Right message. Right way. Right time. That’s the essence to communicate effectively, which is far and away — FAR AND AWAY — the No. 1 issue that comes up in my coaching work. I was also (in a former life) a PR/comms executive, so I’ve seen essentially every type of communication issue out there.  …

Most people believe they are listening when others talk. But of course believing something doesn’t make it real. We live in a society where it’s common to read an incoming text or email while sitting across the table from someone. You may find yourself scanning the news while you’re on a conference call, or mentally preparing for one…

One of my clients, a SVP of Sales for mid-size company, came to me with this recently: he had essentially dressed down one of his direct reports at a company all-hands meeting. ‘Mark,’ the direct report, had vastly under-performed the previous year. He missed all four quarterly quotas. My client was drilling ‘Mark’ on every…

Being a coach has everything to do with stellar communication. It starts by meeting someone where they are, and not speaking to them as though they should know more than they do. Non-judgmental language is crucial to coach-style leadership. From there coaching is about asking the right questions. Many executives lean toward a pointed-style of questioning that can be…

In the fall of 2016, I decided I’d participate in Mudderella with a group of friends. That’s a 5K obstacle course with the ultimate goal of fundraising that benefits breast cancer. I’ll be honest; I’m not athletic at all. 5K isn’t super long, no, but it’s still 3.1 miles of mud, waist high water, ropes…

You can’t inspire and lead collaborative efforts without one fundamental requirement: trust. Do people believe you’ll do what you say you will? Here’s the reality of many corporate cultures. People are in a meeting, mostly agreeing on a stated direction. Discussion takes place. Commitments are made. People leave the room. Some of what was discussed happens…