Coaching Skills
How is Your Attitude on Gratitude?
Many years ago, a movie featured a song that offered insights on how best to deal with worry and fatigue. While we are not sure the degree to which the song was based on scientific evidence – the message still rings true today. Here is a line from the song, sung by Bing Crosby in…
Read MoreLooping for Understanding
In today’s contentious and often polarizing dynamic, we search for effective ways to connect and understand others with whom we disagree.
Read MoreThe Importance of Connection
We experience the importance of connection daily—with our significant others, with our families, our friends, our colleagues, our communities, and with those we may encounter rarely or even only once. How do we invite others in? How do we show others we want to connect? We know that we pay attention to body language, facial…
Read MoreIlluminator or Diminisher?
David Brooks, in his new book, How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen, makes a distinction between Diminishers and Illuminators. “Diminishers make people feel small and unseen. Illuminators have a persistent curiosity about other people and have trained themselves in the craft of understanding others. They shine…
Read MoreMay – a Month for Powerful Conversations Wrapped in a SCARF Part 2
A few weeks ago, you had a chance to remember how powerful a tool David Rock gave us in SCARF. As you may remember, the five elements are parts of a tool that can continually guide you in any conversation. Being mindful of words, body language, and gestures, we have an advanced insight into what…
Read MoreMay – a Month for Powerful Conversations wrapped in a SCARF
Throughout my many leadership years in education, the month of May was always joyful to me. It was a time for meaningful conversations, reflections and just learning more about my staff doing the important, yet difficult work in education. Some conversations might be about the future of a staff member, others would certainly be about…
Read MoreCoaching is a Creative Process
In this month’s previous article, we looked at Saundra Dalton-Smith’s 7 Types of Rest that impact our happiness, productivity, and fulfillment. One of those she identified is the need for Creative Rest. Admittedly, age, stress, and the demands of life can diminish our creative options so the question becomes – How do we re-awaken our…
Read MoreHow Do You Feel?
How do you feel? How many times in your life has someone asked you that question? And, how clear were you on articulating how you were feeling? As a child, I’m not certain how I was taught to express my feelings. Sure, I knew to say, “That hurt my feelings.” Or “That makes me mad.”…
Read MoreVertical Coaching
What is vertical coaching? In Coach the Person, Not the Problem, Marcia Reynolds describes vertical coaching as transformational. She defines horizontal coaching as transactional. What is the difference? Transactional coaching stays at the tip of the iceberg, focusing only on results or behaviors. It is about the client deciding what to do or not do…
Read MoreUncovering the Real Challenge
Much of what is called “coaching” is advising or going for the easy “fix” or solution that seems obvious to the coach. What we continue to learn and be ever more mindful of are the dynamics that are hidden beneath the surface. The very fact that they are hidden makes them invisible both to coach…
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