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Focus Pocus
Last week I attended the Ellucian Live conference. Seeing so many long-time friends and colleagues and the event returning to its pre-COVID attendance levels was exciting. I was also amazed how many people walked around the convention center staring at their phones. Don’t get me wrong – I love my iPhone. I get massive productivity…
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Coaching Ontologically
Last week I had a call with a potential coachee. He was talking to multiple coaches to decide which one would be the best fit for his journey. Early in the conversation, he said, “You describe yourself as an ontological coach – what exactly is that?” The question took me by surprise. Although I reference…
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Listening to the Universe
Last week I wrote about Teliodosis. It was a departure for me, and I’m grateful for all the encouragement I received on the atypical post. Today I’d like to spend more time on this topic with some stories. I want to illustrate how surrendering (or listening) to the universe led me to important life choices. I…
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Teliodosis
Today’s blog is a bit of a departure. I encourage you to bring your beginner’s mind as I share a story of experimentation, discovery and learning guided by three teachers. Michael A Singer I recently discovered Michael A. Singer. I devoured two of his books, The Untethered Soul and Living Untethered, and most recently listened to The Surrender Experiment. Unlike the first…
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Conquering Your Calendar
While I intensely dislike the slogan “Work smarter, not harder,” the phrase resonates with me when it comes to managing your calendar. If you have ever felt like your calendar leads you around like a dog on a leash, or you’ve felt a rush of dopamine because you figured out how to squeeze another meeting…
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Building Bridges
Recently a leader gave me feedback on a coaching conversation that he found particularly impactful. “When you raised both hands and commented on the ‘Us vs. Them’ culture between the two departments, everything clicked, and I realized what I would do next time.” Today I’ll unpack the learning we unlocked together. The Scenario I’ll leave…
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A Tale of Two Paths
Today’s topic has been on my backlog for a while. Over the years, I’ve had countless mentoring conversations with managers struggling with handling an underperforming employee. Often I find they drag their heels and are hesitant to take action, as I have done with bringing this topic to my blog. While these are complex and…
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Valuing Every Voice
Have you ever seen a story like this? The Acme Software company was in crisis. A deliverable to a strategic client was critically behind, and no one saw a path to getting it back on schedule. Senior leadership and the project team came together to brainstorm options. The team debated vigorously for two hours and…
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So Emotional
I can vividly remember the first time I had to present to the Executive Team. I was nervous and felt intimidated. While I can’t remember what I was presenting, I can remember how I felt. My face flushed and felt hot. I imagined my cheeks turning bright red. Soon I started noticing other circumstances where…
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Promote Yourself
Did you grow up in an environment where you were encouraged to be humble? I know I did, and it has served me well for the most part. Arrogance doesn’t play well under many circumstances. However, this advice holds us back in situations like job interviews where confidently speaking about our talents (with pride, not…
