IQ vs. Critical Thinking – Unveiling the Difference
In a world driven by assessments and measurements of intelligence, it’s easy to commingle IQ with critical thinking. Both are pivotal aspects of cognitive abilities, but they serve distinct purposes. Understanding these disparities is crucial for hiring practices and professional development. So, let’s delve into the disparities between IQ and critical thinking, the best tool […]
Why Executive Coaching Fails
Why Executive Coaching Fails† The most common reasons executive coaching doesn’t work or feels inert. What does “stuck” mean in an executive coaching context? In my experience, it means the leader (receiver of coaching) has not experienced progress towards their goals in the first three sessions – even something as small as an ‘aha’ moment […]
Prioritizing Outcomes When Defining Coaching
I’m critical of the definition touted by the International Coach Federation’s (ICF) – what some consider the credentialing agency for coaching. The ICF defines coaching as: Partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential. I take issue with this definition because it is vague […]
Fortune Telling: Perils in the C-Suite
Among the executives with whom I coach, collaborate with, and call friends, the most common source of frustration, anxiety, and grief is the distortion referred to as fortune telling. Fortune telling is one of several thought distortions that I’ve referred to in the past. Thought distortions are false beliefs and narratives that automatically appear in […]
Why Old Habits Die Hard
Have you ever wanted to make a significant behavior change but struggled to break through? Of course, you have – we’ve all been there! Heck, I have several I seem to always be working on. For this blog, let me use a common example. At some time, we (or someone we know well) have set […]
What Are Your Values?
Lately, I have been thinking a lot about values. Personal values, company values, how they show up at work, and what it means for us to truly live them out in all arenas that we enter. When I work with leadership teams to help them uncover the personal values that each team member has and […]
Secrets to Effective Communication
Effective communication secrets revealed Over the summer, my coaching practice has been busy with requests to help leaders improve communication and build relationships. Historically, communication and building relationships are not “unique” coaching topics. However, the context behind the requests has shifted. As leaders are relying more on technology to connect to their remote team (and […]
Mental Health’s Return to Work
We are one year removed from the onset of the global pandemic. Over the last year, when I began writing these letters, wellness has been a dominant theme. So, it will not surprise you that I’m doubling down in 2021. Although there is light at the end of the tunnel, a new stressor is emerging. […]
The Death of Management
What do you anticipate will change in the aftermath of COVID? It is a question on the minds and mouths of everyone. Although old habits die hard, I contend that management (in its original intent) is drawing in its final breaths. 2021 will bring on the death of management. Management, as Frederick Winslow Taylor defined […]
Making Better Decisions
Judgment and decision-making – we are questioning a lot in 2020. Global pandemic, race relations, and politics have created a lot of fear and uncertainty. Fear and uncertainty complicate and interfere with good decisions. Those feelings, along with most negative feelings, engage our “system one” thinking – the limbic system. When the midbrain is in […]