Category: Coaching

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365 Coaching Tips: 142nd, 143rd & 144th

May 22nd Coaching Tip: Our High School Class.

Thanks to some of the gals from our 1982 high school graduating class, they have created a group for our class on Facebook. Not only do they keep us up to date on our classmates and their parents, but they also post positive and uplifting messages. Our class was special in high school from 1978 to 1982…and still is special. Even when we were teenagers, we bonded together. I don’t remember fighting; I remember support, fun times, community involvement, fellowship and Christian activities, high achievers, and academic as well as athletic accomplishments. If you are in touch with your high school classmates, good for you. Keep it rolling! If not, can YOU be the one that brings the classmates back together? Our high school class continues on our tradition of caring, now four to five decades later.

May 23rd Coaching Tip: Know Your Boss.

As an employee, it’s to your benefit to understand and know your boss. Of course, you’re already thinking that “no, it’s their responsibility to get to know me and get me!” For the relationship to work, it should actually work both ways. For example, my boss mentioned to me that she appreciates how I email her a summary of what’s going on prior to our monthly one-on-one. Now I do that summary email the day before we meet, so that she can has more time to read it before our one-on-one. Plus, she remembers it better, too. And during our one-on-one, since we both are more prepared and on the same page, it goes quicker, it gives me time to ask her what she needs me to do for her and the team. This two-way share is important to us both; we’re on the same page. Take time to get to know your boss and how they like to operate.

May 24th Coaching Tip: 112th Birthday Wishes.

Today would have been my grandmother’s 112th birthday. Although she passed in 2003, some 22 years ago, we had sweet memories of her today that my brothers and I shared with our mom. Our grandmother was a stunning gal, married a dapper guy from East Chicago Emerson and the Univ. of Michigan. She was a stay-at-home mother with two kids and also was a substitute teacher (she attended the Indiana Teachers College), got involved in local politics, the Red Cross, had some real estate holdings, and was widowed at 50 years old. She didn’t stop. She kept right on going and gave us three grandkids one on one time that we were reminiscing about today. It was sweet to share these memories with our own mother and to acknowledge her heavenly birthday.

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365 Coaching Tips: 139th, 140th and 141st

May 19th Coaching Tip: Parks are FREE.

What a way to introduce your kids to free entertainment by simply taking them to a park. Teach a child how to go find 10 different leaves or six different bugs or five different weeds or wildflowers. Ask them to go make a friend with someone else. Time them as they run to something or encourage them to go play with other kids. Parks are free and simply go underutilized.

I’m always amazed when I go to Central Park in NYC; no matter the time of the year, it’s busy and bustling. Mostly with adults. Adults realize how important it is to be outside, soaking up sunshine, laying on the grass, listening to the birds chirp, running or walking on the many paths. If we as adults get it, then let’s make sure that our children get those experiences early in their lives. Parks are free and might be one of the best educational experiences that kids can have. And the quality time visiting the parks is priceless.

May 20th Coaching Tip: Practice The Script.

Today I worked with a couple young advisors who are learning how to care for clients of their colleague, a senior advisor who is expecting to wrap up working in the next couple years. As these two are meeting the clients for the first time, they are simply listening and taking notes. For the second meeting, we are now working on scripting and practicing questions for them to ask these clients. They landed on asking them about their family tree. We agreed that who doesn’t like talking about their family tree. And the second question would be to ask permission to reconfirm the beneficiaries on record for their accounts. We practiced these questions and relief came to them with smiles. Then we added another part of the script. After these meetings with the clients, the young advisors would call clients back, at the request of the senior advisor. This ties the effort together, and the client is understanding that the senior advisor is still in charge, but delegating work to be done. Take time to practice the script. It will drive more confidence and comfort for all parties involved.

May 21st Coaching Tip: Stand Up to Greet People.

Recently as a client, I went into an office and was greeted warmly and professionally by a couple of the company’s colleagues. They both stood up and came out of their offices and workspace to greet me. But a third colleague just looked at me and stayed seated in his work cubicle. It immediately created an uncomfortable situation for the two who had greeted me, knowing that I was a client.

Coaching tip for today is simple: when a client approaches you, stand up and greet them. A simple handshake or even a quick standup and smile at them are both appreciated. If you don’t stand up, you may be sending a signal to that client that they don’t matter. Stand up.

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365 Coaching Tips: 133rd, 134th and 135th

May 13th Coaching Tip: The Pacers Are A Team.

By now, you are probably realizing that my love for basketball allows me to utilize basketball analogies in some of my coaching tips. Last night, the Indiana Pacers soundly won their 7-game series versus the #1 seed, Cleveland Cavaliers. Very few of the NBA experts selected the Pacers. But the Pacers have pulled together since the NBA All-Star break in February and have been on a winning roll. They are winning! How? From my point of view, they each understand their role, their bench celebrates wildly and regularly, and five to seven players each night score in double figures. They are a TEAM, achieving more than any of the experts expected. They have a couple NBA all-stars on their team, but they have a number of role players who are stepping up, accepting their role, and executing under pressure at a high level. Leave it to a team to get it done!

May 14th Coaching Tip: Your Network Matters.

It’s one thing to have “Facebook friends” and “Linked In” connections, but it’s a whole different level when you can reach out to important people in your network to get a meeting with them. That happened today and yesterday. I wanted to gather some insights and feedback on an idea that I have, so I quickly shared why I wanted time with them, and they agreed to meet with me…and were also prepared to discuss the idea with me.

Over 14 years ago when I exited Caterpillar, my career coach was instrumental in making me really leverage people in my network that can make a difference. And sure enough, one of those key people helped connect me with my current role at Merrill. It was pure timing. He and I had just connected on what I wanted to do, and then a week or two later, an opportunity was discussed while he was at dinner. He recommended that I would be a great fit for an internal coaching role, then called me the next day to let me know that he had recommended me. The rest is history; I’ve been at Merrill for nearly 13 years. Your network matters!

May 15th Coaching Tip: Thank you notes.

Today, I received the nicest thank you note from a former colleague who reached out to me for some help. She was wanting to implement a number of technology and process changes with her team this week. After I heard about her successes with the team already and also hearing her say that there may be some resistance, she and I discussed her strategy; we landed on B & B, i.e. to get their Buy-in, give it to them in Bite sizes. So we worked on a timeline of what the team had already accomplished, reminded her to celebrate those wins, recognize the team, and then share what further process and tech changes were planned to be implemented over the next few months…in bite sizes…not all at once. Wanting her to be successful, I shared with her a quick seven-minute video that might just help her know what she was truly requesting and I also connected her with another leader who had already successfully implemented these tech and process changes. It worked! She thanked me today for helping her think over her initial plan, nudging her to slow down just a little and give them B & B with a timeline and examples. I played a small part in her success but was smiling when I got her thank you note.

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365 Coaching Tips: 130th, 131st and 132nd

May 10th Coaching Tip: Say No to Price Increases.

Ever had that feeling when you’re feeling like you’re being taken advantage of? For example, maybe your internet bill keeps creeping up higher and higher, then all of the sudden, the $35/month jumped to $50/month to $75/month? Welp, that just happened to me. Services that are doubling in costs may be ok to some people, but I’m saying no. I switched and locked in a 4-year guaranteed rate of $55/month with unlimited data and 1G. Say no to price increases that make your skin crawl. Have the courage to say no, take a few minutes and make the change, and take care of YOU!

May 11th Coaching Tip: Mothers love Mother’s Day.

Mothers love mother’s day. Why? Because it is ALL about them. And all they want is to be recognized, be around their kids and grandkids, share a meal, play a game, tell some stories, laugh, and spend time together. It’s pretty simple, and yet, why is that so many people miss it or “underthink it” or forget to even get a handwritten note, card, flowers, a treat for their mom? Not sure I understand, but it’s easy to resolve. Put a reminder on your calendar a week prior to Mother’s Day to help you be prepared and make it about her. Mothers love mother’s day.

May 12th Coaching Tip: The Best Want Feedback.

At the end of my day today, I coached one of the best female advisors in our company. She felt a bit stuck, as she mentioned that she hadn’t got much done since our convo in January. However, she is growing via referrals, especially with women, and plans to hire 1-2 more talented teammates by midyear. She’s also adding an intern for the summer. We also discussed how a couple of her teammates cannot get out of the day to day work, and do the more important work. By the end of the call, we had identified 3-5 prioritized things that she and her team can do this summer with the intern to help automate her practice to free up time for teammates, focus on the clients that she wants to replicate, and refocus the amount of time spent with segments of her clients. By the end of the call, she was smiling and was ready to set up the next call. The best leaders want feedback. They also want to be heard. Listen, listen, and then lean in.

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365 Coaching Tips: 124th, 125th and 126th

May 4th Coaching Tip: Read The Fine Print.

Since 2013, I’ve owned 33 properties in my real estate companies. I’ve rented many of these homes multiple times and sold a number of them. Today, my realtor hosted an open house for a home we listed for sale just two days ago. In receiving four offers quickly, my realtor and I closely read thru the offers, i.e. the fine print. In three of the four offers, the realtor was trying to increase their fee amount from 2% to 3%. In one of the offers, the escrow amount wasn’t even 1%. We asked them to increase it, and they did quickly. Another offer had just 5% down, with 95% mortgage. I’m not interested in that. The first offer we got a couple days ago was asking for a home warranty, the 3% realtor fee, and then a $4,000 closing credit. That offer was a no way, absolutely no way.

Take time to read the details and truly understand the impact on the contract. The fine print matters; don’t peruse over it. It matters.

May 5th Coaching Tip: Follow Up After In-Person Meetings.

In my coaching work, some of the teams and businesses will host events. They might spend months planning the event, fine tuning the speakers, their speeches, and the invite list. And yet, follow up is typically not thought of thoroughly. Recently we had an international meeting with 15 teams who manage a significant amount of business. At the end of both days of the conference and also the first day upon their return home, the leader summarized a handful of items as expected next steps. Then, he asked his admin team to develop a matrix to track who is making progress on these next steps.

This was an elite case of ensuring follow up will most likely happen. Following up after these valuable (and expensive) in-person encounters in life or with business meetings can really show others that you care and are paying attention. Follow up!

May 6th Coaching Tip: Weather Changes.

As we wrap up this week in our Florida home before we head north to enjoy the Indiana and Midwest summer and fall weather, we are prepping for the weather changes. It’s not IF a hurricane will come close to our Naples, FL home in the next few months, it’s WHEN a hurricane / severe storm will come. Thus, we are planning ahead for the warmer and stormier weather in Florida. The outdoor furniture is inside the home. The water will be shut off along with things like the water heater, bidets, Tesla charger, and washer & dryer. Many of the electrical plugs will be unplugged. The thermostat will be on 78 degrees most of the time. We have thoughtfully utilized almost everything in our refrigerator over the last 2-3 weeks, to enjoy it now and reduce waste.

As we head north, the weather is changing up there, too. The month of May can be tornadic, so we will always be charged up and have shoes on if tornadoes arise. We also plan to be on the lake regularly this summer to enjoy the sunsets. We will ensure we have proper lighting on the boat to return to the dock safely. My hope is that you, too, prepare ahead for the changes in weather. Don’t be caught off guard due to weather changes!

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365 Coaching Tips: 121st, 122nd and 123rd

May 1st Coaching Tip: Listen Deeply.

It’s one thing to say, “Yeah, I’m a good listener.” But it’s another thing to demonstrate it. Today, a group of us listened to a business leader of 20 people share how his team embraces their purpose in their business by deeply listening to help improve the quality of (financial) lives of the families they serve. One of the attendees kinda smirked, raised his hand, and asked, “how do you listen deeply?” The leader thanked the attendee for the question and then shared with the entire room all the different exercises, training, and coaching that his team has invested in. Then to further make his point, he shared an amazing example that quieted the room, as he had everyone’s attention on the power of listening sharing how one of his teammates helped transform a challenging client relationship into a very satisfied client.

Listening is simple: ask questions that start with the words how, what, when, who, and where (try to stay away from why questions). Then, stay present as the questions are answered. Ask follow-up questions on what you heard, and try to only ask one questionat a time, so that the convo can go deeper. Refrain from compiling YOUR answer in your head. Listen, then ask for more info. Then a bit later, if necessary, you can ask for permission to provide a couple insights. However, by listening thoroughly, give yourself time to evaluate what you are hearing; sometimes, as the listener, you don’t have to say anything. The person speaking can many times figure out their gameplan, learn from their venting, proceed thoughtfully, and be thankful for your listening skills. Instead of listening to answer others, listen deeply.

May 2nd Coaching Tip: Psychological Safety.

In front of nearly 20 leaders, I had the opportunity to share what makes great teams perform better than other teams. With a compilation of research, I mentioned one of the top factors was that team members needed to feel safe to truly share their feelings about their work and their work environment. One of the leaders in the room (who tends to lead with a bit of the “stick” more than others in the room) interrupted our conversation and went on a rant about empathy. It was clear that he didn’t believe in empathy for others. When he was done ranting, I opened up the discussion in the room. Other leaders jumped in and said the best way to get people on your side and to gain buy-in is to first to understand them and their situation. One leader even indicated that if you check-in, listen, and follow up, you don’t even have to show empathy or act like you’re being empathetic. The fact that you checked in, listened, and followed up later on, shows that you care. These acts create psychological safety for them/team members to share with you when something important is on their mind and that pertains to the team’s improvement. Whether the going gets tough or the road is smooth and fast, give others the space and safety to respectfully share with you what’s really going on. This psychological safety will most likely help drive winning results for your team.

May 3rd Coaching Tip: Derby Day!

Although I grew up on a standardbred horse farm, I really love watching the Triple Crown thoroughbred races. Since today was Derby Day, felt it would be fun to celebrate a little bit by making some mint juleps in the mid-afternoon and invite the neighbors over. Connie and Tony came over; they had never made nor drank a mint julep. We got to work and had a blast doing it. We muddled fresh mint leaves with the simple syrup, then added the bourbon and ice. While shaking them, oops, we made a mess. We added more ingredients and more ice, then sat down to drink these yummy mint juleps, watching the pre-race chatter and races, and we really learned more and more about our next-door neighbors. After a couple mint juleps, I learned about their beloved grandkids and the business that their son now runs for them. As it approached closer to 5pm, off they went to get all dressed up for a Derby Party.

Celebrate life by making moments with your neighbors. It was Derby Day and now my neighbors know that I grew up on a horse farm in Indiana, with a deep love of horse racing and basketball. Celebrate traditions and make deeper relationships,,,It’s Derby Day.

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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!