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The heart of Coaching well.

12/22/2015

Coaching Success in Ten Sentences Dec 21, 2015
By Kevin Eikenberry
Coaching is one of the most organizationally important roles of leaders, and when done well, one of the most personally powerful and gratifying parts of a leader’s role too.
While I have long shared insights and helped others learn to be better coaches, I wanted to see if I could summarize the essence of coaching success into seven sentences.
I didn’t succeed.
Instead, below you will find ten sentences that, when internalized and operationalized will lead to success for coaches and those they coach (and automatically for the organizations that both are involved in too).

Coaching isn’t about the coach, the company or the Customer; it is about the development and success of the person being coached.
Coaching isn’t about advice or wise counsel; it is about new results and outcomes for the person being coached.
Since coaching is about development and improvement, the best coaches use the past to inform but focus on the future.
Since coaching is about the other person, the best coaches listen carefully and thoughtfully.
The best coaches know that discovery learning is powerful, so they ask more than they tell.
The best coaches don’t have all the answers, so they learn alongside those they coach.
The best coaches are accountable to those they coach, helping them to beaccountable for their improvement and great results.
The best coaches know that praise elevates performance, so they use it wisely, specifically and regularly.
The best coaches invest their time, energy and themselves in the people that they coach.
To coach successfully, the coach must believe in the ability and potential of those they coach.

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Fear not...

12/11/2015

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Today's Devotion: Fear Not

"But the angel said to them, Be not afraid..."
Luke 2:10

Pastor Rob Fuquay
I'm living with a bit of consternation between our world and the Christmas message. The angels announced to everyone they visited-Zechariah, Mary, Joseph, the Shepherds-to "Fear not!" Sounds wonderful, yet I'm feeling more anxiety and fear in our world this Christmas than I can remember. The political winds are stirring a lot of fear in the air. Cries for closing our borders to Muslims is causing many Muslims in our country to live in fear. Bans on receiving refugees in our state is causing fear, making some hesitant to extend compassion to people in critical need. An article in the paper the other day told how gun sales are rising dramatically in our country. Other stories told how Christians are being executed in some very conservative Islamic countries because they refuse to convert. I walked in the march against violence downtown last Sunday along with a dozen other St. Lukers. Part of the purpose of the event was to promote the "No More Silence" campaign, and get people in neighborhoods to let police know about crimes and killings that happen so perpetrators can be taken off the streets. Why are so many reluctant to tell what they know? Fear. They fear the repercussions of gangs.

What does it mean to welcome the announcement of the angels to fear not? Part of me wants to give into the static noise of our world and say the Christmas Story is a pipe dream. It's impossible not to live in fear right now. But then...

I talked with a young boy the other day.

I am his mentor for Confirmation. He lives in the Crooked Creek community, an area of the city where St. Luke's is heavily invested in partnering with residents to be in ministry. In my conversation this boy shared how sometimes he gets afraid in his heart because of the violence around him. Occasionally he is awakened by the sound of gunshots. Then, he said, "he starts praying and Jesus talks to him and then he is "okay." I said, "Really, what do you say to Jesus and what does Jesus say back?"
He told me, "I just start praying and it is like Jesus comes and stands in my room and I just start talking to him. He asks me about school and my family and what I do at church, so I tell him. Then he just tells me things he wants me to do, and I say, "Okay."
I was really intrigued and asked, "What does he tell you to do?" He said, "He tells me to help certain people and others to be kind to." Then this clincher, "When I tell Jesus I will do what he asks me, I'm not so afraid anymore."
Maybe that's the secret. Instead of focusing on fear, focus on doing what Jesus asks. Out of the mouths of children. Is this why God sent a baby as a sign to fear not?

See you Sunday,

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Great leadership Tips

12/11/2015

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Accountability vs Responsibility

12/8/2015

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By Alan (Bud) Taylor
Customer Driven Change and Vistage Chair

Hmmm. I see things differently.
Accountable & responsible are not synonyms.
Accountability is a management concept - it is external. We delegate our power to others then hold them accountable to do what we've placed on them.
Responsibility is a leadership concept - it is internal. We take our own power to do what we say we're going to do and even go beyond to do what we believe is best - even when that is beyond the scope of delegation.
Accountability leads to compliance. Responsibility leads to innovation. These are the classic Perato's of organization life - 80% of what organizations do is to achieve consistency, efficiency, and low risk buy holding people accountable for results that have been delegated to them; 20% of organization life is about renewal when people take responsibility to ensure the health & relevance of the organization because that's the best thing to do. I often hear managers say that their employees are not "accountable."
Accountability is not the job of the employee - it's the job of the manager - the manager holds the employee accountable through effective delegation & reporting. Usually managers mean that their employees are not responsible. That is, employees don't take on their internal obligation to do what they say they will do - and go beyond the box to do what is obviously right for the health & relevance of the organization.
Management science is plagued by the absence of a taxonomy (e.g. when are you leading & when are you managing?) As entrants come into our profession we do not have precision around our language - in fact we blur definitions to avoid conflict. Delineating accountability from responsibility would be a good start that will never happen. That's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

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The heart of Coaching well.﻿

Fear not...

Great leadership Tips

Accountability vs Responsibility

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The heart of Coaching well.