I grew up in a baseball family. My brother played, my father coached, and my mother was the team scorekeeper. My mom loved being the scorekeeper because it kept her away from the stands where all of the parents were second guessing the coach (her husband) and critiquing his communication style. You see, my dad was loud. His directions and feedback were loud and clear not only on our field, but 2-3 fields away. One player’s mom asked my mom how she tolerated my father yelling at the kids all the time. She laughed and said she ignores most of … Read More
Don’t Be the Smartest Person in the Room
There’s a commercial for Experian that caught my attention recently. It begins with, “Everything you’re pretty good at now, you were once…well….pretty bad at.” I had an immediate emotional reaction to that message. That one sentence can transport you back to those early days in your career when you thought you knew everything, but had experienced virtually nothing. You stumbled. You fell. And then you got back up and learned from those embarrassing mistakes we like to call “learning opportunities.” On one hand, you may feel embarrassed thinking back to those cringe-worthy learning experiences, but on the other hand, look … Read More
Seven Ways to Get the Most Out of a Coaching Session
When you’re selected to attend any kind of professional/leadership development event, it’s important to realize what an opportunity it is. Not only does this mean that your organization values you enough to invest in you, but it means they expect for you to stay with the organization long enough for these improved skills to provide a return on their investment. When your organization believes in you, and invests in your future, it’s crucial that you get the most out of that experience by being prepared. Here are seven ways you can maximize a coaching session:
The Problem with High Performers
They go by a dozen different nicknames- rock stars, superstars, overachievers, A-players, etc. But regardless of the name or definition, any good leader can tell you which team members are high performers and which are not. High performers are exciting. They stand out. They are the people you go to when you need a last minute sale, are faced with an impossible deadline, or need a presentation that will dazzle a client. They set the bar for excellence on your team. But they’re also trouble-makers in an organization. Here are 7 ways that High Performers create problems for managers: