Quick... what are your priorities today?

You may have a task list, you may have meetings lined up, but what are your real priorities?

Lately, I have been amazed at the answers I get when I query executives about their priorities. Many utter a reference to "objectives" that sounds good, but soon they discover that their answers don't clarify what their priorities are for that day. They often are not clear on what actions they need to focus on today that will lead to success tomorrow.

The second revelation is the massive amount of "disconnects" there are within companies over what a person's or team's priorities are, or should be. In training sessions I often focus on aligning a company's priorities in order to achieve their strategic goals. I will take executives through a discovery exercise that goes like this-

I ask the group to list their top 3 priorities. I then ask them to get with the person that they report to or with their teammates with whom they work most closely. They compare their priorities and guess what? Over 50% of the time they don't match! Over half the time their priorities are completely different than those around them. Do you think this might cause some "disconnects?" Imagine, the person that you report to thinks you should be working on "X" and you are working feverishly on "Y." Do you think someone may be disappointed?

There is a huge misalignment here, and it's all based upon assuming (a really dangerous thing to do in any circumstance!) that every­one knows what is important...the real priorities. Don't assume! Ask, verify, and realign!

Business runs at a frenetic pace as you well know. Things pop up daily that divert your focus and therefore may shift your priorities. Over time you can lose sight of the real priorities that lead to the achievement of the bigger goals that you have estab­lished.

It all comes down to continual communication about what is important and what has changed on the landscape that may have shifted your priorities.

Steve Pinchotti, CEO of a high tech company, states- "The leadership team in every company must set clear objectives and priorities and review them on a frequent basis. Having the discipline to maintain a priority list enables you to handle new initia­tives with minimal disruptions. The expectation that all workers can and will achieve extraordinary results is not realistic unless they know what to work on first."

Don't wait for your review, or board meeting, or any other check in point, to discover that there was a mis­alignment of priorities. Check with your team and those around you to make sure that everyone constantly knows what the priorities should be.If you and your team have your priorities in sync, the more successful and happy, you, and they, will be.

Leadership is often about focusing on the most basic things. This is one of them.


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

Executives of companies are intelligent, confident, innovative, and efficient. They inspire people and lead them to move mountains. Stress is not even in their vocabulary. So the term "Executive Coach" almost seems to be an oxymoron. How could these supermen/superwomen need to be coached? If they do, isn't that a sign of weakness? Executive Coaching is for Wimps.

As the CEO of a rapidly growing company, I know those thoughts crossed my mind when my COO brought it up as an idea. It seemed to have the stigma of a person going to a shrink and not wanting to talk about it. At the same time, I was intrigued. Behind every great athlete is a great coach. Could it possibly be the same for great executives?

It has been a year and a half since I had those thoughts. I have been working with an executive coach on a weekly basis since then. As a busy executive, the experience has proven to be invaluable and has changed my company and my life. A strong executive coach is not only a one-person board of directors with whom you can vet out strategic and tactical approaches; he/she is also an individual that constantly pushes an executive to perform at a higher and higher level every day.

Executive coaches focus on the individual to ensure that he/she is on top of their game on a daily basis, not just in preparation for the quarterly board meeting. As with any investment, what has been the return so far? In my company, the following tangible results have been achieved directly or indirectly by working with our executive coach:

•   A  rock-solid foundation of values, vision, and mission. 
•   A re-organized company that is customer-centric with self-directed, empowered teams.
•   More effective leaders – ratings of the leadership capabilities of our executive team increased significantly. 
•   Improved  employee  satisfaction  –  increased  over  9%  in  our  latest  survey. 
•   Improved customer satisfaction and product quality. 
•   Increased profitability by 28%.
•   Developed and improved sales capability. 
•   Launched five new products.
•   Ranked as one of the fastest growing technology companies in North America.

Our executive coach now works on a weekly basis with each of my executive staff members and on a regular basis with managers and staff.

Is Executive Coaching for Wimps? No!

Executive Coaching is for those who are courageous and confident enough to push for individual excellence and performance every day.




© 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

The word “accountability” seems to be getting more and more air time as you look around the world of business (and politics) these days.

The problem is that most of the focus is usually outside of the person looking for more accountability!

As enlightened servant leaders, let us do a quick exercise to identify the one place in this world where accountability actually begins.  I want you to peer into a window, monitor, or mirror that is close at hand -- really look deeply – whoever is peering back at you is the true source of accountability. You!

As with everything associated with leadership, accountability is an inside-out process.  How can we, as enlightened servant leaders, expect others to value the process of accountability if we do not demonstrate how we value that process ourselves? 

As a collective, let us not fall into the false thinking that accountability is only associated with deadlines, tasks, dashboards, and any other way we measure productivity.  As leaders, we must hold ourselves accountable for EVERYTHING we think and do!

You, and you alone, have the ability to control your thoughts, feelings and behaviors.  Whether you actually hold yourself accountable for exerting that control, rather than externalizing that ability, is another issue entirely.

Do you hold yourself accountable for your words and actions, insuring alignment with your values?  Do you actively accept responsibility for expressing those values and providing space for those around you to express theirs?  

Has your organization adopted accountability as a cornerstone of its culture?  If yes, how is that expressed?

Utilizing the principle of accountability within our lives provides us a tool to insure we are living in a manner in which our purpose will be fulfilled. 

Accountability keeps us on the right path.

Are you on the right path?

Greg Styles
Director of Special Projects
Executive Coaching University



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

Greetings!

Please enjoy this incredibly inspiring podcast class that provides great insights such as:

• Why now is the time for Coaching!
• The Big Boomerang- how giving back can lift you up!
• How to outsmart the negativity of the media.
• How “going quiet” can change your life.
• How to use Values Based Coaching™ to help your clients make incredible gains.

And much more from our team of experts at The Executive Coaching University!

We are doing this because we truly believe that together we can change where things are heading. We can make a difference and it starts with a community of likeminded people who care enough to take a stand- a stand for positive change!

This podcast is about helping others change their lives – at the same time changing yours!

Coaching is the Cure for this Crisis Podcast:

http://www.rescueinstitute.org/audio/ipodcast/cure_mix.mp3

 

BIG NEWS TODAY!

 

We just received word that our flagship Executive Coaching Training Program (CMEC) was approved by the International Coach Federation! We can now award 15 CCEUs (credit hours) toward coaching certifications with the ICF. This is a wonderful compliment to our SHRM certifications.

This is such a beautiful reflection on our entire team. Congratulations to all of you!

Many thanks to all of you for your support over the years. We are so blessed…

You can find details here:

http://www.executivecoachinguniversity.com/

Warmly,

Drayton

Founder and CEO

www.RescueInstitute.org

www.ExecutiveCoachingUniversity.com

All of your employees are happy and productive, right?  Thought so…

According to Gallop (and other leading survey firms) here is the reality:

1. 75% of people wished they had a different job.
2. 51% of “A” workers are actively looking for a different job.
3. Worker productivity is only at 33%.
4. Lack of engagement costs U.S. businesses over $385 BILLION a year!
5. 80% of people NEVER use their greatest gifts at work.

What do you think of these smelling salts?!

Coaching can address all of these issues…in fact; it may well be the ONLY thing that can cure these workplace “ills.”

If you don’t have a coaching strategy in your organization, I can guarantee you one thing—these statistics will not go down…

Coaching is the “cure.” Isn’t it time you used coaching to focus on your most important asset…your people?

 

A. Drayton Boylston

Founder and CEO

Executive Coaching University



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

 

Are Leading or just Managing?

• More than two million workers say their bosses are so overworked they don’t really have time to manage their staff properly.
• 75% of people wished they had another job.
• 80% of people never use their greatest gifts at work.

Pretty sad facts.  

Guess what? They more than likely apply to your organization too.

And...

If you manage people, you own this!

What’s happening within our workforce to make these statistics a reality? 

In the United States employee engagement only averages 30%. That's it.  

Why?

It comes down to poor leadership. 

We have spent so much energy creating “good managers” that we have become disengaged with what it means to be a good leader.

Managing comes from a need to produce an outcome, which of course, is important. However, when we can move to a place of leading those around us the organizational momentum transforms.  More than anything employees want to make a contribution. Once they feel that they are, they stay...and they stay engaged. Which boosts your bottom line.

• Leading is about developing the soft skills that are required to inspire and motivate people.

• Managing is about possessing the technical skills required in order to get a job done.

If you have the management skills without the leadership skills your career will plateau at some point. That is a fact.

The soft skills that good leaders possess are going to be in high demand as the battle for top talent continues to increase. Are you ready?

 

Click here to find out more about Jenna.

Want to learn how to become a better leader? Click here for details.

Coaching In The Workplace - Training for Executives, Managers, and HR Professionals



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

I was meeting the other day with a new corporate client.  This young woman was an up and coming executive within the health care industry.  We had just begun our work together, with this being our second meeting.

While our time together progressed, my client must have glanced towards, or checked in some way, her “smart phone” three or four times over the course of our first fifteen minutes.

I commented on her split attention and asked her to turn off the phone and just be focused on our time together for the next forty five minutes – fully focused upon our work.  The look on her face would have lead someone not knowing my request, to think I had asked her to do something exceptionally distasteful…maybe even illegal!

Through our discussion around my request it became quite clear that she had NEVER turned off her phone – it was always on.  This meant she was always connected, always available, always “on.”

She explained that this level of being available and connected was the status quo at her corporation and essentially had been the status quo since she was at University.  “What if I miss something really important?” she asked. “I’m not productive if I’m not juggling a number of issues, projects, or conversations at once!” she stated.

This multitasking misconception arises quite often, especially with high performers who see their success as driven by the ability to do many tasks at the same time.

Yet, there is a downside to always being “on.”  Consider:

• “Attention Deficit Trait,” a new condition rampant in the business world, which mimics Attention Deficit Disorder and results from extreme multitasking behavior.
• Researchers at the University of California found it took workers on average, 25 minutes to recover focus and attention after interruptions such as phone calls or answering email.
• Dr. Rene Marois of Vanderbilt University found evidence of a “response selection bottleneck” that occurs in the brain when it is forced to respond to multiple tasks.  This results in diminished productivity.
• In a 2008, a piece within the New York Times by Jonathan B. Spira, an analyst with the business research firm Basex, “estimated that extreme multitasking – information overload – costs the U.S. economy $ 650 billion a year in lost productivity.”  And that was in 2008!

Is it possible that any of the above might contribute to the 33% worker productivity rate in the U.S? 33%!!!

There are also other, more personal costs.  This particular client was referred to me due to increasing conflicts between her staff and those in her chain of command – she had become “hard to work with” and was close to losing the job she so valued.

Additionally, her marriage was on the verge of divorce and she had been diagnosed with digestive/intestinal issues primarily caused by stress.

Coincidence?  Not likely!

Sound familiar?  Chances are if you are reading this then you have experienced, or know someone close to you who has experienced, a very similar chain of events.

Take time to focus within the moment, express gratitude, and disconnect at least once daily.  You will find you are actually more productive, healthier, and happier.  Then lead all those around you to do the same!

 

Greg Styles

Director of Special Projects

Executive Coaching University

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

What skills does it take? How is it done? What would a “Coaching Culture” look like? What kind of manager can make the transition?

The question is often asked - “Could our Managers/Leaders become good Coaches?” The answer is - Maybe.

Here’s the reality - Most managers in corporate America are good technicians at what they do. They typically have deficiencies in the “soft skills” area.

Here is where a big distinction needs to be made:

There is a HUGE difference between Leaders and Managers. The difference is that Leaders have mastered the soft/people skills necessary to inspire people to work up to their full potential. Managers often have solid technical skills but don’t inspire others to work toward a collective goal. A symptom of a typical manager is that their people are often in need of a “task with consequences” approach to their work vs. leaders who inspire self motivation for the good of the cause.

Here are the skills that Coaching takes:

1. Desire - a true desire to help others succeed.

2. Awareness - a trust in ones’ intuitive “gut.”
 
3. Focus - on the individual and their challenges vs. a need to “solve” things for others.

4. Listening - a sincere desire to truly hear what others are saying.

A Coaching culture is typified by these attributes:

1. Respect - you would see interactions that respect the word of the individual.

2. Worth - individuals within these cultures feel valued and appreciated.

3. Real Communication - not your typical “force fed” communication. You would see fully duplexed communication throughout the ranks.

4. Stability and progress - these cultures display more stability and retain their best people better than others. That leads to greater personal and business success.


Corporate Leaders that can make the transition to Coach are those that truly believe in investing in the individual - in time and money. It takes a sincere desire and belief that investments made in people pay off for the company.

Does this resonate with you?

Take good care,



Drayton Boylston

Founder and CEO - Executive Coaching University

http://www.ExecutiveCoachingUniversity.com

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

by Drayton Boylston

There is much confusion about what Coaching is- and isn’t. Many consulting firms have simply gone through their marketing materials and changed the word “consulting” to “coaching.” For many in the business world, that sums up what they perceive Coaching to be, a new word for consulting.

Nothing could be farther from the truth!

.. Coaching IS NOT about giving advice or consulting. It is not about mentoring. It is not about “helping” others by providing solutions to problems.

.. It IS about working intensely with people, utilizing provocative and powerful questions, to enable people to find answers themselves. At its essence, Coaching is about equipping people with the tools to discern the real issues at work and then to employ the right actions to best deal with the realities that they face.

.. Coaching is not therapy. Coaching should not go anywhere near what is considered the domain of therapists and psychologists. If it does, it’s not coaching. Coaching is not about the past- it is about the present- and the future. Good Coaches know when they are getting near the areas where others need to be called in- and do so.

.. While some Coaching can appear to be ethereal and too “out there” for companies, that is a much different type of Coaching (Life Coaching). There is a distinct form of Executive Coaching that is used in the corporate environment. It is directly tied to personal improvement and increased productivity that in turn pays off handsomely for the organization.

.. Coaching does not “fix” people. It is rare that Coaching can be deployed to “fix” those that deem to be in need of a quick change by their manager.

.. Coaching can have dramatic short term impact. But the reality is that it will take from 6-12 months of quality Coaching to make sustainable changes. Those that tell you that it can be done quicker are not well informed.

.. Coaching is about individual planning, goal setting, and achievement. It’s also about personal discovery and enlightenment. It is about realizing one’s full potential.

With all that being said, Coaching is about so many things that would benefit every company. Coaching helps create stronger and more productive people that are more valuable to the organization!

Be well,

Drayton Boylston
Founder and CEO - Rescue Institute, Executive Coaching University

http://www.executivecoachinguniversity.com

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