Accomplishment Coaching

During a conversation earlier today, a client shared with me her frustration with how a project is going - or actually not going.  Between her teammates not completing a milestone on time, her boss inquiring for the third time on the status of her board presentation, and painful discomfort in her lower back (origin not currently known), she’s overwhelmed and confronted.  Adding to the situation was a phone call from her 10-year old asking if she’d actually be home for dinner any evening this week.

And so it goes climbing the ladder of accomplishment, praise and recognition.  For most of us, we’ve all logged in the 100’s of hours, the late nights, the back-to-back meetings and the neglect of our larger life.

It’s not surprising that our conversation turned quickly to her back.  “Herniated disk.  Did it playing volleyball.  Can’t seem to get rid of it.  Physical therapy is helping though.”  Her speaking painted the same picture.

Familiar story?  Lack of time & money, frustration, anxiety, overwhelm and the neglect of our well-being are expert “ease-vacuums.”

Plus, the aches, pains, illness and sickness we experience fall into the category of disease… think about it “dis” - “ease.”  Or in Webster’s word origin definition, “Without ease.”

I’m sure my client’s physical therapist is doing great work to alleviate the pain in my client’s back.  And I wonder how much faster she’d heal if she created more “ease”, let alone if she would have ever herniated her disk in the first place.

What are you doing to promote your “dis-ease?”  What are you doing to promote “more-ease?”

Imagine a world where we learned to say “no” to the urgent and unimportant, let what our boss said roll off our backs just a bit more, and invested more time in playing. 

You might just end up creating a world without disease.

Think about it,

-Coach Preston

Preston True Career Development, Leadership Development, Marketing, Spirituality Business Development, Career Development, Coaching, Entrepreneur, Leadership, Sales and Marketing

I’ve not counted the number of books in my bookshelf recently.  However, I can assure you there are just a few that really stand out.

Seth Godin’s, Linchpin, is nothing short of a masterpiece.

If you’re content with the status quo, this book will annoy the heck out of you.

If you’re ready to become who you truly are, this book will be magical.  Read it today.

-Coach Preston

Preston True Career Development, Leadership Development, Marketing, Spirituality Coaching, Entrepreneur, Leadership

Remember starting that new job?  Or moving into a new position after a promotion?  As exciting as it can be, it frequently comes with some challenges, especially for a new sales manager.

So, what are the greatest challenges a new sales director / manager faces?  And most importantly, what are some ways to move beyond those challenges?

1) Overcoming the context of “You need to fix the mess your predecessor left behind.”

Suggestion = Start a dialogue with your boss and direct reports to get their experience of your predecessor complete. No matter what happened with your predecessor, you’re walking into an existing context that may not support your success. Context is decisive, so if you don’t address this, you will have a heck of a time “proving yourself” because your boss and team will be constantly comparing you to your predecessor rather than the actual goals of the organization.

2) Align the existing sales team on your vision, commitment and goals for the organization.

Suggestion = A new sales director/manager (like any human) will automatically focus on their performance. That’s not your job. Your job is to publicize your vision, commitment and goals for the organization by fostering partnerships, defining clear expectations, and implementing a uniform project design or results plan that everyone is accountable to - including you.

3) Ensuring an effective and fair system for having the right team in place.

Suggestion = Fostering authentic and responsible relationships with your team AND defining crystal clear expectations is paramount. In doing so, you have the ability to inspire, acknowledge, discipline and terminate members of your team with the fewest negative consequences. Have a clear results measurement system, publicize it, coach your team to take appropriate action on the plan, offer feedback immediately, and don’t be afraid to make changes to the team at any time.

As a new leader, you have a terrific opportunity to make a difference.  By focusing on serving your new team, you will accelerate relationships and results immediately.

Preston True Career Development, Leadership Development, Marketing Business Development, Career Development, Coaching, Entrepreneur, Leadership, Sales and Marketing

Goal #144 - “Ask my partner to give three hours of his/her time per week, to release me to do something I really enjoy.” ~ Thomas Leonard, www.thomasleonard.com

Can you imagine that? 

Most of us can’t.  Time is just too scarce.  Just too valuable.  Plus, we’re the only ones who can do what we do.

What a crazy trap we set for ourselves.  Much of it is based in ego; the rest based in the concept that suffering under current circumstances is still more comfortable than changing them.

So why not ask your partner, friend, spouse or colleague to give three hours of his/her time this week.  Sure it might seem a bit uncomfortable, but imagine what those three hours will be like if you’re doing something you really, really want to do.

If you’re really saavy, you might just consider spending those three hours developing even more awareness and breakthroughs around time - check out our Time Leadership Workshop on February 25^th.

Tick tock,

- Coach Preston

Preston True Career Development, Leadership Development, Marketing Business Development, Client Development, Entrepreneur, Personal Development, Professional Development, Sales and Marketing

Leadership is often thought of as a mysterious title or set of skills, available only to a priviledged few.  That is not the case.

Listen in to my interview with architect and carpenter, Roger Wade.  Roger shares an inspirational story of leading by example in family and career.

Listen in by clicking here.

Happy Listening,

-Coach Preston

Preston True Career Development, Leadership Development, Marketing, Spirituality Career Development, Leadership, Personal Development, Sales and Marketing