Finishing the Boston Marathon
I’m the kind of man who likes to get my money’s worth, so when it came to running the 112th Boston Marathon, I made sure I experienced everything — including the medical tent. Read more
Is Fear Getting the Best of You?
The Long Island Coaching Alliance hosted our first ever (as far as I know) public coaching event on Sat, 4/5. Given it was our first time trying something like this, attendance was low. I guess you could say if we hadn’t shown up, the room would have been mighty empty.
That wasn’t so surprising to me. Something else happened that morning, however, that did surprise me.
Send the Entire Message
What’s so difficult about communication? Lots!
From a brain perspective, every person thinks differently, so the words and gestures that we hear/see/interpret during a conversation are filtered through an intricate system of beliefs and mental maps that give meaning to the messages you send and I receive. To complicate matters, the way many people receive and deliver their messages nowadays is more and more electronic. I probably email back and forth with my friends and colleagues more than I actually speak with them (did I just write that?!). I also rely on the web to find information about people and businesses that interest me. And let’s not forgot "Crackberries."
So what’s the catch?
What’s Wrong with My Goals?
This article continues my focus on Goals, a topic I presented in the Winter 2007 News-you-can-use-letter (see Coach’s Corner) and I recently wrote about on my personal blog.
One of the primary reasons people don’t achieve their goals is because they are not truly connected to them. By this I mean, there is not a strong enough emotional attachment to achieving the goal to generate the needed motivation and discipline for success. It is probably a good goal, it might be stated correctly, it may even BE achievable — but you’re not likely to achieve it if it is not something you absolutely MUST achieve or accomplish before you die.
The Value of Slowing Down
Are you ignoring the most important (a.k.a. strategic) issues facing your business, your company, or your life because of the more urgent issues screaming for your attention?
If so, you’re like the proverbial frog in the pot on the stove. He doesn’t notice that he’s getting cooked alive until it’s too late.
We all need to take a step back and look at what’s going on in our lives – work – businesses in order to determine if we’re heading in the right direction. Ships have a captain. Planes have a pilot. Who is overseeing your life?
Coaching Explained
Coaching seems to be making its way into the mainstream. While at a recent social gathering, a woman asked my fiancé, “What does Paul do,” to which she replied, “He’s a coach.” The woman said, “Oh, like on that Scott Baio show?”
While it’s true, Scott Baio did have a recent VH1 reality TV show (Scott Baio is 45…and Single) and that one of the folks featured on it was his life coach, I hesitate to say my coaching is “like on that Scott Baio show.”
The Peter Principle and Employee Engagement
I was talking with an HR Professional last night about the unfortunate practice of promoting people into positions for which they are not suited as a reward for good performance, the impact of this practice on employee engagement, and the potential negative effect on performance.
Remembering 9/11
On Tuesday, 9/11/2007, I was at my monthly Long Island Coaching Alliance meeting and our current president, Lynn Engeholm, mentioned observing a moment of silence in memory of 9/11 and the events of six years ago.
I must say, I was stunned at the realization that it has been six years since the attacks. I was working in New York City that day and, like many, will always remember that sunny Tuesday morning and the uncertain days that followed.
A few nights later, I decided to watch the 9/11 documentary DVD shot by Jules and Gedeon Naudet, the French brothers who had intended to capture the story of a rookie NYC firefighter, only to capture the events of 9/11 as they unfolded in downtown Manhattan.
NEWS-you-can-use-LETTERS
Pearls of wisdom.
And a little bit of fun stuff thrown in for good measure.
Please enjoy reading these as much as we enjoyed writing them (you’ll find them in the Blog).
