Month: April 2025

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365 Coaching Tips: 118, 119 and 120th

April 28th Coaching Tip: Learning AI now.

Not sure why, but I’m not reading/listening to as many books on Audible as I have over the last few years. The Audible credits have been piling up; I have a couple upcoming trips, the weather is really nice for outdoor walking now, so it’s a great time to put in the ear buds and listen/learn. Popped open my laptop a couple days ago and downloaded three books on artificial intelligence (AI). Why? Because I had another leader tell me, “if you don’t understand AI and how it’s impacting every piece of businesses all over the world, then you will soon fall behind and become less relevant.” That direct statement hit me between the eyes and I was glad that he said it to me.

I’m putting those Audible credits to use and have listened to five chapters on AI. I realized today that three different people in our work group are working in spreadsheets over a matter of month…and that AI could have summarized the input in a matter of seconds or less than a minute. I’m using: AI Grok on Twitter/X, the AI Gemini search in Google that is now the first paragraph in search, and Alexa in my home much more frequently for weather, traffic, and ongoing questions. Do I want AI to take over the world with our eight billion people? NO! However, how can we utilize AI to help our lives be more efficient? I’m learning AI now because I don’t want to be a senior who can’t figure it out later.

April 29th Coaching Tip: Time Zone Accuracy.

Today I scheduled a couple personal and work appointments. Two of them were on the west coast, and another I just wasn’t sure where they are located. As I provided dates and times, I added one letter: “E” for Eastern Time Zone. It’s really that easy and simple to be specific on requesting an appointment. Put a E for Eastern, or C for Central, or P for Pacific after the time. Because of taking that small bit of extra effort to truly think it over, it makes the scheduling much quicker, with less back and forth.

When race fans drive to Indianapolis from the nearby state of Illinois, some get to the Indy 500 an hour late…because they forgot that Indiana is on Eastern time zone. One time, my godson drove from Illinois (Central time zone) to Bloomington, IN (Eastern time zone) for an event…and showed up one hour late. He was happy to be there, but darn it, that time zone accuracy got him. Be in touch and more efficient when you include Time Zone Accuracy.

April 30th Coaching Tip: Tidy Up Before You Leave.

We travel a lot and have multiple homes and places we visit frequently. To make our lives easier as we age, we like to do a few things before we leave: 1) tidy up the home quickly, so that it looks nice when we return, 2) run the dishwasher so that the dishes are clean and dry when we return, 3) do a load of laundry before we leave, so that the dirty clothes and towels aren’t stinky when we return, 4) quickly check out the items in the frig…if any items are close to looking a bit icky, toss it, because it will be moldy when we return, 5) put the good items in the frig into the freezer, and we write ourself a note and put it on the counter on “what’s in the freezer”, 6) if we are gone for more than a few days, we turn off the water and the water heater, and put the thermostat on the eco mode, 7) we arrange the transportation ahead of time (schedule the Uber, ask a friend, or plan for the car the be at the airport and share its location), 8) we have our favorite stuff at all the locations, i.e. lotion, deodorant, razor, hair stuff, key food items, our comfy shoes and clothes, vitamins, etc. Note: #8 allows us to travel with less stuff, and we don’t have to remember as much. Tidy up before your leave, which makes you smile when you return.

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365 Coaching Tips: 115th, 116th and 117th

April 25th Coaching Tip: Flat Stanley Taught Us.

Our friend’s daughter sent me a package with the Flat Stanley instructions and a hand-colored Flat Stanley. If you are unfamiliar with Flat Stanley, join the club; I wasn’t either. However, the instructions were simple to understand and on one page. The essence of this game with Flat Stanley is to take him (hand-colored lil Flat Stanley) with you as you visit places, take photos of him, and then fill out a photo book with the photos that we took of Flat Stanley as he spent a couple days with us. Flat Stanley visited the beach, got to see some palm and banyan trees, visited where I work, saw a sunset, joined us for dinner, and even met our waiter, Mario. When I pulled out our Flat Stanley, Mario quickly said, “I vividly remember the Flat Stanley exercise in elementary.” Isn’t that amazing that an adult remembers this exercise so vividly over 20 years later?

Guess who else learned a bunch? We did. On the final page of the photo book was a number of questions about the state that Flat Stanley visited. We learned so much about Florida; the state bird is the Northern Mockingbird. The state tree is the cabbage palm. The state song is Suwanee River. The nickname is Sunshine State. The motto is “In God We Trust”. The largest city is Jacksonville, FL, with nearly 1 million people. The state is the 22nd largest (in square miles) in the USA. Flat Stanely helped us learn and it was a joy spending time with him and helping our friend’s daughter complete her school project. It’s all packaged up and ready to be mailed to her tomorrow. Flat Stanley taught us, too.

April 26th Coaching Tip: Play Til The End.

Last night during the Denver Nuggets playoff game at the LA Clippers, the score was tied with a few seconds remaining. The Clippers had mounted an incredible 32-9 run in the fourth quarter, putting Denver on its heels. With the score tied and six seconds remaining, Denver Nugget’s best player took a “last” shot which ended up being an airball. But, with the clock running down, another Nugget’s teammate, Aaron Gordon, saw that the shot was going to be short and jumped up to grab it and made a dunk…with .01 on the clock. That’s not ONE second; that’s .01 or 1/10th of a second! This was the perfect example of “playing to the very last moment, playing to the end.” How many times in life do we slow down at the end or we don’t do our job expecting others to execute or we think we will just do it tomorrow or we say, “let’s go into overtime.” Aaron Gordon taught us to play to the end!

April 27th Coaching Tip: Prioritize Recovery.

Yesterday was an intense day for my senior games preparation. (My goal is to compete (again) in the Indiana games on June 7, and then the National Senior Games in Des Moines in early August. The events are the 100m, 200m, 400m, and 800m runs; I’m also going to do the basketball shooting at Nationals.) After shooting baskets for 32 minutes, I headed to the nearby middle school’s track where I ran six-100m’s and two-200m’s, did some leg strengthening and took two walks. Burned nearly 1,000 calories; it was mid-day, about 85 degrees and a light breeze. Hydration and the hot tub were both priorities after that intense workout. As you might imagine, today is all about recovery. We scheduled an hour massage, after a slow morning walk. Now I’m heading to the pool to swim a couple laps…and take a nap by the pool. Our neighbors brought us some homemade spaghetti sauce and meatballs, so we don’t even have to do food prep today. Take time to keep your body healthy by prioritizing recovery after intense days. As a 60 year old, being fit and healthy for me is a blend of appropriate strength and cardio HIIT training, proper nutrition (80% of the time), 7+ hours of sleep, enjoying the work and purpose in our life, and allowing the brain and body to have time to recover. Your body (and mind) deserve it. Prioritize recovery.

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365 Coaching Tips: 112, 113 and 114

April 22nd Coaching Tip: Leaders Want Coaching.

This evening after work, I talked to three, good, long-term friends who are making huge decisions about careers and job transitions. One was a guy that I used to play with when we were kids (when we were both under 10 years old), another is a woman who I’ve known well for 10 years because we have had some thoughtful and deep conversations over dinner, and the other was a guy that I’ve known for nearly 13 years and I’ve been his “bestie” as he has made three career changes. Why did they all call me? Not sure, I can’t speak for them. But all three said, “I just knew I needed to talk this over with you, Jen; you listen well, ask great questions, and yet, still let me make my own decision.”

Who trusts you with very important decisions? How are you showing up for them? What can you do to be more helpful to those who need a confidant? How do you make time for them when you’re so busy? I’m not sure if the planets aligned or what, but somehow someway, I was able to work in 3 conversations last night with these wonderful people. Two of the conversations allowed me to “walk & talk” and get my steps in. These 3 are leaders in their families and the primary bread winners, so career decisions, incomes, bonuses, and the art and science of negotiation needed thoughtful prep and practice. Leaders want coaching; but more importantly, these three just needed a long-term friend who they trusted to listen to what was going on with them. Leaders want coaching…and friends who listen.

April 23rd Coaching Tip: Don’t Miss Birthdays.

Tomorrow is my dad’s birthday, the 29th is my uncle’s birthday, and my grandmother’s birthday is May 24th. How do I know that? Because when I hear about an important birthday (or anniversary or key date), I simply add it to that calendar day as an event and select repeat “every year” in my iPhone. It takes just a few moments but it’s so appreciated by the birthday person when you remember and reach out to call them. Yes, I said call them. Facebook has a good way to remind us of birthdays, but in my opinion, it’s a somewhat lazy way to click on a pre-made “happy birthday” emoji and then click it and send. Seems a bit unemotional and disingenuous.

My recommendation is to pick up the phone and call people on or near their birthdays. Call them the day before and ask them about their b-day plans or call them the day after to ask what was the best part of their b-day. Bottom line: don’t miss birthdays!

April 24th Coaching Tip: Heavenly Birthdays.

Today would have been my dad’s 86th birthday. Many in our family reached out and connected with my mother, who is 84 years old now and was married to dad for 63 years, to share fond memories and wisdom that we all got from my Dad. Some of our family members didn’t know what to say/text to mom; they were uncomfy to bring up Dad. We encouraged all the family members to share fond, funny and good memories of Dad.

I learned alot from this lil exercise. Send love, positivity and goodness on heavenly birthdays. Celebrate the life of those who have passed on. Share the stories of how they impacted you while they were on earth, alive and thriving. Remember those heavenly birthdays.

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365 Coaching Tips: 109th, 110th and 111th

April 19th Coaching Tip: Celebrate Others.

When someone turns 80 and throws a party, go! That’s exactly what my uncle did. He (at 80 years old, too) flew in from Denver on Good Friday. He and I relaxed most of the day before the party, then I drove my uncle around 4pm to this 80th birthday party of one of his fraternity brothers (Blair) from Indiana University. About 7pm, my phone rings and my uncle and Blair’s wife (Helen) were calling me to invite me over to the party to meet their family, taste some of their bourbon collection, and eat some of the remaining chocolate desserts. How could I say no to those three requests? Family, bourbon, and chocolate? YES! Fast forward to 10:45pm, my uncle and I are in the car driving home after listening to some live music in Blair and Helen’s covered porch. Blair hand-picked this duet and enjoyed laughing hysterically with his family. Lots of the yummy left-over desserts (moist, chocolate fudge cake and chocolate covered strawberries) came home with us to enjoy with Easter dinner. Join in the fun and celebrate others. It was Blair’s big 80th birthday and what a party he threw!

April 20th Coaching Tip: Catch The Sunrise.

It’s Easter Sunday; to us, it’s one of the most beautiful mornings to get up early and catch the sunrise to be reminded of the good news ahead for us eternally. The evening before, we headed up to our lakeside condo, which faces east, so when we woke up, the Easter sunrise was glorious. It was worth the effort and a great reminder to just get up and catch the sunrise.

April 21st Coaching Tip: Think Ahead.

The next three weeks have me hitting multiple cities, speaking to multiple groups with multiple presentations. In reviewing my timeline, I set some time-blocking on my calendar to work on the high priority and very specific items to help me ensure that I stay ahead and don’t fall behind. I also asked myself who can I leverage to help stay on schedule and completely on point. Earlier this month when I delegated a key piece of the prep work, I inspected some work that was done by others to help ensure that it was complete and accurate. Unfortunately, it was not completed accurately, and it may put my reputation as a speaker and a facilitator of a session with three others somewhat at risk. Thank goodness the “think ahead” mantra was in full effect, and we have time to recover and fix the work and get back on track. Think ahead!

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365 Coaching Tips: 106, 107 & 108

April 16th Coaching Tip: Pay Attention To Messages.

Our flight was delayed this week for an hour, then it pushed another hour. Since we are well-seasoned travelers, we knew that these delays would most likely lead to a long, uncomfortable evening in the airport. After the second delay, we quickly discussed our options, paid our restaurant tab, and made the decision to head back home so that we could sleep in our own bed and watch our favorite show at 830pm. Glad we made this decision, because we found out that our flight was delayed from 7pm to 12am, and then ultimately cancelled. Pay attention to messages, they might just save you some angst; I’m sure others weren’t paying as much attention and got angry at the delays and then even more angry when the flight ultimately cancelled. Pay attention…and trust your expertise.

April 17th Coaching Tip: Plan For The Future.

Recently, I met with two key leaders. Although they have no idea, they were in those moments helping me plan my future. One really needed me as a business coach and trusted advisor, while the other wanted to hear more about my background and how I might be able to help others (since I have nearly four decades of business and leadership experience) in the next few years. These two discussions have me really thinking about my future. I’m asking myself: WHO can I help? on WHAT topics? and WHEN do I do this? and WHERE do I want to do it?

My abilities to influence and help develop others, help them solve problems, be comfortable working locally and globally, and have a focus on client experience are valuable to a wide variety people. Now’s the time (no matter your age) to Plan for the Future. YOUR future!

April 18th Coaching Tip: Inspect Your Decisions.

Yesterday I went to inspect a late change that I made in the house remodel project that we have in progress. I had made the original decision to go with an off-white paint color (named after the dog breed, West Highland White Terrier). I really thought it was a good choice, as I compared eight to ten different off-white colors. However, the name grabbed me emotionally since we used to have two Westie dogs. When I saw this WHWT color on the walls of the house, it didn’t feel right, as it had too much yellow in it. I knew that had to make a change, just had to. Quickly, I selected a brighter white, named “White Snow.” My painters went to the paint store, grabbed the new paint, started painting and said, “much better…what should we do with the West Highland paint?”

Since it was my decision to change the color, I knew that I had to drive back to the remodel project and go check out the new paint color on the walls. Sure enough, it looked so much better, and the “white snow” color was brighter; zero hint of yellow in it. It made me smile! This week we received the building permit for the new proposed garage, so we will utilize the paint that was already purchased (“WHWT westie” for the interior of the garage. We all agreed with the changes. Recommend that if it is YOU who makes a change on an important decision, go check it out and inspect it.

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365 Coaching Tips: 103rd, 104th and 105th

April 13th Coaching Tip: Happy 413 Day

Received a simple text today from a former Can Do Scholarship “student” who has become quite a businessman, with work experience at Enterprise Car Rental and Caterpillar. The text was simple: “Happy 413 Day”.

Antonio was a fourth grader, sitting on a gym floor, when I first met him and shared the promise of receiving a $1,000 Can Do scholarship when he graduated from high school and progressed to college. He said when he heard me mention this, it was the first time ANYONE had talked to him about college. Fast forward to his senior year in high school. Antonio was a good student athlete and was recruited to play college basketball at Univ. of Southern Indiana. He didn’t receive a full scholarship, so he really needed the Can Do scholarships. We awarded him $1,000, and then an additional $6,000 for his senior year since he was on track to graduate from USI. What a memory Antonio has, sending me a simple “Happy 413”. Note: the 413 stands for getting fourth graders to post-secondary education and it also my favorite verse in the bible, Phil 4:13.

April 14th Coaching Tip: Meet in Person.

Over this past weekend, I met with very important people in my life. My best friends and my mom. It could have been very easy to stay home, watch every stroke in the Masters golf tournament; however, I made the choice to have breakfast with a couple of our friends on Sunday morning (which allowed me to have fun cooking in the kitchen, making plenty of leftovers for all week) before I jumped in the car and drove for an hour to meet my mom for a late afternoon lunch. These are very important people in my life. As I age, I want to have no regrets as my life closes in and nears ending. I want to say that I spent time with those that I loved and made memories, that we met in person, we laughed, and we cried.

April 15th Coaching Tip: Tax Day, why wait?

Simple question: why wait and create unnecessary stress? Everyone earning an income in the USA knows that tax day is on or very close to April 15th. Every single year.

Statements start rolling in during late January and throughout February. My simple recommendation is to get a (physical) folder/envelope or a (virtual) folder in your email, label it “2025 TAX INFO” and keep putting info, receipts, donations, etc. in it throughout the calendar year.

Don’t wait, as that causes unnecessary stress on you as well as your tax pro, CPA, or accountant.

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365 Coaching Tips: 100th, 101 and 102

April 10th Coaching Tip: 100.

Today I am pleased and thrilled to report that this is the 100th day that I have been writing coaching tips in 2025. Yep, 100 days straight of writing purposefully is a record for me. Now, I’m even more committed to doing it the entire year of 2025.

100 is also a goal for me; hoping to live and see myself as an active centenarian. Active for me means walking and using my brain. My grandmother died on Valentine’s Day, and lived to just short of 88; she smoked most of her adult life. My mother is socially active and is 84 managing a number of farms. My dad lived to 84, and his dad lived to 80; they both were active, driving, working on their farms, caring for their horses and happy doing it.

For right now though, I’m happy, healthy, and active at 60. And glad to be sharing coaching tips for the 100th day in a row. Thanks for reading and providing your feedback.

April 11th Coaching Tip: Relationships Matter.

My haircut appointment today was squeezed in to her 9am timeslot. Little did I know, I was the only person on her schedule for the entire day. She said, “only…for YOU!” I felt bad and good at the same time. Felt bad that she arranged her one and only appointment around my schedule. Felt good that she said, “only…for YOU!”

She knew I was back in town for a few days, and knew it was important to me to get me hair done. I remembered to ask her about her new condo, about her son’s rash and her daughter’s trip for Spring Break. Relationships are a two way street, and they can be beneficial for both people if we simply listen, remember, and ask again. Take time to listen to people and you’ll be surprised what can result. Make your relationships matter.

April 12th Coaching Tip: Let’s Go to Gas City, IN.

Four of us jumped into Michele’s new SUV and we headed out to dinner, and then on to Gas City, Indiana (yes, that’s actually the name of the town) to see Grammy-winning singer Amy Grant. We could have easily postponed it or not gone (we all were busy, had curve balls thrown at us this past week), but Michele had grabbed four tickets well in advance, and we were going out for an evening of fun.

Had any of us ever been to Gas City? Nope! But Gas City (population: 6,000) has invested in their town, county and school system, and worked with the state of Indiana on some economic development grants and they now have a new performing arts center (approx. $20mil investment) that seats over 1,800 people. Their goal is aimed at enriching the community with diverse entertainment and fine arts experiences. It seeks to inspire and foster artistic growth among the youth, positioning itself as a cultural cornerstone for Gas City, enhancing its reputation as a center for arts and creativity.

We had a blast! So glad we went, made memories, laughed, sang, and came home “full”. More importantly to me was how the community came together to take the risk and build a performing arts center. I wish them great success and also am thrilled for all ages to participate in keeping this new center thriving for years to come. Go to Gas City, IN.

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365 Coaching Tips: 97th, 98th and 99th

April 7th Coaching Tip: Portal Positives.

Last night, the Florida Gators men’s basketball team won the NCAA championship in an intense battle against a very strong Univ. of Houston team. Give the staff and these players some credit for winning this championship, as they were down 12 points, stayed focused, and only had the lead for just over a minute in the 40 minute contest. Florida added a number of pieces to their team from some smaller schools: most outstanding tourney player (Mark Clayton) formerly played for the tiny Iona Gaels. Another “strong as an ox” guard, A. Martin, came from Florida Atlantic Univ, and he also played in the Final Four last year. Surrounded by them was a 6’10” sophomore from Nigeria, by way of Washington State. W. Richard, a senior from Belmont University, was a starting guard. One of their backup centers transferred in from Marshall Univ.

There’s a lot of complaining about the transfer portal due to the amount of players in it. I totally get that, it’s excessive and the poor timing of opening the portal during the NCAA tourney are both valid complaints. However, in our family, we have a belief in “betting on yourself” and five of the players who played for Florida last night did indeed bet on themselves. They were under recruited, went to smaller schools, developed and got better…and transferred. They came together under a new, young coach, on a sunny Florida campus in Gainesville, trained hard, molded together, and won on college’s biggest stage. Instead of complaining about the portal in college sports or that there’s “no talent in the workplace”, challenge yourself to go out and embrace the talent that is out there. It’s there, and so many positives are in the portal. As a leader, it’s your responsibility to bring together and lead talent who know your vision and embrace it, know their well-defined role, and then allow them to soar!

April 8th Coaching Tip: Three S’s.

Coached a group of new advisors, who are making 25 to 35 outbound calls per day to leads that are provided from another part of the enterprise, i.e. they are already clients. These new advisors were in a bit of a lull and needed a bit of a pick-me-up session. After introductions of these four advisors and myself, they shared what are they most proud of. Then we discussed what are they struggling with and what’s creating the lull. After hearing their examples, we dug in a lot more and they identified that they couldn’t get people to make a decision. Delays by the clients were their “competition”. Another problem is that few of their calls are being answered, so they feel like they are just leaving voicemails.

We practiced what they are saying (script) to the clients and how they are leaving voicemails. I then asked them about their timing: when are they making these calls and leaving voicemails. After some practice, we landed on the 3 S’s: slow the script down a lil bit and do it with a smile. Yes, Slow down, personalize the Script just a bit, and have the client feel your Smile thru the phone or voice message.

April 9th Coaching Tip: Be Prepared.

Met with a team that I had never worked with before and it went great. Why? Because I really prepped BEFORE meeting with them. It actually felt like I knew their numbers as well as they did, and some of the key numbers, I knew well and they felt it. Because of that, our scheduled 30 minute “intro” meeting quickly turned into a very valuable 45-minute meeting, that was “informative, productive, forward looking, helpful” (their words describing our intro meeting). We were able to prioritize six items that they were willing to get to work on and we will have an accountability checkup in 90 days.

After the meeting, the son of the founder stayed and asked it I had a few more minutes. He realized that we both grew up around horses, so he really wanted to talk about it. He thanked me for being prepped; he said he quickly realized and said to himself, “she’s no joke, she knows our numbers!” We went from not knowing one another to having an action plan and a common horse connection…all because of prep. Be prepared; it’s appreciated.

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365 Coaching Tips: 94th, 95th & 96th

April 4th Coaching Tip: Leadership Standards.

Had the opportunity today to coach the lead advisor, on a medium sized team, who is expecting others on his team to step up. He indicated that they just haven’t stepped up for years. I pushed him for examples, and he shared that as he travels, his advisor colleague is not coming into the office. Two of his assistants are not getting their registrations done, and those opportunities to get registered are about to expire. One of his assistants is calling in sick frequently. Another junior advisor is not giving the lead advisor an update on his weekly activity.

After listening to all of these examples, I asked him to share his leadership standards. He paused, and sarcastically said the word: accountability. And I proceeded to ask more about accountability and who can help him drive the accountability (because it is obviously not working with him). He is going to begin leveraging his new business manager/operations manager. His business manager already is setting standards: No means no. Yes means yes. She is explaining the difference to the team members, holding one on one’s, setting up smaller team meetings, tracking key metrics in her first 30 days on the team, and beginning to deploy simple leadership standards. Have standards, and as a leader, implement them.

April 5th Coaching Tip: Go See It.

It was going to be 3.5 hours of driving, but I chose to go visit the farm that my grandfather bought over 50 years ago. Since I was already in the Tampa area for the Women’s Final Four, I had Saturday with a few hours of free time and called my mom and told her I was going up to Ocala to see it. Glad I did. I was able to connect quickly with the neighbor (to help keep the relationship positive and reciprocal). I texted with the tenant farmer. I walked the property and noticed a few things that need to be addressed, per our land lease. On the way back to Tampa, I got to have a quick chat with a friend who was nearby (those spontaneous and quick diet Coke conversations are worth it). I could have easily convinced myself NOT to go on this drive; but so glad I did. Warm weather and a convertible made the ride pleasant too, especially when the interstate got backed up and I took an alternate route thru the country…which took me by a locally owned farmstead that had an attractive farmstand. Of course, I had to buy that mixed berry pie, a big bag of oranges, two containers of blueberries, etc. because my friends and I were having ice cream sundaes and pie later that evening. As I returned to Tampa, my friends asked how was my trip. I pleasantly responded that I was so glad I went. It’s easy to say no, but “Just go see it!”

April 6th Coaching Tip: Momentum Changes.

UConn women’s basketball won its record setting 12th national championship this evening, beating South Carolina by 23 points, 82-59. Although UConn had been up by 15 points in the 3rd quarter, the UConn coach (Geno Auriemma) calmly and quickly called a timeout with 3:12 remaining, with UConn up 50-39. Geno sensed something, and it could have been that one of the SC players (MiLaysia Fulwiley) was subbed in and quickly made an impact with a rebound, made a shot, blocked a UConn shot, grabbed a steal, and had an assist for another teammate’s score. Geno was NOT going to let these momentum changing plays by this SC player continue; he was having no part of it, no way. He called the timeout to help slow the game down. I watched him closely. He didn’t even go into the huddle; he let the players talk. This timeout worked. UConn regained the momentum and they were leading by 16 points at the 2:33 mark. In less than one minute, the UConn lead increased from 11 to 16 points. Momentum changes happen on the court and in your life. How are you taking quick timeouts to evaluate what is happening?

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365 Coaching Tips: 91st, 92nd and 93rd

April 1st Coaching Tip: Ask For An Exception.

Recently I was working with an advisor who is three to four months from announcing his retirement. He received a major curve ball: his succession plan (with a female advisor that has been his business partner for more than 13 years) is in limbo. The female advisor now faces an existential health situation. It’s drastic for her and also is creating havoc for the soon to-be retiring advisor. After we discussed this tragic situation, we thoughtfully started discussing options. By the end of our very important and focused call, we had identified seven options. And the 7th option ended up being “ask for an exception to the policy.” He’s now working the details on that option, because as he says, desperate times require desperate actions. He’s going to ask for the exception; my bet is that he will get it due to his story and prep, and his relationship with leadership.

April 2nd Coaching Tip: Isolating “T” Words

As the workday wrapped up on April 2nd, threatening weather with severe thunderstorms and tornadoes scattered from Dallas, TX to Toronto, Canada. And in Indiana, there were multiple sightings and touchdowns of tornadoes within one mile of our rental homes in Carmel, IN. But before all of this threatening weather started occurring around 8pm, the United States announced new and higher tariffs, after the stock market closed. There was an immediate and thunderous loss in the markets across the globe. Lots of “T” words, that can and will drive anxiety, fear, anger, and isolation. Think of how when a tornado is nearby, we quickly move to isolate inside in a safety room/basement/closet. When thunderstorms arrive, we tend to get inside, too. When tariffs are announced, this tends to drive isolation by countries…self-preservation versus decades of collaboration.

April 3rd Coaching Tip: Hopeful “T” Words

Today, I’m thankful that none of my friends, family, and rental homes were impacted by the tornadoes in Central Indiana last evening. It’s Taco Thursday and Thirsty Thursday, so let’s make it through the day to celebrate an upcoming weekend. With the tariff announcements came a sell off of the stock market; this timing might just be a good time to jump in the market and buy when prices are lower. I sure took advantage of it!

How YOU respond to daily and weekly announcements, happenings and untimely realities that impact your world is on YOU. It’s YOUR decision. Your attitude and how you respond will be remembered by others, but more importantly, it will help you be resilient thru these times.