Year: 2024

Maximizing Value in Coaching: A Guide for Coaches, Leader-Coaches, and Coachees

Coaching is an incredibly rewarding process, but it requires effort and intention from both the coach and the coachee. Whether you’re a leader-coach managing a team or a coachee aiming to grow professionally, maximizing value from each session is crucial. Drawing from my experience coaching over 70 individuals directly and indirectly, I’ve compiled a framework that ensures coaching sessions drive tangible outcomes and continuous improvement.

Here’s a guide to structuring coaching conversations for success, along with tips to enhance accountability, action, and value.

The 5-Step Framework for Effective Coaching Conversations

1. Set a Clear Agenda Start with a well-defined agenda. Sharing it beforehand helps set expectations and ensures both parties come prepared. My go-to coaching agenda includes these five key items:
   • Wins and Learnings (7 minutes): Begin with a review of recent achievements and insights. Celebrating wins and reflecting on learnings cultivates a growth mindset and reinforces positive momentum.
   • Key Risks or Worries: Identify current challenges or concerns. This step not only highlights areas requiring immediate attention but also provides rich material for deeper coaching discussions.
   • KPI Updates: Provide a quick status check on key performance indicators. While not the focus of every session, these updates offer a critical context for the overall progress.
   • Follow-up on Action Items: Review progress on previously agreed-upon actions. Accountability is a cornerstone of coaching, and this step ensures commitments are honored.
   • New Discussion Items: Dive into fresh topics or challenges. Encourage coachees to bring specific issues, such as performance reviews, delegation strategies, or employee concerns, to the table.

A consistent agenda fosters structure and clarity, making each session more impactful.

1. Come Prepared
   Preparation amplifies the value of any coaching session. Coachees who reflect on the agenda items beforehand—perhaps in a shared Google Sheet—often experience breakthroughs even before the conversation begins. Writing down responses not only enhances accountability but also primes the mind for focused discussions.
2. Summarize the Key Takeaways
   Leave time at the end of each session for a summary. This step helps solidify the key insights and ensures alignment on action items. Whether the coach or coachee leads the summary, the act of articulating the next steps clarifies priorities and fosters commitment.
3. Document Everything
   Documenting conversations is essential for continuity. Capturing notes, action items, and agenda highlights in a shared document allows for seamless follow-up in future sessions. For leader-coaches managing multiple individuals, having accessible records ensures no time is wasted revisiting previous discussions.
4. Empower Through Permission and Ownership
   Effective coaching is a collaborative process. Asking for permission to share ideas or suggest actions respects the coachee’s autonomy and fosters a sense of ownership. Questions like, “What actions are you committed to taking?” shift the focus to the coachee’s agency, ensuring they remain in control of their growth journey.

Additional Tips for Coaches and Coachees

• For Coaches: Always come prepared with training or discussion items in case the coachee lacks specific topics. Recent examples from my sessions include situational leadership, delegation, and having crucial conversations. A brief seven-minute training can provide immense value.
• For Coachees: If you’re unsure what to bring to a session, revisit your goals. Topics can include leadership skills, business plans, or navigating interpersonal dynamics. Reflecting on your objectives often reveals areas ripe for exploration.

Why Coaching Matters

Coaching isn’t just about solving problems—it’s about fostering growth, enhancing mindsets, and achieving measurable results. By adhering to a structured framework and engaging with intention, both coaches and coachees can unlock extraordinary value from their sessions.

Remember, coaching is an investment in your development. With preparation, clarity, and commitment, it can drive continuous improvement, skill enhancement, and impactful outcomes.

Continuous improvement for life. Cheers!

Mastering Accountability: Finding the Sweet Spot for Personal and Leadership Success

Accountability is a cornerstone of personal growth and organizational success. Recently, War Room, a programmatic marketing agency, elevated accountability to a core value—a move I wholeheartedly applaud. Accountability isn’t just about responsibility; it’s a delicate balance. Too much accountability can stifle, while too little can lead to mediocrity. Today, we’ll explore how to navigate this balance effectively, both personally and as leaders.

Understanding Personal Accountability

Let’s begin with personal accountability. Picture a horizontal line on a piece of paper. Below the line lies blame, denial, and a refusal to accept mistakes. Above the line, however, is where growth happens—when we take ownership of both successes and failures.

Below-the-line thinking prevents change. It fosters a mindset of deflection: “It’s someone else’s fault.” Above-the-line accountability, on the other hand, involves admitting mistakes, learning from them, and adapting. This mindset unlocks growth, creativity, and resilience.

Personal accountability is about more than just admitting fault; it’s about embracing responsibility as a tool for improvement. When we acknowledge our wins and failures, we create space for genuine growth.

Leadership Accountability: Striking the Balance

Now, let’s shift to leadership accountability—an essential ingredient for fostering peak performance in teams and organizations.

The Risks of Over- and Under-Accountability

In my 35 years of experience, I’ve observed two common trends:

1. Too Little Accountability:
   Large corporations often lack sufficient accountability. Signs include repeated mistakes without consequences, unmet KPIs, and poor performers staying too long. This breeds complacency, hindering growth and performance.
2. Over-Accountability:
   On the flip side, smaller or entrepreneurial organizations may swing to over-accountability. Leaders in these settings can create a culture of fear where mistakes are met with excessive scrutiny. Employees may hide errors, avoid taking risks, or burn out.

The goal is to find the “just-right” accountability sweet spot, where people feel both empowered and supported to learn, fail, and grow.

How to Foster Positive Accountability

Creating a culture of positive accountability involves clear expectations, balanced feedback, and consistent follow-through. Here are four practical steps:

1. Clarify Expectations

Start with job descriptions, organizational charts, and clear KPIs. When employees understand their roles and responsibilities, they’re better equipped to succeed without unnecessary overlap or confusion.

2. Conduct Regular Check-Ins

Host one-on-one meetings monthly or as needed. Focus on substantive issues, not nitpicking every minor mistake. Recognize achievements while addressing key areas for improvement. Balance feedback fosters trust and growth.

3. Utilize Peer Accountability

Implement bottom-up KPI reporting or team-based accountability formats. These systems promote transparency and peer support, reducing the need for top-down micromanagement.

4. Stay Encouraging and Consistent

Acknowledge progress, celebrate wins, and provide constructive feedback. Avoid overwhelming employees with excessive follow-ups or minor corrections. Encouragement fosters motivation and engagement.

Accountability Beyond Work: Lessons from Life

Leadership principles often extend to personal experiences. For example:

• With Children: Over-correcting kids on every mistake stifles their growth. Balanced feedback helps them learn while preserving trust and connection.
• With Pets: Excessive discipline confuses animals, making them hesitant or rebellious. Positive reinforcement and consistent boundaries are more effective.
• With Sports: Great coaches focus on one or two areas for improvement at a time. Overloading players with feedback hampers their ability to master new skills.

Maintaining the “right tension” leads to growth and development in all these scenarios.

Conclusion: Aim for the Sweet Spot

Positive accountability is essential for learning, career growth, and high organizational performance. It’s a careful balance: too much leads to fear and burnout, while too little fosters stagnation.

You can create a culture that thrives on just-right accountability by clarifying expectations, fostering regular communication, promoting peer accountability, and staying encouraging.

If you need support or coaching on implementing these principles, feel free to contact me—I’d be happy to help.

As an executive coach and performance improvement consultant, I love helping my clients think about robust strategies. Strong strategies are essential because simply working hard is not enough. Hoping for economic improvement or relying on sheer effort is not a robust strategy, even though these factors may contribute. So, what does a robust strategy look like? How do we aim for and achieve a 25% growth target, rather than settling for incremental improvements?

Why Strategy Matters

Often, I see businesses set ambitious budgets for 25% growth, but when their strategies are evaluated, they resemble plans for 10% improvement. For instance, strategies focused on working harder, implementing a better CRM system, or improving frontline accountability are good, but these typically drive only modest gains. To achieve 25% growth, you need a big swing strategy—one that goes beyond minor adjustments and tackles fundamental changes.

Defining a Robust Strategy

A strategy is simply a plan of action or policy designed to achieve a major goal. To evaluate whether your strategy is robust enough to achieve 25% growth, consider these four key areas:

1. People:

1. • Do you have the right people in the right roles? Sometimes, this means making tough decisions, like upgrading a B-player marketing manager to an A-player. While hiring top talent can be costly, it often brings exponential returns, driving significant growth.

2. Vision, Mission, Values and Strategy

2. • Have you developed an inspiring vision and values? Several research studies have shown outstanding results when a company and it’s employees are aligned and focused on a compelling vision of how your company benefits your ideal clients.
   • What is your big swing strategies for Pricing, products, promotion and distribution.  Ensure that you have compelling strategies in each one of these areas.

3. Execution Practices:

3. • Strong execution practices are critical. For example, implementing a robust KPI system, setting clear accountabilities, and conducting regular one-on-one meetings with key players can improve performance significantly. Execution bridges the gap between strategy and results.

Where should you start?

4. SWOT Analysis:

4. • Conduct an honest SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) analysis. Engage senior players or external experts to help with this process. It’s often difficult to be objective about your own business. Use the insights from your SWOT analysis to build targeted strategies that align with your budget and growth goals.

Case Studies: Developing “big swing” strategies

Case Study 1: Retail Business

SWOT Analysis:

• Strengths: Strong senior team and customer-loved products.
• Weaknesses: Undercapitalized, lack of long-term planning, and weak marketing/sales strategy.

Big Swing Strategies:

1. 1. Hire “A player” sales and marketing professionals.

• Adopt a more targeted sales and marketing approach focused on ideal clients.
• Raise additional capital and form an advisory board to guide long-term strategy.

These strategies help the business overcome resource constraints and build capacity for sustainable growth.

Case Study 2: Tech-Driven Company

SWOT Analysis:

• Strengths: Strong product and technical team with solid accountability systems.
• Weaknesses: Overworked workforce, resource constraints, and poor financial/pricing margin understanding.

Big Swing Strategies:

1. Hire a strong CPA to improve financial controls, margin analysis, and cost optimization.
2. Invest in leadership development to enhance people management.
3. Implement automation solutions to reduce workload and improve efficiency.

These actions address both operational and strategic gaps, creating a foundation for substantial growth.

Case Study 3: Regional Business Expansion

SWOT Analysis:

• Strengths: Strong leadership and financial position.
• Weaknesses: Regional performance inconsistencies and underutilized pricing potential.

Big Swing Strategies:

1. Adjust pricing strategies to capture untapped revenue potential.
2. Upgrade regional leadership teams to drive consistent performance.
3. Enhance customer experience across all regions with standardized incentives and measures.

By addressing pricing and leadership gaps, the company can unlock significant growth potential while improving profitability.

Final Thoughts

Achieving 25% growth requires more than hope and incremental improvements. It demands an honest assessment, bold decisions, and strategic investments. Start with a thorough SWOT analysis, and then develop robust strategies in key areas such as pricing, promotion, people, product, and distribution. Be prepared to make tough choices and invest where it matters most.

If you’re not ready to take these steps, it may be more realistic to aim for a modest 5-10% growth target. However, if you aspire to 25% growth, align your budget with a big swing strategy that matches the ambition. With the right strategies, execution, and mindset, significant growth is within reach.

Delegation is a critical skill for any leader looking to maximize their effectiveness and minimize stress. Recently, I’ve received numerous questions about how to delegate effectively, prompting me to delve deeper into this topic. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to leverage an Executive Assistant (EA) to enhance your productivity and focus on strategic, high-value tasks.

Clear Expectations and Follow-Up

The foundation of effective delegation lies in setting clear expectations. Just as in any successful project, ensuring that your EA understands their responsibilities and the desired outcomes is crucial. This includes:

– Well-defined roles and responsibilities: Provide a detailed job description that outlines specific tasks and goals.
– Regular training: Use both written instructions and video tutorials. Tools like Loom can help you create reusable video guides, saving time in the long run.
– Consistent follow-up: Regular check-ins and performance reviews ensure that tasks are on track and provide opportunities for feedback and improvement.

Leveraging Your Unique Abilities

Delegation allows leaders to focus on their unique abilities and strategic priorities. Drawing from Steven Covey’s time management matrix, the goal is to spend more time in Quadrant II (important but not urgent tasks). This shift can significantly enhance your productivity and job satisfaction.

The Role of an Executive Assistant

An effective EA can take on a variety of tasks, freeing up your time to focus on strategic initiatives. Key responsibilities of an EA include:

– Managing schedules and meeting requests: This reduces the burden of administrative tasks and helps you maintain a strategic focus.
– Handling general emails and communications: Keeping your inbox organized and prioritizing important messages.
– Maintaining contact lists and email distribution lists: Ensuring your communication channels are up-to-date and professional.
– Performing research and analysis: Assisting with data collection and preliminary analysis, allowing you to make informed decisions more quickly.

Compensation and Hiring Options

The compensation for an EA can vary based on their experience and your location. Here’s a general guide:

– Entry-level to mid-level EA: Depending on the location, compensation can range from $40,000 to $70,000 per year.
– Experienced EA: For more seasoned professionals, salaries can range from $65,000 to $80,000 or more, especially in higher-cost areas like Vancouver.

For those just starting out or with budget constraints, consider virtual assistants from reputable offshore agencies. These professionals can offer high-quality support at a lower cost. Websites like AthenaGo.com provide options for elite offshore EAs starting at $15 per hour.

EA vs. Chief of Staff

As your organization grows, you might consider the benefits of a Chief of Staff in addition to or instead of an EA. While an EA focuses on day-to-day tasks, a Chief of Staff operates at a strategic level, helping to plan and execute long-term initiatives. They act as an extension of you, working on future-oriented projects and ensuring alignment with your strategic vision.

Developing Your EA

Investing in the development of your EA is essential for long-term success. Consider these strategies:

– Training: Continuous learning opportunities through courses, workshops, and mentorship.
– Performance feedback: Regular reviews to provide constructive feedback and set new goals.
– Professional growth: Encourage your EA to pursue certifications or further education to enhance their skills.

Conclusion

Delegation is a powerful tool that can help leaders achieve more with less stress. By leveraging the skills of an Executive Assistant, you can focus on what matters most—strategic, high-impact activities. Remember to set clear expectations, provide comprehensive training, and invest in your EA’s development. If you’re ready to explore these strategies further, download our free detailed job description and other resources to get started.

For more insights on delegation and leveraging your time effectively view my podcast HERE.

In today’s fast-paced world, busy leaders often find it challenging to prioritize their health, especially when it comes to weight management. Sitting through endless video calls and long days at the desk can take a toll on physical well-being. However, with the right approach, achieving weight loss goals can be both attainable and sustainable.

Understanding Your “Why”

The first step in embarking on a weight loss journey is to understand your “why.” Your motivation can be a powerful driver for change. Whether it’s a desire to improve your health, increase energy levels, or reduce stress and anxiety, identifying a compelling reason can help you stay focused and committed.

For example, one leader I worked with had a short-term goal of swimming with sharks and dolphins with his kids on a family vacation. There was a weight limit to enter the shark cage. His motivation to achieve this goal drove him to lose the last 30 pounds. Similarly, my personal motivation comes from a family history of Alzheimer’s, which has led me to prioritize healthy eating and exercise to reduce the risk of developing dementia.

Setting Clear Goals

Setting clear, achievable goals is crucial for success. Whether you’re aiming for a specific weight loss target or looking to improve your overall health, having a clear goal in mind can keep you motivated and focused.

I recommend setting both short-term and long-term goals. Short-term goals can provide immediate motivation and help you stay on track, while long-term goals can keep you committed to your overall health and well-being.

I find that signing up for a bike or running race is great motivation to get in shape and lose weight. It provides great short-term motivation.

Managing Your Diet

Diet plays a significant role in weight loss. To effectively manage your weight, it’s essential to monitor your calorie intake and carbohydrate consumption. Keeping your daily calorie intake under 2000 calories and limiting carbs to 100 grams or less can help you achieve your weight loss goals.

There are various dietary approaches you can explore, such as veganism, intermittent fasting, or a high-protein, low-fat diet. Finding a diet that works for you and fits your lifestyle is key to long-term success.

Incorporating Exercise

Regular exercise is essential for both weight loss and overall health. Aim for at least 30 minutes of vigorous exercise six times a week. Activities like running, biking, or swimming can help you burn calories and improve your fitness levels.

Incorporating movement throughout your day is also important. Aim for at least 10,000 steps a day, and consider adding a morning cardio session followed by an evening walk to boost your daily activity levels.

Using Supplements Wisely

Supplements can be beneficial in supporting your weight loss journey, but it’s essential to use them wisely. Look for pre-workout supplements that can enhance your workout performance and support weight loss. Be cautious with caffeine intake and choose supplements that are suitable for your health and fitness goals.

Tracking Your Progress

Tracking your progress is essential for staying motivated and on track with your weight loss goals. Whether you use a tracking app like MyFitnessPal, an Excel tracker, or keep a journal, monitoring your food intake, exercise routine, and weight can help you identify patterns and make adjustments as needed.

Personal Journey

In my own weight loss journey, I’ve found that consistency and discipline are key. By setting clear goals, monitoring my diet and exercise, and staying motivated, I’ve been able to maintain a healthy weight and feel confident in my body. I have run 16 marathons, including the Boston Marathon in 2003. Today, I compete in the Huntsman Senior games in St. George Utah every October. Today, I am at my high school weight of 155 lbs.

Conclusion

Achieving weight loss as a busy leader is possible with the right mindset and approach. By understanding your motivations, setting clear goals, managing your diet and exercise, and using supplements wisely, you can achieve sustainable weight loss and improve your overall health and well-being.

To learn more, listen to the podcast HERE.

Capturing Hearts and Minds: The Challenge of Employee Engagement

It’s a topic that’s easy to discuss but often challenging to execute effectively. Engaging employees isn’t just about boosting morale; it’s about driving bottom-line results and reducing turnover. Yet, according to a survey from 2023, only 32% of employees feel engaged at work, while 18% feel completely disengaged.

The Cost of Disengagement

The impact of disengagement is staggering. Disengaged employees cost US companies billions each year. On the flip side, more profitable companies with engaged workforces see 21% higher profits. So, how can leaders bridge this gap and truly engage their employees?

Strategies for Engagement

1. Clarify Expectations: Frustration often stems from unclear expectations. Take the time to clearly articulate what you expect from your team members to reduce frustration and improve engagement.

2. Connect to the Mission: Remind your team regularly of the company’s mission and purpose. When employees understand how their work contributes to a greater cause, they’re more likely to be engaged.

3. Provide Learning Opportunities: Give your employees opportunities to learn and grow. Whether it’s through courses, coaching, or other means, investing in their development shows you value them.

4. Align Roles with Unique Abilities: Where possible, align employees’ roles with their unique abilities and passions. This not only increases engagement but also productivity.

5. Show You Care: Demonstrating care for your employees goes a long way. Whether it’s recognizing birthdays or offering flexible time off for personal matters, small gestures can have a big impact.

6. Recognize and Reinforce: Positive recognition is a powerful tool. When you see behaviors, processes, or results you want to encourage, reinforce them early and often.

7. Invest in One-on-One Time: Make time for one-on-one meetings with your team members. Use this time to listen, provide support, and help them develop action plans for improvement.

A Real-Life Example

A manufacturing facility  struggled with engagement until they implemented a visual management system. They introduced whiteboard reviews at workstations, where employees could showcase their work and discuss challenges and successes. This simple change led to a massive turnaround in performance, morale, and engagement.

Final Thoughts

Engaging employees is a multifaceted challenge, but the rewards are worth the effort. By clarifying expectations, connecting to your company’s mission, providing learning opportunities, and showing you care, you can create a workplace where employees are engaged, productive, and motivated.

In conclusion, as leaders, managers, supervisors, and executives, it’s our responsibility to actively engage the hearts and minds of our teams. It’s not always easy, but the impact on morale, turnover, and ultimately, the bottom line, makes it a battle worth fighting.

For more details on performance engagement listen to this podcast: https://ci4life.podbean.com/e/performance-employee-engagement/