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This episode of the Coaching Crucible training is about employing sound business fundamentals to grow your business, no matter what market you might be in. Gary Henson, from BusinessCoach.com, and I presented a version of this to thousands of professionals at the World Business and Executive Coach Summit earlier this summer. I hope it serves you well!

Warmly,

Drayton

You can find out more about me here.

Here's the link to the complimentary video training on our special YouTube Channel:  

*Due to the amazing demand for the complimentary public service training we do each month, we have created a YouTube Channel where you can access all of the previous training webinars dating back to 2012. These are all complimentary. Please subscribe to our channel so that you will be notified automatically when we post new videos. Enjoy!

You can register for future Coaching Crucible webinars here.

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Please join Gary Henson and me as we take on the biggest issues in the coaching industry. This is a free public service program we offer each month. It is lively, provocative, and packed with helpful information!

I am often confronted with the question “Why are you sending these blogs to me?  I’m not an executive!” from those non-business executives to whom I forward ECU blogs.  After all, we are the “Executive Coaching University”, so all our material is targeted only to those seen as business executives, right?  Wrong!

In my mind the term “executive” is more adjective than noun – it describes how someone approaches her life rather than who she is and is synonymous with “peak performer”…someone who desires to live life at the highest level possible.

An executive/peak performer:

• Executes – high level performers execute.  They engage the “Ready, Fire, Aim” process of prepare, take action, adjust action that creates greater amounts of positive energy and results, rather than the conventional “Ready, Aim, Fire”…recognizing the majority of people get stuck at “Aim” and never take the action needed.  Ever seen a mom or dad juggle one or more toddlers?  That’s as high performance execution as you will see in any boardroom or courtroom!

An executive/peak performer:

• Is inside-out focused – high level performers understand that our external environment mirrors our internal developmental level.  In other words, high level performers focus on themselves and drive towards their personal “A-game” rather than continuously looking outside of themselves for responsibility, accountability, and solutions.  Think of the slogan “An Army of One” – each individual piece striving to be at their peak, coalescing into a high performing group entity.

An executive/peak performer:

• Is gritty – high level performers seek out opportunities to cultivate grit, that mix of determination, passion, and perseverance that allows us to drive through obstacles.

An executive/peak performer:

• Is neuroscience savvy – high level performers understand how the brain and body work to create the results desired.  Without that knowledge we abdicate our creative power to the unconscious, habit and live our lives on auto pilot.

An executive/peak performer:

• Constantly seeks to self-improve – the high level performer understands that human beings are biologically designed for constant growth and change, yet psychologically drive towards homeostasis and comfort.  Therefore, high level performers continuously look for opportunities for growth and recognize the motivation for that growth must initially come from within.  They push themselves to “reach” as often as possible.

An executive/peak performer:

• Is anchored by values and integrity – the high level performer knows what they value and utilize those values as foundation for their decision making and actions.  Integrity is a cornerstone of the high performers psyche – they embody the saying “Always do the right thing, even if nobody else is looking.”

High level performers wear many different hats and hold many different roles within our society.  Yet, they share the characteristics outlined above. 

If you are reading this you are an executive regardless your official “title”! 

Welcome executive – now pass it on to your brother and sister high performers!

Find out more about Greg here.

 

Are you an executive/peak performer? Please tell us why below. 



This program will help you become an even better peak performer!

     Coaching In The Workplace



© 2014 and beyond Executive Coaching University. All rights reserved.

Women are better executives than men. Yep, I just said it. Now, I'll back it up!

• According to Business Insider women rank at 54.5 percent in “Overall Leadership Effectiveness,” with men ranking 51.8 percent.
• According to the same article in Business Insider, “Overall Female Effectiveness” increases significantly after the age of 40.

Yet...

• According to Forbes Inc. women currently hold 4.6 percent of Fortune 500 CEO positions and roughly the same percentage of Fortune 1000 CEO positions.

Hmmm…

So why, if women have a higher ranking in “Overall Leadership Effectiveness,” and they get better with age, are there so few women leaders? 

The answers are varied and, quite frankly, questionable. Anything from the standard work-life balance drivel to the "glass ceiling" for female executives.   The quote that jumps out for me is “women need to perform twice as well to be thought of as half as good.”  

So… are women tired of the battle?  I don’t think so…

The reality is that women are the ones to watch!  With their strategic ability, instinct for collaboration, and ability to invest in the teams around them, their rise is inevitable. 

One of their greatest traits is that women maintain the habit of asking for feedback and taking action to improve which makes them invaluable. Do most men? Not so much.

So for all you women out there…continue your path, take initiative, drive for results, know your worth, and lead on! 

For the men…you may want to make friends with your women colleagues so they remember you when they are at the top.

They are indeed a BIG deal.

To your continued success!

 

Please know that we are here to help!. You can find out how we can assist here.




© 2014 and beyond Executive Coaching University. All rights reserved.

When asked at a corporate retreat to detail his biggest challenge as a senior level executive, an esteemed colleague recently shared with me that he was literally brought to tears of frustration as he described his efforts to connect and inspire his younger workforce.

Turnover from this segment was at an all-time high and it was severely affecting morale, production and leadership.

This scenario is happening all over the world. Millennials currently represent 30% of our workforce and will grow to over 40% by 2020. This issue will only exapand in importance. The press has written about this generation as the “Me Generation.” There are more similarities in values than one may think between generations; it is the order and priorities using these values in their lives that are different.

Here are three suggestions to engage differently with your Millennial workforce. If you want to gain a competitive edge, reduce turnover costs (and your frustration level), keep reading!

• Create a plan. Seek outside expertise if necessary to create a strategic approach to this human capital issue. Address it like a budget issue, capital project, operational issue, or other business system. Also, please include your Human Resource people…and remember - this is a leadership issue, not an HR issue.
• Ask your Millennials to weigh in. Get a better understanding of what the expectations are from your people. Asking during an exit interview is too late to salvage your investment in that person. So be proactive! Many times the solutions are within an organization. All we must do is ask for it.
• This is a worldwide epidemic in business as more boomers retire and Millennials move in to fill the ranks. Coaching as a management style has never been more important than it is right now. Seek coaching training for your leaders.

Transform your culture to create buzz with Millennials as an organization that “gets it.”

This requires a different mindset in how we lead. Having a coaching professional to help you see things differently...asking provocative questions of the entire organization, stimulates new thinking. This shift leads to quicker solutions.

Remember, all business problems are people problems!

It is a new world. It is changing rapidly. It will not be “the way it was” ever again. By acknowledging these things and creating a plan to engage Millennials differently, you will be out in front as the trend setter with this vital segment of the workforce. Your turnover costs will drop and company morale will rise…not to mention your life will get a whole lot better when you are not frustrated to tears.

Are your Millennials bringing YOU to tears? Please leave your comments below. 



This program will help you become an even better leader!

     Coaching In The Workplace



© 2014 and beyond Executive Coaching University. All rights reserved.

 

Are you really clear about what you want?

• Have you made a list?
• Have you set goals?
• Have you visualized your desires as being achieved already?

Thought so…

The odds were with me on this one.

You see…

• Only 3% of people set goals.

3%.

And, it gets better…

• Only 1% review their goals daily.

1%.

And the percentage of people who actually visualize achieving their goals?

Smaller than my mind can grasp (that means I couldn’t find research to back up any number).    ;-)

This is GREAT NEWS!

“What!,” you say?

It’s true…

Think about it for a moment…

If you actually crystallize your goals,

Then write them down,

Then visualize achieving them each day…

Guess what?

You will be at the top of the class!

You will do what most others don’t!

And, most importantly…

You will achieve all that you want!

And it starts with…

• Thinking the thoughts.
• Writing the thoughts down.
• “Seeing” the thoughts coming true.

You can carve out 5 minutes each day in order to achieve your dreams, right?

Thought so.

I just knew that you wanted to be a 1%-er!

I can “see” your desires coming true already…



This program will help you become a 1%-er!

     Coaching In The Workplace



© 2013 and beyond Executive Coaching University. All rights reserved.

Truly...Are you dying to leave a good legacy?

Want to know how to do it?

So many of my clients are at the stage of their lives where their focus is on leaving a good legacy.  Isn’t this what all of us want? To be remembered fondly...to make an impact...to build something.

While these are very admirable goals (and ones that I find myself thinking of often), I have discovered that leaving a legacy means something slightly different for everyone. 

Most of us focus on building and creating so that when we are gone people remember us.  We focus on the external...not the internal.

What do people actually remember about us after we have moved on?  

Do they remember what we did...or who we were?

One of my clients mentioned that some of the most memorable individuals within the organization were not necessarily the top performers. The reason they are memorable is because they are a nice person who is kind to everyone. It’s about who they are vs. what they do.

Hmmm...

While this seems crazy to those of us who are driven to slay the big dragons, there may be something to this.

Leaving a legacy isn’t just about doing something, it is about being someone.  People don’t just remember what you did...they remember how you did it, and who you were while doing it. 

Legacy is about who you are being while accomplishing your tasks, it’s about interpersonal relationships. It’s about having an impact on the way people think. 

Life is so much bigger than our need to prove our worth...so much bigger than controlling a business outcome...so much bigger than just the bottom line. 

Life is really about being an inspiration to those around you through your actions.

Ask yourself:

• Who are you being each day? 
• What imprint are you leaving on others? 
• How do you make your contribution?

I have yet to attend a funeral where work accomplishments were the main focus. 

I know I want my eulogy to be about the positive impact I was able to make in people’s lives – and not just the bottom line. 

How about you?

Start to think about life as your vehicle to express who you truly are and the positive ripple effect you leave when you walk out of a room.  If your actions connect with another and inspire them in any way, you have left a positive legacy. 

You are leaving a legacy every single day of your life...in every moment. What legacy do you want to leave...starting today?

John F. Kennedy said: "There are risks and costs to action. But they are far less than the long range risks of comfortable inaction.”

It is only by being “in action” that we can create the results we want in life, including the creation of an extraordinary life experience and results.

What keeps you from taking action?  

Generally it's because you try to be reasonable. You think it through.  You stick your toe in the water.  You check out how others react.  All very reasonable steps to take and I'm certainly not advocating that you do dangerous things.  It's just that by being reasonable you run the risk of being distracted by events that have more enjoyment or short-term importance and you get off the track toward what you really want to create.

The shift to commitment!

When you are committed you deal with what's most important to you in your life.  As my young adult children would say … DUHHH!  It’s so obvious!  

For example, imagine knocking on a house door and getting no response, though you feel certain someone is home. You wait a reasonable amount of time, then leave.

Now imagine there is a raging fire being wind driven across the yard towards that same house.  Your urgency, your compassion and demand for a result is engaged.  You bang on the door while shouting, "Fire! Get out!"  Your level of commitment brings action that brings the occupants quickly to the door and their lives are saved.

But what if there is no emergency in your life? What if no external force shouts you into action consistent with your priorities? Then where does your commitment come from?  

Creating an extraordinary life requires a 100% commitment. Not 99%. 

In practice, 99% is the same as zero.  Only 100% commitment will actually bring you the results you want in life.  Find a purpose, vision and the actions that deserve a 100% commitment and your entire experience of life will change.  Helen Keller said “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”  I suggest that her life is clearly a model of an extraordinary life we could all learn from.

A less serious metaphor is that a woman is either pregnant or not pregnant.  There’s no such thing as 99% pregnant.  In our lives, we are committed 100% or we are not.  There’s no “half committed.”

My commitment to you includes asking some pointed questions so that you can put these ideas into action:

• What are you committed to this month, this year, in your life?
• What life purpose or vision is so important to you that it engages you at physical, mental, emotional and spiritual levels? 
• What promise would cause you to tingle with excitement and anticipation? 
• What idea would not let go of you until you figured it out? 
• What action would automatically bring forth overwhelmingly positive feelings of joy and satisfaction? 
• What commitment would mean so much that it would resonate within you at a very deep level; wake you up in the morning; engage you fully?

Comment and let us know of your commitments, your process and your results!  Doing so will help you get more clear, acknowledge yourself and inspire all of us!

Robert White is a Transformational Architect for business executives. Founder and CEO of Lifespring, ARC International and Extraordinary People, He’s an experienced entrepreneur, professional speaker, and leadership team trainer.


Want to learn more about gaining powerful leadership skills?

This program can help! Coaching In The Workplace



© 2013 and beyond Executive Coaching University. All rights reserved.

As business owners we are always looking for the edge. Many of us are looking for ways to get ahead of our competition, keep up with what our consumers demand, and create a viable workforce.

Most of us in labor intensive businesses would agree that one of the most challenging things we must find balance with is our people, or the human capital, in an organization. It has been said that any business problem is a people problem. That has never rung more true than now.

As Boomers are retiring rapidly, companies are seeking to backfill the positions vacated with the Gen Y population, or Millennials. They represent 25% of American workers, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. By 2020, that number will grow to more than 40%. The oldest members of the generation are turning 30 this year, the beginning of their most productive work years.

What is the problem? Millennials view the world differently than any previous generation before it.

Here are a few characteristics you may have noticed:

• They tend to be very socially conscious and expect their employer to be as well. I had a millennial client who recently left his management job where he made a good living, to go to work for a competitor for less money who was more in alignment with his personal beliefs and world views.
• Millennials ask a lot of questions and want to have a voice in the decision making process. They want to be working for more than the money.
• They are not afraid to make changes and can be somewhat impatient. They will make changes quickly if it serves their goals or if their employer seems disinterested in them.
• Recent studies indicate that Millennials favor smaller businesses. According to a 2012 report by Payscale, 47% of Millennials in the workforce are employed by small businesses of 100 or fewer employees and 30% for businesses of 100-500 employees. Only 23% work for larger companies and many are entrepreneurs.

Seeing how the average Millennial will have twenty jobs over their lifetime tells us we have to make some significant changes to how we hire and retain our best people. Some reports show that average turnover cost can be as high as $24,000 per person! Another thing to consider is that employers will be facing leadership gaps as the retirement of Baby Boomers continues. To develop those leaders, and retain them, companies must change their approach to hiring them. Potential employees are now interviewing companies as much, or more, than the companies are interviewing them.

Three tips to get you started:

• Get an outsider’s perspective of your current culture and identify where you need to improve and what you are already doing well. Hire someone with deep listening skills and business leadership experience for best results.
• Ask Millennials outside of your organization, and within it, what they look for and expect from an employer. If at all possible, craft your offerings around the answers you receive. For example: flexible work time, round table discussion groups, and adding value to the community (and the world) are three great places to begin.
• Don’t underestimate the importance of integrating soft skills training into your company culture. Coaching as a management style, along with encouraging authentic communication protocols, would be a great start that will resonate with the younger generation.

Annual turnover costs have been estimated at $416 billion in the U.S.  With turnover at an all-time high, this is decreasing efficiencies and shrinking profits. This can cripple a business on the edge and create long term issues for those currently doing well.

It is time to decide how we will accommodate the millennial generation in our businesses and develop the future with them. This is not just an HR issue that they can “figure out.”  It is a leadership issue that warrants being moved to the top of the “to do” list.



© 2013 and beyond Executive Coaching University. All rights reserved.

“Ac·count·abil·i·ty “
Webster’s Definition: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions. 

Many leaders approach “accountability” wrong!

For instance:

• Many leaders see “accountability” as just a tool to make sure their workers are producing at the level they want them to produce.
• Many leaders use a number of exercises to bring this about: Dashboards, Accountability charts or graphs, even “accountability meetings.”
• Many leaders miss the fundamental and transformational point – high performance organizations (and individuals) don’t just talk accountability, they walk it…constantly!

Now, for those who get it right:

• A few enlightened servant leaders understand accountability is not a tool, it is part of the foundation…part of the value system that everything is built upon. And it starts with them.
• A few enlightened servant leaders focus first on holding the image in the mirror accountable before anyone else.
• A few enlightened servant leaders understand leadership is an inside out process.  They get the fact that others will not practice healthy accountability unless they demonstrate how it is done. 

Make sure your inner world and outer world are in alignment. Hold yourself to a higher standard than those whom you serve. They will get caught in your updraft. 

Once you accomplish this, you will differentiate yourself by being one of the few who actually practice accountability, not just one of the many who preach it!



©2013 and beyond Executive Coaching University. All rights reserved.

There’s an old saying- “An old man can see backward better than a young man can see forward.”

What can we learn from the old man? How does writing your own eulogy sound? Come on, stay with me on this…

How would your eulogy sound if you died today? “He had such promise.” “She wanted to be a senator, but...” “He dreamed of ___, too bad he died before he could do it.”

How would your perfect eulogy sound? What would your legacy be? How many lives would you want to have positively affected? Did you achieve the dreams you had when you were young? Did you fulfill your life’s purpose?

Stonewall Jackson said on his deathbed- “Let me cross the river and rest under the tree.” What would you most regret not doing before you “rested under the tree?” 

I submit that nothing, absolutely nothing, is stopping you from leading the life of your dreams but yourself!

We should all leave with no regrets. Wouldn’t it be better to try and (so called) fail then to regret not trying? How would it feel to leave a truly positive mark on the world before you go? Well, you can!

Here’s an exercise for you. Make a list right now of 10 things that you really want to do before you die. Yep, your bucket list…but with a higher purpose than things like “visit Toledo.” The list could include things as simple as “inspire one person” or as noble as “start a nonprofit foundation.” The key is to commit to something!

Now write your eulogy based upon this list. Think about how people would remember you. Yeah, this can get pretty raw and that’s the point. You need to face your current reality in order to change your course. Remember, it is never too late to work on fulfilling your dreams. Start today!

I’ve been using this eulogy exercise for many years to keep my goals fresh and to stay focused on my big picture - my life’s work. It forces me to slow down and take inventory of the trajectory of my life. I don’t want to wait to take inventory when I’m on my death bed. Do you?

One thing on my “list” is my mission to serve people through coaching. If I can inspire just one person to be a better leader and person I will have achieved my goal. Hopefully this article will help. My eulogy is counting on it!

May your real eulogy be a long time coming!