizing my strengths. And just for today I pray that we...
Using an internal champion to sell the value of performance based coaching
There are 2 kinds of coaches in the marketplace. Those who 1) work based on value and those who 2) work based on hourly transactions. (And perhaps a third kind, who are aspiring coaches or underemployed.) The value of performance based coaching is based on...
Audio: Passionate Actions define human evolution
ActionLearningAudio Yes, I am serious. Listen to this audio. Consider how many people you know who have ignored their health, or made poor choices about their partner, or refused to relocate, or let a character trait such as stubbornness prevent them from some desire....
A letter to a coaching prospect…
Hello _________, I have been thinking about our conversation all day and have some initial thoughts, 1. Change starts with the overwhelming BELIEF that you DESERVE a better life/ desired change. 2. That idea may sound cyclical, or odd, but it is...