Month: January 2025

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365 Coaching Tips: Day 28, 29 and 30

January 28th Coaching Tip: Exude Positivity.

Today, I listened to an accomplished leader who had led large groups of people in Washington DC and Miami. He and his wife made the decision years ago, after painfully losing one of their young sons, to remove all negative people in their life. Intentionally, they were making the decision to include and keep people in their lives that exude positivity. How do you respond when you are supporting someone who is positive and then check your response to the person who is negative? How do you show up at a meeting at work: positive or negative? How do you show up for a family dinner: positive or negative? Research indicates that you are more likeable if you are positive, ask questions about others, listen to their responses, and remember the details. Embrace and exude positivity.

January 29th Coaching Tip: More Cowbell!

Celebrate your wins. Hit the cowbell. Celebrate a tiny, small win. Hit the cowbell. Celebrate someone else’s big promotion. Pound that cowbell. Celebrate a new baby born. Again, more cowbell. Affirmation and recognition are deep-rooted needs within our souls. And today, I was reminded of just how important recognition is. Picture a room full of highly confident leaders and wealthy individuals, who are in the top 1% of income earners in the USA. And yet, none of them were recognized for all of their hard work and efforts accomplished in 2024 (year prior). This was a huge miss by the leader running the meeting. Everyone was gathered for this “2025 Kickoff”, however take time to ring the cowbell on the accomplishments from the prior year (or quarter). Recommend that you never miss an opportunity to recognize people, to hit that cowbell. No matter the place on earth, people want to be seen, be heard, and hear their name being recognized. More cowbell is like love, there’s just never ever too much of it.

January 30th Coaching Tip: Develop Others.

Couple of my coaching meetings this week have been pleasantly surprising, as a couple senior leaders were planning for the legacy of their business, and we were openly discussing the development of the next generation. As leaders age and get asked, “when are you going to retire?”, it’s such a pleasant and affirming conversation to have with clients (and your team) about your intentional plans for the next generation. Both of these teams have added the next gen and have given them big jobs and significant responsibilities during the last few years.

Someone probably gave you a shot or believed in you at some point; it may have changed your life. Return the favor as you age and give the same kind of development opportunity to someone younger. My godson reminded me recently of a business trip that he joined me on in the Fall 2015; we cris-crossed six states, visited offices, leaders, businesses, ate at nice country clubs, stopped quickly at gas stations to gas up and grab a drink, checked in to numerous hotels, etc. My godson indicated it was a life changing few days for him, and he learned so much in how to manage time, effort, clients, energy, and business. Take some time to develop others. We all deserve it.

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365 Coaching Tips: Here’s to 25, 26 and 27

January 25th Coaching Tip: Leadership Matters.

In many of my coaching sessions lately, leaders are frustrated with employees and teammates who leave their teams. Some of these leaders also claim that there’s no talent out there to replace them. As we dig into what happened and what potentially drove the teammate to depart the team, rarely does the leader indicate that it was himself/herself. It’s usually something like the teammate left for more money, they had a baby, they are relocating, they, they, they, etc.

It’s my responsibility, as a coach, to ask compelling questions. For example, “what did you learn from this? what do you own in this? how were you developing this teammate? how are you attracting new talent to be ready for when teammates exit? “

Leadership is hard, Leadership really matters to those who follow you. I’d encourage you to ask the questions: How are you investing in yourself, especially if you lead others? What are you reading, and then implementing? Who is a leader that is mentoring you or could mentor you? Are you a good boss, and how do you know that you’re a good boss? Are you easy to follow? Do you truly connect with your teammates? Do you micromanage or do you coach, develop and empower?” Leadership matters, and if you master it, teammates will stay and be loyal.

January 26th Coaching Tip: Fundamentals Matter.

Today I watched a college basketball team come back, score 5 points in the last 23 seconds, and win a game on the road in a loud environment. I also watched a team lose the game, who gave up 5 points in the last 23 seconds. This losing team had a lack of clarity on clock management, who should be fouled and when, who should be completely guarded and definitely not be left open to get the ball, who to throw the ball to, how to score with less than 5 seconds in the game and down by 1 point.

Whether it is basketball or going to a networking event or driving a car, execute on the fundamentals. Networking event: set a goal of meeting new people, ask questions and truly listen, and remind yourself that it is not about how much food you can eat at the event nor is it about the free drinks. Driving a car: drive defensively, stay to the right if you’re going slower, look left then right and then left again before proceeding thru a stop sign or green light. Fundamentals matter. By not looking left to see oncoming traffic before proceeding into an intersection can potentially kill you. Contrast that with taking 1-2 seconds and clearly knowing that no one is coming at you.

January 27th Coaching Tip: Stay Sharp.

Today, the stock market was impacted by one announcement in the artificial intelligence (AI) space. According to news reports, one company lost over $600 billion in value in one day. By the next day, $200 billion had already been reinvested back into this company. With these types of swings, some may say to just ignore it, keep your head in the sand, etc. However, I recommend that you stay somewhat aware, stay sharp on what’s happening around you and what’s impacting the business world. Why? As we age, it’s common for me to hear our seniors say, “I’m a dinosaur. I’m not very techy.” Dinosaurs died and are gone. Tech is here and not going away. Stay relevant, embrace what is happening in the world around you. That doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything but be aware and stay sharp. In your kitchen, dull knives need sharpened from time to time…or they just stay dull and go unused. Keep ’em sharp!

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365 Coaching Tips: Day 22, 23 and 24

January 22nd Coaching Tip: Be Seen.

As I was watching a leader closely today, as her team and workers were returning after a three-day weekend, I noticed how she intentionally walked thru the office area and said hello, stopped and truly talked to her colleagues. Further impressive was that they actually stood up and talked to her, shared what they did during their long weekend; smiles and laughs were present. Whether you’re a leader or a colleague, ask people about themselves and their lives. They appreciate being “seen” and sharing their story, especially to authentic leaders who truly listen and then remember the details. As I watched the leader step away, a couple people said, “thank you for talking to us…it shows us that you care.” Everyone wants to be seen.

January 23rd Coaching Tip: Be Heard.

Received an urgent Skype message today, i.e. “we need to get some time with you today to discuss an important situation.” This team is one who came to me 6 months ago and really shared their WHY and WHAT they want to accomplish. Thus, when they needed time today, we squeezed it in from 4-430pm on a Zoom. Indeed, it was important; they want to promote one of their colleagues and they wanted to practice running-through the new role and gain clarity for her (and them). After 25 minutes of listening to them and asking questions, they had the role clarified, were smiling, and a bit relieved as we wrapped up the call. If someone needs time with you, consider it a gift. They need someone to be “present”, and the best gift that you can give them is your “presence.” Let me them be heard, to help increase their confidence.

January 24th Coaching Tip: Be Efficient.

As a week winds down, it’s a common tendency to have the mindset of “let’s push it to early next week.” In my coaching work, I actually find that I can get a lot done before 10am on Friday mornings and also between 2-5pm. For example, I was able to squeeze in three, quick, efficient coaching sessions today. In a matter of 15-33 minutes, I was able to help all three situations today, instead of pushing them into the following week.

Everyone is busy. Who has ever approached you in the last few years and said, “hey…I just don’t have enough to do”? Like, let’s get real, no one. In being efficient today, I found that telling all three of them, “yes, I had a few minutes”, we immediately became efficient with our time. They truly felt both being seen and heard, and realized I was ready to potentially help them thru their coaching situation. The greatest gift you can give to someone is your time, i.e. being present. And then when you can help them work thru a situation or two, and they can sleep better over the weekend, you have truly added value. Be efficient, and others will likely mirror your behavior, and be efficient, too.

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365 Coaching Tips: on to 19, 20 and 21

January 19th Coaching Tip: Friends Matter. We’ve all heard that phrase, “Sunday Funday!” Today, we rolled out of bed, didn’t even take showers, and started whipping up some gluten free pancake mix, baked some bacon, prepped all of the omelet ingredients, and set out the dishes for a scheduled brunch with our best friends. They rolled in with similar looks of not showering and sporting bad hairdo’s, and yet pulled together a beautifully displayed, colorful platter of fresh fruit. They also brought an old-school orange squeezer to make some orange juice for mimosas.  We had this brunch planned for a week, as temperatures were plummeting and we decided to stay inside instead of going to see a college basketball game.  Glad that we stayed committed to our bond of having a homemade brunch.  Brunch was plentiful and scrumptious, the food and friends caught up, the warmth of the fire was soothing, as it had been a few weeks since we all had been together. 

Recent research is indicating that people are spending more time alone; more time on social media than ever before; depression and anxiety are both on the rise; and mental illness is now commonly discussed.  My recipe for a lot of these trends is to have something to look forward to and do it with people that you love and care about.  Planning a simple lil Sunday brunch while wearing zero makeup and having bad hair, allowed us to naturally connect, cook, and share. Plan things with your friends.  Friends and their impact on your overall wellness matter.

January 20th Coaching Tip: Leverage Experts. In tackling a huge remodel of a 95-year-old home, I realized that I needed experts.  The ceilings were bowing, the floors were not flat, the stairs were unsafe, the house was chopped up; we are adding a garage, as well as all new windows, siding and doors.  I needed help! Enter in a general contractor, an interior designer, and an architect.  In working together, they listened to me and what I want in this farmhouse remodel, and then I listened to them, hearing their ideas. I’m pleased to report that we are really bringing this project together nicely.  With the architect’s quick eye, he gave the GC some ideas on how to improve the bowed ceilings and the uneven floors.  Within a couple weeks, his recommendations are done already.  The interior designer is pushing us all on functionality as well as the latest fashions while having the right flow.  I’m grateful for smart and articulate people, who can work collaboratively and express their ideas. Embrace others and improve results by leveraging everyone’s input and expertise.   

January 21st Coaching Tip: Keep On-Track.  In my coaching work, many of my colleagues/coachees set goals…and then they don’t track results frequently enough.  As they get in to March and move thru May, they are already telling themselves if they can or cannot make their yearend numbers.  For the teams that I coach who set a goal to accomplish their results by summer or no later than Labor Day, they typically do it. How? They track their results daily, and definitely weekly and then monthly. For example, one of the teams that I coach sets their goals to be hit by July 4th, so that they can celebrate, enjoy the 2nd half of the year working on their business and prepping their pipeline and processes for the following year.

It’s common knowledge that many people annually give up on their new year’s resolutions between January 18-27, so now is the time to keep focused and stay on track. Develop yourself a daily or weekly scorecard, and you will be amazed what you can accomplish. Keep on-track!

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365 Coaching Tips: here’s 16, 17 & 18

January 16th Coaching Tip: Clear Goals. In coaching a few teams in the last couple days, it was very evident to me that the team nor its leaders had any clear goals. In asking questions like, “what are you most pleased with from your work in 2024? where are you headed in 2025? what will you continue to do from 2024 and carry into 2025? what will be different in 2025 from what was accomplished in 2024?”, it really helped the teams figure out their goals; and it also helped them reflect on what they can celebrate about their 2024 accomplishments.

During these coaching conversations, it really helped that we had plenty of time and were not rushed, so that we could really discuss and prioritize the goals. Truly asking questions, listening to their responses, giving time for all to speak, allowed for well understood goals that were much more cohesive and focused than the beginning of the coaching sessions. As we wrapped up, one of the teams landed squarely on three main goals that all started with the number eight: 80%, $800,000, and $80mil (details are not being shared here). I was so delighted that they were ready to meet continuously throughout 2025 to share their progress on their results. We went from having no goals to identifying well understood goals. I sensed a strong commitment from the entire team to achieve these goals; this made me smile. Get clarity on your goals, whether personally or professionally.

January 17th Coaching Tip: Set Expectations. Since November, I’ve been working with new contractors to help me with a significant remodel on a 1930’s farmhouse. I’m tackling this project in a new town (Bloomington, IN) where I have few construction connections. Upon a referral from a work colleague, I interviewed a general contractor who has numerous rental homes in Bloomington. The new GC and his sub-contractors, new interior designer, and a new architect are all helping me do this, as I’m in Florida full-time working. In meetings with all of them, I’m clearly letting them know my expectations of what I want and need from them, as we remodel this a nearly 100-year-old home. For example, this home is old, and I want to honor it’s 1930’s farmhouse legacy with some new, timeless touches. I also want 1930’s crooked floors and ceilings to be straight and level, for fashion, functionality and also safety. I want it to be clean, safe, and dry, and get the water draining away from the home. I want it to be thoughtful and functional, with what we defined as A- workmanship. It does not have to be perfect A+ work, but it must be better than B or B+ work. This clarity has really helped my new crew/contractors, as we all make decisions together. If others around you don’t understand what you need or are expecting, it might be wise to look in the mirror. Set expectations and reinforce them regularly. And reward and recognize them when they absolutely nail them!

January 18th Coaching Tip: Embrace Tools. Over the last couple years, many of my coaching sessions have been about capacity. For example, I very frequently hear comments like, “we are overwhelmed, we are busy, we need more people, we don’t have time, etc.” As I ask more questions about capacity, many times I have found that tools are not being utilized enough, even though some tools/IT/processes/support have already been paid for. Yes you heard me, they are not utilizing the tools that they already have access to.

I use this example regularly: “who still calls the taxicab service, reserves a car, hopes that the taxi comes on time to the proper address, assumes the driver will be pleasant, the car is clean and safe, and you arrive at your destination on time?” Few still do this, very few. Most are utilizing their cell phone to arrange a ride (with Lyft or Uber), and it can be done within seconds, with complete transparency, and the payment is automated and more secure. When I use this example, all of the sudden, the brains in the room start cranking…”what can we use to improve our capacity? what should we stop doing? what must we continue? what do we need to learn and be trained on to implement quickly?” Within 5-10 minutes, we can quickly identify a number of tools or processes that should be implemented immediately to gain capacity. That metaphor of, “I’m busy sawing, don’t have time to sharpen my saw…” is at play in numerous coaching sessions. Take some time and figure out how to embrace new tools, and utilize the ones that are and have been available.

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365 Coaching Tips: the 13th, 14th and 15th Days

January 13th Coaching Tip: Family Talks. In our coaching work, we help our colleagues and coachees as they prep for crucial conversations. In Kerry Patterson’s book, “Crucial Conversations,” most crucial conversations don’t even happen, and then when they do, they don’t go well. Therefore, we as coaches help our colleagues practice these important convos. Today, a husband and wife indicated that they want to bring on at least one of their two sons into their business. They both were thinking this, but they had nothing in writing, nor anything that either of them could confidently replicate with clarity. The husband and wife soon realized that they weren’t even on the same page about their sons. The mother wanted the son(s) to be “hungry”, and the father wanted to be more “helpful” to his son(s). Because of this contrast, I encouraged them both to get on the same page, literally draft it up, prep for the conversations with each son, and then have a family talk with both sons, so that both sons heard a clear message about their parent’s intent. Then, if either son wants to enter the business in the future and they want to discuss the opportunity further, the four of them would potentially have a more solid foundation. Remember, have those crucial family talks.

January 14th Coaching Tip: Plan Ahead. Whether its travel for work or vacation downtime, or getting groceries for a Sunday brunch planned with friends, or an early morning Uber ride to the airport, plan ahead. This week I’ll be in a number of hotels, crossing multiple state lines, and in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar work colleagues. Thus, I planned ahead by truly looking at the map, understanding drive times and locations, and knowing when I need to be where. Thinking about my personal routines, I even bought my cold brew the night before, got up this morning and was rollin’ with my favorite coffee while reading my devotionals. This allowed me to get ready and arrive to an unfamiliar office 20 minutes in advance (instead of rushing into a coffee shop and then being dissatisfied with my morning java). Knowing that I could walk to this office in just 2-3 minutes from the hotel that I picked (so that I wouldn’t even have to get in the car and drive/commute), I was able to stick to my normal morning routine, and the workday started as normalized as I possibly could have done. Folks, plan ahead to help reduce stress and you’ll be surprised how much it increases your efficiency.

January 15th Coaching Tip: Stop Burnout. My word for 2025 is REDUCE. Being true to that word, I have been starting to say “no” to certain things and starting to say “yes” to myself. Today, I coached two teams who were “burned out, bored, (not thriving).” After listening to what was going on, they shared that they have a) too many clients, b) many of those clients don’t pay them, c) they are simple clients and d) could be served by someone else more effectively and happily. Gently, we all looked at one another after I had them repeat what they said, “we have too many clients who consume our time and don’t pay us (much).” In my coaching work, we remind our coachees that it is YOUR business. You make the decisions. You select your clients. You can say “yes,” and you can also say “no”. My recommendation is for you to clearly identify WHO you want to serve and then stick to it. Serve clients that make you smile, that you truly want to help, that take your advice/pay for your expertise, and you both grow from helping each other. Say YES to the right clients, and that will help reduce burnout.

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365 Coaching Tips: Days 10, 11 & 12

January 10th Coaching Tip: Practice. Yes, I said practice. This week, I had a number of people call me to practice their upcoming crucial conversations or practice with new sales scripts that they want to utilize in 2025 to help grow their business. In a matter of just a few minutes, the practicing helped their confidence grew. One person needed help pulling together their talking points and a timeline for the huge decision they are making to retire in about 18 months; I listened to them as they practiced, and they became more and more confident as they got clearer and more organized in their thoughts. Another person needed help with a script to help him remove exhausting clients who pay very little and take a lot of time. After a few practice conversations, he felt affirmed in what he was saying and was ready to share it with this handful of exhausting clients. As for me, practicing my sprints a couple times a week is helping me build confidence that I can run sprints in my 60’s without getting hurt. So, bottom line: Practice!

January 11th Coaching Tip: Challenge Yourself. It’s amazing what you CAN DO, if you just challenge yourself a bit more. For example, if you only have 15 minutes to get a task done, isn’t it amazing how efficient you can become and get the bulk of the task done? I find this in my life if friends are on their way or close by and want to drop in for a quick visit. I say yes, and then quickly get stuff picked up around the house and get it a bit more orderly.

Believe it or not, I’m also finding this “challenge yourself” to be true as I’m training for the National Senior Games; my ability to do multiple sprints as a 60-year-old is encouraging. Now I’m checking other sprinters’ times, just to see how much quicker I need to be. Challenge yourself or hire a coach to challenge you and help hold you accountable.

January 12th Coaching Tip.Help Others. The fires in Los Angeles, CA are apocalyptic in nature, and I feel like there is absolutely nothing that I personally can do. And yet there IS something that I can do. After watching closely which organizations were “showing up to help others”, I chose to support the World Central Kitchen. During a time of a disaster of this magnitude (and in our own country that is impacting people who work for the same company that I work for), the state of someone’s food, water, and housing security are second to none.

Find a way to “help others” (instead of complaining about this or that or pointing the finger at what should have been done or at certain people). We all want angels and good people to help us when we are down; so, “help others.” Find your way to help, in your own way.

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365 Coaching Tips: Now on day 7, 8 & 9

It takes commitment and consistent execution to implement a new habit, and I’m really liking this new habit of identifying a coaching tip (or trend) daily. We have made the first hurdle of implementing a new habit, and that’s doing it intentionally for at least one week.

January 7th Coaching Tip: Be Specific. With the new year beginning and my coaching work ramping up, a number of my coaching sessions have been focused on “I want to grow my business.” I simply ask, “can you be more specific?” That’s when it can get quiet. The silence spurs more questions from me. Ultimately, these types of questions get asked: “how will you grow”, “how will you spend your time differently”, “who are you targeting”, “what should you not do this year”, “which type of clients do you want to replicate”. The more specific that you can be about what you want to accomplish, I find it’s more likely that you will be successful. And further research indicates that if you write down, share them with key people, and then make them visible, you are much more likely to succeed. For example, I have post-it notes on my mirrors and desks that remind me of my quarterly goals. Everyday, I am looking at those specific goals.

January 8th Coaching Tip: Backup Plans. We don’t want to think about backup plans, but when we have them, we sure are happy when we can quickly and somewhat effortlessly put them in motion. Today, on two different occasions, I was working with coaching situations where there was no backup planning by the coachee; they had one plan and just assumed it would go as planned. As I asked a few questions, I could quickly tell that they needed to think more broadly and thoughtfully, regarding a backup/2nd or even a 3rd scenario. One situation was already in turmoil and they were in triage mode, losing sleep, begging for assistance, etc. We quickly put together a plan for a 2nd and 3rd option in both cases. Backup plans are necessary for many stages in our life journey; don’t be surprised when things re-route you. Have a plan and be ready to pivot, or at least somewhat ready.

January 9th Coaching Tip: Measure Frequently. If any of my coachees want to execute on a new goal, I ask them, “what are you measuring, and how frequently are you measuring it?” For example, one of my coachees wants to grow their business by 15% in 2025. We talked about reviewing the results monthly, measuring progress weekly, and assessing and tracking daily activity that contributes to growth. For me, I have some goals this summer to be able to run faster. Therefore, I’m tracking three things daily: my VO2MAX level on my Apple watch, my weight every morning, and my times when I run sprints weekly. If my VO2MAX increases, and I weigh a bit less all while continuing to run my sprints a bit faster weekly, I should run faster this summer that I ran in June 2024. Guess what? Nine days into the new year, my VO2MAX has increased and I’ve dropped a pound or two. Progress, bit by bit.

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365 Coaching Tips: For Days 4, 5 & 6

We’re on a roll here, and the coaching tips are evident in these three coaching tips.

January 4 Coaching Tip: Stay connected. Friends and family really matter to your overall wellness. The Blue Zones research by Dan Buettner indicates that having a purpose and regular social connections are two of the most important keys to longevity that Buettner revealed in his research. I also find this to be true; I thrive on getting my crew together. Today, I had the opportunity to attend a ball game with two of my Indiana University teammates. Since I had a couple extra tickets to that game, I gave them to my high school basketball coach. As if that wasn’t enough, I looked up in to the audience and there was one of my high school teammates and a gal that I used to ride the school bus with. We all connected, smiled, and are intentionally staying in touch via getting out of the house, going to support college women play basketball…something that we all did years ago.

January 5 Coaching Tip: Make Plans. My vacation days are already booked on my personal and work calendar; also shared them with my partner. Why? Because vacations and making those memories are a huge contributor to my overall wellness. Another tip that I have implemented for years is to take four days of vacation but get 9-10 days off. How? Utilize the 3-day weekends with holidays to maximize your vacation, i.e. Memorial Day is always the last Monday in May, so take the Tuesday thru Friday off in late May. You will have a great start to your summer and only utilized four vacation days. Same for Labor Day, in early September; take those four days off after Labor Day, it makes for a nice wrap of your summer.

January 6 Coaching Tip: Get Organized. Most people establish “New Year’s Resolutions” at the beginning of the year, and then most resolutions dissipate by the end of January. My recommendation is to get organized. What does that look like for me? Yesterday, I spent the bulk of the workday creating high priority Outlook email folders and deleting years of irrelevant or outdated folders. The clutter went away quickly, and it did not take that long. Also did that same organization with my own personal Gmail account. This gave me the feeling of less clutter, more organized, and now allows for more focus on my priorities, which are easily reinforced now with this act of getting organized with my email.

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365 Coaching Tips: Let’s Get Started with The First Three

In mid-November 2024, I decided to set my goals for 2025. One of the 10 most important goals was to “blog regularly (daily and weekly) about relevant topics in my coaching work.” Setting the goals and putting them in motion before the end of 2024 allowed me to get rolling along. Must admit, I’m proud of my progress as we all launch into 2025.

So, let’s get started with my first three coaching tips.

January 1st Coaching Tip: Pick one word. One word that YOU can leverage throughout the year, that will empower you, motivate you, slow you down, or speed you up, or help you make decisions. As shared in my January 1, 2025 post, my one word for 2025 is REDUCE. (see it for more on why I chose the word “REDUCE”.)

January 2nd Coaching Tip: Explain why. If you want something done or have a need to delegate to someone else or have to reschedule an appointment, quickly explain why and/or what’s going on. Most humans with a heart (and a brain, with some type of empathy) will understand and be flexible. Just two days into the new year, I found myself having to change a few appointments; for example, when I quickly shared that my 84-year-old mother wanted to have lunch with her three adult kids, everyone I spoke to quickly realized, “moms win!”

January 3rd Coaching Tip: Find your best times. Find your best times to work, when you’re really uninterrupted and in flow; also find the times when your body thrives on exercise. And of course, find the times and take them when you need some downtime. In wearing my Oura ring now for nearly 5 years, my most active time each day is around 9:00am E. My best work is done in the morning, immediately after my important quiet-time reading my devotionals while enjoying my cold brew(s).

One of my priorities in 2025 is to share what I learn in my coaching. My hope is that it will help you in your leadership, life, parenting, family, wellness, relationship, etc. journeys. Let’s keep these coaching tips rolling all year long. Hold me accountable.