Coaching Skills
Holding People Accountable in a Coach-Like Way
One of the ICF (International Coach Federation) competencies is Managing Progress and Accountability. As coaches, we hold our clients accountable in ways that are supportive and not punitive or guilt-producing. There are no “shoulds” involved, only reminders or gentle probing about our client’s intent. I often find that clients hold themselves accountable just knowing that…
Read MoreMentor and Coach – Enter the Land of Co-creation
I am intrigued when I hear leaders who have been through our coaching seminars say they are “called to mentor and coach their staff.” I think their intention is to use both roles to support and help teachers grow professionally in their instructional knowledge and skills. Do these terms mentoring and coaching represent two different…
Read MoreIt’s Time
Time to Celebrate In the school business it is “COUNT DOWN TIME” to summer vacations. It is also time to finish those last minute lessons, time to turn in your grades and TIME TO CELEBRATE. Taking time to celebrate the year and the staff members who made it all happen with a form of positive…
Read MoreAny Time is a Time for a PARTY
How do you intentionally build PARTY time into your work culture? One easy way to do this is to live out the P.A.R.T.Y. acronym. This P.A.R.T.Y., learned through the research of Greg Butterfield, says a company’s most important intellectual property is not stored on a hard drive, but tucked away in the minds of their…
Read MoreSCARF: Preventing Exposure to Dysfunction
Neuroscience study after study continues to reveal the emerging new knowledge that the human brain is a social organ. Its physiological and neurological reactions are directly and profoundly shaped by social interaction. The challenge this presents for leaders is that instead of the “job” being regarded as an exchange for financial compensation, we now know…
Read MoreGet Back on Track With What YOU Want…
While I was in the classroom, I got an email from a teacher who wanted to talk with me about a student issue. As I walked to her class I was thinking to myself, ‘Don’t be a solution listener.’ I listened to the issue, paraphrased what she was telling me, and then proceeded to ask…
Read MoreBeing Contagious Makes You and Your School Better
What principal would not want high quality instruction in every classroom of the school EVERY day of the year? That means even when holidays are coming, testing is nearing, there are only 15 days between one break and another, or the end of the year is in sight. Every minute is precious learning time! That…
Read MoreClean out! Throw out! Reach out!
Spring heralds the season of rebirth, renewal, spring cleaning and freshness. We can apply these principles of Spring to our own lives as well, as we dig out of the muck of winter and get unstuck from old assumptions, negative thoughts, and cluttered and unproductive thinking. Whether you work in a business, in a school,…
Read MoreAdvice Does Not Equal Coaching
Margo was extremely bright and had recently earned a doctorate in education from an Ivy League School. She came to our first coaching session with a very clear set of goals and was ready to achieve them. Although Margo was a charter school director in an urban setting, she now wanted to change direction and…
Read MoreChange – Who Wants It?
Want change? I do if it’s considered beneficial to my goals and desires. My hunch is that you do too. We all want change that leads to different and more positive ways of experiencing life –personally or professionally, in order to get stronger results. Then why are some changes so hard to accomplish? For example,…
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