Coach’s Corner Blog

You Have Aptitude. What About Attitude?

Around this time, most of us are reflecting on our achievements in the past year, while planning for the next. I’d like to share a simple management model I learned from a mentor that I’ve adapted for use with my clients as a career and leadership coach. It involves aptitude and attitude. For managers leading teams, this 2×2…
How to Personally Weather Great Change

Do you know Aesop’s fable about the oak tree and the reed? The oak tree was mature and solid, standing tall and proudly in the same spot for many decades. He smiled and laughed at the reed standing by his feet, “You’re so small and weak that you won’t survive very long.” Indeed, the reed was thin…
How Did You Do That?

There’s an old saying that “giving compliments is better than receiving.” Yet, with the pressure to be our “authentic-selves” today, the art and practice of giving compliments loss favour. I believe there is confusion and a mistake. The confusion is equating compliments with flattery, while the mistake is not utilizing our appreciation of others to…
Leo Tolstoy on Being Present

19th century Russian literature is a rare occurrence in my life these days, since I hardly find enough time to read. At a recent library-visit, I found this gem by Jon J. Muth, which is relevant to coaching as well as anybody who cares about building strong relationships. This led me to reading the original story…
How We Are Valued

People go where they are welcomed, and stay where they are valued. A welcoming and inclusive neighbourhood, community, team or business makes us want to be part of it. However, this inviting feeling is only a start, and much more is needed for us to feel we belong and want to stay. Several recent conversations…
Words Matter

Many years after my blog post advocating silence, I am following up to encourage you to choose your words wisely. After you’ve had a chance to observe and contemplate everything around you, being thoughtful rather than being reactive with your words will serve you, and the well-being of those around you, much better. You’ve long known…
Tips for Uncovering Blind Spots

Our strengths may actually create “blind spots” that can work against us. These blind spots are behaviours, beliefs and practices that we ourselves can’t see, and can therefore be a risk to the things we want to achieve. Although blind-spots are the flip-side of strengths, I want to be clear they are not ‘weaknesses.’ For…
Setting Aspirational Goals

Lose weight – Call home more often – Complete my certification. At this time of the year, many of us are setting goals for ourselves, regardless of whether or not we intend to follow-through. Does our lack of outcomes mean we should stop goal-setting altogether? Last year, one of my personal goals was to manage…
Feedback: The Gift That’s Hard to Accept

If feedback is a gift, why’s it so hard to accept? The other day, out of the blue my teen aged son tells me: “Dad, you’re trying too hard to be cool.” My immediate response was going to be, “No, I’m not.” I would have been more than happy to add, “You are!” Of course,…
How to Achieve Goals with Motivation and Inspiration

Does the New Year include a few personal resolutions for you, like slim down, exercising more, or reconnecting with old friends? Or perhaps at this time, you’re setting some business and career goals for yourself or your team? Regardless of time of year, setting goals is important, because it gives us direction and targets to…
Why Good Intention is Not Good Enough

Have you had the intention of doing something nice for someone, but not done it? This is like wrapping up a gift, and not giving it to them. Chances are, you have had many undelivered good intentions. Whether these intentions are to share feedback, to write a thank-you note to an interviewer, or to ask…
Which Verb Came First – MacGyver or Google?

It wasn’t just his hair I admired. I mean, for most guys (and gals) Richard Dean Anderson’s densely packed, fluffed and fabulous, mullet or mane of layers would be a hair-dream come true. In the 80s and 90s television series, MacGyver, Richard Dean Anderson played the main character who chooses to carry a Swiss army knife…
Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

William Shakespeare said it best, “Parting is such sweet sorrow!” When you’ve established a certain level of trust, understanding and even friendship with someone, it’s difficult to end that relationship. In a coaching relationship, parting ways is a must, and can be a sign of success. Unlike a mentor, engagements with coaches are goal-oriented and…
Focus on Focusing

“If you chase two rabbits, both will escape.” – unknown A lot of folks these days are challenged with having too many opportunities and options. Think that’s overly optimistic? Well, from my coaching experience, I found that even those who describe themselves as being “stuck” or not knowing where next to go in their career…
Have You Taken Inventory of Your Skills?

The world has taken a powerful pause. Within this time, it is important for individuals to stop and assess their current situation, while preparing for the near future. When it comes to our career, keeping track of skills we acquired as well as skills we need to improve is even more important because change is…