Executive Coach and Executive Coaching Articles

A questio I hear often, along with many others. "When will I finally have time for me...for my life? When will I be successful?" or "When will I know true happiness?" I know my answers will be controversial and cause reactions. Good. If I'm pushing your buttons in any way it means you ...

The Importance Of Accountability ~ Building Your Support System For Success By Jodi Nicholson, CPC MCSC Establishing a strong support system is a vital part of anyone’s success and as a coach, consultant and mentor I encourage you to embrace the quality of accountability. It's wise to partner with a person (known as an accountability partner - AP) or join a mastermind group to keep on track to success.

Watch any skilled speaker on TV - a celebrity, news commentator, or political leader - and chances are, much of their seemingly "effortless" delivery is due to practiced use of a teleprompter. It's also likely that, at some point in your role as a professional communicator, you'll be called on to use a teleprompter, if you haven't already done so. Teleprompters are valuable tools, there's no doubt. But like any technology, their use shouldn't distract you from your primary goal: connecting with your audience.

Executive development is small word with massive meaning attached to it and is very important so that the people associated with you are that worth and caliber is well known as they can outweigh the risk factor empowering the company path on development. There are many probable people and they recognize what keeps on going and the performing capacity is also mapped. The executive training is given to people so that the overall personality of the person changes and this has gr

Before I Became a Mother ... There was never a problem sleeping whenever I felt tired. The time I crawled into bed wasn't dependent on anything but my own schedule. I never dreamed there'd be a day when I wouldn't even have time to brush my teeth or comb my hair! Before I Became a Mother ... My home stayed meticulously clean and I was happy to have friend drop by unannounced. There weren't toys spread all over the place. I never gave a second thought to the sharp corners on my coffee table. Who even knew some plants contained poison?!

Change in today’s turbulent business environment, is a constant and a regular experience. It [change] is endemic, rapid, and often has significant implications. Change has become the norm rather than the exception and leading organizations through fundamental change processes poses a major challenge to management.

Do you have a high performing management team? Could it be better? If your answer is anything less then great,... and yes it could be better. You are not alone. All to often it is easier just to accept that although your team is not functioning optimally, it is perhaps good enough. However the management team is the compass for the entire organization. If at some level a management team is dysfunctional - this dysfunction will spread throughout the organization.

Communicating effectively is a key element to success. It involves the elements of transmitting, receiving and understanding the message being directed to others in relationships especially in the workforce. As a senior leader and manager, I welcomed my employees to state the problem. However, when they bring a problem to the staff meeting they must have some possible solutions in mind to resolve the issue. Moaning, groaning and constant complaining will not work. Seeking resolution will bring respect to you from your managers and fellow colleagues.

“He who guards his mouth preserves his life.” - Proverbs 13:3

Companies, big, medium, small or startups, have one thing in common – try as hard as they might, they can be, at any point of time, get hit by a crisis. The crisis or problem can strike at any time, in any form – be it product-related, financial, human resource, public relations, legal, market driven or internal.

All nonprofit organizations market their services and programs in some manner. This can range from e-mailing an electronic newsletter to posting an ad on a highway bulletin board. Whatever marketing strategies nonprofits choose to employ, they must always be conscious of their marketing budget. This article provides 11 possible marketing strategies nonprofits can employ, depending on their budget.

We all see the world through our normal eyes, but we are aware that there is much more that exists that we can only see through microscopes and telescopes. Similarly, we see the world through our normal perspectives, paradigms, and beliefs, but there is much that exists that we may not be aware of. To see these we need the glasses of awareness. Awareness opens our eyes to things that are all around us, to other people and even to ourselves. We can look at things, people and s

Wouldn’t it be nice to tell donors what to say when they talk about your nonprofit? The Rule of Threes won’t let you control what people say, but it will give you an edge. Use it, and you will be giving them “mini-scripts” that will come to mind when they talk to their friends, colleagues and ...

by Jodi Nicholson “Money grows on the tree of patience.” ~ Japanese Proverb In your life it may seem that all you seem to do is hurry up and then wait. There are many milestones that you look forward to achieving, however it seems like it can take forever for you to get to them. Why is it that people say that ‘patience is a virtue?’ and often times it’s the last thing that you want to hear when you are longing for something to happen. So, how can you go through life with a good understanding of patience and how you can practice it?

The concept of positive psychology is growing in the fields of psychology, management studies and organizational behavior. The focus of this trend is the movement away from the focus of psychology on "fixing" or "repairing" problems to building positive qualities and behaviors.

When you experience life through the tainted glass of negative self beliefs, you create obstacles for yourself on a regular basis. In general, you don’t even realize that you are doing it. Instead, you focus on the difficult time that you are having in reaching your goal or creating the change you want in your life. You tend to see exte al factors as the cause for things being so difficult for you. Yet, not once do you stop to wonder if the difficulty in reaching your goal is self-inflicted.

Diseases, disorders, and conditions seem to go in and out of public favor. Not so long ago everyone seemed to have dyslexia, and then it was ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity disorder). Charlie Sheehan put mania back on the radar. With the widespread success of the movie “Social Media,” “Does he have Asperger’s or doesn’t he” became a popular debate. Speculation by specialist in the field (true gamesmen) has thrown names like Gates, Einstein, Beethoven, Jefferson, Mozart, and yes, Mark Zuckerberg onto the “yes” list. Not bad company.

All art requires practice, and patience. Art requires the proper setting, too. And there is no better setting to perfect the art of being lazy than summer. Being truly lazy seems a lost art in our time of instant messaging, instant gratification -- instant everything. We enjoy so many luxuries, ...

Too quickly, and too often the answer given to this question is “yes.” “Of course you have to move to get to the next level, make more money.” “Everyone knows home-growns are paid less.” True? Not necessarily, according to Monika Hamori, professor of Human Resource Management at the IE Business School in Madrid, Spain. In her July-August 2010 article for the Harvard Business Review, she discusses the myths and facts she deciphered in her eight years researching the global financial industry’s employment records using the data of a large international executive search firm.

Why use Coaching techniques?r

During difficult economic times, how do leaders deal with the challenge of retaining and motivating their best people ? In an article in the Harvard Business Review online, Kevin Coyne says that many examples of high morale come from situations of great unhappiness and stress. He suggests the ...

Icebreakers are great. When you get people together to work on things, getting them to know each other will spur on other positive results. I make it a habit to have an icebreaker at just about every volunteer meeting I conduct, whether the group is large or small. After all, these people chose to volunteer, let’s make it fun for them. These ideas also thrive in a working environment; they help people build the relationships that can move an enterprise forward. Believe it or not, adults like to interact, and play.

No one likes having the difficult conversation whether it is in his or her personal life or at work. Unfortunately they often are essential. What makes the interaction scary is the unpredictability of the response and reaction of the receiver as well as your issues about the topic at hand.

How many hours a week do you work? Do you travel? Do you supervise or mentor people? Are you required to be available to clients 24/7? Do you have to attend work-related events outside of regular work hours? Are there even such things as "regular work hours" where you work? If you answered yes ...

Procrastination is a very common habit among professionals and business owners. It affects them on a daily basis and can create a huge amount of unnecessary stress. 3 Most Common Effects of Procrastination: 1. Lowered morale. Knowing that a job is still incomplete or is unfinished can really lower your morale and self-esteem. 2. Inefficiency at work. Unfinished business tends to clutter up your day and thoughts. Even if you’ve moved on to other tasks, you will tend to remember the one that is undone. 3.

You may be surprised to learn that, with rare exceptions, your audience is rooting for you. Every time you step up to speak, they want you to succeed. If you’re ever witnessed a comedian bomb or a singer hit a “pitchy” note, you’ll know exactly what I mean. The audience shudders with embarrassment for the performer. They want the person on stage to be entertaining — that’s why they came. The same holds true for a speaker giving a presentation.

You just heard the news - you were passed over for the big promotion. Now what should you do? Here are some simple steps that might ease the frustration, give you some insight and help you plan your next career move. Step 1 – Take a deep breath, assess the situation and ask yourself this dozen questions. 1) Did I really want the job or did I just think I should want it? 2) Were the decision makers aware of my aspirations? If not, why not? 3) What are their factors, within and beyond my control, which influenced the choice?r

Are you at Risk of Career Burnout? Career burnout or job burnout syndrome is a state of physical, emotional and mental exhaustion caused by long-term exposure to demanding, stressful, and pressure filled work situations. Burnout is the cumulative result of persistent stress at work. What Factors Affect Likelihood of Suffering from Career Burnout? There are many reasons why a person can end up suffering from burnout syndrome. These are some of the most common ones. 1) Lack of control.

Last month we discussed the difference between a "Business" Lifecycle and a "Project Management" lifecycle and working with the theory that every project is a project within another project; the only project we are responsible and accountable for is our assigned piece of the bigger project. This piece/project is now your number one priority. From "Project Management . . .

One of the biggest challenges entrepreneurs, managers and business owners face is retaining good employees and curbing employee disengagement. As the CEO, you may be banking on some of your high performing team members to achieve certain targets, only to find to your dismay their resignation letters on your table one fine morning. Resignations are rarely spur of the moment decisions. The employee reaches this decision after much thought. If you are an alert CEO or manager, you will be able to spot the signs of disengagement early and take remedial steps.

Are you one of those people who spend hours looking for an item, wasting precious time and energy? Do you get frustrated when you can’t locate an item and find yourself at the store spending money to buy something you know you already possess? Are you ready to take that first step to organize your life and world?

“The future is not a result of choices among alte ative paths offered by the present, but a place that is created--created first in the mind and will, created next in activity. The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and ...

One of my favorite quotes comes from Reinhold Niebuhr. He said “God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.” I think that most people have seen or heard this quote at some point in their lives. It is extremely powerful and life changing once you understand, embrace, and implement it. The purpose of this article is to offer advice on how to implement this philosophy in your life. There are things in life that you can't change no matter how much you might want to or how hard you try.

Consider that every thought you think and every word you say is an affirmation and all of our self-talk or inner dialogue is a stream of affirmations. We are continually affirming subconsciously with our words and thoughts and this flow of affirmations is creating our life experience in every moment. Our beliefs are just learned thought patterns that we have developed since childhood, many of these patterns have worked well for us, but others may now be working against us, they are dysfunctional and may be sabotaging us from achieving what we believe we want.

Providing appropriate initial and ongoing training for new staff members is essential, not only in terms of preparing individuals for their new position, but also in retaining them for a longer period of time. Trained staff members are more knowledgeable and possess a diverse array of skills, enabling them to provide quality services that help the organization accomplish its mission. This article provides useful tips for training new staff members. 1. Upon hire, all new staff members should participate in an employee orientation program.

As companies claw their way out of the doldrums of The Great Recession the time is rapidly approaching to prepare for the next wave of growth. Traditionally, this means ramping up the hiring process, investing in new technology, or a combination of both. As we attempt to catch the upswing out of the trough of the most recent business cycle, many enlightened companies are looking in another direction to increase their productivity and capacity. They’re looking inside of their companies for the resources they’ll need to drive growth in the coming years.

These days a growing number of people are joining CEO peer groups in the hope of getting insight and expertise of other CEOs that can help them tackle crucial business and strategic management issues and make their organizations more successful and productive. However it is extremely important to join the right CEO group which will be suitable for your needs. A wrong CEO conference is a sheer waste of your precious time and money. Here are few tips to help you choose the right CEO group: A CEO peer group must boast of varied expertise

Have you ever observed a conversation from a distance and guessed what was happening from the body posture and gestures of the participants? A childhood friend of mine and I did that for fun. Oh the stories that we'd create. Today I still do it and I could write volumes about this topic: reading faces, socializing, body language, and technology responses. Taking a quick look into what we don't say says is like pulling back the veil on effective communication. Often, there's a bit more going on behind a smiling face than a smiling face.

Whether you are in business for yourself or working for someone else, you need a vision for your professional life. And that vision should incorporate your personal aspirations as well. (We often act as if we are multiple people- one individual lives our work life and another lives our personal life. How about we integrate all of our dreams and aspirations together and treat ourselves as a whole person?) Here’s five reasons you need a vision to fuel your professional and personal life! 1.It provides direction.

Are you a lemonade kind of person? Is your glass more full than empty? Do you see blue sky through the rain clouds? Did you say sometimes, most of the time, almost never? Look, we know that accentuating the positive is good for us. And there are lots of studies that show those who have a positive outlook have better health, happier relationships, and more success.

I celebrated 16 years of having a disability on May 21st. I was going to edit the word “celebrated” and then decided that it was okay to use that word. There are many things to celebrate that have come out of the journey of the past 16 years. To be honest, most years this anniversary goes by without my even noticing. But this year I took note of it as a couple friends had significant events on that day and it dawned on me that it was a significant day for me too.

Are you envious of people who can go on vacation and not give work, home, or other obligations a thought? I use to be but then decided it really wasn’t the right mindset for me.

It’s important that we first come to terms with the rigidity of personal behavior. It just doesn’t change much after the age of 12 or so. The Right Orbitofrontal Cortex (ROC), which is the part of the brain directly above the right eye, contains the master plan for our behavior. It controls what we do and say each day. Studies indicate that traits and behaviors start to cement between the ages of 8 and 12. By the time we reach adulthood, the malleability is lost, and our personality is imprinted on our brain.

Although coaching is beginning to gain some momentum in the nonprofit field, most nonprofit professionals don't understand what coaching is or how it can be of value to them in their personal or professional life. Also, individuals often confuse coaching with therapy, counseling, or consulting.

In this age of information overload, the window of opportunity to keep your audience’s attention gets smaller by the tweet. How bad is it? It has been reported that we are bombarded by the equivalent of 174 newspapers of data a day. No doubt about it; we constantly battle a tidal wave of information demanding our attention. The question is, “what can you do to capture the attention of your listeners?” Here are eight ways to “disrupt” the barrage of noise so your message is heard. 1. Tell a story.r

No matter how much individuals like their jobs, they’re entitled to be paid. Years ago the company my father was an executive with was purchased in a hostile takeover. The new owners were unable to deliver the paychecks on payday. Their response was, “They’ll just have to wait ‘til Monday.” “My people can’t wait until Monday, they have kids to feed!” was my father’s angry response. He then took matters into his own hands. A town meeting of the 50 staff members was called.

The greatest myth for a leader is to think, “I have arrived”. Organizational landscapes are always changing, bringing along with them new problems and new possibilities. Therefore leaders can’t afford to stop growing in their ability to manage change. Change management is one of the key competencies for leadership success for it navigates people through the maze of changes that arise in any organization’s journey. Sometimes these changes occur intentionally through strategic initiatives and other times they occur as a by-product from the constant shifts that occur in our world.

You’ve heard it said many times, “Follow your bliss. Pursue your passion. Do what you love doing”. Not only has it been said for thousands of years, and it’s also backed by modern career interest surveys and assessments. It doesn’t take a scientist to figure out that most people do well what ...

Research shows that even with the best products and business practices, you still need strong relationships to succeed in this marketplace. The following is a roadmap to turn personality differences into positive business results. Respect is at the heart of building business relationships. It is the glue that holds together the functioning of teams, partnerships and managing relationships. (Up and down, peer-to-peer, internally and exte ally). Respecting the right to differ is a concept like apple pie and motherhood.

Recently, a client expressed anxiety about presenting. She said she always over-prepared, obsessing for weeks in advance, losing sleep and repeatedly rehashing what she wanted to say and do. I asked her, "When do you know your presentation is good enough?" She responded, “Good enough to do what?” Her question led me to read TJ Walker’s two excellent books, How to Give a Pretty Good Presentation and TJ Walker’s Secret to Foolproof Presentations.