Andrea was excited about her promotion to be a senior manager. She would get to lead a larger team and have a lot more responsibility. She wanted to talk about what she would do differently in this new role in her coaching session. When we talked about how she wanted to show up in this role, I sensed some hesitation in her. I asked her about it, and she said, “I feel like I am going to have to change who I am…
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Lisa wanted to hire another employee to take on additional workload, but her manager wasn’t in favor of it. He agreed that she needed the help, but he didn’t see the need to add to payroll. He asked her to go back and see if someone else could pick up the work. She was disappointed and she brought the situation into our coaching session to discuss. This is a common situation that happens. What could have been handled differently here? Whenever you…
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One of my clients had a difficult situation happen at work yesterday. The simple version of what happened was that decisions about a new program were made a few months ago. He learned new information and wanted to make some changes to the program. Unfortunately, the launch is about to happen right now, so it is too late in the game to be changing things. He was frustrated and upset that the other people in the organization wouldn’t change things for him. I…
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One of my friends wants to move to a healthier weight. She began to change what she eats last year and has now started to add exercise in to help her achieve her goal. She proudly announced to our group that she is going to work out every day this year and she hasn’t missed a day yet. She has attempted weight loss in the past, but she is doing something different this time. She knows that she will need help…
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One of the biggest challenges that leaders face is carving out space in their calendars to think, plan, and be strategic. It makes sense that they would feel that way when there they have so much to accomplish and a never-ending to-do list. However, what we talk about in coaching conversations is how they can slow down and focus, which ultimately helps them speed up. It helps them to lead with intention and not just be in reactive mode. This isn’t…
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John who had been leading his new team for about a year, came to me and said he wanted to be viewed by others as strategic. I asked him why it was important for him to be viewed as strategic? He said that his manager gave him feedback that he wasn’t being strategic enough and that he was still too focused on the details. His manager said that this was creating a perception that he didn’t have what it takes to…
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Do you know what your personal brand is? Many people operate on autopilot with a lack of understanding about how they are perceived. Your brand is the first 3-4 things that people think about you when they see you or talk to you. These traits are what you are known for and what makes people know, like, and trust you. Everyone has to figure out for themselves what makes their brand unique and find ways to stand out. Do you want…
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I like to do leadership assessments for clients to help them learn more about who they are as leaders and how they are perceived. It also helps me get to know them better as their coach. Without fail, there is always an “aha” moment that occurs as we go through the results. How they see themselves is contradicted by the way that others see them, but they had no idea. Some people hesitate to do assessments because they have some fear…
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Your reputation is your personal brand. It is the first thing that people think about you and how they see you. I have often equated it to a bank account. Money goes into the account as you accomplish things and add to your reputation. If things don’t go well and a few mistakes are made then you may have to make a withdrawal against your balance. If you have enough in the account because you have a strong reputation, then…
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This is the time of year that many clients are focused on goals in preparation for the new year. It can feel a bit overwhelming for leaders to get started so I will ask my clients to share what their big outcomes are for the next year. They bring rough ideas to the conversation based on the gaps that need to be addressed, opportunity areas or upcoming business plans that they know are coming. The questions that I ask them are intended to…
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