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

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

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

Tired of always having the answer?

What questions is your leadership team asking?  Perhaps more importantly, what questions is your leadership team NOT asking?

Your organization’s ability to ask the “right questions” is critical to its success.  Unfortunately, your business, like mine, is likely at the effect of the training and experience each individual has received for years through American academia and culture - the training called having the “right answer”.

We see it daily in our lives:

• Our children are rewarded at school for the highest number of right answers
• Our businesses and organizations reward employees for having the right answers and doing the job correctly
• Our clients pay us handsomely for giving them the right answers
• We spend thousands of dollars a month or year marketing ourselves as “experts” - i.e. the one who has the best answers

So, it’s not surprising to consider that all of us have been programmed to have the “right answers”.

At first glance, having the right answer offers many benefits:

• Students who have more right answers get higher grades
• Workers who can solve problems quickly get more money and promotions
• People are recognized as experts when they have more of the right answers

It would seem that having the right answers is all we need to succeed in life.

Today, I’m going to challenge that belief.  Consider our emphasis on having the right answers actually debilitates us and keeps us small and safe.

You see, when we insist on having the right answers:

• We are attached to being right which drastically narrows our ability to create vision or get altitude (perspective) on situations
• We develop a powerful context of black/white or either/or thinking that kills off tremendous possibility
• We inhibit powerful creativity and access to new perspectives
• We frequently dis-empower our team leading to dissention and confusion

As leaders, we cannot afford to have the right answers. 

Case in point - GM, Chrysler and Ford have all been playing the game of “right answers”.  For years, they’ve been telling us what the best cars are to drive.  For two of those three organizations, that philosophy has led to some incredibly tough times.

So what’s the alternative?

Please take a moment to reflect on the following question:

What’s possible for you, your business and your team if you spent just 20% more time focused on identifying the right questions?

In Germany, major business organizations (Diamler, Siemans, SAP for example), have entire departments dedicated to Grundsatzfragen, meaning “fundamental questions”.  The primary role of this department is to create and discuss fundamental questions.   When many of these companies have been acquired by a US company, the Grundsatzfagen departments have been eliminated.  (Click for attribution and more)

Questions are the life-blood of creativity, reinvention and evolution.  Questions stir vision, purpose and passion.  Questions lead to some of the richest conversations that not only spur collaborative and intimate relationships, but ultimately lead to the most effective “right answers”.

Do you know what question led to the invention of the McDonald’s fast food empire?  Ray Kroc asked, “Where can I get a good hamburger on the road?”  Ray didn’t start with having the right answer.

Leadership Practices:

1. Play a game.  For one week, record the number of times you give people the answer.  Scoring key = 0-3 times - great work empowering questions; 4-6 times - you’ve got some room to practice asking more questions; 7-10 times - congratulations - you’re not only the “answer-man/woman but you’ve effectively eliminated all creativity and have trained your team to be entirely dependent on you! 
2. Practice asking questions that evoke a future vision rather than solve a problem.  For example, “What’s the possibility or opportunity we see inside our overtime situation?” rather than “How do we reduce overtime?”
3. Create a semi-monthly meeting (twice a month) in which you and your leadership DO NOT answer a single question or issue.  Make the sole purpose of this meeting to identify the “right questions” your leadership team needs to be asking.
4. Invite a facilitator in to run a Leadership Cafe for you - it’s a powerful, structured experience that allows you to identify the right questions your oganization needs to be asking.

Giving up always having the answer may not happen overnight, but focusing on the right questions will get you further, create more success and, ultimately, have you develop a more fulfilling business and team.

Happy Curiosity,

-Coach Preston

Preston True Career Development, Leadership Development, Marketing Career Development, Client Development, Coaching, Leadership, Professional Development, Spirituality

If you’re wondering what coaching is all about, here is a terrific opportunity to discover what the world of professional coaching has to offer.

Today and tomorrow in East Lansing, MI, the Professional Coaches Association of Michigan is hosting their annual conference.  It’s open to anyone who’s interested.

I’m heading up there this morning and would love to see you there. 

Learn more at MichiganCoaches.org.

Cheers,

-Coach Preston

Preston True Career Development, Leadership Development, Marketing, What is Coaching? Career Development, Leadership, Personal Development, Professional Development