executive coaching

Relationships or Performance?

When relationships matter, process trumps outcome. Leadership does not have to be about relationships or performance, and yet there are circumstances where performance do trump relationships. Great conversations start with a question. Here are some questions to help you think about how you are aligned as a leader.

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Jackhammers and Leadership

What was your first leadership lesson? Mine happened when I was 19 and learning how to operate a jackhammer. Here is what I learned, and how it frames my work as a leader, a coach, and even a father. Some thoughts, and a question for you: What are you challenged with today that you have to learn to let the jackhammer do the work? Great conversations start with a question. Lead well and go have one.

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4 Words That Frame the Succession Conversation, 2 Tips to Reframe it

Succession planning is an important conversation, and a difficult one. Here are two tips for making it easier, and some feedback from a recent keynote topic I did on the topic. Talent management is about having great conversations. Great is about having honest conversations, leading to thoughtful actions, and improved performance.

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People Habits before People Skills – Johari Window

It is great to have a goal of Fierce or Crucial Conversations – but while the skills are critical for leaders, the success of implementing this work rests largely on your ability to create the time to practice them and get better. The one-on-one is a critical place for this work, and here are some Johari Window videos that will help you look differently at this time. Talent management is about great conversations – and great conversations are honest, result in thoughtful actions, and ultimately lead to improved performance.

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Leadership – The biggest choice you will have to make

What is leadership? Not what others tell you, but what do you believe LEADERSHIP IS? What are you doing to get there? Talent management is about great conversations, and a key conversation is the one you have with yourself that is started by this question. I believe that one on ones are critical habits for leaders, and it is based on what I believe leadership is. I would love to hear your input on this.

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Leaders and One On Ones – Know your voice

Leaders have to be adaptable – not only in the changes around them but in how they vary their natural style when leading their people. Talent management is about great conversations, and one of the most critical conversations is the One on One. Here are some tips to help leaders be more effective in understanding what their people need and to meet those needs. Here is also a template for a one on one form that incorporates some of these key tips.

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. . . and When We Want Feedback – Step 1

We cannot get better without feedback. It is a critical piece, and in my experience people are not effective at giving or getting it. If you believe that relationships are critical in leadership and building effective teams, then you know that great relationships start with honest conversations that lead to thoughtful actions, and ultimately higher performance. It is the core of talent management and leadership development.

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3 Questions to Transform Your One on One

Talent management is about having thoughtful conversations that lead to meaningful actions and ultimately higher performance. The one on one is a key conversation. Here are three questions to ask and some other questions that will help you make that time more thoughtful and meaningful.

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Creating Space for Honest Conversations: Some Tips

Creating Space for Honest Conversations: Some Tips

Talent management is about great conversations. More specifically, honest conversations, resulting in thoughtful actions, and resulting in higher performance. Here are 5 questions that will help you create space for people to be honest. There still have to be actions that have to get done, but step one is getting it out on the table. Included are some links to templates that can help you have those conversations as leaders.

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An Open Door is not enough – How about an Open Ears policy?

It is time to get rid of the open door policy buzz phrase in business and replace it with the open ears policy. Here are some tips to making open ears work for you as a leader, and a challenge to followers to step into the space created by your leader to listen. Talent management is about great conversations, and having that conversation requires a minimum of two people, coming together, and willing to share the roles of talker/listener. This is a foundational leadership development topic, and should be repeated often if you are building a leadership development strategy.

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A lens for your talent conversations: 30-30-40 Conversation™ Rule

Talent management is about great conversations. The lens I use to guide these conversations has come from years of watching people interact, being in some great conversations, and working with some friends on a product to help others have great conversations. Here is my 30-30-40 rule. Use it to refine your leadership, peer, and team conversations.

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Beware of MORE Leadership

Talent management is about great conversations. Ultimately, great conversations are laced with the right words, the right intent, and the right actions. MORE is a word that is part of startup, growth, and leadership conversations, but beware of it. Ultimately it causes motion, but erodes most of the other things that are part of great relationships. Here are 5 reasons why MORE is dangerous.

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