There is a strong case for why leaders should be using coaching skills. Leaders who coach their team members create greater engagement and enhance the development of their direct reports. Have you considered how using coaching skills can enhance your leadership? 

“Coaching is designed to be the leadership approach of the 21^st century.”

~ James Belasco

From 33% to 70% Employee Management

First, “The Gallup (2017) State of the American Workplace Report” helps make the case for leaders using coaching skills. The report shed light on what makes some organizations relish in 70% employee engagement versus the norm, which is 33% employee engagement. The enhanced engagement was attributed to leaders’ ability to hold coaching conversations. Here is a previously written article about the report.

In the Gallup report, they defined coaching as: “a conversation about progress, obstacles to progress, and triumph in progress. Coaching also teaches the coach to initiate and drive conversation about progress.” The following are the five conversations that leaders can have using a coaching style:

1. Role and relationship orientation – Occurs when employees join the company, when job responsibilities shift and when employees change roles
2. Quick connects – Allows managers to assess quickly how an employee is doing and to identify successes and barriers
3. Check-ins – More formal opportunities to seek and give feedback on goal achievement, priorities, progress on projects and employee needs
4. Developmental Coaching – Aims to direct and guide an employee to improved performance and individual career development
5. Formal reviews – Formal reviews of progress on goals, expectations, and planning for future opportunities

Effective Bosses

In 2017, Michael Schneider, made a case for leaders using coaching skills in his article titled “Google spent years studying effective bosses. Now they teach new managers these things.” In the list included six items and two of the six times related specifically to leaders using coaching skills. Google defines coaching as: 

The following is a graphic from the International Coaching Federation (ICF) for “Managers and leaders using coaching skills.”

In addition, The ICF 2017 Global Consumer Awareness study revealed that 670 respondents from human resources, learning and development, and talent management, internal coaches, and individual contributions – indicated that 65% of organizations aim to expand the scope of managers/leaders using coaching skills over the next five years. 

If you believe that a case for leaders using coaching skills was made there is more to come. In the next article and Leader’s Turn video, we will share a study that reveals how long leaders need to acquire a coaching approach. The study also illustrates what strong skills leaders already have to leverage in coaching. Moreover, the study sheds light on what skills leaders thought they were proficient in…but; in reality, were not. (link to Leader’s Turn Video) 

You can ensure that you receive the next article or video by subscribing to our YouTube Channel. You can also request that the Leader’s Turn series (produced once per week) be sent to you by using the link provided link or visiting our website at www.miranous.com or www.professionaldevelopmentforemployees.com

References 

Gallup (2007). State of the workplace report. Retrieved August 11, 2019, from https://news.gallup.com/reports/199961/7.aspx?utm_source=SOAWlaunch&utm_campaign=StateofAmericanWorkplace-Launch&utm_medium=email&utm_content=nonopener-reminder

Shneider, M. (2017). Google spent years studying effective bosses. Now they teach new managers these things. Inc. Retrieved August 11, 2019 from https://www.inc.com/michael-schneider/analysis-10000-reports-told-google-to-train-new-managers-6-areas.html

“Coaching isn’t therapy. It’s product development, with you as the product.” 

~Fast Company

The external and internal pressures to become high-performing amid constant change has lead individuals, teams, groups, and organizations to leverage the power of coaching. 

But – what is coaching? And how it is different than mentoring, consulting, training, or counseling? 

This is a common question.  

The International Coaching Federation (ICF) defines coaching as “partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”

Coaching is different than mentoring, consulting, training, and counseling.  

Mentoring – is an engagement that is formed because of the expertise and experience that the mentor has. In this relationship, the mentee seeks to learn and receive guidance from the mentor to grow and excel professionally or personally. The mentor leverages his or her expertise and experience to help the mentee. 

Consulting – is provided by a consultant, who helps clarify a problem and provides a solution, using data, information, and her or his expertise to resolve a specific issue. 

Training – is designed so that a trainee acquires new information or skills with the intent that the trainee will apply the latest knowledge in his or her professional context. The trainer is seen as an expert who is responsible for learning to happen. 

Counseling or therapy – are treatments intended to help individuals resolve or heal problematic behaviors, thinking, feelings, and elevate the level at which an individual is functioning. Often these experiences involve delving into and understanding the past. 

On the other hand, coaches: 

• Are partners. There is no power differential in the relationship. 
• Do not give solutions; they use a process that allows the client to arrive at a solution. 
• Do not teach in the traditional sense of inculcating or disseminating information. Instead, they use a process that allows clients to bring forth what they know and identify that they may need to know.  
• Do not heal or delve into the past. They use a process to help clients move from the present to the desired future. 

In the first ICF study, the 2012 Global Coaching Survey, coaching clients were asked how they would define coaching. The words that clients used were that coaching is a process that leads to goal-setting, awareness building, and accountability. 

At MiraNous we define coaching as, “a partnership and process that is intentional and focused and which leverages metacognition while addressing the internal and external landscape of the client, to help the client achieve greater self-awareness, mastery, and actualization in what matters to the client.”

We hope this helped clarify what coaching is and how it differs from other support modalities. We will continue this discussion in new videos and articles that we have for you. This link will help you request access to future content. 

References

The International Coaching Federation (ICF). 2017 Annual Report: Committed, compassionate, connected (2017). Retrieved August 8, 2019 from https://coachfederation.org/app/uploads/2018/09/2017ICFAnnualReport_FINAL_SPREADS.pdf

“The energy of the mind is the essence of life.” Aristotle

What is Energy Leadership (EL)

The Dr. Bruce Schneider developed the concept of Energy Leadership and its accompanying assessment. The Forbes Coaches Council recommends the Energy Leadership Assessment in the article 11 Assessments every executive should take.

Essentially, Energy Leadership describes our attitudes, perceptions, and perspectives. It gives us insight into what drives how we think, behave, and act.

Luke Iorio, President, and CEO of iPEC coaching wrote this:

As individuals, we view the world through filters (based on our experiences, values, assumptions, etc.). Those filters will either limit what we see (like tunnel vision) or expand what we see (like a prism) and, thus, impact how we perceive and what we think about our circumstances. This, in turn, impacts how we show up in different situations.

As Your EL Goes so Does Your Climate

It is interesting that in 360 Energy Leadership evaluations, the way a leader is perceived (rated), mirrors what raters (supervisors, direct reports, colleagues) think about the climate overall. We have seen this most recently with leaders in education who are in the MILE program. This makes absolute sense. However, seeing the data on paper affirms the compelling call for leaders to manage their energy consciously. Does this mean that as a leader improves in his or her ability to shift to higher levels of energy, then the organization improves as such? Yes, that is what the data are indicating.

Scent of a Leader

Here are the 7 Energy Levels described in terms of core thoughts, core emotions, feelings, and core actions that are associated with each. The description also provides insight as to how winning is viewed at each level.

Energy Level 1 – Victim

A leader who resonates at Level 1 energy thinks that life happens to him. The leader’s core thoughts are that they are a victim to circumstances. The feeling that emanates from his thinking is that of apathy. Passion and commitment are depleted. What ensues from this level is lethargy. A leader becomes reactive, responding to crisis after crisis. Moreover, when not in crisis mode the leader is just doing enough to get by. He believes that he never wins, no matter what. The familiar words that are expressed at this level are guilt, fear, worry, self-doubt, lack of confidence, and low self-esteem.

Energy Level 2 – Conflict

A leader who is resonating at Level 2 energy thinks that life is replete with conflict. Her core emotion is anger (which can be anywhere in the spectrum from annoyance to rage). Being contentious and defiant is what ensues from this level of energy. Regarding winning, this leader believes that others must lose so that she can win. The dominant words for this level of energy are anger, pride, antagonism, struggle, resistance, blame, frustration, and defiance.

Energy Level 3 – Responsibility

A leader who is resonating at Level 3, has responsibility on his mind. When a problem surfaces he is able to reflect on how he contributed to the problem, what he could have done differently for a better outcome. His feelings are those of forgiveness towards self and others. The actions that ensue from this energy revolve around cooperation. Moreover, regarding winning, this leader believes that he should win and it is okay for others to win as well. The outcomes for this level are rationalizing, justification, tolerance, compromise, and cooperation.

Energy Level 4 – Concern

A leader who has resonating Level 4 energy has concern for others on her mind. The feelings that prevail are those of compassion. The actions that are evident from this type of energy revolve around serving others. This leader is always helping others. Regarding winning, this leader wants others to succeed. The words that describe this energy are collaboration, team-work, loyalty, selfless service, generosity, and servant-leadership.

Energy Level 5 – Reconciliation

A leader who is experiencing Level 5 energy thinks mostly about reconciliation, making things right. The feeling that prevails for him is that of peace. This level of energy leads to confidence. It would be common for a leader who has this level of energy to often say “there is no such thing as a problem, there are only opportunities.” Regarding winning, this energy aligns with the thought that we both win or we don’t play. The words and phrases that capture the essence of this energy are choices, positivity, taking chances, confidence, fulfillment, entrepreneurial mindset, opportunity, and peace.

Energy Level 6 – Synthesis

A leader tapping into level 6 energy is one who synthesizes things. She can see the bigger picture. The feeling that she enjoys most often is one of joy. Wisdom ensues from this energy. Regarding winning she feels that everyone always win. At level 6 the words that are common are innovation, big-picture-thinking, global-thinking, creativity, satisfaction, and joy.

Energy Level 7 – Non-judgement

Leaders who resonate this level of energy on a consistent basis are a rara avis. I often ascribe this level of energy to that of an athlete in the zone, a creative in the state of flow, a monk in a heightened state of prayer, a leader in complete sync with those around him and the activity he is leading. Regarding winning, he thinks that there is no such thing as winning or losing. The words that define this level are non-judgment, creation, absolute passion, and refined intuition.

Which Energy is Better?

There is no good or bad energy. There are advantages and disadvantages to all the levels. The intention is not to eradicate specific energy from our lives,   that would be unrealistic. Choose the energy that is the most productive, The goal is to “self-lead” ourselves to an energy that best serves the situation and those around us.

How to Shift Energy Levels

It is not easy to shift one’s energy. It takes a concerted effort, repeated over time to resonate at a different level of energy upon desire. Our brain is malleable and it will build new neuro-connections that make the higher levels more attainable.  Here is a simple way to begin to do that. Think about the energy level you are feeling. Then identify which level would serve you better. Third act accordingly, even if you do not “feel” it. Great character is built when we can choose to do the next right thing despite our emotions and feelings.

Want More?

If you want to go beyond gageing your energetic resonating level and are curious about your energy leadership levels on an average day as well as on a stressful day, you can take the Energy Leadership Index. To learn more about the individual assessment, the 360 assessment, and using the evaluation with teams, please click here.

Your Turn

What else can you do to shift your energetic resonating level? What can you do to change your scent of a leader to something more redolent?

References

iPEC Coaching (2013). Coach training manual. Shrewsbury, NJ: iPEC Coaching.

The Energy Leadership Index Debrief. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.ipeccoachcommunity.com/Student%20Resources/ELIMP/TheEnergyLeadership

What Is Energy? Definition And Meaning … (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/energy.html

“We see in order to move; we move in order to see.”  William Gibson

Without clarity, you cannot lead yourself or others. I would like to invite you to think about the role of clarity in your leadership, your professional life, and your personal life.

Yo-Yo Ma, Special Forces, & Clarity

 I love the coincidence in this, just as I started to write this article and I was contemplating these words by Yo Yo Ma “If you don’t have clarity of ideas, you’re just communicating sheer sound” the Amazon “Classical For Focus” Playlist began to play Yo-Yo Ma’s rendition of the Unaccompanied Cello Suite No. 1 Major.

Clarity is beautiful. Clarity makes all the difference. Clarity is a matter of life or death. I have heard it said that men in Special Forces have lower heart-rates and cortisol levels when an attack is imminent instead of when they are partaking in “hurry-up and wait.” This is because they have clarity of what they will do in the attack situation, it is the ambiguity that creates doubt and thus tension.

So when you think about clarity, you can visualize Yo-Yo Ma on the cello and Special Forces troops on a mission. If your approach to something does not evoke either of those, then you might not be clear. If you want to be a high-performer, Brenden Burchard gives us this to think about: “Our research shows that compared with their peers, high-performers have more clarity on who they are, what they want, how to get it, and what they find meaningful and fulfilling. We’ve found that if you can increase someone’s clarity you up their overall high-performance score.” (p. 59)

Seeking clarity does not mean that you have to wait until you have it before acting. Sometimes as you act, ambiguity dissipates, and clarity ensues. Burchard tells us that “Clarity is the child of careful thought and mindful experimentation.” Moreover, he wrote that you generate clarity by asking questions, researching, trying new things, sorting through life’s opportunities, and determining what is right for you (p. 59).

How to Develop Clarity

One way to exercise and develop clarity is to journal about it. In this previous article, I wrote about the benefits of journaling and how you can use a systematic approach to journal and reflect. Every day I journal a few sentences about clarity, focus, and intensity in things that were important that day. I also have a practice of checking-in on clarity before, during, and after a task. This can take as little as a few seconds. However, I imagine that it saves me much time and energy.

Here are questions that help one become clear

1. What do I want as a result/outcome of this?
2. Why do I want that result or outcome? What will that do for the situation or for me?
3. Is my approach the best way to achieve that result or outcome? Alternatively, what else might be more effective, easier, faster, or impactful?
4. How is my clarity as I move into action, during the action, and at the end of action?
5. What can I do differently next time, to have greater clarity and get better results?

I ask myself all or some of these questions. As I enter the gym, I want to be clear as to why I am there; what I want as an outcome. This often makes a difference between just going through the motions or pushing myself.

When interacting with individuals, I try to get clear on: how I want to come across? What does the other person need? How do I want the other person to feel/how do I want to feel? What is the outcome that we want?

Before starting a project, here I am more methodical, I take time to ask myself the five questions above. Yes, it takes time. Time and energy are precious, and I want to make sure that I am clear on how to spend those as I maximize what I want to accomplish. We do not want to be busy about things that do not matter, that do not make a difference, or that could have been executed more effectively in an easier way.

Peter Economy has this to say about clarity: “[Leaders] are clear and concise at all times–there is no question of their vision and what needs to be accomplished. This gives others the opportunity to digest their goals and decide whether or not they will support their cause. Generally, very few people know what they want, much less how to get there, so they will gravitate towards those who appear to have a clear picture in mind–good clarity leads to great achievement.”

I am curious, as you begin to engender more clarity in your life what image will surface? Will you hear the haunting sound of a cello, perfectly conveying human emotion? Or will you have the intensity and focus donned by someone on a mission.

References

Burchard, B. (2017). High performance habits: How extraordinary people become that way. New York, NY: Hayhouse Inc.

Economy, P. (n.d.). The 5 Essential Qualities Of A Great Leader. Inc.com.  Retrieved from https://www.inc.com/peter-economy/the-5-essential-qualities-of-a-great-leader.html

“Time is the most valuable coin in your life. You and you alone will determine how that coin will be spent. Be careful that you do not let other people spend it for you.”
― Carl Sandburg

There are many productivity hacks. Few of those hacks ensure that you are being productive with things that truly matter. Reclaim productivity, flow, and what matters with a master weekly schedule.

You are likely to benefit from a Master Themed-Weekly Schedule if:

 ·         You have asked yourself, “What should I be doing right now?”

·         You have wondered if you are using your time well.

·         You begin to work on one task only to find yourself switching back and forth between three different tasks.

·         You have felt that you worked on many things but accomplished little and actually feel more behind than when you started to work.

·         You spend most of your time on tasks that have little to do with your vision and goals as well as the progress you desire to see.

Imagine having a guide that informs you how to use each day and each section of the day, in a way that keeps everything progressing. Imagine all the energy you would save by not constantly second-guessing yourself. Each time to make decisions regarding what would should be working on, you contribute to decision fatigue. The more energy and time you spend on making small decisions the more you deplete your precious reserves of cognitive ability, decision-making, creativity, problem-solving prowess, and energy.

 Getting in Flow for Productivity 

Themed-days are your key to peaceful productivity because they allow you to get in a “flow.” Mihály Csikszentmihalyi defined flow as “the mental state of operation in which a person performing an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and enjoyment in the process of the activity. In essence, flow is characterized by complete absorption in what one does.”

 I treasure those times when I am in a state of flow with my relationships, with my work, with a creative endeavour. After a flow session, I feel that I have truly accomplished something and used my day well. I can see that I made progress in the things that matter most to me.

 Staying out of Spotlights 

However, the busy-ness of life can cause us to be less in a state of flow and more in a state of “spotlights.” In neuroscience, an activity that is manifested sporadically and briefly throughout the brain has been coined by some researchers as “spotlight”. When you are in a state of “spotlights” you are making your brain frantically switch between several activities including eating, writing emails, texting, talking, doing paperwork, tending to children, and redirecting the dog, all at the same time (That sentence just created anxiety in my chest. Moreover, that is how I operate more often than I would like to acknowledge when I do not have a clear plan). A brain scan during this type of multitasking would show-up as “spotlights” on the brain.

In a state of flow, the brain is much more efficient. A brain in a state of flow maximizes energy and can distinguish between what matters and what does not matter. In other words, a brain in a state of flow is highly-focused.

So how do we step out of “spotlights” and move into flow to have peaceful productivity? Well, there are several things that you can do. However, the first suggestion that I have, is to encourage you to give your days a theme and create a master schedule. These will help you have peaceful productivity. You can give an entire day a theme. Alternatively, you can divide your day into two or three themes.

 Do What Matters When You Have Little Control

 An immediate objection might come to mind. Specifically, there might be some of you in fields or leadership positions in which your days can easily be usurped by others. You may conclude that you may not be able to stick to a theme. I challenge you to give this a try.

Even if you feel that you can’t control your days with themes related to your work, you can choose portions of your day with themes such as: Critical, Progress, and Maintenance. Critical Tasks must be taken care of. Progress Tasks are those that move you forward on your goals and vision. And Maintenance Tasks help things keep moving smoothly without falling through the cracks. No matter what you do, you will deal with tasks and activities that align with those categories.

 Furthermore, research indicates that you would do well to know and work with your chronotype. Daniel Pink explains more about chronotypes on a podcast produced at Art of Manliness. My chronotype, and that of most people would have us working on Progress Tasks in the morning, these tasks tend to be creative, require high- cognitive demand, and move our goals and vision forward. In the afternoon, we would work on Critical Tasks which include tasks that are important, require our attention, but may not require high-cognitive and energetic stamina. Many times, Critical Task have little to do with advancing vision and goals and are usually externally imposed. Then, in the late afternoon and evening, we do well to work on Maintenance Tasks or routine tasks. By completing these tasks, we will not get behind and things will not fall through the cracks.

Possible Themes for the Master Weekly Schedule  

Here are some examples of themes for various roles, to give you some ideas. 

Applying Themes to Meetings  

If you want to start small, how about establishing themes for your meetings? Instead of trying to tackle sundry issues at each meeting, use themed-weeks for your meetings. Here as some examples:

 Week 1 – Meetings related to Cost

Week 2 – Meetings related to Safety

Week 3 – Meetings related to Delivery/Quality

Week 4 – Meetings related to People Development

 A Gift for You – Master Weekly Schedule Template 

Now it is your turn. I made an excel sheet that you can use as a template to create themes based on your roles and responsibilities. You can batch your day based on Critical, Progress, and Maintenance tasks. Or you can do both. The goal is not that you will hit this perfectly every single day, but imagine what it would feel like to have a successfully planned and executed day 50%, 70% or 80% of the time.

I have had a few inquiries from individuals wanting more support with customizing the Excel template. So I created this video. 

 What Would You Add? 

Second, let us learn from you. What other theme ideas do you have? Please share in the comments section of this blogpost to help inspire others.

References

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (1998). Finding flow: The psychology of engagement with everyday life. New York, NY: Basic Books.

Kahn Academy. (n.d.) The spotlight model of attention and our ability to multitask. Retrieved from https://www.khanacademy.org/test-prep/mcat/processing-the-environment/attention-language/v/the-spotlight-model-of-attention-and-our-ability-to-multitask

“Keeping a personal journal a daily in-depth analysis and evaluation of your experiences is a high-leverage activity that increases self-awareness and enhances all the endowments and the synergy among them.” — Stephen R. Covey

At this time of year, there is a plethora of advice on how to set and achieve your goals. Knowledge, motivation, intent, and desire serve as a weak catalyst for the changes you want to make and the goals that you want to achieve. You are guaranteed to face obstacles to the improvements that you want to make this year. The best weapons you have against those obstacles are having a growth mindset and having grit. Therefore, let us explore journaling to increase your growth mindset and grit.

I can almost hear a collective suspire and the words being spoken “who has time for that?” Try my structured journaling process for four to six weeks. Then you can compare your growth and progress to where you would be without that practice.

Growth Mindset & Grit

Dr. Carol Dweck, a psychology professor at Stanford University, brought us the concept of growth mindset. In her research, she discovered the impact of having a “fixed” versus “growth” mindset. Dr. Dweck summarizes her findings as follows: “Individuals who believe their talents can be developed (through hard work, good strategies, and input from others) have a growth mindset. They tend to achieve more those with a fixed mindset…” Because of that, it is important to explore how one can journal to increase growth mindset.

Dr. Angela Duckworth, is a professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania. She delivered a popular TEDtalk: “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance”.  She defines grit as “perseverance and passion for long-term goals.” It is important to know how to journal to increase grit.

Imagine what would be possible for you if you had an ingrained belief that you could grow, change, achieve. And imagine that you coupled that belief with an unrelenting passion and perseverance. I believe half of your success equation would be in place.

Further anneal your success with a daily, conscious, deliberate, reflective, experimental, and persistent effort towards achieving your goals. Now, any success that seemed elusive has transformed into success that is highly attainable. Daily journaling about your goals and how you are investing your time and energy in your priorities, forces you to align with and course correct as needed in order to do the small daily, weekly, monthly actions that your goals require present every single day.

If you still feel ambivalent about investing time to journal, it might help to know the numerous benefits that journaling affords. The benefits of journaling can be:  increasing cognitive abilities, increasing mindfulness, goal achievement, increase in emotional intelligence, boosting memory and comprehension, strengthening self-discipline, improving communication skills, healing, exercising creativity, increasing self-confidence, increasing clarity, deeper self-awareness, stress reduction, improvement in problem-solving, and helping with improving relationships.

Journaling Template

It is a lengthy template, but I journal twice a day. I rarely go beyond one page (front and back in my 9X7 journal). So it is not much writing. There are many areas, but my reflections are brief. I synthesize. I have adapted my template from the Michael Hyatt’s daily journal template.

Frist page of Journal: One of the first pages in my journal lists my goals in each key area of my life and at least three sub-actions (commitments) that must happen in order to achieve those goals. My areas for goals are Spiritual, SELF, Spouse, Children, Family and Friends, Home/Finances, Business, University Work, Coaching Skill Development

Morning Journaling Session

Sleep: I note how much sleep I obtained the night before. This compels me to ensure that I sleep the hours that I need to function optimally. Moreover, there are interesting correlations between sleep and outcomes of the day based on adequate or deficient sleep.

Word of Day:  – I am a logophile, and I love learning new words.

Spiritual Reflection:  A short reflection based on Scripture or a short spiritual reading.

“Yesterday I…”: I describe the events that happened yesterday…sometimes in as little as two or three sentences.

“What I learned…”: Here I reflect on the insights from yesterday. How can I leverage yesterday to be better today?

“Today I am grateful for…”:  It is always good to start the day with gratitude. I do this by writing one sentence of gratitude  (meaningful or seemingly inconsequential things that make life beautiful).

Today’s Goals: My daily goals are 80% informed by my goals for the year, which are recorded on the first page of my journal. As I create my daily goals, I look at my goals’ page and draw from there. I only allow myself three goals. I accomplish (work towards) more than three things. However, the ones designated as goals for the days take precedence over everything.

Evening Journaling Session

I write the word Examine and then reflect on the following:

“I am reading/learning about ….”: I always want to be learning, reading something, listening to a podcast, thinking deeply about concepts. Moreover, I record a couple of sentences for that.

Review of Clarity, Focus, and Intensity: This is where I reflect on my time and energy use. My three words for the year are clarity, focus, and intensity. So I reflect whether I approached my three goals with clarity, focus, and intensity.

“Tomorrow, I want to be mindful of …”: I desire to do better tomorrow than I did today. My intent is to grow. Therefore, I set an intention based on my insights of the day.

“Never go to sleep without a request to your subconscious.” — Thomas Edison

My win from today:  Always, always end on a positive note. So no matter how small or grand the win –document it.

Some people sleepwalk through life. When you are investing time to journal about life and reflect twice a day you will awaken. You will become conscious of all the unconscious things that are working against you. You will not only awaken to internal factors that hinder you, you will also awaken to external factors that hinder your progress. Moreover, you will be able to avert those.

Lastly, next year, it will be easy to closeout 2018. You will have your journal replete with entries documenting your life, how you gave of yourself to others and to your work, of your struggles, and triumphs. You will have your goals and the works that you did towards achieving them at your fingertips. Moreover, you will have documentation on the progress of those goals. I hope that your year-end synthesis and refection will amaze you and fill you with gratitude because you lived the year well…with a growth mindset and with grit.

References

Dweck, C. (2016). What having a “growth mindset” actually means. Retrieved January 9, 2018, from https://hbr.org/2016/01/what-having-a-growth-mindset-actually-means

Nguyen, T. (2017). 10 Surprising benefits you’ll get from keeping a journal. Retrieved January 8, 2018, from https://www.huffingtonpost.com/thai-nguyen/benefits-of-journaling-_b_6648884.html

Purcell, M. (n.d). The health benefits of journaling. Retrieved, January 7, 2018, from  https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-health-benefits-of-journaling/

“I’ve lived through some terrible things in my life, some of which actually happened.” ~ Mark Twain

Before you fully enter your 2018 life, take a moment to closeout 2017. This will help and inform as you create your 2018 goals. I did this, and I am astonished by the insights that I gained. I consider myself a person who reflects regularly. However, there is something powerful about ceremoniously synthesizing a year, to gain insight, and bring closure. As I closeout 2017, I can clearly see that I did not distribute my commitment and energy in proportion to my priorities. One of my top priorities received much less of me. Moreover, the closure process inspired me to ask myself these three questions at the start of any significant activity in 2018: What is the outcome that I clearly want with this? How can I be focused on this activity? How can I increase intensity in the things that matter?

Instauration of 2017

Francis Bacon wrote Instauratio Magna (The Great Instauration) an uncompleted collection of works that calls for the renewal and restoration of a utopia on earth in which mankind functions from an enlightened state based on knowledge and truth.

In that spirit, we are compelled to allow time for an instauration of 2017. Many times, individuals are apt to make a precipitated leap from one year to the next. For a society that likes instantaneous outcomes, it makes sense that the old of 2017 would be perfunctorily abandoned for the allure of a clean slate, of the potential and promise that 2018 holds.

However, we are products of our past whether we acknowledge that or not. We would do well to see the wisdom in synthesizing the events and experiences of 2017 and walk into 2018 empowered with that new awareness and those new learnings. The gift of life over 365 days was not lived perfunctory…it should be honored.

I propose that you process 2017 with a pen at hand. Writing is a process that helps one synthesize and gain clarity in thinking. It is a process that allows your conscious mind to meet your subconscious. Those who journal can attest to the moments of unexpected insights and “epiphanies” that can surface as one writes freely.

Dr. Caroline Leaf (2013, p. 181-182) explains that writing is a complex process that is cognitive and metacognitive (helps you think about your thinking). In journal writing the
frontal lobe becomes highly active, the temporal lobe and hippocampus become engaged and aid in recalling existing memories, and the structures in the midbrain activate to deal with the emotions that are evoked.

Furthermore, Dr. Henriette Anne Klauser (2000) makes a compelling case for the power of writing by sharing that writing triggers the reticular activating system (RAS), which signals the cerebral cortex to be aware and attentive to what is happening, to what you are writing.

7 Prompts that Will Give You Insight

Here are some prompts that you can use:

1. You can list eight dimensions of the human person and reflect how you did in each in 2017. The eight areas can be spirituality, intellectual development, physical care, relationships, material and financial aspects, vocational (career) contribution, and recreation/enjoyment.

2. What things am I grateful for from 2017? (Write a long list!)

3. My accomplishments for 2017 were… (Don’t allow negativity bias to set in, stop and celebrate your wins however small or large they were).

4. If I had to give 2017 a title or a word what would it be?

5. If I took away one message that will be a call to action to sharpen and refine myself based on what happened in 2017 what would that be?

6. What I know now that I did not know in 2017 is ….

7. If I could redo 2017 what three concepts/actions would describe what I could have done differently…

Now You are Ready for 2018 Goals!

Now, you have clarity and a baseline from which to create the 2018 that you desire to live. You have more clarity in the areas that you can sharpen and refine to become a better instrument of meaningful contribution in 2018. You are ready to create your new goals.

You took that time to collect some anecdotal and “qualitiatve” data to inform your next steps. Moreover, if you are mindful of your insights and willing to allow them to inform all that you do, think, and say in 2018, then you are less apt to show up with the same unaccomplished goals on December 31, 2018. This time you stand a better chance at effectuating change by allowing yourself this exercise in self-awareness.

It seems that employee engagement is down by 1% to 33% as the norm. For top performing companies employee engagement is 70%. That is an impressive difference.

One of the conclusions of the report is that leaders should leverage coaching conversations in their leadership. According to Gallup:

Coaching is a conversation about progress, obstacles to progress, and triumph in progress. Coaching also teaches the coach to initiate and drive conversation about progress.

The 5 Coaching Conversations Effective Leaders Must Have:

The Gallup report identifies 5 opportunities for having coaching conversations when you are leading and managing and those are:

Coaching is a concept that is often interchanged with mentoring, consulting, and supervision. I have a blogpost that distinguishes those. We have to authentically coach to get coaching benefits. We cannot just label any methodology as coaching and expected to get coaching results. You can access that post here.

Experiencing Coaching is Best

My background in educational psychology makes it amply clear that for leaders to develop coaching skills, they must experience good coaching. Experiential learning is powerful. Experiential learning produces better and sustainable results. The best way to teach leaders how to have effective coaching conversations is to allow them to experience effective coaching conversations with a coach.  Otherwise, we may end-up with well intended leaders who instead of coaching begin to mentor, supervise, or consult.

Special Program 

This report is not specifically about school settings. But these workplace reports mirror what happens across different sectors. This report comes at a most appropriate and exciting time. I am in the process of developing Leadership Coaching and Mastermind programs. My first cohort will be comprised of principals. I will be creating other groups in the future. If you are a principal, please considering joining us now. The program starts April 4, 2017. And we have seating for 10. Learn more about that here.

What are your thoughts about leaders and managers using coaching conversations to increase engagement?

References

Gallup, Inc. (2017). State of the American Workplace. Retrieved from http://bit.ly/gallup2017leaderscoach

Counseling Defined

Counseling is a helping modality that helps people identify the cause of a problem that may be affecting the individual’s well-being. Counseling addresses psychosocial issues that may have originated in the past. Counseling therapy may include asking thought-provoking questions similar to those used in coaching. However, the goal is to apply what comes forth to principles of mental health, psychology, and human development. The goal is to help the client have growth, behavioral change, or emotional well-being.

Mentoring Defined

Mentoring is a modality in which an expert imparts his or her knowledge and expertise on the mentee. The mentor takes an active interest in their development. For example, if you want to achieve a certain level in your career or personal life you seek out someone who has reached that level. That person shows you the ropes. The mentor provides guidance so that you can achieve those things with less effort, fewer obstacles, and fewer mistakes.

Consulting Defined

A consultant is an individual who advises. The consultant imparts his or her expertise to create a specific change or achieve a result that you want. The consultant analyzes the situation, collects data, and makes recommendations for the best course of action for achieving goals. The consultant may or may not be tasked with transferring knowledge and skills to the client.

Coaching Defined

What is coaching? According to the International Coaching Federation, “coaching is partnering with clients in a thought-provoking and creative process that inspires them to maximize their personal and professional potential.”

I received my training at the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching. The definition of coaching from iPEC is “…the core energy process [coaching] is a process that helps bring out the potential of a client, be that a person, couple, family, or corporation. This process is done by emotionally connecting the client’s inner purpose and passion to other goals and strategies to bring about extraordinary and sustainable results.”

My Definition of Coaching

My definition of coaching is a process that creates trust, based on the foundation of support and nonjudgement, which allows inquiry, dialogue, thinking-aloud, brainstorming, accountability, feedback, and challenging the client to take place. Coaching makes the whole of all those tools greater than the sum of the parts. The coach is not the expert in the client’s life. The coach does not need expertise in the client’s field. The client is the expert in his or her life personal and professional life. The coach is the expert in the coaching process. The ultimate goal of the coaching process is to help clients achieve impactful and sustainable results with goals, perspective, and behavior change. My particular areas of coaching help bring about results and growth in the areas of self-awareness, self-mastery, and self-actualization. Coaching is a key that unlocks possibility and potential!

Question

What would you add to these definitions to distinguish them better?