5 Simple Strategies for Coaching for Success

Later today I will spend time with the Leaders at e-Builder, a construction program management software company based in Plantation, Florida. Ron Antevy, President and recently selected as one of South Florida Business Journal’s Ultimate CEOs for Broward County, has asked me to conduct a series of Leadership Training Workshops as part of his on-going desire to grow the company through the success of his team. 

Here are my five coaching strategies for success I will be teaching: 

1.     Establish Trust - Without trust, the coaching relationship will falter and often result in negative outcomes.  It must start with trust.

2.      Learn the Past - In order to help an employee develop for the future, you must be aware of their past.  It is vital that you have a complete understanding of their work history, successes and failures. 

3.     Define the Future - You must align the employee’s personal and professional goals with organizational goals. This will enable you to uncover gaps between the employee’s strengths and opportunities for growth.

 

4.     Create a Plan - Successful development plans follow the SMART philosophy – they are Specific, Measureable, Action driven, Realistic and within a Timeline.

5.     Offer Support - Staying in touch, measuring progress through one-on-one meetings, phone calls, texting and emails are crucial and often forgotten.

A few more Coaching for Success tips:

·         Market and promote talent

·         Reward progress, not just results

·         Find the right size challenges

·         Gradually raise the bar

·         Let them go ahead of you

Let me know what works for you when Coaching for Success so I can expand my tips!

Enjoy meeting people that are different from you!

I am getting close to the finishing touches of my new leadership book The Kaleidoscope Leader and thought you would enjoy a preview. 

As you know a Kaleidoscope is a circle of mirrors containing loose, colored objects such as bead or pebbles and bits of glass. As the viewer looks into one end, light entering the other end creates a colorful pattern, due to the  reflection off the mirrors. 

The Kaleidoscope Leader is an individual that encompasses a multitude of leadership techniques to be successful. As they look within, their methods of leading change due to the reflection they see in others.   

One of these demonstrations is the fact that they enjoy meeting people that are different from them.

One of the most beautiful things we have on earth is the fact that nothing is the same. Snowflakes, fingerprints, zebra stripe and DNA cannot be duplicated. With atoms always moving energy around nothing stays the same.  Change is constant and different is normal. If you will agree with this, consider why. Think about how boring our world would be if there were no differences, if flowers looked and smelled the same, if all dog lovers had only one puppy to choose from, and if there were only one type of fruit to eat or vegetable to cook.  But this isn’t our world. Instead we have many pets to love, fruits to grow and vegetables to eat. And, we have many people different from us to enjoy.

The Kaleidoscope Leader understands the uniqueness of the Universe and how we all connect even when we feel disconnected. They realize the advantage of surrounding themselves with like-minded and unlike-minded individuals.  They welcome thoughts different from their own, appreciate another point of view and respect people that disagree with them.  They relish in the differences considering an alternative way of thinking as exciting. They are curious as to how someone processes information different than their method.  They are genuinely interested in learning new customs and traditions.  They are not threatened by diverse thinking. They are respectful of those who dress, speak and act in ways that are dissimilar to themselves.

As they move through the process of seeking out all types of people, they maintain a clear understanding of their core beliefs.  They will consider alternative views and may even adapt one or two. But, they have the strength and will power to stay firm when their beliefs cannot be altered.  This is when they will agree to disagree. They will accept and respect those that are different and yet realize the importance of staying true to themselves.

STOP! Take a moment…

If you read my blogs you know right now it has been awhile (at least I’m not annoying sending you stuff that you don’t read cause you don’t have time). If this is your first one, what the heck has taken you so long? Where have you been?

Ok…sorry for that small Dennis Miller rant…(not Rodman…Miller) – if you;re absolutely clueless about either, don’t worry, You'll still understand my message, which is...

Take a moment.

The minute you get done reading this I want you to take a moment to give a hug, make a call, send a text…show your preferred form of love for that one, two or many that mean something to you. That one person, group, or team that you would be lost without.

Sit for a bit and think about those who mean the most to you. I mean really THINK about them. Keep thinking. Pay attention to how you feel. Tears forming? Insides feeling warm? Heart beating a tab bit faster? When you are overcome with the joy of loving someone you know exactly what I am getting at.

And, now, for this second and the rest of the day be thankful for those who give you a reason…are there for you when you don’t ask, love you unconditionally and those you haven’t even met yet.

This one is for…

everyone that is reading and thinks that maybe…just perhaps, I would be typing in your name.  And, for the one I haven’t met yet…this one’s for you, Kailey.

The Chicken or The Egg?

The chicken or the egg dilemma is commonly stated as "Which came first, the chicken or the egg?" To ancient philosophers, the question about the first chicken or egg also evoked the questions of how life and the universe in general began.
 
Metaphorically the question can be reformulated as: "Which came first, X that can't come without Y, or Y that can't come without X?"

Let’s apply this dilemma to the workforce. The Employee or The Customer?

I offer my opinion in my book: The Pied Piper Principle; Lead, and They Will Follow

“Principle #56 – What is more important – The Customer or The Employee?

Although there may be lots of reasons to pick one over the other there is one important difference. Without a customer, you have no business.  Yet without employees, you have no product to sell or service to offer. The employee is the most important aspect of your business.

Picture the customer that knocks on the door and there is no employee to answers. Or, the client that makes the call with no one to pick up the phone.

When you have employees you will always have someone to create the merchandize, sell the service and collect the money. 

Of course a business without customers closes. The customer must be valued and treated like gold.  An interesting thing occurs when a leader treats their employees like a priceless gem. The employees in turn, do the same with the customers.”

Show me happy employees and I'll show you happy customers!

Let me know who you think comes first.

The Door of Opportunity

By the middle of January most of us are well on our way accomplishing our New Year’s resolution. Or, we have already decided they just weren’t worth the effort.  Whether you are in the first category and looking for one more goal or feeling down that you didn’t keep a commitment, I have an effortless one for you this year.
 
It is simply: Open the door of opportunity for someone.

I imagine each one of you reading this can think back to at least one individual that gave you a chance, offered you a break – believed in you when no one else did. For many, that one vote of confidence was all it took to begin your journey to greatness.

Some of us may have had several doors opened over our life time…by teachers, friends, supervisors, neighbors or family members…they saw something we didn’t see. They sensed our ability to do more, understood that we had it in us even when we may have been at our darkest hour.

Today I encourage you to open the door of opportunity for someone.  This year find at least one person that can use the inspiration to be more - needs a little help to advance to the next place in their life.

Once you do, stand back and let them walk through. For as great as the deed it is to open the door, it is up to them to go through.

One of the best holiday gifts this year…

Over the past few months I have been thinking about a friend/colleague I worked with for a long time.  We had lost touch with one another due to the all of the reasons one stops from communicating…busy lives.  Yet, I hadn’t forgotten her. In fact I probably thought about her more than she imagined.

So, knowing she is an early riser, I called her one morning last week and was greeted with that great voice of hers once again.  Our conversation started where we left over long ago. There was the same amount of energy as before, the same laughter, sharing of trying times…just two good friends reuniting. She, too, mentioned how often I entered her mind and how much she has missed me.

After I hung up I realized that call would be one of the best holiday gifts I could give AND receive this year. 

Before the month runs out I encourage you to do the same.  Think of someone that made your life brighter, was there when you needed them, and for one reason or another has dropped out of sight. 
Give them a call. Not an email nor a text. A phone call.

Make this holiday season one that you give and receive with that special someone that did and still does make a difference in your life.

This one’s for you Missy!

Eight Things Remarkably Successful People Do

My friends, Tim and Cindy Stockman, owners of Studio 19 (www.studio19fineart.com) are hosting a fund raiser tonight for Kids and Distress. With all of the preparation that goes into this type of event, Tim still had time to send me the article below.  Although it is longer than my usual post I think you will enjoy reading it.

Eight Things Remarkably Successful People Do  By Jeff Haden

 

1. They don't create back-up plans.
Back-up plans can help you sleep easier at night. Back-up plans can also create an easy out when times get tough.

You'll work a lot harder and a lot longer if your primary plan simply has to work because there is no other option. Total commitment--without a safety net--will spur you to work harder than you ever imagined possible.

If somehow the worst does happen (and the "worst" is never as bad as you think) trust that you will find a way to rebound. As long as you keep working hard and keep learning from your mistakes, you always will.

2. They do the work...
You can be good with a little effort. You can be really good with a little more effort.

But you can't be great--at anything--unless you put in an incredible amount of focused effort.

Scratch the surface of any person with rare skills and you'll find a person who has put thousands of hours of effort into developing those skills.

There are no shortcuts. There are no overnight successes. Everyone has heard about the 10,000 hours principle but no one follows it... except remarkably successful people.

So start doing the work now. Time is wasting.

3.  ...and they work a lot more.
Forget the Sheryl Sandberg "I leave every day at 5:30" stories. I'm sure she does. But she's not you.

Every extremely successful entrepreneur I know (personally) works more hours than the average person--a lot more. They have long lists of things they want to get done. So they have to put in lots of time.

Better yet, they want to put in lots of time.

If you don't embrace a workload others would consider crazy then your goal doesn't mean that much to you--or it's not particularly difficult to achieve. Either way you won't be remarkably successful.

4. They avoid the crowds.
Conventional wisdom yields conventional results. Joining the crowd--no matter how trendy the crowd or "hot" the opportunity--is a recipe for mediocrity.

Remarkably successful people habitually do what other people won't do. They go where others won't go because there's a lot less competition and a much greater chance for success.

5. They start at the end...
Average success is often based on setting average goals.

Decide what you really want: to be the best, the fastest, the cheapest, the biggest, whatever. Aim for the ultimate. Decide where you want to end up. That is your goal.

Then you can work backwards and lay out every step along the way.

Never start small where goals are concerned. You'll make better decisions--and find it much easier to work a lot harder--when your ultimate goal is ultimate success.

6. ... and they don't stop there.
Achieving a goal--no matter how huge--isn't the finish line for highly successful people. Achieving one huge goal just creates a launching pad for achieving another huge goal.

Maybe you want to create a $100 million business; once you do you can leverage your contacts and influence to create a charitable foundation for a cause you believe in. Then your business and humanitarian success can create a platform for speaking, writing, and thought leadership. Then...

The process of becoming remarkably successful in one field will give you the skills and network to be remarkably successful in many other fields.

Remarkably successful people don't try to win just one race. They expect and plan to win a number of subsequent races.

7. They sell.
I once asked a number of business owners and CEOs to name the one skill they felt contributed the most to their success. Each said the ability to sell.

Keep in mind selling isn't manipulating, pressuring, or cajoling. Selling is explaining the logic and benefits of a decision or position. Selling is convincing other people to work with you. Selling is overcoming objections and roadblocks.

Selling is the foundation of business and personal success: knowing how to negotiate, to deal with "no," to maintain confidence and self-esteem in the face of rejection, to communicate effectively with a wide range of people, to build long-term relationships...

When you truly believe in your idea, or your company, or yourself then you don't need to have a huge ego or a huge personality. You don't need to "sell."

You just need to communicate.

8. They are never too proud.
To admit they made a mistake. To say they are sorry. To have big dreams. To admit they owe their success to others. To poke fun at themselves. To ask for help.

To fail.

And to try again.

If you would like to support this fund raiser, please email tim@studio19fineart.com