A free, searchable archive of Executive Coaching Tips to help you be perceived in the workplace the way you want to be perceived.
Executive Coaching Tip
for April
360s: Weapons or Tools?
Influence
March 2018
Responsibilities without authority
Jared was pissed. And he was making no secret of it.
Assigned to a special projects team, he had responsibilities but no authority. He felt he spent all his time pleading with people for resources or work hours. But people had their own jobs and their own responsibilities. They said they wanted to help. They gladly put Jared on their “to do” list. But, with no authority, Jared just had to wait. More
The Sound of Leadership and of Management
February 2018
Barking management
Reiko and I were exploring the differences between leadership and management. During our conversation, she had wondered whether the two actually sound different.
I said to her, “You seem pretty comfortable in both camps, Reiko. Does your version of leadership sound different from your version of management?” More
Leadership versus Management
January 2018
Which is which?
Reiko had leapfrogged her colleagues. Now, while still leading her large group of accountants, she was going to become the CFO of a division as well. Her boss, a huge supporter, got her coaching so she could step boldly into her new role while still juggling the old one. More
The Conflict Conversation
December 2017
‘Conflict House’
Ashley wanted coaching on how to argue.
I had told her about a concept I call “Conflict House,” a place where people with conflicts have to go if they want to resolve their conflicts. Whether an argument is large or small, whether it goes well or is a disaster, every conflict happens inside Conflict House. More
Conflict
November 2017
A house with two doors
Ashley was fed up with two of her direct reports. A bubble of anger between the pair seemed in constant danger of exploding. Their conflict had impacted productivity and quality, and she wanted it to end.
I asked how each direct report approached conflict. More
Dynamic One-on-Ones
October 2017
Balancing tasks and relationships
Bennett was a Brit working in Kuwait. He was enjoying living overseas and found the work to be a healthy stretch. He led a team of four and reported to a guy named Sabah who Bennett said was terrific.
During our video-link coaching conversations, Bennett and I had spent a lot of time discussing trust. He was concerned that, because he was a foreigner, certain bridges were closed off to him and others were completely hidden. He was eager to deepen the trust with his boss and his direct reports. More
Acting on the Corporate Stage
September 2017
What role are you playing?
Miranda was a well-known creative artist when a global entertainment company hired her as a creative director. Her transition from artist to executive had been received with warm, if not full-throated, reviews. More
Performing Like a TED Talker
August 2017
Body issues
Caroline, in London, wanted to know what to do with her body.
Caroline was one of eight division heads who would speak at the company’s annual global management meeting. The CEO told them they each would talk for eighteen minutes – just like a TED Talk. And, she said, she wanted each talk to be as riveting as an actual TED Talk. More
Prepping Like A TED Talker
July 2017
Committing time
Dorothy was two years into her role as CEO of a global business services company. She wanted this year’s global management meeting to be engaging and lively. She told her division heads they all needed to talk about their divisions as if they were giving TED Talks. Each person’s eighteen minutes needed to be riveting, she told them. More
