Good beginning of the week, everyone-

The coach’s challenge of the day is to “celebrate what you want to see more
of”. Throughout the week we often witness each other making an effort that
goes above and beyond the usual standard of a “job description”. It may be
a small gesture (over in a heart beat) or it may be one of those bigger,
more heroic gestures that makes that person’s day much tougher. Regardless
of the size of the effort, we see someone take an extra step (or 500 extra
steps)on behalf of the whole. Part of great leadership is noticing, and
acknowledging. We all have a thousand good reasons we don’t give that most
rare reward, acknowledgement- We have a meeting to go to, we don’t want a
compliment to go to someone’s head, they don’t like being the center of
attention, they’re busy right now, we just praised them last week, we don’t
want them sitting on their laurels. The bottom line is we miss an
opportunity to celebrate great work.

Aim for giving more mini doses of positive feedback right when you notice
things, in the moment. Monthly one-on-ones, annual reviews, scorecards or
periodic evaluations are all valuable formats for giving organized feedback,
but they’re not going to put the spring in our step that makes a work day
fly by. What gives us that extra boost is knowing that the people we work
with pay attention to what we do well. Acknowledging great work, however
small, inspires ownership, quality, and endurance.

“Correction does much, but encouragement does more.” Johann Goethe

“Celebrate what you want to see more of.” Thomas J Peters

Have a good week-

Kathleen

Good day Team,

The coach’s challenge of the week is to consider ‘leading from within”. Leading from within extends and builds upon empowerment and participative management. It also reflects the core of the leader’s being. In fact, it is a way of being. Tips and techniques alone do not define leading from within. Leading from within is a combination of character ethics, including keeping promises, being honest, and exercising courage. It’s also about personality, or how personally effective we are in our work and our personal lives and if our actions are trustworthy. True leaders inspire by their actions, not just by their words. Ask yourself, “If I’m not leading from my inner guiding principles and values, what am I leading from?”

Here are examples of the different approaches that are taken by leaders who lead from within and those who do not. You will see that the left column represents actions that may be required to continue to be profitable whereas the right column represents actions that have purpose or meaning. Of the two, which actions are more sustainable and inspiring?

Numbers-focused purpose (external) Higher purpose/vision (within)

* “make a buck” approach * evokes higher values

* doesn’t mean much to employees * has personal application

* cold and impersonal * inspirational

* focuses on reports * focus on bringing out the best in people

* short-term results * long-term results

* ends when number reached * continues forever

Leading from within requires self-awareness. Unless you are familiar with your inner territory, you will not understand your core strengths or your flat spots. By observing your inner world as well as your external actions, you can see how integrated you are, or how much integrity you have. Is your behavior a good example of your inner values? Do you justify poor behavior in yourself and others because you’re at work and therefore, you don’t need to behave as well as you would with friends or family? Are you inspiring others by who you are as well as what you do and how you do it? Are you acting one way towards your team members but feeling the exact opposite internally?

“Each of us must be the change we want to see in the world”. Gandhi

Have a great week!

Kathleen

Good morning Team,

It seems appropriate to acknowledge the New Year with a coach’s challenge about beginning. I have some practical observations about beginnings. 1. We tend to begin the things we like to do without any resistance. 2. We tend to put off beginning the things we don’t like to do. 3. We often ponder when to begin only to find it becomes too late to do. 4. The beginnings of all things are small (this thought comes from Cicero).

When we begin with the more difficult parts of a task, we often find that it is easier to continue on until the task is done. We all know that procrastination only makes the difficult tasks much harder to accomplish. We can use the newness of this time of year to give us the extra energy we need to tackle those things we tend to avoid. It’s a good time to think about short term accomplishments within the context of long term goals. It’s also an opportune time to take initiative in areas we’ve avoided in the past.

Try to see an area in your work where you typically procrastinate and make an effort to begin to work with it, even if it’s a small effort. Sometimes just by beginning to do something, we find that we’ve already accomplished a lot.

“The difference between getting somewhere and nowhere is the courage to make an early start. The fellow who sits still and does just what he is told will never be told to do big things.” Charles M. Schwab

And from Johann Von Goethe, “Are you in earnest? Seize this very minute. What you can do, or dream you can do, begin it. Begin it and the work will be completed.”

Have a great week!

Kathleen

Good morning Team,

The coach’s challenge of the week is about letting things be as they are and not trying to make everything perfect. This weekend I found myself rushing from place to place, struggling to do Christmas shopping, working on preparing my house for the holidays, sending out Christmas cards, making lists about people and stuff so I don’t forget anyone at Christmas, trying to fit business meetings, projects, and Holiday engagements all into the same two week period and making sure I get all the out of town family member’s packages in the mail by this week! Finally, by Sunday afternoon I just stopped and asked myself, “is this really the way I want to spend another Christmas and New Years?” Every year I do this, and every year I’m pretty much exhausted by the time January 2 rolls around. So, today I decided that my challenge for this next two weeks is to just let things develop the way they will and to try not to make everything perfect.

The Holidays usually bring lots of extra stress and pressure to all of us and yet, this is the time of year when we are supposed to be feeling, love, joy and peace. At least that’s what all the Christmas cards say! I wonder how it would be if I could just sail through the next few weeks feeling free of any major obligations and I was simply able to enjoy the spirit of the season with my family and friends.

My challenge is to let it be. Let each day come and unfold itself as it is meant to be. Perhaps I can allow myself to enjoy these days of celebration with peace and love as my guiding principles instead of getting stressed out and irritated by everything I have to get done. I hope to give more than I receive this Christmas and to enjoy it for what it’s worth; the simple act of giving to me and others a little kindness and good cheer.

“People are happier at Yuletide because they take the milk of human kindness out of the deep freeze.” Arnold Glasow

Have a great week!

Kathleen

Good morning Team,

The coach’s challenge for the week is to think globally. We are kept so busy day to day that we often don’t take time to think beyond our immediate challenge or our short term goals. The idea that we could somehow affect the greater world outside of us seems foreign. And yet, there is no doubt that the consequences of our actions and decisions are much greater than we often anticipate.

Thinking globally gives us a chance to see how we impact the larger picture of the world around us. We know that when we do something at work, it often impacts many more people than we expect it to. How often have you made a decision about something and thought you informed all the affected parties, just to find out that there were even more people who were affected that you hadn’t even thought about? This gives us an insight into the impact that our actions have that we are often unaware of. Thinking globally means thinking intentionally about how our actions reverberate throughout the environment. This includes everything from working on a community support campaign to remembering to re-cycle paper at work or in our homes. We are all connected to the world around us and each of us has an opportunity to stop and think about our impact upon it.

Have a great week

Kathleen

Good morning Team,

The coach’s challenge for this week is to feel gratitude. With the experience of Thanksgiving just behind us and the coming of Christmas in a few weeks, it’s an opportune time to feel grateful for all that we have.

Feeling abundant is a state of mind. Each of us is given what we need in so many ways. We live in the richest country in the world and we have so many choices based on the world that’s been created around us. We know this is not the case for many people who live on the Earth. It’s important for us to take the time to appreciate all that we have so that our state of appreciation increases. It’s also important for those who are less fortunate so that our appreciation and abundance is accessible to them.

“Two kinds of gratitude: The sudden kind we feel for what we take; the larger kind we feel for what we give.” Edwin Arlington Robinson

We also see that when we are grateful, we are not jealous or envious. We see that when we feel secure, important and appreciated, it is not necessary for us to whittle others down in order to seem bigger by comparison. True appreciation for your self is at the heart of gratitude. The more you appreciate your true nature the greater your abundance grows.

Have a great week!

Kathleen

Good morning Team,

The coach’s challenge for the week is to be consistent. The definition for consistent in the dictionary reads as follows: Agreeing or accordant, compatible, not self-contradictory. Constantly adhering to the same principles, course, form, etc. Holding firmly together, cohering. Syn. Congruous, harmonious.

Year’s ago I asked Bill McGowan, the founder and first CEO of MCI, what he thought were the three most important qualities a leader needed to possess. He answered, ‘authenticity, consistency and a sense of humor’. My observation is that authenticity comes with experience, wisdom and courage. These are qualities that do not come easily to any of us. It is through many years of successes and failures that we begin to understand more about who we really are and become more authentic in our actions. Consistency, on the other hand, is something we can work at everyday. Certainly, consistency is a part of authenticity. If we are able to be consistent by supporting our words with the same actions, we find that trust begins to grow with our team members and colleagues.

I often think of Abraham Lincoln in this context. He was a good example of someone who was consistent. Throughout his Presidency, his words and deeds were the same; he adhered to the same fundamental principles and continued to give the same messages, regardless of his challenges. His words and actions have stood the test of time and they are as authentic today as they were in his time.

Try being more consistent in your actions this week. If you say you’ll do something, do it. If you know your team members are confused because you’ve said one thing and are doing another, try taking the time to give them a clearer message. If you’re counseling someone to work more cooperatively, try being more cooperative yourself. Try walking the talk and meaning it. Everyone will see you as being more consistent and they will trust in your actions.

Have a great week (and Happy Thanksgiving!) –

Kathleen

Good morning Team,

The coach’s challenge for this week is to get enough exercise. With the changing of the seasons, we all find ourselves spending more and more time inside. It’s not as easy to take an exercise break during the day when the weather is inclement. We find ourselves caught up in the momentum of the work day without taking any time to exercise and then wonder why we get sick or feel tired all the time. It’s important that we add some physical exercise into our daily routine to keep us healthy and alert.

Try signing up at a health club and setting the same time each week to go and workout. Maybe it’s easier to invest in exercise equipment for your home and you get up a little earlier to work out before you come to the office. Maybe it’s as simple as wearing warmer clothes so you can take a walk around the building once a day. Ask a team member if they’d like to walk with you…. it’s a nice way to take a break and connect with someone at work.

As we move into the winter solstice, our days get shorter and shorter. We often go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. Since we don’t have the luxury of being able to hibernate, try keeping more light around you during these days. Plenty of studies show us that light is essential to our well being. We know that when we don’t have enough of it, we are prone to depression. Add a few extra candles into your home environment, the light and warmth they render is well worth the small cost. Make sure you have enough lights on in your work environment. Try wearing brighter colors from time to time, you’ll find the added color will make you feel better.

Each of us is responsible for making sure our bodies and minds are in good shape. Be creative about how you’ll add more exercise and light into these winter months. You’ll feel better all the way around.

Hi Team,

The coach’s challenge of the week is to use time wisely. One of the best lessons that anyone can learn in life is how to use time wisely. Consider what can be done in ten minutes: a pianist can deliver the performance of a lifetime, you can learn a new dance step, a football game can be lost or won in the last ten minutes (for that matter, a game can be lost in the last 10 seconds!), you can write a short poem, or tell a story to someone, or call your parents to say hello. You can send an e-mail to a team member, or celebrate someone’s birthday at work, or make coffee. You can pick tomatoes, or do dishes, or deliver a short speech. You can also sit and gaze out the window and do nothing at all for ten minutes.

Our experience of time is based on how we perceive it. If we have too much of it, we can become bored. If we don’t have enough of it, we become stressed. If something is taking too long, we become impatient. If it happens too quickly, we become frightened. Ironically, it’s not time itself that is actually changing but our perception of it changes our experience of it. In the workplace, most of feel that we don’t have enough time to do everything we need to do. Interestingly enough, I have found that the amount of time I spend worrying about not having enough time wastes a lot of my time! If I can relax into the time I have and methodically get things done, I often end up with time to spare.

“A sense of the value of time – that is, of the best way to divide one’s time into one’s various activities- is an essential preliminary to efficient work; it is the only method of avoiding hurry.” Arnold Bennett

Our experience of time is also altered by the degree of enjoyment or passion we experience in any given moment. Time passes too quickly when we’re doing something we really enjoy and our memory of that experience is often so clear that it seems we were there just yesterday. Each of us can be on vacation for a week and it seems like we’ve been gone much longer than that when we return to work. There is something about being out of our normal routine that makes time expand.

Try experimenting with time this week. Instead of arriving at work at your usual time, try getting there an hour earlier. Try spending an hour at work doing something you rarely have time to do like catching up on your business reading, or researching something on the internet that you know will help your business. Go to lunch with a team member at a restaurant you’ve never been to. See if you can sit for five minutes without doing anything at all. Make a choice about how you’d like to spend your time and you will save time.

Have a great week!

Kathleen

Good beginning of the week, everyone-

The coach’s challenge of the day is to “celebrate what you want to see more
of”. Throughout the week we often witness each other making an effort that
goes above and beyond the usual standard of a “job description”. It may be
a small gesture (over in a heart beat) or it may be one of those bigger,
more heroic gestures that makes that person’s day much tougher. Regardless
of the size of the effort, we see someone take an extra step (or 500 extra
steps)on behalf of the whole. Part of great leadership is noticing, and
acknowledging. We all have a thousand good reasons we don’t give that most
rare reward, acknowledgement- We have a meeting to go to, we don’t want a
compliment to go to someone’s head, they don’t like being the center of
attention, they’re busy right now, we just praised them last week, we don’t
want them sitting on their laurels. The bottom line is we miss an
opportunity to celebrate great work.

Aim for giving more mini doses of positive feedback right when you notice
things, in the moment. Monthly one-on-ones, annual reviews, scorecards or
periodic evaluations are all valuable formats for giving organized feedback,
but they’re not going to put the spring in our step that makes a work day
fly by. What gives us that extra boost is knowing that the people we work
with pay attention to what we do well. Acknowledging great work, however
small, inspires ownership, quality, and endurance.

“Correction does much, but encouragement does more.” Johann Goethe

“Celebrate what you want to see more of.” Thomas J Peters

Have a good week-

Kathleen