Coaching Tip #929

When has taking things, people and life for granted ever served you? Has being grateful ever failed you? Have you ever suffered because of your choice to be appreciative for the gifts in your life? When given the option to be grateful, or not, what reason do you have to not choose gratitude? In truth, this option is available to you at all times. Being grateful will afford you a more peaceful, meaningful and happy life. You deserve that.

Coaching Tip #928

A new day is unfolding before you. Undoubtedly, circumstances will appear in your day that you did not expect and may not want, while others will prove to be a welcome surprise and just what you desired. No matter what comes your way, make the best of the situation. After all, the only reason this day is happening for you is because you are alive to experience it. Rejoice and be grateful for your life in all its forms.

Coaching Tip #927

Are you in awe of just how fast time is going? Do you ever feel like you are on a train that is moving faster every year, and the brakes are nowhere to be found?  Many times, the biggest regrets people have at the end of their life revolve around what they "did not" do with the time they had. Given the speed at which time is going, and the tremendous downside of regret, be diligent and overcome any procrastination in you. Move on the things in your life that you want to do. Some will be easier to accomplish in the short term, while others will take more time, but none of them will come to be in your lifetime unless, YOU act on your dreams.

Business Article: Seek Professional Help to Eliminate Business Blockages

I introduced in my last column several of the blockages businesses often confront in their pursuit of excellence and success. I defined these blockages and elaborated on some negative results these barriers bring to a company afflicted with them.  In case you missed it, the column appears on the Business Times website.

In this column, I’d like to continue where I left off, starting with some key questions: Did you use these past two weeks to become more aware of the blockages in your business? If so, what barriers to the smooth and efficient flow of your business operations did you identify? Did you come to an understanding of what blockages exist in your business, where and why they exist, and how much they are costing you in real terms? Are you now solidly focused on eliminating blockages for good?

If all of this seems daunting or overwhelming, or you don’t know where to begin or how to go about addressing the barriers to the success of your business, you’re not alone. The reality, however, is that it’s not difficult. The solutions are simple:

 

Communication: A leading barrier to personal and professional success is ineffective communication. The first step in overcoming the limitations inherent in poor communication is to become an absolute listener. While most people believe they are excellent listeners, it’s usually not the case. Training your team to be effective listeners will position them to realize, typically for the first time, just how much information they are actually missing.

When individuals listen to reply rather than to understand, their own mental agenda limits their ability to take in the body language, tone and words necessary for communication success. As this blockage is overcome - with training and the persistent effort - miscommunications begin to disappear. Professional assessments provide vital information that, when applied correctly, position team members to understand their differing communication styles like never before. When this newfound understanding is combined with improved listening skills, the gaps in communication are all but eliminated.

            Talents & Skills:  How do you really know if the person you are hiring for a position truly has the talents and skills necessary to perform the job? The truth is, most of the time you don’t. Using statistically accurate and proven assessment tools allows you to know with certainty the talents and skills a person possesses before you hire them. This saves a tremendous amount of time and other valuable resources.

In addition, professionally administered assessments reveal where an individual has a weakness in their skill set.  Whether for a new hire, or with a seasoned team member, engaging a qualified coach with proven assessment and training skills can help these team members develop their skills to become productive and contributing members of a successful organization.

Attitude: Positive team member attitudes are invaluable to any business that wants to achieve lasting success. Most business owners, however, hire for skill and fire for attitude. This discovery takes time and, typically, corrective action is taken only after the damage from extensive negativity has been done. By implementing the priceless information contained within personal assessments, employers gain unbiased and accurate insights into current team member and new hire candidate attitudes early, and act accordingly.

With the guidance of a trained professional, business owners and managers then can make informed decisions regarding the retention or dismissal of a team member who has a bad attitude. Business owners and managers can also make solid decisions as to whether or not a candidate should be hired in the first place. In addition, these leaders can accurately gauge the potential return of investing in the development of these individuals, to help them improve and become a loyal member of their team.

 

            Desire: It is imperative that team members want to be an active, skilled and positive part of the business for which they work. When an individual’s motivation aligns with his or her position and with the vision of the company, success becomes the norm rather than the exception. Assessing a person’s motivations and utilizing this information to place them in the appropriate seat on the bus positions both the team member and the company for greater success.

            When these and other blockages are identified and then removed through professional assessments, trainings and coaching, barriers to excellence and business success are eliminated. Team moral and collaboration improves, customer services rises to new levels, costly errors decline, customers feel genuinely appreciated and cared for, and your business will forever stand out in their minds.  

Coaching Tip #926

Perhaps you've heard the saying, "Wherever you go, there you are." Put another way, there's no escaping your reality. There are is a multitude of ways to try and escape, avoid or put off dealing with things you find unpleasant or distasteful within yourself, and your life. However, it is far more effective to just walk up to these aspects of yourself and your life, and overcome them, instead of continuing to prolong them. Life gets sweet when you are a person you respect and admire, and doing the best you can with your circumstances allows you to feel this way about yourself.