Tag: Goals

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365 Coaching Tips: 250th, 251st and 252nd

September 7th Coaching Tip: Full Moons Are Special.

My godson and I will text each other photos when there is a full moon. Sure enough, at about the exact same time, he texted me a photo of his son sitting in front of the fire, while they were both admiring the full moon. Meanwhile, we were at the lake, doing the same admiring of the full moon glistening over the lake. I texted him a photo. Those full moons are special; it connects my godson and me. Keep them special!

September 8th Coaching Tip: Dinner With Mom.

Today, two years ago, my dad mowed the lawn before sunset. He came in, had some dinner with mom, watched TV, and went to bed. But soon after laying it down, he came out and let mom know that he wasn’t feeling well. A few hours later after my mom drove dad to the emergency room at the hospital, my dad died suddenly of heart failure. He died in the ER, with my mom at his side. They had been married for over 63 years.

Tonight, we drove an hour to meet mom for dinner at good, yummy and reliable Olive Garden. We had wonderful, quick and pleasant service. The soup was delicious, and we all took home leftovers. But most importantly, we three spent time together. Honoring my dad and letting mom know that we are here for her. She felt the love and admiration that we have for her. It was a simple yet special dinner.

September 9th Coaching Tip: Took Bereavement Today.

Although my dad died two years, it hit me this month, this week, yesterday, and this morning. I’m not crying and regretting anything; I’m just thinking of my dad alot, all of his teachings, all of his accomplishments, how quickly he passed, and how mom is gracefully handling life these last couple years.

Just knew I wasn’t going to be able to concentrate well this morning, so I took a half day to grieve/honor dad/not work. That’s the first time that I’ve ever done that in my corporate career of over 38 years. Yes, the first time ever. Know thyself, know your limits.

FYI, I also had three important people in my life (a longtime work friend, a cousin, and my godson’s daughter) with birthdays today. I made it a point to talk to all three of them, and even stopped by to visit my godson’s daughter and give her some treats. Make the effort!

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365 Coaching Tips: 241st, 242nd and 243rd

August 29th Coaching Tip: It’s Football Season.

It’s the start of football season, with Auburn traveling to play Baylor on Friday night during primetime. Football in America is now a viewing/entertainment “thing” on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday evenings. It’s on high school fields all across America on Friday evenings. The NFL is on Thursday evenings, as well as Sunday afternoon and Sunday and Monday evenings. College now plays some games on Thursdays or Fridays, but most games are on Saturdays.

It’s alot of football. And I’m learning, it’s alot of distracted people who are eating, sitting, and now gambling. One 30-something male friend told me that most of his friends are now addicted to gambling, because of the easy access to bet anytime, on any sport, from the palm of your hand with your mobile device. Be aware that it’s football season; but also be aware of the amount of time, energy, and betting that you may or may not be doing. Be aware.

August 30th Coaching Tip: Support Local Businesses.

With all the shopping options today, I still like to support local businesses. For example, I had some furniture delivered today and it made me smile that it was from an Indiana owned furniture company. If we want our towns and cities to thrive with local businesses, then WE must support them. WE must buy merchandise there and refer others to go there. Yes, most businesses have an online presence and sell merchandise online. However, we can do both: buy online and go into their stores. Support local businesses.

August 31st Coaching Tip: Support Women’s Sports.

Stayed up late tonight to watch our women’s pro basketball team, the Indiana Fever, play the Valkyres in Northern California. The Fever are the hottest ticket in women’s team sports right now; their own phrase is, “every game is a home game” because of the amount of eyes that are currently on the women’s game and that Caitlyn Clark plays for the Fever. And the Bay Area in CA is also supporting their first-year women’s team, as every Valkyres game this season has been a sellout. How about that? Amazing support for these women pro athletes. Makes me smile; keep supporting women’s sports…middle school, high school, college, and pro. They deserve all the eyes on their games!

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365 Coaching Tips: 238th, 239th & 240th

August 26th Coaching Tip: Be First to Meet Your Neighbors.

We’ve got a place that we’re remodeling and been working on since Thanksgiving 2024. None of the neighbors have come over and introduced themselves; however, to be fair, it’s mostly contractors that are there, and we have only been there quickly and sparingly over the last 10 months. However, here in August, we are spending time there working on the getting the home all set up on the weekends. I’ve noticed that the neighbor across the street has children that go to school, as I’ve seen the school bus multiple times. And, they have off fireworks every Friday night thus far. Who knew, right? The neighbor to north sits on his front step and quietly watches us work as he smokes his cigarette.

Today, he was out mowing, and as I was driving away, I waved to him. He drove the mower toward me; I got out of the car and walked towards him with my hand to shake his and introduce myself to him. After an hour of listening to him share history about our connecting properties, we walked the property lines and he then shared more about the previous owner and what had happened on the property. Then, he started telling me about his recent retirement and his health challenges (pneumonia, heart stents, aneurysm, etc.). He really opened up…and never asked one question about me. He simply opened up.

I was SO glad that we spent that hour together; he now has my name and my cell number, and he will call me if he sees anything out of the ordinary. He likes what we are doing to improve the property (it’s a farmhouse on 10 acres with an old chicken coup, she-shed, and two barns). He is going to mow even closer now to my property line, after he cleans up the fence line. Be first and intentional to meet your neighbors. Fences make good neighbors and so do thoughtful, purposeful and pleasant neighbors.

August 27th Coaching Tip: Trust, but Double Check.

As we remodel this home, I had ordered the carpet months ago, when the guys installed the hardwood flooring. I decided to swing by the carpet business after work, and re-check my order on the “status” of it and the pricing. I found that the order had NOT been placed for the carpet; it was actually a godsend. We reviewed the selections, and the sales lady and I realized that I could save thousands of dollars and make a decision that I was actually happier with. I trusted the process and the sales woman, however, so glad that I double checked because it all ultimately worked out.

August 28th Coaching Tip: A Year After my 60th Birthday!

It’s been just a bit more than a year since my 60th birthday disco party. I’ve rewatched many of the videos from that fun, meaningful and energetic evening. And today, I jumped on the scale and weighed a couple pounds LESS than I did last year (that was my goal). I also had a surprise visit from two friends that I met while flying back from the Taylor Swift concert and my quick early birthday visit to London last August. It was good to see them; they were enjoying a trip with some of their dear friends to some local wineries and figured out a way to squeak in a visit to say hello. Reminisce and soak up those memories; it’s only been a year after that fun and frolicking 60th birthday party.

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365 Coaching Tips: 232nd, 233rd & 234th

August 20th Coaching Tip: Reach Out On Birthdays.

Today is one of my favorite advisor’s birthdays. I wanted him to know that I deeply care about him, so yes, I was that person who wished him a happy birthday at 8am sharp. And he laughed, and came back quickly and stated, “you were the second person to wish me HBD.” I’ll take it, he and I both know that he’s important to me, and I’m equally important to him.

And then, for some reason, I reached out to one of my coaching colleagues to wish her a happy August birthday. Although her birthday isn’t until Aug. 30, she’s my work-sister with an August birthday. Welp, wouldn’t you know, my gut was right. She responded by saying, “thanks for the HBD wishes. Your intuition is amazing. My father passed last night, and so now I’m dealing with that. I know you lost your father a couple years ago.” Oh my, I wasn’t expecting that message back from her, although she had mentioned that her father had been declining quickly the last couple years. I’m just so grateful that the good Lord had me reach out. Just hope that I can be there for her as she grieves the loss of her dad; my dad died in Sept. 2023 unexpectedly. Keep reaching out.

August 21st Coaching Tip: Understand Your Impact On Others.

Today in one of my coaching sessions, the leader was mentioning how excited he was about a new bi-lingual woman that he’s mentoring and aligning to his team. He had some questions about how to align her to his team and I had some questions, too. For example, he has two other young people on his team that he’s also developing. My questions revolved around the “how”: How will you mentor and develop all three of them? How will you communicate how they will be held accountable and compensated? How will you be viewed as fair, maybe not equal, but definitely fair? How will you document what you’re doing with each of them, so that if you have others who want to join your team, you can quickly share with them how you mentor and develop talent?

Don’t underestimate how important it is to communicate the impact on the person you’re developing, as well as to the others. People are naturally impacted by the amount of time you spend with them. Leadership is hard and it’s your responsibility as a leader to be aware of your impact on others.

August 22nd Coaching Tip: Lakeside Birthday Tradition.

Took the day off, again. It’s a priority for me to take off my birthday, and it’s a ritual that I’ve been doing since I started working at Caterpillar in 1986. At my 40th birthday, our family all gathered at a small hotel that was lakeside in Monticello, Indiana. We brought four jet skis, food, and had a blast. At my 50th birthday party, I rented a lovely, large home on Lake Wawasee, Indiana, for a group of friends to come and stay, and then my family also came a few days later. From there, we started a lakeside tradition, and now we celebrate my birthday and a number of other important dates annually.

This year was no different; we had 19 show up for my birthday party at my brother’s lakeside home in Cicero, IN. We sang karaoke for four hours, ate like kings and queens, and had a yummy, Costco (Italian chocolate six layer) cake with optional scoops of gelato. So, peace out and enjoy your birthday. We sure had a blast all weekend!

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365 Coaching Tips: 229th, 230th and 231st

August 17th: Those Extra Efforts.

It was a sunny day by the lake, and I could have easily just stayed there all-day relaxing. However, my 80-year-old uncle was nearby attending his high school reunion, and then he was heading to the airport today. I jumped in the car and met him for a quick lunch at the airport; we split a sandwich, he shared the fun times from his weekend, and he was also thrilled that I made the extra effort to see him. Make the extra effort; you never know WHEN you may or may not see someone again.

August 18th: Cancer Stinks.

Today, my mother and I had to reach out to the land tenant that is leasing 17 acres from mom for ag purposes. Per the lease, the tenant was to keep the property mowed, maintained, and utilized for ag-only purposes (i.e. no housing, only crops or animals). We were noticing that he stopped communicating and the nearby neighbors were sending me photos of an overgrown pasture. Mom and I knew something was up. Indeed something was up: our tenant revealed that he has progressive pancreatic cancer. His wife also indicated that he’s in the hospital. The man/husband/father/tenant is facing the fight of his life; all he wanted to do was raise a family, teach them how to farm, raise crops and animals. That is all stopping now for him. Mom and I will find another tenant. Cancer stinks.

August 19th: Talk It Over.

One of my coaching clients reached out to me and mentioned that she was thinking of moving forward with a business divorce with her longtime business partner. We prioritized getting some time together; I started asking questions of what’s going on, what’s NOT happening, when was the last time that they talked, who is responsible for what, etc. After about 45 minutes, she realized that she hadn’t even talked to her business partner recently about what was upsetting her. She even admitted that he may not even know that she is thinking about a business divorce. Once she admitted those things, she agreed that she needed to get his attention, sit down and talk it over. We practiced how she might go about doing that. In my coaching work, I regularly notice that many crucial conversations don’t go as planned, because many times the lack of practice is evident, and then the conversation turns sour, emotional, disrespectful and hurtful. Talk it over with a colleague or coach, before you have a crucial talk.

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365 Coaching Tips: 226th, 227th and 228th

August 14th Coaching Tip: Respond To Your Clients.

When clients call you, respond. It’s top of mind for them and they have the mental space to be thinking about “it”, whatever it is. For example, today my partner had a client reach out on a very important potential sale. Although she was in the midst of shopping at Target, she stepped aside and responded with, “I’m at Target grabbing a few things. Give me 5-10 minutes.” The client came back quickly, “That’ll work just fine, take your time.” Within 15 minutes, they both put together a plan to meet later today and it will result in a sale. My partner is a communications professional and professor; “how” you communicate is just as important as “what” you communicate. Don’t overcomplicate things: respond to clients, as they would want to be treated…and as you would want to be treated.

August 15th Coaching Tip: Leverage Your Network.

Thank goodness I have two solid and reputable general contractors that I’ve been working with in central and southern Indiana for more than a decade. If I need a job done or another type of contractor or a specialized expertise that is required, I always reach out to these two GC’s. They give me good recommendations and really care about helping me get my jobs done. They follow up, to make sure that if I selected someone they referred, that the contractor was respectful and completed the job well. Leverage your network to get stuff done.

August 16th Coaching Tip: Get Multiple Quotes.

Today, I’m getting my third quote on some work for a large landscape project. We have a property with a home and two barns, and there is an 800′ incline on the property that has rainwater that can flow directly into the barns and the house area. It will take a lot of drainage tile, grading, stone, and good dozer hand/eye/lazer work to get the water to flow correctly and away from the barns and house. In meeting with three different companies to obtain job estimates, I’ve learned quite a bit from all three of them, and it’s helping me figure out what I want to do on this site. My first priority now is to get the water away from the home, since we are now done with the remodel and painting the exterior. Then, we will work on the barn area. Getting multiple quotes is also slowing me down, helping me to gain clarity on my needs, and also helping me understand my budget a bit better, too.

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365 Coaching Tips: 220th, 221st and 222nd

August 8th Coaching Tip: Hear Their Story.

During one of my coaching sessions recently, my colleague shared with me that he had been in the military and then quickly moved on about his background. I listened and then started asking more questions. That led to him sharing about his upcoming vacation, as he’s heading to Italy and France for his 50th birthday. (That’s what I did for my 50th and 55th birthdays.) We had so much in common, before we knew it, we turned a somewhat random Zoom coaching session into truly having a connection.

Recently, I purchased a home. Honestly, I just wanted to go to the closing, sign the paperwork, get the keys, and get moving on thru my day. But when I walked into the closing, the owner stood up and said, “this was my mom’s home”. He had watery eyes; he was acting as the rep for the family and his mother. He went on to tell me that it’s a great neighborhood for biking and at the end of the street is a great hill for sledding. His parents built the home and are the only family to ever live in it. I told him that we would take great care of it, with a lot of love. Take time to hear other’s stories; it matters and you just never know what you will learn or have in common.

August 9th Coaching Tip: Be Ultra Aware.

Once again in America, a known man with mental health issues was just arrested for killing four people in a Montana bar. Of course he had access to guns, and then killed people with those same guns. Even though that happened in Montana, it hits close to home. Recently as our lake condo, the police officers and fire department showed up in the building next to ours. They were called to investigate a domestic situation that involved a man that is clearly mentally ill…and yet he is a “caretaker for a woman.” Anyway, this mentally ill man walks outside, talks to himself, and wears interesting and very warm clothing even when it’s very hot outside. He’s now been asked to vacate the rental property that he is staying in, due to multiple police reports. Today, we intentionally discussed how to avoid him, not walk by his front door nor getting close to his vehicles. Don’t engage at all. We also shared this message of intentionality and “keeping your head on a pivot” and being more socially aware with our neighbors who were unaware of the seriousness of this situation. Be ultra aware.

August 10th Coaching Tip: Witness the Sturgeon Moon.

For the last two evenings here in August, we have intentionally taken sunset cruises to witness the full Sturgeon Moon rise above the horizon and the tree line to the East. Word has it that this full moon in August was named by the Indians, as the Sturgeon fish were aplenty this time of the year. The Sturgeon Moon is a bit bigger and brighter, starting out as orange-ish and then rising to a more crystal color. We took time both evenings to enjoy this daily yet miraculous event, ooo-ing and ahhh-ing over its beauty. As the moon raised up, it’s light bounced off the lake and was truly beautiful. Photos don’t do it justice; but we took time to witness it not once but twice. Take time to embrace and witness all that God has to offer. Witness the Sturgeon Moon.

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365 Coaching Tips: 217th, 218th & 219th

August 5th Coaching Tip: Take Care of Your Mind.

As we returned from the intensity and competition of the National Senior Games in Des Moines, I prioritized recovery this week. I took it really easy yesterday; only took a couple strolls and got a few shots up in the LA Fitness gym nearby. This evening, I went to bed earlier than I normally do…even though I wanted to stay up and watch a key WNBA game that started at 10pm E. My mind is still on a bit of a high and buzzing with joy and excitement from my results at NSG; my blood pressure last week was un-usually high (130’s-150’s/97). I checked my BP multiple times this week, and it’s right back down to my normal levels of 107/68.

To prioritize my mind today, I really got organized this week (returning from vacation is always filled with a slew of emails and follow up). I prioritized what emails MUST be followed up quickly; I flagged them with a “red” flag. For medium and lower priority emails and calls, I requested connecting with them the weeks of Aug. 11 or Aug. 18, and even proposed the week of Aug. 25 or after Labor Day. A number requested, “after Labor Day works great for me, too.” And for me personally, I scheduled a massage and pedicure for this week, before we head to the lake this weekend for some downtime. Prioritize your mind; clear thinking will help you make sound decisions.

August 6th Coaching Tip: Take Care of Your Body.

As mentioned above, it was very important for me to get a massage early this week. And I splurged. Instead of getting my normal 50-minute massage, I got a 90-minute massage. Very glad that I prioritized this, as I have less soreness now and no injuries from last week at the NSG. While I was competing last week at the NSG, I made it a priority to eat and hydrate very well, drink zero alcohol, and get plenty of sleep (approx. 8 hours/night). I also had access to an indoor pool that had a surprisingly cool water temperature, so after each competition, I got in it and just walked around and swam slowly to help cool down my body a bit. We also brought a foam roller, and I used that to help roll out my hamstrings and calves. Take care of your body; you’ve only got ONE! (Note: we were in Des Moines for the NSG in three different venues for six days. I’m pleased to report that I did not see one injury while I was there. That’s a remarkable statement, since all athletes were 50-101 years old).

August 7th Coaching Tip: Take Care of Your Feet.

Our feet take the pressure of every single step we take; there’s nothing like our feet. When we lose our feet or our ability to walk, it can be quite depressing and debilitating. I’ve witnessed colleagues, friends, and a couple of my family ignore their feet/toes/ankles until it was “too late”. Now they have to wear unique shoes or special inserts or compression socks every single day. It was a priority for me to get a pedicure today and talk to the nail tech about a couple small areas on my toes that were tender. She really listened, inspected, and then helped those two areas, along with making my toes look pretty in Hoosier red nail polish. As I have moved from 50 to now over 60 years old, I’m learning a lot about how my body and feet like certain footwear. Don’t laugh, but I must have about ten pair of Nike Pegasus jogging shoes and Oofos sandals and slides. My feet like them, and my feet don’t hurt. Why change it up if it is working. Take care of your feet.

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365 Coaching Tips: 208th, 209th and 210th

July 27th Coaching Tip: Make It Work.

We are on our way from Indiana to Des Moines, Iowa, for the 2025 National Senior Games. As we prepared our trip, we really didn’t want to drive 7-8 hours in one day. To make it all work, I reached out to some of my gal pals in Illinois and we gathered for a homemade two-hour dinner at Molly’s home. Little did two of us know that one of our gal pals had some serious info to share with us. She shared some gut-wrenching news, we listened, and that’s what we do as friends: we got thru it all together tonight. We four have been thru the rigors of life these last two decades together of being friends. We’ve lost husbands, homes, and jobs; helped our kids beat addictions and making poor decisions, rebuilt our brands and legacies, finished half marathons, etc.

We made it work today for this quick but important homemade dinner and meaningful conversation; please, make it work. Squeeze in these types of important visits. My partner and I stayed overnight and slept on their couches in their basement. The other two gals said, “wait, wait, tonight was so much fun. We want to do a sleep over soon.” I know you’re all very busy, but make it work.

July 28th Coaching Tip: Heat Dome Dangers.

When there’s a heat dome, hydrate. Whatever amount that you are drinking, keep drinking. This heat dome is scary stuff and it is hitting millions of Americans as we head in to the last week of July. We were driving on the interstate for over 3.5 hours today, and we kept the speed closer to 72mph. Why? To help keep the tires just a lil bit less hot (so that they don’t split or shred) and to keep a very close eye on the road surface itself. We heard that in Peoria, IL, a section of the interstate had “bubbled up” and had created a very unsafe bump on the highway. Imagine hitting that bump doing 85 mph! That could potentially wreck-up your car, then you’re alongside the road in the hot sun with a heat index of 100-110. Another tip is to grab a gallon of water and put it in your car. You just never know when you may need a drink or need to drench your head on days like these. Be aware and be proactive when heat dome dangers are present.

July 29th Coaching Tip: Six Seconds Faster.

My first event today at my first-ever National Senior Games here in Des Moines, Iowa, was the 400m run. My previous times in the 400m at the Indiana Senior Games were 1:47 (June 2024) and 1:43 (June 2025). Today, my goal was to run 1:40; I even dreamed about it. As I lined up today, I got dry mouthed/thirsty and nervous but kept my legs moving. Once the gun went off, the anxiety quickly disappeared as I stood in my starting lane two. My pace was spot on; I finished my first 100m before my count of 18 (which is approx. 25 seconds), so I knew I was off to a good start in this 400m race. Plus, I had already passed someone in the first turn. Then, the second 100m was just fine, and I appreciated the strangers cheering for me along the backstretch. In the third turn, I quit counting and focused on two things: the gal in front of me in lane four and on my running form. I set my eye site on her and got back up “on my tip toes” and started chasing her down as we came down the final stretch. I happily finished third in my heat, with a 1 minute 37.51 second time. I was thrilled to beat my goal of 1:40, and very happy that I finished six seconds faster that I ran at the Indiana Games on June 8, 2025.

How did I do this? Prayer and also practicing differently. The last six weeks, I have been running one-minute sprints, that are a jog for the first 30 seconds, then faster and faster the remaining 30 seconds. I would do this for two minutes, too. Lastly, I worked on my form and improving it. I’m so excited that I went six seconds faster! (Note: showing up, staying in shape, allowing your body to rest, eliminating injuries is a big part of participating. Of the 31 registered runners in the 400m, 18 showed up. I finished 12th!)

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365 Coaching Tips: 202nd, 203rd & 204th

July 21st Coaching Tip: Keep Doing It.

During one of my team coaching conversations today, I noticed a common thread that all five team members were mentioning: we are having crucial conversations and it’s working! So, I simply said, after listening to all of their examples for more than 20 minutes, to “keep doing it.”

They had a crucial conversation with a teammate who was way behind on work, and explained how it was impacting clients negatively and which was also leading to questions about his current and future role on the team. They had another key convo about processes that needed to be adhered to, and now they are adhering to their processes better. They even discussed compensation and how to get their thoughts and examples in writing.

Crucial conversations are worth it, if done with proper prep, calm delivery, and transparent thought. Leaders should not shy from having intentional and purposeful convos; these should definitely help the team meet goals, address problems, and help the entire team jump over barriers. Keep doing it, if it’s working.

July 22nd Coaching Tip: Ask For Help.

As co-guardians of my uncle, my mother and I have to stay on the same page with all things pertaining my uncle. It’s our responsibility to do that for his overall well being and financial affairs. We are getting some items more organized and reducing unnecessary clutter, but one small $800 issue has now drug on for the third month. We both were told that we needed to send in a notarized letter with our signature. I don’t have a lot of time to handle items like this during the workday, but when you need something notarized, I asked my lawyer’s assistant and she was very willing to help…and did it. We got it notarized efficiently. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.

July 23rd Coaching Tip: Get Your Confidence Back.

In one of my coaching sessions today with two highly accomplished leaders of a team, I let them vent for more than an hour. It went something like this: “Now what do I do? I’ve tried everything. It’s just not working. I’m losing hope. My confidence is waning. Our colleagues are taking advantage of us. And I’m really good at what I do, I just want to be able to go do it.” By the 90th minute, I was ready to wrap up the call and I asked for next steps. Believe it or not, they had none. So together, we worked on next steps. We identified three for them to do; I agreed to sleep on it, and bring in two other colleagues that can give me insights on when they worked with these two leaders in the past.

When your confidence is low, reach up and ask for help. As my mother would say, “if you’re in a hole, quit digging. Put the shovel aside and use it as a ladder to get up and out of the hole.” Proud of these two leaders asking for my help and knowing that they needed help for themselves, and it should also help their entire team. The team is feeling overwhelmed, not saying much in team meetings, and not showing up consistently. It’s going to take some one-on-one conversations and a gathering of multiple inputs, but our goal will be to help them get their confidence back. If your confidence is dropping, change things up and ask for help.