As a developmental methodology, coaching has emerged as a very effective set of skills and tools that is not “flavor of the month” and continues to have a positive impact on individuals and organizations. Why is that? The simple reason is that these skills are practical, relatively simple in understanding and, quite surprisingly, common sense. Unfortunately however they are not a natural default setting for most people. We prefer to speak rather than question or listen, we consider primarily our own perspective, and we typically think of ourselves before others. Whilst this is not all Read more »

With the advent of technology and globalization the manner in which business is conducted has dramatically changed over the last 20 years. Dan Pink, in A Whole New Mind refers to the transition from Agricultural to Industrial to Information and now to what he describes as the Innovative or Creative Revolution. The advent of technology and globalization has very much driven this changing landscape, particularly here in the US, and this can be somewhat illustrated by considering the following shifts:

Employee Engagement is the collective level of intellectual and emotional commitment employees have toward their work and organization. It is a strategic approach supported by plans and actions for driving improvement and organizational change.

Organizations are for ever wondering what the magic pill to optimum people performance might be. There are so many factors that relate to this such as knowledge, attitude, personality, communications, behaviors, etc that makes “achieving optimum” quite illusive and rather complex. Needs analysis and assessments are conducted to help disseminate what is most critical and development plans are created accordingly. These go a long way but not the full journey.

Though coaching at its purest is very much about meeting your client where they are, a question also arises as to how a coach can appropriately educate and enlighten. Information and knowledge is a key to advancement and very often coaches possess this wisdom but are not quite sure how to share.

In truth the best coaches are also teachers. They are blessed with an uncanny ability of presenting knowledge in a very receptive way because they are doing it with a sense of purpose for their Read more »

According to a study conducted by Blessing White, 45% of workers in the US are either “likely” or “definitely planning” on leaving their jobs in the next 12 months.  Another study conducted by MetLife suggests something similar in that one in three hopes to find a new job in the next 12 months.  What is quite ironic with both of these studies, is that it comes at a time when unemployment is at an all time high.  However, according to another study conducted by career website Read more »

Our perceptions about other people are very much influenced by availability of information or ease of access to it relative to that person. Whether it’s what we were exposed to growing up or the constant flow from the media, our brain becomes wired to deal with certain people based on these experiences and consequently we very often make some key decisions literally “without thinking”.

According to Dr. Mahzarin Banaji of Harvard University, it turns out that however fair-minded we like to think we are, we make snap judgments Read more »

1. Clear vision of the future

They have absolute clarity on where the business is heading even if unsure how and by when they will get there. They truly believe in the vision.

2. Big picture thinkers

They focus on what’s critical and allow others to manage the detail by clearly understanding the key drivers and associated success indicators. They do not micromanage.

3. Invest in their people

They see that a primary role for them is to ensure that people are performing at an optimum level. Talent management, from Read more »

Have you ever been at a meeting where there might be some tension which is contributing to a less than productive interaction?  Somebody has said the wrong thing or done something that exception is taken to and, before you know it, the meeting is going down hill rapidly.

What in fact has happened is that a stimulus, whether a word or action, has caused a drain in energy for many in the room and they become emotionally disconnected.  This manifests itself in a mood shift where people are no longer listening, not wanting to contribute and certainly not receptive to taking Read more »

Why is it that the focus of Leadership primarily revolves around the relationship a leader has with others? One forgets that this whole process very much starts with the relationship you have with yourself. If this sounds a little bizarre, let me explain.

Do people sometimes regard you as unpredictable, unapproachable (depending on the day), not very receptive to bad news, sad, perhaps not even fun to be around? If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you could be lacking in the Genos EI skill of Emotional Self Management. This skill pertains to Read more »