Coaching For Leaders

Michelle Smith: O.C. Tanner Vice President, Business Development for O.C. Tanner The 10 steps we discuss: Strategic planning Understand your audience Fact finding Program structure Communication Type of awards Budget Measurement Tracking Analysis Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Michelle Smith: O.C. Tanner Vice President, Business Development for O.C. Tanner Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Towards the end of his life, Mark Twain famously said, "I'm an old man and I've known many troubles, most of which never happened." Like Twain, many of us find ourselves captivated by worry on a regular basis. In this episode, we'll take a look at this human reality and some of the things that each of us can do to better control worry, both professional and personally. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Special Guest: Bonni Stachowiak Make a decision that it's OK to worry once in awhile Take Dale Carnegie's advice of "What's the worst that can happen?" Get out of your own box and focus on serving others rather than worrying about ourselves Address challenges proactively - when there is trouble, take action! Live in day-tight compartments Some of the books we mentioned on this episode are: How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway by Susan Jeffers Getting

Some people live about 90 years. Some people live one year, 90 times. Which one are you and how does it affect your leadership of others and yourself? In this episode, my guest Heather Backstrom and I discuss the topic of purpose and how clarity of purpose can help us be more effective leaders and have more balanced and fulfilled lives. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Special Guest: Dr. Heather Backstrom Executive Coach info@heatherbackstrom.com Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Not clear on your values? My one-page values exercise is available at this link. Our first live webinar launches within the next month! If you have a suggestion for our first topic, email me at feedback@coachingforleaders.com and be sure you are on my weekly article list. You can subscribe at this link. Thank you to Gabrellia Weber,

Sometimes things show up in the workspace that we don't want and didn't anticipate. In this episode, my guest Jacquelyn Thorp and I discuss what to do when someone on your team smells and is causing issues for colleagues. Jacquelyn brings her experience from handling this situation many times to help us address this proactively. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Special Guest: Jacquelyn Thorp, SPHR-CA CEO, Train Me Today (888) 926-2644 Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Our first live webinar launches within the next month! If you have a suggestion for our first topic, email me at feedback@coachingforleaders.com and be sure you are on my weekly article list. You can subscribe at this link. Thank you to Leonidas Santos, Frank Medeiros, David Peach, Sean McClure, Christian Torres, Adam Bryce, and Barbara Ziokowska

Bringing smart ideas to the table isn't enough; we also need to be able to sell those ideas. The best idea communicated poorly will fare much worse than a mediocre idea communicated well. In this episode, I'll examine what you can do to help your ideas take off. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Six mistakes you may be making when pitching a great idea: 1) Neglecting to interact with the people who are impacted most by your idea. 2) Ignoring people who could help you. 3) Spending too much time on the unimportant details. 4) Assuming the "pitch" is the decision point. 5) Failing to strategize how to work around obstacles. 6) Hesitating on bad news. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Thank you to Jackie Tirpak, Catherine Powell, Waldemar-Joachim Siara, and Rick Gray for either liking our page on Facebook or f

JoAnne Norton: Family Business Consulting Group Family businesses account for 60% of all jobs in the United States and 98% of all companies elsewhere. The dynamics of family business are unique and communication becomes even more critical. In this episode, I interview family business consultant JoAnne Norton of the Family Business Consulting Group on how family business can prosper from one generation to the next with effective communication. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

As our careers grow, we get more and more opportunities to attend conferences. Most people fail to maximize what they can gain from a conference. In this episode, I interview experienced conference-goer and speaker Charles Max Wood of Ruby Rogues and Javascript Jabber on how he maximizes the value he gets from conferences. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com My guest this week is: Charles Max Wood of the Ruby Rogues and Javascript Jabber podcasts Learn Ruby on Rails at Chuck's site: Rails Ramp Up Twitter: @cmaxw Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Thank you to Jeffrey Powers, Eveliina Vuolli, Cesar Abeid, Suzie Farthing, Michael Farthing, Risto Mononen, Kristie Cole, and Christina Caesar for either liking our page on Facebook or following me on Google+ A special thank you to Suzie Farthing for writing an iTunes re

What does a groundhog have to do with how to talk to people on their birthdays? In this episode, Bonni and I tell you how, and also give plenty of direction on how to connect with people in genuine ways on birthdays (or any other days that are important to them). Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Going squarely into the category of "things you never thought you'd hear on this show," I spend a little time talking about the history of Groundhog Day and why it's a special day in our family. Where people go wrong on birthdays and other important occasions: Many of have defaulted to no more than "HBD" on Facebook or other social media Some people even send birthday cards and just sign their names (gasp!) We've lost the personal touch I ever get robocalls now on my birthday How you can be better Have something to remind you (but not automated to send to the other party) Avoid the obligatory stuff you do b

Bonni and I get together on this episode to examine some ways we've been stubborn as leaders, why it happens, and what we can do about it. We also discuss how we can work to prevent getting into this ineffective pattern. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com We discuss a few examples of stubbornness showing up in our work and lives. Some of the reasons that we fall into a pattern of being stubborn: 1) We are perceived as experts in our field or topic (or we've convinced ourselves of this) and it simply doesn't occur to us that we might be wrong about anything related to it. 2) We decided that we know enough about the situation, topic, or problem already and refuse to put in effort to discover more. 3) We need to fight every batte instead of carefully choosing them. 4) We miss the grey areas with people that make each situation unique and worthy of different types of responses from us. How We Can Work To Fix

The New Year is a natural time to think about renewal and how to be more effective as a leader. However, some of the typical things many of us do with New Year's resolutions often end in failure - 88% of the time, according to one study. I look at how three words can help you set the stage for your development actions this year. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com I discuss how running a marathon helped me understand why so many of us have a hard time tackling so many goals at once. The problem with resolutions: A study by Richard Wiesman in the UK followed 3,000 people for a year and determined that only 12% of people actually fulfill their New Year's resolutions Intention is easy - but putting the time into action is hard We are going to hit obstacles we don't anticipate We we bit off more than we can chew, our systems can crumble. I talk about how I made this mistake a bit last year in my planning (see

All of us are trying to be effective while handling some level of chaos, yet some are more efficient in getting it all done than others. Dave responds to a listener question and gives suggestions for how to get it all done when the reason you aren't getting it done is because you have too much on your plate. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com 1) Figure out what you need to do exclusively, that no one else can do Look at the last really full week you had... What could you teach someone else to do? Are you believing the fallacy that no one else could do as good a job as you on all your tasks? 2) Have defined outcomes for a specific timeframe Contract with your manager on what outcomes are most important Remember that you can't hit a target that you don't have Keep these priorities simple and easily trackable. The SMART framework can be helpful (see episode #15) 3) Do quality work (be careful about just

It's understandable that many of us would want to take positive actions to be an effective leader. While positive steps are important, our experience has been that first stopping the things that aren't working will get you faster results. In this week's show, we look at what you should stop saying to the people you lead. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com What is said: "I don't mean to be xxxxx, but..." What you teach people: I likely am whatever I just said that I don't mean to be What is said: "But..." What you teach people: Ignore everything I said before I said the word "but" What is said: "Well, to be honest with you..." What you teach people: I'm not always honest all of the time What is said: "You made me feel..." What you teach people: Confusion, since nobody can make you feel anything What is said: Anger expressed at someone bringing bad news, even if they didn't cause it What you teach people: Do

All of us are being bombarded by so much information and data that we can barely keep up. If we want to be able to influence more effectively, we need to be able to do it concisely. Bonni and I discuss strategies for making this happen. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Mark Twain received the following telegram from a publisher: NEED 2-PAGE SHORT STORY TWO DAYS. And famously replied... NO CAN DO 2 PAGES TWO DAYS. CAN DO 30 PAGES 2 DAYS. NEED 30 DAYS TO DO 2 PAGES. In his book Information Anxiety, Richard Saul Wurman states that a standard issue of the New York Times contains more information than a citizen of 17th England would have absorbed in their entire lifetime. The problem? Many people will tune us out when we are not concise. People stop taking calls or are often "unavailable" from people who can't be concise. Lots of people will stop seeking advice from someone who can't give it concisely.

I've come to the conclusion over the years that pretty much nobody likes performance reviews. Either you are having great dialogue and development conversations with people already and might not need them - or you are forced into conversations that don't set the stage for regular dialogue. That said, there are things you can do that will make this a better experience for both parties. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Here are seven things you can do that will help you (and the people you lead) survive performance reviews: 1) Start early and do harder ones first: You won't do an effective job at handling all the advice below if you start late on this project. Too many leaders with large teams write all their performance reviews on the same day in a short period of time. Rather, take the time to think through what you will write (and later say) and how you plan to communicate it. Also, do the hardest reviews

Many of the clients I've worked with over the years would rather skip presenting all together. That's not reality if you want to advance (or keep) your career these days, so a lot of people begin presentation planning with panic. In this episode, I give you clear steps you can take to reduce the panic and lay groundwork for a truly effective presentation. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com To prepare a speech without panicking... Consider yourself honored Many of my clients in the past have been less than enthusiastic about speaking opportunities. Not speaking (and building your communication skills in general) can really harm your career. Must Have Job Skills in 2013 from the Wall Street Journal. If you can learn to speak at least reasonable well, you can influence your work, decisions, direction, and so much more. A lot of people fear speaking - but you can do it! Stay away from the computer Don't

Every one of us must face the challenge of influencing someone who managers us. While some people have a natural talent for this, most of us have a hard time getting started since doing this well is more of an art than a science. In this episode, Bonni and I discuss eight things you can do to influence in the correct way. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: @DaveStachowiak #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Bonni and I discuss our eight suggestions for managing up: 1) Support your manager publicly: Avoid gossip if you can, and when someone is truly trying to problem solve, do your best to help them understand each side of the situation instead of being critical. One of the fastest ways to lose trust with your manager is for them to discover you've been speaking poorly about them behind their backs. 2) Tell your manager what you are planning: It rarely is a problem to over communicate something...most people take the opposite position and don't communicate en

Two weeks ago we looked at how to start a mentoring program. This week, I welcome listener Kurt Allebach who has tons of experience in running and starting mentoring programs to provide more practical perspective on this topic. If you are a mentor, mentee, or just want to learn more about the benefits of mentoring, you'll gain something of value! Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Interview with Special Guest, Kurt Allebach Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Thank you to Barbara Etienne, Annette Held, Steve Granger, Mohammad Al-Khalifa for liking our Facebook fan page! If this show has been valuable to you, please rate this show on iTunes to help me keep us visible to others. Wherever you are in the world, whatever is on your agenda today, take one idea from this show to engage and develop someone you lead.

Effective leaders learn from the good practices of other leaders in order to be more effective. In this special episode, I turn the reigns over to our community to share stories about great leadership moments that were meaningful to them. Join me for five stories than we can all learn something from to help us lead better. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Leadership stories from our listening community: Mary Lou Jan Will Kirk Jesse Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Thank you to Alexandra Masia for liking our Facebook fan page! Wherever you are in the world, whatever is on your agenda today, take one idea from this show to engage and develop someone you lead.

A great mentoring program can help both the organization and its people achieve incredible results. In this episode, I welcome mentoring expert Stella Cowan to discuss what leaders should consider when designing and implementing a formal mentoring program in their organizations. Community Feedback USA: (949) 38-LEARN Global: +1 (949) 385-3276 Twitter: #CFLshow feedback@coachingforleaders.com Interview with Stella Cowan Here are the resources Stella mentioned on the show, along with some additional tools: Dr. Lois Zachary (Center for Mentoring Excellence) Ida Abbott (home page) Stella recommends her articles “Beyond Mentors, the Need for Champions" and “Mentoring Groups and Mentoring Circles”) Stella recommends two to us during training/orientation and to provide continued support to mentors and mentees are: “Being an Effective Mentor: 101 Practical Strategies for Success,” and “Working with a Mentor:  50 Practical Strategies for Success.” So You Want to Be Mentored by Stella Cowan* Inte