Executive Coaching, Leadership Training, and Personal Development
When I bring up the idea of conflict, what is your reaction? Do you feel confident facing conflict situations head on? Or would you prefer to avoid conflict because it makes you uncomfortable?
According to Relationship Awareness Theory, people react to the idea of conflict in three main ways – Assert, Accommodate, or Analyze.
[Read more…]
I am anticipating the latest book by Gretchen Rubin – The Four Tendencies – due out in September. Gretchen, an expert on happiness and good habits, created the Four Tendencies framework which categorizes the different ways that people respond to expectations.
[Read more…]
The economy is growing again and hiring in the private sector has spiked amid improved corporate profitability. Unemployment hasn’t been as low as it is right now (4.4 percent) in a decade according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is placing significant pressure on nonprofit organizations to recruit and retain the best employees, especially for Fundraising and Leadership roles.
[Read more…]
A key topic among fundraising leaders is how to ensure that your team gets important things done without feeling like you are micro-managing the process.
In fact, fostering a culture of accountability within your team is a key skill for all managers. It aligns perfectly with the coaching style of leadership.
[Read more…]
Recently I attended a panel presentation that included an HR representative from a large hospital foundation. This organization is moving towards a coaching-style of management. One of the major decisions they made was to do away with annual performance reviews. The audience audibly and positively reacted to this decision, which is not surprisingly since performance reviews are often dreaded by both managers and staff alike.
[Read more…]
“What you appreciate, appreciates”–Lynne Twist, The Soul of Money.
Appreciation. What is it? The definition of which I am most fond is: “the recognition and enjoyment of the good qualities of someone or something.”
[Read more…]
The “Yes, And” rule is a guideline of improvisational comedy that suggests a participant should accept what the other person has created (“Yes”) and then add something to it (“And”) ~ Source: Wikipedia.
When you stop and reflect on this, it really is a philosophy for life and work. How many times have you been in a meeting where someone suggests a new idea and someone shuts it down with a statement like: [Read more…]
As humans we have a universal desire to be seen and acknowledged. Let’s begin with a definition. Acknowledgements are different than compliments. “I enjoyed your presentation” is a nice compliment, whereas “you have an ability to take complex information and present it in a clear and meaningful way” is an acknowledgement. It points to who a person is being rather than what they are doing. A good acknowledgement is also about the person and not about you. While it is nice that you enjoyed the presentation, the second statement has power because it shows the strengths and skills that were being displayed by the person during their presentation.
[Read more…]
This morning a memory popped into my head from my earliest days as a fundraising consultant. It was one of my first meetings with my Vice President and I was expected to present a plan for a client project. I came to the meeting with several suggestions (but no definite idea) about how we could proceed.
[Read more…]
Gratitude is “a felt sense of wonder, thankfulness, and appreciation for life.”
~ Robert Emmons
In The How of Happiness, Sonja Lyubomirsky talks about how research is highlighting the multiple benefits of gratitude. These include increased self-esteem, better ability to deal with stress, and increased social bonds. In other words, people who are consistently grateful are happier, more energetic, more helpful, and empathic.
[Read more…]