Executive Coach and Executive Coaching Articles

A couple of decades ago before becoming a CEO, I worked for a Fortune 200 company as Chief Marketing and Sales Officer. An organization that had just been spun off from an even larger organization, it had a reputation for being stodgy, bureaucratic and inwardly focused. I am none of those things. Give me rule, and I'll find a way to break it. But I digress. The guy that I reported to at this company (I'll call him John) in turn reported to the CEO. He was an egomaniac while a

Let’s examine the idea of choice. In order for you to chose something – be that a dress to wear, a bicycle to buy, a sports event to attend, or what you want to think about – before you can make a choice, you have to think about the merits of your subject, look at all your options and then chose the option that works best for you.

The following tips and strategies are intended to help you grow your business more effortlessly and easily by using the tools that you already have at hand in a more expanded way. To help you spend more time working ON your business instead of being run BY your business. Giving you more time ...

"One's real life is often the life that one does not lead." ~ Oscar Wilde Each of us is alive; therefore, each of us is Life Itself and it needs each of us. We are here to discover what we are supposed to express while we are here; which life lessons we are supposed to learn; what our purpose is; what feelings we are supposed to share with our fellow Lifers. Most important of all, we are here to discover what our own passion is. Discovering Your Purpose Within your core, is the purpose you have been most drawn to from the beginning.

If you are not strategizing your giving with your advisors, you may inadvertently be paying tax on your charitable gifts according to Marc A. Pitman, director of the Inland Foundation, Inland Hospital’s fundraising subsidiary. “Accountants, tax strategists, atto eys, and insurance agents are ...

I disdain bureaucracy. When I use that word, however, I do not mean that I disdain procedures or rules.rn rnMy definition of bureaucracy: "Policies and/or procedures that create no value for stakeholders." For example, I don't consider procedures governing the conduct and frequency of performance reviews to be bureaucracy. If they're put in place and no one uses them, however, that's another story.rn rnHere's a quick personal anecdote:rn rnMany years ago in a prior life, I ha

Are you going to prepare yourself for an upcoming trip to an English speaking country? Do you want to learn English speaking skills on urgent basis? If you are in such a condition, then you don’t need to worry at all since there are a plethora of English language courses that can be taken in a matter of days or weeks that can give you the skills and confidence that you need to convey your message, no matter what type of situation you may find yourself in. Yes, it is true th

We become very accustomed to things, don’t we? We become accustomed to having oatmeal for breakfast. We get accustomed to having our clothes cleaned in a particular way. We are accustomed to a specific manner of interface with particular individuals. When we arise in the morning, we have an accustomed way that we move through our morning rituals. We are accustomed to receiving our paycheck on certain days. We’re accustomed to the way our home is maintained. Because we are accustomed, we don’t think about change much, do we? If you want to Be the Change, you may have to think about them.

What are your priorities today? You may have a task list, you may have meetings lined up, but what are your real priorities? Lately, I have been amazed at the answers I get when I query executives about their priorities. Many utter a reference to "objectives" that sounds good, but soon they discover that their answers do not clarify what their priorities are that day. They often are not clear on what actions they need to focus on today that will lead to success tomorrow.

Children are great imitators, so give them something great to imitate. ~Anonymous There are good reasons for and good reasons against using daycare for your child. It is a great mental relief for working parents if you think you’ve found a good service. Some parents both have to work, and this leaves little choice about using daycare. But what are the effects of daycare on your children? Negative Effects of Daycare Your child might experience some negative effects depending on several things:rnï§ The quality of the daycare providedrnï§ How much time your child spends in daycarer

When people refer to the “good old days”, when life seemed to be slower and less complicated, it is difficult to disagree with them. Today, life is hectic and fast-paced. People work too many hours; are chauffeurs for their children, who are involved in multiple activities; have a hard time leaving their computers, cell phones, and blackberry’s behind; and never seem to have time for themselves. Add to this the state of the economy, the plunge of the housing market, the volatility of the stock market, and other exte al circumstances.

Being an effective leader means being able to positively influence others. Here are some examples of behavior that has a positive impact on others: * Being supportive * Challenging others to be the best they can be * Being other-oriented * Inspiring others * Modeling positive behaviour for others * Noticing skills that motivate others * Promoting skills that motivate others * Noticing when others are being their best selves * Acknowledging and appreciating individuals skill

Whenever one looks to solve problems of life, be it spiritual freedom, relationships, success or family, the solutions work better if one looks for basic principles involved and uses them to get results. The basic principles are what makes up an activity and that is why they work for getting the right solution. Fancy theories may sound good and we may operate on "everybody is supposed to" factors but if it does not get results it is not operating on the actual principles of life.

I found I could say things with color and shapes that I couldn't say any other way - things I had no words for. ~ Georgia O'Keeffe Have you identified a color palette that is “you?” Do you strive to show your personality through the choices you make for your home’s décor? Are there colors that look better with your shade of skin, and are those colors also in your home’s décor? Your Personality

If they didn’t notice you before... THEY'LL NOW FIND YOU IMPOSSIBLE TO IGNORE! Here is the entire secret weapon in just one phrase: To turn your resume into a secret weapon that cracks the job search code, make it appealing – magnetically appealing.

“Give out what you most want to come back.” ~ Robin Sharma As a mom, you have the influence to proactively transform your family dynamics. Your instincts and insights are always in-tune with the people you love. If you ever feel that things can be improved, then go for it!

“Visiting a new town is like having a conversation. Places ask questions of you just as searchingly as you question them. And, as in any conversation, it helps to listen with an open mind, so you can be led somewhere unexpected. The more you leave assumptions at home, I’ve found, the better you can hear whatever it is that a destination is trying to say to you.” ~ Pico Lyer

“Time management is an oxymoron. Time is beyond our control, and the clock keeps ticking regardless of how we lead our lives. Priority management is the answer to maximizing the time we have.” ~ John C. Maxwell

"Work your fingers to the bone and whadda ya get? Boney fingers!" ~ Hoyt Axton

Since the Great Depression, a commonly held perspective on the good life is that we can all look forward to retirement, when we didn't have to work any more. We would be more relaxed and healthier away from the stresses of work. There's a couple of flaws in that argument. For one thing, retirement, like pensions was an invention of the depression, intended to deal with the problem of unemployment. Prior to the depression, and in past ages, the concept of retirement didn't exist. AARP in the U.S.

Should you stay or should you go? Will changing jobs really make you happy? By Jim Manton - The Master of Transitions Does your Monday morning alarm clock immediately fill your mind with dreadful thoughts of going to a job you hate? Do you wonder how much longer you can continue going ...

I begin the coaching sessions ( after background and introduction ) by seeking to have the client identify the issues that are holding him/her back from success.We have already agreed that success is our destination and this means personal as well as business success. Here is the opening question only you can answer: What are the three biggest disappointments in your life? We will now seek to identify how you integrated those traumatic events in your life by asking the follow -up questions: How did you feel when that happened ? How do you feel about that today ?r

Effectively managing change, in all of its various forms, is like working on our roots. Put differently, instead of being whipped about by change, we can use change to develop our minds and hearts. How? Well, through the process of change. That is to say that we can nourish, strengthen, and improve our mental clarity, and, therein, our creativity, wellness, collaboration, performance, happiness, and, yes, success as the seasons of change swirl around us. Thereby nurturing our roots for an abundant harvest year after year.

LinkedIn is the world’s largest professional social network with an astounding 165 million users inside a targeted audience of business professionals. And yet, only a tiny fraction of LinkedIn users are leveraging this free online social network to successfully generate leads and new business. If you are currently not generating $100K in new business from LinkedIn you need to hear my message this Wednesday on this first time ever complimentary webinar. In this power-packed 60 minutes I will show you how to use LinkedIn to:

“The chains of habit are generally too small to be felt until they are too strong to be broken.“ ~Samuel Johnson If you want to stay fresh, youthful, and alive in this world, forsake habits. Repetitive habits make us feel comfortable, and eventually lull us to sleep. I’m not for removing all habits – just the ones that will rob you of success and happiness. Here are some examples:

At its essence, networking is connecting with people. It can be individuals you know, want to know better, or are considering bringing into your sphere. As social beings the behavior is not only normal but instinctual. So why when I put “business” or “career” in front of networking do many of my executive coaching clients suddenly panic, plead ignorance, or express “hate”? My guess is they’ve never really tested, had a bad experience and/or don’t know the how tos.

With a New Year approaching, you must begin with reflections and resolutions. Look back over where you’ve been and make plans for where you want to go. Critical to your success, though, is what’s happening in each given moment. Stephen R. Frey, creator of NeverSendAResume.com, has published a complimentary workbook to provide you a personal roadmap to profit during the coming year. Fort Wayne, Indiana -- There are over 81 million people unemployed worldwide. Don't even think about the tens, if not hundreds of millions additional people that are underemployed.

The best marketing ideas or business development strategies won’t help you grow your business if they don’t get executed consistently. The most common marketing problem I find happening with small business owners is that the business development plan was just not consistently implemented. The biggest reason why entrepreneurs struggle with execution is largely because the marketing strategies were not systematized. A great definition of S.Y.S.T.E.M.S. is - Save - Your - Self - Time - Energy - Money and - Sanity! How do you systematize your marketing strategy?

Owning and developing your own business can be a stressful endeavor, which should come as no secret to most people. Even those who have never owned their own company will acknowledge the stress and headaches that can come with being the person at the top of a business. You are responsible for not only your own livelihood, but many of you also for the livelihood of employees who work for you.

Many years ago I met a lady who did something brave and adventurous (at least in my eyes). She saw a certain city in her dream and felt quite urged to move there, in spite of the fact that this particular city was on the other side of the world and she was not much of a traveler. However, she did an honest evaluation of her life, ended her unhappy marriage of 25 years, kissed her grown-up kids goodbye and set off for the city she’d seen in her dreams.

Are you going out as a Zombie for Halloween? As a busy woman, executive or business owner –you’re probably a pretty good plate spinner or whirling dervish, as you get pulled in multiple directions on any given day to fulfill your duties as boss, manager, mom, cat herder, taxi driver, friend, lover, confident, and a whole lot more. It’s exhausting isn’t it? And, if you’re not careful, if the plate spinning goes on too long,

Question: “Do performance reviews really work?” — Avril Balderson, CPA Firm in Australia Yoon’s Answer: Avril, my short answer is YES!!!!! They do work! So, why do they don’t work so well for some companies? …What I see is that many companies have performance reviews that just are not specific enough about what the tangible actions and behaviors they want to see more of and which they do not tolerate. This can be slippery if the company does not have a job description written out that clearly describes what the expectations are on specific tasks, results and behaviors.

I was watching a hockey game the other day when I overhead a little girl ask her mother, "What happens if nobody wins?" And with a shrug, the mother answered, "Somebody always wins, honey." Which got me thinking. A la Jerry Seinfeld, what's the deal with winning? There's always got to be a ...

Why to study ACCA?rnACCA makes you eligible to follow your own path to a rewarding and fulfilling career in any sector that you want to work in, in any financial role and position that you would like to work in. It opens doors for you in the corporate world that would have been difficult to prise open.rnACCA is a broad-based certification that opens the doors for diverse rewarding careers in accounting, banking, management, and consulting. You can easily reach influential sen

The end of another decade is racing toward us. After your holiday shopping spree and you're checking your list to see who has been naughty or nice. You need to grab an adult beverage, settle into you favorite chair and review the accomplishments of your B.H.A.G.s. This is rncommonly know as Big Hairy Audacious Goals and think about what you will do in the coming twelve months. Looking ahead to 2011 and preparing for a great year is the theme of my latest free workbook for planning to profit from the coming economic recovery in 2011.

"The person who risks nothing, does nothing, has nothing, is nothing, and becomes nothing. He may avoid suffering and sorrow, but he simply cannot learn and feel and change and grow and love and live." ~ Leo Buscaglia Who has crafted the status quo for your life? Was it you? Was it your parents or a teacher? How long ago was it created? Do you want it to remain the same for the remainder of your life? How do you feel about taking risks?

One of my favorite reports is the annual Corporate Issues Survey by Ken Blanchard Companies. The report reveals the top challenges for Organizations, Management, Employee Development and Human Resources. In the 2008 report, the top five challenges in each area are as follows: Organizational ...

Once you’ve decided to Be the Change in your life, you no longer will be satisfied with not changing. One of the best ways to change is to experiment with new things, new ideas, new habits, new ways, new friends, new job, etc. Think about how good you feel when you wear new clothing. Your whole life should be that enjoyable. Here are some practical rules for experimentation – doing the doing – becoming the proof you seek through the results you make happen.

"Life is the sum of all your choices." ~Albert Camus Each one of us strives to be happy. We also strive NOT to be unhappy. Over the years, each of us has developed habits that we think will make us happy or will not make us unhappy.

Persistence. What is it? The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines persistence as “the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people.” I like how my Pastor defines persistence. He likes to say “I can not be defeated and I will never quit!” That’s persistence! To me, persistence is taking another step towards your worthy goal despite what your circumstances appear like. In pursuing Your Purpose you must have persistence.

Many small to medium sized companies have become so successful that they have bee "corporatized," a term coined that describes the feeling of professionals working in those companies that makes them feel like "cogs in a wheel." In an article the Harvard Business Review, authors Thomas J. Delong, John J. Gabarro and Robert J. Lees argue that the remedy for the corporatized phenomena is for those companies to institute a program of mentoring.

Having been on both sides of the layoff table I can tell you with great confidence that few employment decisions are based strictly on contribution or goal attainment. Don’t get me wrong, making money for the firm is important, doing superior work is essential; however, there is that less tangible side, which often determines what column your name gets placed in. This article’s tips address some of those softer, less obvious issues.

Get ready for the onslaught of articles and parables about being grateful for things that really aren’t that great. Yesterday my 7 year old admonished me to be thankful to have a job. Of course, I don’t. I have my own company because I got fed up with making other people rich and the abuse that can go along with that. Gratitude is dangerous if it’s used as a pablum to make excuses for lousy employer behavior or to weaken our own boundaries.

Goal Setting 201 So, you’re an achiever in life, right? You think you have pretty good goals. You’re a business owner, corporate executive, entrepreneur or someone who wants to achieve more in life. You’ve been to seminars about setting and achieving your goals and you think you’ve pretty much got it down. Well, I would submit to you that you have heard only the first session of goal setting.

People who have more luck than others aren’t afraid to ask others for help. While some might think that this is a sign of weakness, it really isn’t. It is a signal of success. Asking people for help in terms of a referral to someone or opening the door for a possible meeting with someone is totally acceptable behavior. Asking others for constructive criticism is another form of requesting help. The same goes for asking for assistance in an area where you are not an expert. People who are successful do this, not regularly, but at the appropriate times.

Executive education has become a pre-requisite for organizational success. Executive education helps to hone individual skills and meet workplace challenges successfully. Many reputed universities offer regular and online executive education programs which allow working executives to learn the necessary skills at their own pace or place. Executive education has become the need of the hour for corporate executive development. Executive education programs prepare corporate lead

Why do so many resolutions not make it past the first week of January?

Enjoy all things in moderation. ~ William W. Walter There was a time in our civilization when eating was done only for survival. In our times, eating is so plentiful that it's led to eating inappropriately, called emotional eating because we are angry, bored, stressed, frustrated, down in the dumps, watching TV, too busy, and not busy enough, getting together with friends. It's no longer about survival; it's about emotion these days which involves brain chemistry. Brain chemicals influence your emotions but your reason for eating as well, for example:

Q: I have a team of 11 sales reps who have all been working for me for the past 5-10 yrs. I know I should be holding regular meetings with them, but I’m stuck on what to talk about each week. – Bob Kelly Austin, Texas

One of the most remarkable abilities of our mind is it’s ability to remember. Memory allows us to recall what we have learned through experience. The more emotion surrounding the event, the deeper the memory of it stores in our minds. If the emotion was a negative one, frequently our memories get buried and covered up so that their memory no longer hurts us. If the emotion was a positive one, we can enjoy the memory over and over again with a quick desire to go inside and review it. IS YOUR MEMORY SERVING YOU WELL?r