Executive Coaching: Articles

Decision-Making - Emotion or Reason?

Have you ever made a foolish decision that had unpleasant consequences? Needless to say, we all have. Consider the following:

• We go grocery shopping with the resolve to eat healthfully and buy a gallon of ice cream… just in case friends stop by.
• We need to replace our used car… and end up buying a brand-new one.
• We bet on a sports team we don’t really  think can win because the risk offers great financial reward.
• We take a job with long hours because the benefits seem too good to pass up.

Later, we cannot seem to find rational explanations for our decisions—but  we still manage to come up with “logical” excuses for our illogical behavior.

Neuroscientists learn more about the brain each day, including how it processes information and how we make decisions. While much remains to be discovered, we may not be as rational and “in control” as we think.

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The Meaning of Life

The Meaning of Life – In 25 Words or Less

What is the meaning of life – and could you sum it up in 25 words? What if someone offered you $10,000 for your best description?

The website www.themeaningoflife.com is running such a contest, and while it may be a marketing ploy, it’s an astute one. Who isn’t intrigued by this question? Who hasn’t struggled to figure out his or her true purpose?

Like Arthur Dent in A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, we wish the meaning of life could be reduced to one simple solution: in his case, “42.”

What if there are no meanings to life, except those we choose? As new-age gurus assert, “It’s all made up, anyway!” Or, as religious doctrines proclaim, “Follow God’s will for you. This is the true meaning of life.”

Between “any which way you want” and “His way or the highway (to hell),” many decisions must be made along the way.

Even if we turn over some parts of our lives to leaders, religious or otherwise, other parts and decisions remain. What do you eat? What kind of work do you do? What about play and having fun? Marriage and relationships? How do you manage spending and saving?

What are some of the guidelines for exploring and giving meaning to your life? How can you decide who and what you should be, and which principles will keep you on track?

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This is a brief synopsis of an article available for use in your newsletters, blogs, and web pages. If you're interested in learning how to purchase similar content you can use for your own newsletters and blogs, visit ContentforCoachesandConsultants.com.

The Four Agreements at Work

The Four Agreements at Work:
An Inside Job

In his book The Four Agreements, Don Miguel Ruiz distills the essence of Toltec wisdom into four principles for living a life of value:

1. Be impeccable with your word.
2. Don’t take anything personally.
3. Don’t make assumptions.
4. Always do your best.

How elegantly simple and, as some might say, a “no brainer!” But simple wisdom isn’t common practice. While most of us believe we are impeccable with our word, we know others who are not. And most likely, others, from time to time, consider us far less than impeccable.

The Four Agreements are deceptively simple, yet difficult to apply. With practice, they’re extremely effective, providing a way to experience inner peace and happiness, while creating stronger relationships.

Each agreement is self-directed. It’s not about what you can do to change someone’s behavior. Rather, the guides teach us how to respond appropriately to others’ difficult behaviors and maintain smoother work relationships.

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The full 1000 word article examines how to apply each of these principles at work.

This is a brief synopsis of an article available for use in your newsletters, blogs and web site content.

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Difficult People: They're Everywhere

Dealing with Difficult People

They’re everywhere. Walk into any workplace and you’ll find them. Regardless of your company’s success or employee-friendly culture, difficult people pose challenges for managers and team leaders each day.

Some are angry; some are anxious. Others are fearful, negative and obstinate. Some spark frequent disputes with their peers. Still others quietly stonewall and fail to follow through on commitments.

You cannot afford to avoid dealing with difficult people. Whether they’re direct reports or peer managers, their frustrating behaviors will take a toll on your ability to manage others and produce stellar results.

The more serious forms of difficult behavior are, in some ways, easier to deal with because they are blatant and often illegal. In cases of harassment, sabotage or physical threats, swiftly follow your clearly outlined company policies and implement the appropriate consequences.

But long before overt infringements arise, there are subtle forms of damaging behaviors that should not be tolerated or allowed to escalate. Confronting and dealing with these sticky situations will prevent more serious problems in the future.

Unfortunately, many managers avoid dealing with difficult people and strong emotions in the workplace. “People problems” are often cited as the most challenging — and time-consuming — part of a manager’s job. One study found that 42 percent of managers’ time is spent on defusing office conflict.

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The full article contains the following concepts:

The High Costs of Conflict
Three Important Questions
Identify the Problem Behaviors
The Force of Strong Emotions
Handling Difficult Behaviors –
  Step One: Develop a Plan
  Step 2: Invest in Training
  Step 3: Invest in Coaching
What Is Your Part?
A Checklist for the Disciplinary Conversation