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Humans are amazing pattern matching machines!
We especially focus on anything which makes us feel endangered – our reptilian brain takes over before we even notice it’s happening. Or can think through it.
But why is that a problem?
Read the rest of this entry »Any time I see a “proposal” or “recommendation”, I cringe a little.
The problem is that this almost always entails adding work into whatever system we’re talking about. Want to improve marketing? Add more money, more people, more work. We should start this valuable program? More money, more work, more time.
That’s how we get overloaded.
Read the rest of this entry »We are in a time of preparation before the year-end holidays.
When I was a child, I could never wait for the excitement. School holidays, new snow, Christmas gifts, meeting up with family … the anticipation was almost too much to bear!
I’ve had to learn a bit of patience. But this also applies to business and my various volunteering roles.
Read the rest of this entry »I’ve discovered that Joy and Hope are a key part of coaching. Indeed, of the human experience.
After all, why would you work with a coach if you can’t have hope for a better, more joy-filled future? Something you want to improve and change?
Clients usually come to me worrying about a problem. Something feels broken in their life, career, or business. Or they’re looking at an opportunity they’re worried about. So we’re starting at a point which certainly doesn’t feel joyful.
Read the rest of this entry »Humans are social creatures; witness how important it is for us to maintain connections to family and friends during holidays and other celebrations.
This is true in the workplace as well.
I’m usually an introvert, which means I build my energy more by being alone than in a group. But even for me, some of the highlights of my career were when we accomplished something as a team. Together.
Read the rest of this entry »Twenty years ago I used to think that many problems in the workplace were fundamentally communication issues.
I’ve refined my thinking since then.
The problem with this mindset is that the solutions seem obvious: More communication. Clearer communication. Stronger communication. But the fact is that we’re incredibly over-communicated these days, and it’s overwhelming and stressful.
Read the rest of this entry »I love it when a plan comes together.
But here’s the problem: How often is your perfect plan disrupted by reality? It seems that surprises always come up, whether good or bad.
Your job as the leader is to help your team navigate through that mess in real time.
Read the rest of this entry »A common mistake is to send someone to a class, then throw them right into using the information.
Makes sense, right? Just-in-time training!
The problem is that there may be entirely too much pressure on proper execution on the first try. You may not want million-dollar decisions relying on a newbie’s skill without some kind of safety net.
Read the rest of this entry »Tomorrow is election day in our area, which got me thinking about why having a choice is so valuable in being motivated.
No doubt you’ve heard that you can steer children towards a good decision by giving them the choice of two alternatives, both of which are acceptable to you as the parent. It works well, and with adults too.
Because having a voice in decisions matters. That’s important in our society and in the workplace.
Read the rest of this entry »I learned some years ago that the brain treats social danger the same as physical danger.
When you’re threatened by the bear, your heart rate and breathing will increase, and your muscles will tense up. Your body is preparing you to escape or fight if need be.
Well, the same thing happens when somebody insults you. Or you’re preparing to hear bad news from your boss. Your body doesn’t know the difference, and it’ll take a little while for the rational part of your brain to calm you down.
Why is this important?
Read the rest of this entry »
The Values-Based Business 