Executive Coaching: Articles

Good Self, Bad Self

Do you walk your talk? Most of us like to think that we mean what we say and say what we mean.

Then how come we keep saying we will quit doing this, or start doing that, and we find we keep on doing the same old things? Most New Year’s resolutions end up abandoned shortly after they were made.

We are not liars. We are sincere at the time. But soon or later, we find ourselves faced with conflicting emotions, convictions and our real actions.

Most of the time we kid ourselves with a system of delusions and denial. We say we are one kind of person, while doing things that are contrary to our desired image.

Psychologists call it “cognitive dissonance,” a state of discomfort when we say one thing but do another. We will go to any lengths to avoid that feeling, hence we construct an elaborate system of delusions, denial, and some behaviors we don’t even notice.

Most people don’t recognize the extent of their inner complexity. We run into trouble when we set goals that do not take into account the differing sides of our personalities.

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Ready to Snap?

Ready to Snap:

Crazy, Busy, and the Lure of Modern Life

Are you too busy? Are you always in a hurry, juggling work and family tasks like balls in the air? Are you ready to snap?

You’re not alone. Millions of successful adults are being swept up by today’s frenetic, globalized, technology-driven lifestyle. We have plunged into a mad rush of activity, aided by high-speed Internet, cell phones, instant messaging, BlackBerries and email 24/7. We work longer hours, with escalating demands at work and home.

We expect our brains to keep track of more than they can handle and then find ourselves losing and forgetting things—impatient, anxious, worried and plagued by short attention spans. Modern life, for all of its timesaving conveniences, is sapping our creativity, humanity, joy and, occasionally, our sense of humor.

The speed of our lives threatens to destroy our most important connections. Unless you deliberately set aside time for what matters most to you, your connection to it will erode. When it does, you’ll find yourself less energetic, less optimistic, less hopeful, less confident and less enthusiastic than before—and you won’t even know why.

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Here’s what the full article covers:

ADD Nation?

Adrenaline Rush

Organizational Deficit Disorder

Human Deficit Disorder

Solutions – 10 Principles to Follow

This article is based on the excellent book CrazyBusy by Dr. Edward Hallowell, Ballentine Books, 2006.

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Information Overload: Taming the Electronic Beasts

This article is based on a great book out about our busy, electronic lives, CrazyBusy: Overstretched, Overbooked, and About to Snap! by Edward M. Hallowell, M.D. It covers the following concepts:

ADD Nation?
Adrenaline Rush
Organizational Deficit Disorder
Human Deficit Disorder
What Leaders Can Do

Many smart leaders are being swept up by today’s frenetic, globalized, technology-driven lifestyle.

We have plunged into a mad rush of activity, aided by high-speed Internet, cell phones, instant messaging, BlackBerries and email 24/7. We work longer hours, with escalating demands.

We expect our brains to keep track of more than they can handle, and then find ourselves losing and forgetting things—impatient, anxious, worried and plagued by short attention spans.

Modern work life, for all of its timesaving conveniences, is sapping our creativity, humanity, joy and, occasionally, our sense of humor. It’s time to stop and look at what’s happening.

The speed of our lives threatens to destroy our most important connections. Unless we deliberately set aside time for what matters most, the quality of our personal and professional lives will erode. When this happens, we find ourselves less energetic, optimistic and enthusiastic than before—and we don’t even know why. We may think we are just too busy or disorganized, or ascribe it to growing older—or simply to life itself.

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Presentation Skills that Persuade and Motivate

Almost everyone feels a bit nervous about delivering a presentation before a group. Some people claim they’d rather undergo a root canal than manage the anxiety associated with  giving a speech.

Follow some basic guidelines for preparation and delivery, and you can transform your nervousness into positive energy that achieves the results you desire.

Giving effective presentations is not something you want to delegate or avoid. Sooner or later, you’ll be called upon to make a presentation to an audience—perhaps your direct reports, other managers, your superiors, customers and/or industry colleagues. Managers who can deliver successful speeches have greater opportunities for career advancement.

Don’t rely on your innate intelligence or charm! Intuition can carry you through many phases of your career, but leaving presentations to chance—or simply winging them—is risky. Your career’s trajectory could be on the line.

The secrets to successful presentations are simple, based on common sense. Many people, however, fail to employ them.

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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.

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People-Power Your Conferences

How to Get the Most “People-Power” from Your Conference

Most people are required to attend conferences and trade shows at some point during their careers. Attitudes can range from “have to go” to “want to go.”

If you’re an extrovert, chances are you’ll welcome the opportunity to socialize and connect with other people. And if you’re an introvert, you’ll likely struggle to stay focused as you contend with sensory overload.

Regardless of personality type, time spent at a conference is a waste if you fail to remain “plugged in” and follow up with contacts when you return home. It’s not really about the number of business cards you collect or how much you network. Your goal is to develop relationships with potential colleagues and clients.

In today’s fast-paced business environment, social contacts often generate new business opportunities. Once you open up to people and connect, you unleash creative energy and power.

This may happen naturally…or not at all. So, what can you do to pave the way for conference success? Here are some tips for making the most of your experience, maximizing its value through personal contacts.

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

If you're interested in learning how to purchase similar content you can use for your own newsletters and blogs, visit ContentforCoachesandConsultants.com.