Insight on Coaching

Why People Change Careers - Coaching for Reinvention

Tom Floyd — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 19:27:00 GMT

Why People Change Careers

According to CareerBuilder.com’s 2008 Job Forecast conducted by Harris Interactive of more than 3,000 hiring managers and HR professionals:

25% of surveyed workers plan to change jobs within the next two years.
41% are leaving their jobs to find a position with better pay and/or career advancement opportunities.
8% are changing careers; 7%say they want to find a company where they feel appreciated; 7% are retiring; and 5% plan to start their own business.

In terms of the top reasons why people change careers according to CareerBuilder:

Bigger paychecks (As cited by 80% of respondents.)
Flexible work arrangements (60% of companies currently offer flextime as of January 2008.)
Perks and benefits (nearly 1 in 5 or 20% of companies planned to offer more comprehensive or better health benefits to employees in 2008.)
More promotions and career advance opportunities (50%.)

Two things really jumped out at me from this data.

I was really surprised to see salary and “bigger paychecks” ranked so high on the list. And of course as someone who works in the talent management and performance consulting fields, I loved seeing that a little over 50% of respondents stated that a company’s ability to offer career advancement was more important than salary.

We discussed both of these points on our Insight on Coaching show dedicated to coaching for personal reinvention.

Pamela Mitchell of The Reinvention Institute highlighted a nice contrast to the CareerBuilder data on salary. Pamela emphasized in her experience, for many people looking to reinvent their careers, once they hit a certain point in their careers it’s no longer about getting a higher salary.

If it’s not about salary, than what is it about?

According to Pamela – it’s more about acquiring knowledge and increased job satisfaction.

Pamela added in a survey of 350 professionals (70% of whom had successfully reinvented their careers) led by The Reinvention Institute, her team found that people who put money as their top reason for wanting to make a change were actually less successful in making these types of career shifts and changes than those who were seeking other things like more satisfaction, knowledge and passion.

Another phrase she used that I liked?

“Reinvention is the new form of job security – for example we now have industries that come and disappear within a 15-year span for example.”

What does this mean for you?

Well from my perspective as a management consultant, it means it’s important to:

Have a thirst for knowledge, learning, and new information.
Recognize the workforce is constantly changing, and adjust your individual approach, behavior, and work style accordingly.
Demonstrate an openness to new ideas, procedures, technologies, and industries.
Display resilience in response to career setbacks, layoffs and other stressful situations with energy and optimism
Demonstrate flexibility in being able to transition between different job roles or even industries.
Be able to proactively seek and acquire new contacts, networks, and relationships on your own.
Find a mentor and demonstrate an openness to learn from other people in different fields.

All of the above will help you have good job prospects in the future.

Michael Arthur also brought up some additional great points around CareerBuilder’s data on the importance of flexible work arrangements, and the importance of both adaptability and flexibility as overall skills for people as well.

In his own words “The world belongs to people who are ready to learn, ready to adapt, ready to go with the flow and benefit from the flow rather than those that want to hold onto the same kind of work they were doing a few years ago.”

I think that summed it up well Michael!

Want to hear more?

Tune into the podcast version of the Insight on Coaching show dedicated to coaching for personal reinvention to hear our guests discuss what personal reinvention is, how coaches are working with people to reinvent themselves, and most importantly how you can find a career that truly makes you happy.

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for Reinvention

Coaching for Reinvention

Tom Floyd — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 22:32:00 GMT

Coaching for Reinvention

In a feature for Diversified Recruitment Inc, career columnist Patrice Kelly writes “Corporations reinvent themselves internally everyday, but individuals also can make significant changes to improve their business and personal life.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, statistically speaking no one really knows what motivates many of us to want to change careers, or the number of times the typical person changes his or her career over a lifetime. However one idea commonly attributed to the Department of Labor is that people change careers about seven times throughout their lives.

But what stops many of us from changing careers or pursuing our dreams?

Miami-based The Reinvention Institute says there are a variety of perceived barriers that stop many of us from reinventing our careers, including lack of knowledge, scarce financial resources, and a scarcity of contacts.

How can we overcome these challenges in finding the career of our dreams? And what should we consider when debating whether or not to change careers?

Our panel of experts address these questions and more, focusing on how coaches who specialize in career reinvention can help reshape who we are, what we do, and how we choose to live our professional and personal lives.

Highlights of the show include:

An overview of what personal reinvention is.
Why reinvention requires a real commitment on a very personal level.
The roles that planning and fear play in defining our careers.
How reinvention experts are helping both business executives and celebrities like David Beckham achieve their goals.
What to consider when making a career change.
How career reinvention coaches can help people stick to their commitment of reinventing their careers.

Featured Guests:

Michael Arthur, Professor of Management, Suffolk University, Boston
Linda Clark Borre, Creativity Coach, From Inspiration to Implementation
Pamela Mitchell, Founder and CEO, The Reinvention Institute
Watt Nicoll, Personal Reinvention Expert, Watt Nicoll Associates

Tune into the podcast version of the Insight on Coaching show dedicated to Coaching for Reinvention to listen to career experts and coaches discuss how they've helped professional reinvent themselves, and learn the best ways to find a career that makes you happy.

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for Reinvention

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The Impact of Cultural Values on Latino Employees

Tom Floyd — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 18:19:00 GMT

The Impact of Cultural Values on Latino Employees

Last year, the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) unveiled the findings of its 2007 Corporate Governance Study. The study measured Hispanic inclusion on the boards of Fortune 500 companies and concluded that 71% of top U.S. companies lack Hispanic representation on their boards.

Hispanics held just 3.1 percent of all Fortune 500 board seats in 2006.
Hispanic women held just 0.8 percent of all Fortune 500 seats in 2006.
Just two companies in the Fortune 500 had three or more Hispanic board members.
Only 1 percent of executive officer positions were held by Hispanics.

While we discussed a variety of factors in terms of why more Latinos and Latinas aren’t showing up in the boardroom, one of the topics we discussed on Insight on Coaching was the impact of cultural values on a typical Latino’s job search, career development, and career advancement.

Is it important to understand the impact of cultural values to help ensure more Latinos are rising within corporate ranks?

According to our guests – yes.

Some of the cultural values discussed that can impact the way in which a Latino employee manages his or her career and performance include:

An overall emphasis on collective and value-based culture rather than individualistic, mainstream culture.
A sense of strong work ethic.
A strong respect for authority figures.
Significant importance placed on the nuclear family as well as extended family.
Not feeling comfortable with self promotion or self marketing.
A sense of responsibility and obligation to represent the entire Latino community in a positive manner.

The level of discomfort some Latinos can have in promoting or marketing themselves was a topic of particular interest on our show.

Rosemary Bombela-Tobias, author of The Complete Job Search Guide for Latinos, shared many Latinos are not really taught to talk about themselves, speak to their strengths, or certainly to boast. As she put it, “my grandmother used to say ‘don’t look in the mirror too long or the devil will pop up behind you!’”

Deborah Deras added gender can play a role as well, highlighting that many Latinas in particular can sometimes feel they are not taken seriously due to age, how they look, etc. and as a result, may not feel comfortable in some networking settings where self-marketing is important.

A suggestion from her experience?

Facilitating a networking invent for Latinas only can really help attendees feel more comfortable expressing themselves. The encouragement and experience from networking with other women can help empower Latinas, allowing them to share their strengths in a comfortable setting while demonstrating that it’s not rude or boastful to do that.

Want to hear more about the impact of cultural values on Latino Employees?

Tune into the podcast version of the Insight on Coaching show dedicated to Coaching for Hispanic/Latino Audiences and Teams.

Your Insight on Coaching Host,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for Hispanic/Latino Teams and Audiences

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Recruiting Latino Employees

Tom Floyd — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 22:51:00 GMT

Recruiting Latino Employees

In an August 21st, 2006 article in The Arizona Republic, Yvonne Wingett writes: “Recruiters are hired by all kinds of big companies to find bilingual, bicultural executives to teach them how to grab a bigger portion of money spent by Hispanics, the country's largest minority. The prize: $700 billion a year and growing.”

However despite the demand, Yvonne states that recruiters are hard pressed to find, woo and land the talent. They are faced with a shortage of Latino graduate students, a corporate culture that has been slow to adapt to the country's diverse demographics and develop leaders, and a Hispanic culture that encourages staying close to family.

Recruiting was a big topic on our Insight on Coaching show dedicated to Hispanic/Latino audiences. Many of our Insight on Coaching guests discussed that while the Hispanic/Latino community is far from being a “new” group to many companies and recruiters, many outreach and recruiting efforts need to take certain factors into consideration when recruiting Latino employees. For example it’s important to:

Understand the importance of building relationships and trust with Latino candidates.
Be willing to target a variety of colleges and universities – not just top ranked schools – and be willing to target lesser known schools and community colleges.
Be willing to reach out to different marketplaces.
Demonstrate and show your organization cares about - and is invested in - the Latino community.
Recognize that generational differences will factor into your recruiting strategy as well – the means 3rd or 4th generation Latinos use to search for jobs will be different than those used by 1st and 2nd generation Latinos.
Discuss and emphasize opportunities for additional education as well as mentoring through your company.
Understand that Hispanic is not a “race” – the Hispanic community is composed of people coming from at least 20 different countries – and group specific values and beliefs may need to be taken into consideration as well.

Have recruiting efforts targeted at Latinos resulted in success? For many employers, it has!

Take a look at an example from IBM. Within IBM, the U.S. Hispanic population has grown 35% over the last seven years and the number of Hispanic executives has increased 211%.

While creating networking and mentoring programs such as La Red Familiar (the Family Net) for IBMs Latina professionals, the IBM Task Force is also recruiting actively at leading Hispanic universities.
To increase Hispanic technology education and computer literacy, IBM also sponsors La Familia Technology Week each October.
Around the country, IBM Corporate Community Relations partners with IBMers and nonprofits to sponsor activities ranging from e-mentoring programs to parent workshops on computer use.

Want to hear more about best practices when recruiting Latino employees?

Tune into the podcast version of the Insight on Coaching show dedicated to Coaching for Hispanic/Latino Audiences and Teams.

Your Insight on Coaching Host,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for Hispanic/Latino Teams and Audiences

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Coaching for Hispanic Audiences and Teams

Tom Floyd — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 05:19:00 GMT

Coaching for Hispanic Audiences and Teams

According to 2000 data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the Hispanic/Latino population in the United States grew 38.8 percent to more than 31 million, and is expected to reach 44 million by 2010.

HispanTelligence reports the number of Hispanic-owned businesses in the United States is expected to grow 55% in the next six years to 3.2 million, with total revenues surging 70 percent to more than $465 billion.

However in contrast to these trends, studies done by many organizations like the Hispanic Association on Corporate Responsibility (HACR) conclude that 71% of top U.S. companies lack Hispanic representation on their boards.

Why is the Latino community underrepresented in Corporate America today?

And how are coaches guiding both corporations and individuals in creating more opportunities for this diverse and growing group?

Our panel of experts address these questions and more.

Highlights of the show include:

How coaching Latinos can be distinctive from other groups.
How cultural values like the importance of family impact Latino professionals in the workplace.
The challenges Latino executives typically face in moving up the career ladder.
Generational differences in younger Latinos versus those in the Baby Boomer and Traditionalist generations.
How coaches are helping Latino professionals in areas including networking, recruiting, and discussing their strengths.
The differences Latina women face in the workplace from Latino men.

Featured Guests:

Donna Maria Blancero, VP, Research Division, National Society of Hispanic MBAs
Rose Mary Bombela-Tobias, Coach and Principal, Global Diversity Solutions Group
Deborah Deras, Coach and Co-Founder, Synergy Unlimited
Lea Ybarra, Executive Director, Center for Talented Youth, Johns Hopkins University

Tune into the podcast version of the Insight on Coaching show dedicated to Hispanic/Latino teams and audiences as our guests discuss the growth of Hispanic/Latino audiences and look at how coaching helps to address a population that largely represents our country today.

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for Hispanic/Latino Teams and Audiences

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What are the Benefits of Executive Coaching?

Tom Floyd — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 22:18:00 GMT

What are the Benefits of Executive Coaching?

According to a 1999 International Coach Federation survey on Coaching in Corporate America, the primary benefits of coaching listed were (in this order):

Improved individual performance
Bottom line results including profit
Client service and competitiveness
Development of people for the next level: confidence raising, skills and self empowerment
Goal achievement
Relationship improvements
And retention.

I certainly agree with all of these benefits, but from my experience with my own executive coaches in addition to the work we’ve done on Insight on Coaching, I’d like to point out an important benefit that’s missing: self realization.

While a difficult concept to quantify, self realization is an important aspect of ourselves that is gained over time through knowledge and experience. Some of us are lucky enough to find ourselves along the way in both our professional and personal journeys. Others of us aren’t as lucky.

As an executive myself, coaching definitely inspired me to become more self aware.

From several guests on Insight on Coaching, I learned about a tool called the enneagram, and I plunged head first into an enneagram program through Helen Palmer’s narrative tradition.

To say it rocked my world would be an underestimate.

While it was thrilling to recognize the strengths I brought to the table both professionally and personally, it was sobering, if not downright disheartening, to learn about my weaknesses as they bubbled to the surface throughout the program as well.

I used the knowledge of my strengths and weaknesses to recall situations I had experienced professionally, and recognized how these attributes of myself came into play. I also realized how I was my own worst enemy sometimes.

With the knowledge that came with this self realization, I was determined to lead both myself and my company in an even greater direction.

Then I started 1:1 coaching with a coach from the Strozzi Institute. When I began my initial work with my coach Mark, I thought I knew myself pretty well at that point.

I was wrong. You see, there’s always more to learn about ourselves.

Mark made me aware of additional behaviors that impacted my leadership. Some were big picture observations. Others were small – but just as important.

For example, Mark noticed my eyes got bigger when I was excited. While this expression could be helpful when energizing a team around a new vision or concept, it could also be intimidating during a 1:1 conversation with an employee.

I was floored. I had no idea I did that. And I certainly had no idea of the impact, both positive and negative, such an innocent behavior could have on how I appeared and interacted with clients, partners, and employees.

Through on-going coaching, I’ve learned how to harness this behavior more appropriately, while still being able to stay authentic to those things that make me, well – “me.”

As many executives become more self aware throughout their careers – I believe it’s the same.

Ultimately I believe if you know who you are, and you’re aware of both your strengths and weaknesses, you’re going to be more successful in all aspects of your life.

Is executive coaching the panacea to self realization and discovering ourselves? No.

But it is an accelerator, and when used appropriately it can have a substantial impact on both individual and organizational performance.

Others agree.

Manchester Inc. released the results of a study that quantified the business impact of external executive coaching. The study included 100 executives, mostly from Fortune 1000 companies, and concluded that “companies were more likely to retain executives who had been coached.” Also, companies that provided coaching to their executives realized improvements in productivity, quality, organizational strength, customer service, and shareholder value. They received fewer customer complaints of executives who were coached.

Want to hear more?

Tune into the podcast version of Insight on Coaching to listen to our guests discuss the benefits of executive coaching.

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Executive Coaching

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Executive Coaching isn't a "Fix It" Solution

Tom Floyd — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 21:50:00 GMT

Executive Coaching isn’t a “Fix It” Solution

Across all of the Insight on Coaching shows we’ve done on executive coaching, one thing that’s been abundantly clear to me – executive coaching isn’t a “fix it” solution.

Some people can fall into the trap of viewing executive coaching as a performance intervention, used to “fix” or correct areas of improvement for problem employees. In this scenario, it’s too easy for people to think “if the coach can’t fix you – you’re outta here.”

An executive coaching program should never be positioned as a “fix it” solution, targeted at those needing corrective action or improvement.

As you’re building the business case for executive coaching in your company, a significant emphasis will need to be placed on the program as a growth and development tool, targeted at helping high performers hone their skills as they grow and assume greater responsibilities within your organization.

To minimize the “fix it” solution type of thinking, as you’re discussing the value of executive coaching with executives and other stakeholders, it’s critical to have conversations about what executive coaching is and isn’t.

Executive coaching:

Is a personal development and growth tool targeted at high performers and executives.
Should be tied to your company’s overall talent management and career development framework.
Should be focused on enhancing specific competencies or skills tied to an individual’s job role.
Is a confidential, collaborative relationship between a coach and his/her client.
Can be one of many components within another leadership development or training program.

Executive coaching:

Isn’t a “fix it” solution.
Should not be positioned as a performance improvement solution targeted at problem employees or low performers.
Should not be positioned as mandatory for any employee.
Should not involve coaches who don’t understand your company’s values and culture.

Establishing a program utilizing executive coaches can produce better alignment between an employee’s personal development and your company goals, the results often including personal growth, improved job satisfaction, and increased retention.

Curious to learn more?

Tune into the podcast version of the Insight on Coaching show dedicated to executive coaching to listen to our guests discuss what executive coaching is, why it’s important, and why it’s valuable.

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Executive Coaching

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What is Executive Coaching?

Tom Floyd — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 04:42:00 GMT

What is Executive Coaching?

According to a 1999 International Coach Federation survey on Coaching in Corporate America, “there is no consensus of what coaching is, but there is a strong interest in learning more about it.”

While I’ve personally come to understand what coaching is over the past two years that I’ve done the Insight on Coaching show, it’s still an intangible topic for many people to get their arms around. Yet more and more frequently, from top executives to celebrities, we’re hearing people mention and thank their coaches.

Does that mean all business leaders and executives should have a coach?

In the Business Finance column of the June 27th 2005 issue of New York Magazine, the author says – yes. "With CEO tenure at an all time low and CEO dismissals at an all time high, retaining the services of a top CEO coach is no longer an option for chief executives who desire to increase their performance and longevity.”

So more CEOs and executives are using them – but what is executive coaching?

In a nutshell, it’s a series of on-going, regular one-on-one, confidential sessions between an executive and a certified coach who specializes in working with leaders including CEOs, Vice Presidents, Chief Operating Officers, and others at the executive level.

These coaches can be external experts or internal employees within the company hired to support the company’s executives in this very capacity.

In initial sessions, executive coaches partner with their clients to help identify capabilities or skills where he/she would like to grow. From there, an action plan is created that articulates the executive’s goals against these skills. Subsequent conversations focus on challenges and improvements against those goals, while providing flexibility for goals to change and evolve over time.

Executive coaching can also include principles from sports coaching such as teamwork, personal excellence, and “going for the goal.” But unlike sports coaching, executive coaching is not about competition or based on win/lose. It’s about growth, and most importantly it’s about self-realization.

What type of skills are executive leaders asking for help with?

From overall leadership to organizational agility to dealing with shareholders, the sky is truly the limit. However in order for executive coaching to be effective, it’s important the client choose those skills that are impactful or meaningful to his/her success personally.

What I hear from both Insight on Coaching guests and from leaders themselves is the types of skills required for success at the executive level continue to change – and fuel an even greater need for executive coaches

Dayton Ogden and Tom Neff state in the January/February 2007 issue of Chief Executive magazine that “the fast-changing business climate demands a whole new CEO skill set.” Their analysis is based on the Spencer Stuart survey which found that 95% of recruiting consultants at the company agree that leaders appointed to the CEO post require an entirely different approach, skill set, and set of experiences than their brethren who took the helm a decade earlier.

So is an executive coach’s ability to inspire self realization and growth against a constantly changing skillset in high demand?

You bet it is.

According to the Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology, “the demand for executive coaching has skyrocketed in the past five years. Today's executive coach is intended to help leaders and potential leaders with the challenging road of organizational growth in today's dynamic and unstable work environment.”

How are companies using executive coaches? Well they’re using them to:

Attract, develop and retain executive talent.
Enhance personal transformation and growth within leaders.
Develop a succession planning process that ensures a constant pool of qualified candidates to fill experienced roles at the executive level.
Provide leaders with a means to hold themselves accountable to developmental goals discussed between them and their coach.
Groom executives to continue to take on increasing responsibilities.

Want to hear more?

Tune into the podcast version of the Insight on Coaching show dedicated to executive coaching to listen to our guests discuss what executive coaching is, why it’s important, and why it’s valuable.

Featured guests on our Executive Coaching show include:

Lyne Desormeaux, Clinical Psychologist and certified Co-Active Coach
Alyssa Freas, Founder and CEO of Executive Coaching Network, Inc
Anna Marie Valerio PhD, President of Executive Leadership Strategies, LLC

Your Insight on Coaching Host,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Executive Coaching

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Encouraging Employees to Vote - Getting Workers Out to Vote 2008

Tom Floyd — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:11:00 GMT

Encouraging Employees to Vote

According to Fischer and Phillips LLP, in a list of top eight election years dos and don’ts for employers based on the professional experience of nationally recognized labor and employment law experts:

Do evaluate motives.
Do remain neutral and comply with state laws.
Do ensure policies are objectively developed and enforced.
Do monitor political discussion.
Don't push for the goal agendas.
Don't criticize, joke or jab.
Don't solicit funds.
And last but not least, don't gloat.

Insight on Coaching guest Tiffany Adams from the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) was quick to point out an important point missing from this list – don’t endorse a candidate when you are working in conjunction with a voter registration drive.

The majority of our guests emphasized the main role employers can play is helping to enable the voting process among employees by:

Providing information and tools on voter registration.
Encouraging employees to get to the polls and vote.
Making it easy to get out of the office and vote.

Essentially, as an employer you should serve as an advocate and enabler of the voting process.

In terms of the most important point to keep in mind, Tiffany also stressed the importance of remaining completely nonpartisan. For example if you’re an employer who is participating in a voter registration drive, you should not provide any information about candidates.

Dana Walsh, a Republican candidate running for the 8th California District congressional seat, added a great point as well. For many of us, the best way to get motivated is to get more involved in the local community first.

I found myself nodding at this – it’s exactly what encouraged me to get more and more involved in politics. For me, what started out as volunteering at a small event in San Francisco gradually led into a position on the Human Rights Campaign National Board of Governors.

How can employers help?

Provide information to employees on what’s going on in their own backyards, and encourage them to get involved in their local communities.

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Getting Workers Out to Vote 2008

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Motivating Millenials to Vote

Tom Floyd — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 04:14:00 GMT

Motivating Millenials to Vote

According to a March 7, 2004 article in USA Today, since 1972, when the voting age was dropped to 18, young people have been increasingly disinterested in casting a ballot for president. Turnout hit an all-time low in 2000 when an estimated 42% of voters 18 to 24-years-old went to the polls. That compares with 70% of adults 25 and older who voted that year, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, based at the University of Maryland.

Now the study, which was based on surveys, included a profile of what researchers called “Generation dot net” which was respondents ages 15 to 25. They found that the younger generation was indeed politically disengaged.

Only 24% of dot net said that they followed government and public affairs very often, compared with 60% of elderly voters, 50% of baby boomers and 37% of Gen Xers.
Researchers also found the youngest group were the most distrustful with 70% agreeing with the statement that most people will take advantage of you.

On this week’s Insight on Coaching show, I asked if some generations were more inclined to vote than others. While our guests pointed out that voting numbers tended to be higher within the Baby Boomer generation, our panel’s point of view differed from the USA Today article.

In addition to discussing the role Baby Boomers can play in engaging younger workers in the workplace, Donna Karlin pointed out that many Millenials are drawn to causes and are inclined to take an active role in championing them. As Millenials aka “Generation Y” are moving into leadership positions, many naturally speak their minds and express their concerns on issues.

What does this mean for you as an employer?

When trying to motivate younger works to get involved in the voting process, encourage them to champion the issues they’re passionate about, and remind them of their role in making a difference for both themselves and the global environment in which we all live.

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Getting Workers Out to Vote 2008

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Getting Workers Out to Vote 2008

Tom Floyd — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 01:56:00 GMT

Getting Workers Out to Vote 2008

According to the U.S. Census Bureau in the 2004 Presidential election, there were 32 million people who reported they were not registered to vote. The top two reasons for not registering were being uninterested in politics or missing the registration deadline.

Of the 142 million people who reported that they were registered to vote, 16 million did not vote in the 2004 presidential election.
Of these registered nonvoters, reasons ranged from too busy or conflicting work or school schedules (20%); illness, disability or family emergency (15%); not interested or felt their vote would not make a difference (11%); and 10% did not like the candidates or the issues.

This year’s election is a critical time for our country, and many companies are encouraging their staff to get involved in the political process and vote.

What are the benefits for promoting social responsibility within the workforce, such as getting employees to become more socially aware and informed?

How are companies and coaches incorporating the value of political awareness and social responsibility into their practices?

Our panel of experts address these questions and more.

Highlights of the show include:

Campaign strategies for mobilizing people to vote.
Why some generations may be more motivated to vote than others.
Best practices and guidelines employers can use to motivate employees to vote.
The impact taking a stance on a political issue can have on motivating employees to vote.
A discussion about the right to free political speech in the workplace.
How coaches can play a role in helping companies encourage their employees to vote.

Featured Guests:

Tiffany Adams, Vice-President of Public Affairs of the National Association of Manufacturers
Barry Hermanson, Green party candidate running for the 12th California District Congressional seat
Donna Karlin, President of A Better Perspective and Author of Fast Company’s weekly column “Jumping into the Deep End of Leadership”
Michelle Randall, President of The Juncture Company and Author
Dana Walsh, Republican candidate running for the 8th California District Congressional seat

Your Insight on Coaching Host,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Getting Workers Out to Vote 2008

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The Importance of Change Management in Driving Green Initiatives

Tom Floyd — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:19:00 GMT

The Importance of Change Management in Driving Green Initiatives

According to a November 2006 Agility and Resilience Survey commissioned by the American Management Association and the Human Resource Institute, 7 out of 10 executives indicated they had experienced disruptive change in the past year. Additionally, when asked how resilient their organizations were to change:

6% of respondents said “completely”
37% of respondents said “very much”
42% of respondents said “somewhat.”

Accepting and adopting a new change isn’t easy for many of us, professionally or personally. On our show dedicated to Going Green: Coaching for Social Responsibility, it was no surprise to hear that getting an organization to drive and adopt change related to going green and other initiatives is no different.

Being a change management consultant myself, I loved hearing our guests discuss the importance of:

Facilitating conversations with senior leaders about environmental efforts.
Creating and driving an overall impulse to change throughout the organization.
Developing powerful stories about the company’s green initiatives.
Supporting middle management in implementing initiatives and driving communications to their teams.
Working with employees to understand the impact of change on their day-to-day jobs.

When talking about change management, a common question that consistently comes up is – where do I start?

The answer? With your stakeholders.

The overall goal of any change management effort is to increase awareness, understanding, and adoption of a new initiative, program, or other type of change. But what often gets in the way is resistance.

In my company, Insight Educational Consulting, we recommend our clients start with a stakeholder analysis, a service focused on identifying resistance across multiple groups within your organization and developing strategies (by audience) to overcome it.

Who are stakeholders? They are the people impacted by the change you’re trying to drive. Not just executives, stakeholders include directors, managers, and individual employees within various groups, as well as partners, vendors, and customers.

When trying to assess your company’s willingness to go green, first identify the stakeholders who can help you drive the change within all levels of the organization. Regardless of whether it’s energy conservation, recycling, or reducing waste, sit down and talk with a representative sampling of those groups and individuals who will be impacted by the overall green initiative.

Once you’ve discussed their concerns and listened to their feedback, you’ll have the information you need to develop an overall change management strategy that will help get you “greener” from there.

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Going Green: Coaching for Social Responsibility

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How to Start a Green Initiative in Your Organization - Coaching for Social Responsibility

Tom Floyd — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:24:00 GMT

How to Start a Green Initiative in Your Organization

According to a September 2008 article in Sustained Efforts magazine, author Ann Pace notes that, “GE, HSBC Bank, Intel, Johnson & Johnson, Marks & Spencer, Nike, Patagonia, Starbucks, Timberland, Unilever, and Wal-Mart are companies ranked by employees as leaders in sustainability. They exemplify the concept that sustainability must be a core strategy toward which all employees and business processes work.”

Wal-Mart creates "sustainable value networks"-processes outlining how to achieve sustainability in areas such as greenhouse gas, alternative fuels, and waste to help integrate sustainable practices into all parts of the business.
Hewlett-Packard announced it had surpassed its goals for recycling e-waste: Globally, it recycled nearly 250 million pounds of hardware and print cartridges in 2007—a 50% increase over the previous year. And it announced a new goal: to reuse 2 billion pounds of products by the end of 2010.
Regarding its core values, Unilever states, "The long-term growth and success of our business goes hand in hand with ensuring a sustainable future for the planet and its people."
Computer component manufacturer Intel provides a forum to be a part of the sustainability discussion on its corporate responsibility blog.

But if your organization is just beginning to look at best practices from other companies and ways to incorporate sustainable practices, where’s the best place to start?

When I asked this question on our Insight on Coaching show, Burton Hamner said – “with the money.”

According to Burton most companies vastly underestimate how much money it's costing them to not be green. An interesting statistic he mentioned that really blew my mind, is for every $1 you can account for in waste, there's $3 to $4 of unaccounted for costs that are hiding in the overhead.

His recommendation? Start with the accounting folks in the Finance department.

Often times when working with Finance to do an inventory of costs, people begin to realize that the garbage bill is not what it says on the bill - it's five times what it says on the bill.

Not only does this help get the attention of the management team, it becomes a foundation for building an overall business case and strategy because these costs can be related to the income statement and balance sheet of the company.

In Burton’s own words “If you can show executives how being green translates into sustainable financial performance line by line through the company’s financial statements, you have a very powerful tool. If you don't begin with that process, you have a very difficult time generating the performance measures and quantitative information the organization needs to improve its sustainability efforts.”

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Going Green: Coaching for Social Responsibility

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The Impact of Employee Motivation on Going Green Initiatives

Tom Floyd — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:41:00 GMT

The Impact of Employee Motivation on Going Green Initiatives

In an August 16th, 2008 article from Environmental Leader.com titled “Half of U.S. Companies Going Green”, the outlet reports that: “Half (50.8%) of U.S. workers say their company has a significant initiative such as carpooling and recycling, but most report being cynical about their employer’s motivation for going green, citing the American Workplace Poll, conducted by Zogby International and released by The Marlin Company.

What are some of the reasons for this cynicism?

Many employees worry their employer’s green initiatives are targeted more at cost reduction and positive PR then they are at making a difference in the environment.

The realist in me liked that Brian Back called a spade a spade. He shared it’s interesting to see almost every company proclaiming some sort of green strategy. But when it comes down to it, not many of them are doing a whole lot.

Why is this important? Well many of us want to see our employers’ “talk the talk, and walk the walk.”

How can companies overcome this cynicism?

Burton Hamner shared it’s really about involving employees in the conversation, and finding out what they would like to see as a result of company sponsored green initiatives.

Additionally, Burton suggested looking at what motivates various groups within the workplace, and addressing those motivations within company green programs.

For example for many managers, one of the things that motivates them is less and less overtime.

When speaking to managers about a specific initiative, talk to them about how it will save them time. When managers start to understand that reducing waste through better efficiency means less hassle for them and less hours staying late – they’ll naturally respond well to that.

Your Insight on Coaching Host,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Going Green: Coaching for Social Responsibility

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What Does Going Green Mean? Coaching for Social Responsibility

Tom Floyd — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 06:10:00 GMT

What Does Going Green Mean?

Our Insight on Coaching show on social responsibility definitely started off with a bang. Kicking off our conversation, Brian Back brought up great points about the phrase “going green” itself.

His point: the phrase “going green” is not well defined, and can mean different things to different companies.

When I asked him to share what going green means to him, he said most companies view it as a strategy focused on energy efficiency and energy conservation. Because both are issues every division within a company can relate to, it’s easy for many organizations to hone in only on the aspects of efficiency and conversation.

Examples can include:

Electrical power from clean renewable sources
Green buildings
Reusable water
Waste reduction

However Brian and several other guests also highlighted the phrase is used by some companies for branding purposes, thrown around like a mantra and touted as an ivory tower vision – but lacking a tangible strategy backed by quantifiable goals and plans tied to the company’s core business strategy.

In terms of how to take the green concept from fluffy idea to core business strategy, Karlin Sloan had fantastic insight as well. When thinking about what going green means for an organization, it’s important for many companies to think holistically. She stressed it shouldn’t just be viewed as one program, like recycling.

Upon doing some of my own research, many articles and other sources say the same.

For example according to the May 22nd, 2008 edition of USA Today, in an article titled “Companies Discover Going Green Pays Off”, writer Ed Iwata says “A growing wave of companies in all sectors — technology, financial services, energy, retail, manufacturing — are embracing environmentally safe practices and saving hundreds of millions of dollars, according to corporate leaders and an environmental group's report Tuesday. SunPower, Sierra Nevada Brewing, Patagonia, Ikea, Nike, Hewlett-Packard, UPS, Yahoo, and others are using green practices in their work sites, in product development and packaging, in energy-saving data centers and other technology, according to a report by the non-profit Environmental Defense Fund.”

In summary – it’s important for companies to view going green as an end-to-end initiative, encompassing every element of the business from the overall supply chain to how the office runs to sourcing sustainable resources.

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Going Green: Coaching for Social Responsibility

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Going Green: Coaching for Social Responsibility

Tom Floyd — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 05:15:00 GMT

Going Green: Coaching for Social Responsibility

According to a June 7th, 2007 Time Magazine article titled “Going Green at the Office” “several recent surveys show that workers, especially from the generation that grew up separating paper from plastic, don't want to work for big fat polluters.”

In fact, one-third of workers would be more inclined to work for a green company, says staffing firm Adecco USA, and more than half wish their employers would be more environmentally friendly.

From cost savings to an overall desire to “do the right thing,” more corporations are seeing the advantages of going green – and employees are happy about it.

But why do many studies conclude the majority of companies still haven’t incorporated corporate social responsibility performance into business metrics? How can this challenge be overcome?

And how are coaches helping move the green effort along and helping businesses employ corporate sustainability?

Our panel of experts address these questions and more.

Highlights of the show include:

Why more corporations are experiencing a rash of social consciousness.
The role rising energy costs are playing in driving corporations to become more environmentally responsible.
An overview of what “green marketing” is.
The importance of building an environmentally conscious supply chain.
The role of executive coaches as change agents in social responsibility initiatives.
An overview of the types of activities coaches who specialize in “going green” can provide.

Featured Guests:

Brian Back, Founding Editor & Publisher, Sustainable Industries Magazine
Heather Gadonniex, Founder, Green It Group
Burton Hamner, Principal Consultant/Owner, Cleaner Production International LLC
Steve Salee, Executive Coach and Founder, SJS Consulting Group
Karlin Sloan, Executive Coach and CEO, Karlin Sloan & Company

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Going Green: Coaching for Social Responsibility

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How Can a Financial Coach Help? - Coaching for Financial Success in a Recession

Tom Floyd — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 04:49:00 GMT

How Can a Financial Coach Help?

According to a September 11th, 2008 article titled “Coaches to Get Consumers Finances into Shape” from Financial Advisor, writer Joan Dubar notes “Financial coaches can help get people motivated for financial planning - and keep them committed.”

With each of our Insight on Coaching shows, my goal is to highlight the important role coaches can play in so many different facets of our lives. With the credit and mortgage crises, a recession that just keeps getting worse, a risky $70 billion bailout plan, and the worst economic crisis we’ve seen since the Great Depression, now more than ever coaches who specialize in financial planning and management can be critical in helping us.

Kathy Jo Pollack and Gabe Graumann reinforced several of the same points the article in the Financial Advisor highlighted, and I especially liked how Kathy Jo referred to herself as an accountability partner when she works with clients.

What are some of the benefits a financial coach can provide?

Accountability – and a helping hand to guide you through challenging financial decisions.
A plan – the development of a financial roadmap to help you meet your goals both now and in the future.
Peace of mind – the kind of peace of mind that comes from knowing you’ve set yourself up for success in both good and bad times.

Until next time!

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for Financial Success in a Recession

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Should You Buy a Home During A Recession? – Coaching for Financial Success in a Recession

Tom Floyd — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:43:00 GMT

Should You Buy a Home During A Recession?

According to an article from U.S. News & World Report, now is the right time to watch closely for good buys because of historically strong gains at the tail end of a recession. The article featured an interview with John Canally, an investment strategist.

According to John, “On average, you miss a 25 percent uptick by waiting for the end of a recession," he says. "There's definitely a penalty for looking in the rearview mirror. You can't wait until home prices bottom, the recession ends, and the Fed chairman sounds the all clear."

Our panelists agreed. Insight on Coaching guest William Patterson shared that when it comes to the real estate market, there are a number of great opportunities out there for those who have saved sufficient assets.

It made me realize for those of us who wonder how some of our family, friends, colleagues, and others can afford to own multiple properties and make money off of them – the answer is a little clearer. Many of them save, save, and save some more, and then snatch up good deals from a full inventory of homes, office buildings, and other property that become available during uncertain times.

William added for people who are able to build teams and syndicates to go after properties, they're able to get these properties at anywhere from twenty to forty percent below market value.

For our financial coaches and experts out there:

Is our current economy a perfect time to build wealth?
How can potential buyers overcome challenges and hurdles resulting from the credit crisis to get loans to acquire new properties?
As a coach, how would you guide someone through a decision to buy a new home or property during this recession?

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for Financial Success in a Recession

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Saving Versus Spending - Coaching for Financial Success in a Recession

Tom Floyd — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:01:00 GMT

Saving Versus Spending

Earlier in the year, a survey by Nielsen Research asked American consumers how they would spend this past spring’s economic tax rebate checks. While government officials were hopeful the checks would stimulate the economy, 69% of respondents to the survey said the next 12 months would be either a bad or “not-so-good” time to buy the things they want or need.

41% said they would use the money to pay off debt, credit cards, or loans.
36% said they would put the extra funds into a savings account.

On our show Erica Sandberg made an interesting observation. While our society tends to promote a material culture of “spending, spending, and more spending,” both society and the media don’t discuss the importance of saving.

With the average consumer receiving little or no education about the importance of saving and how to save, American culture has set many people up to fail during a recession.

This led me to a question – during a recession, is it more important to save or spend?

Is it important to save to continue to build up that 6 to 12 month supply of resources for tough times, or is it better to invest in some of the financial opportunities (decreased prices of homes anyone?) that can arise during a recession?

According to Gabe Graumann, creator of the blog MoneyTalkWithGabe – the answer is both.

As Gabe explained it, the ideal goal is to be saving and spending in parallel. However if you have a large amount of debt – you shouldn’t be spending. Pay off your debt first.

That said, if you’ve done a good job positioning yourself financially and have some liquidity you can direct toward an investment – do it.

According to Gabe, you're going to get the best deals on things like real estate and underperforming mutual funds. This allows you to buy low and reap some profit over the next four or five years.

What are your thoughts?

Do you think more people should be spending to help the economy right now?

Are any of you nervous about your savings, given the current instability within the banking industry?

For our financial coaches, what are your typical recommendations when it comes to spending or saving during a recession?

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for Financial Success in a Recession

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Living Beyond Our Means - Coaching for Financial Success in a Recession

Tom Floyd — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:13:00 GMT

Living Beyond Our Means

Well our show on Coaching for Financial Success in a Recession was certainly timely, given the news about Lehman Brothers and Merrill Lynch last Sunday September 14th. I asked KRON-TV 4 San Francisco financial expert Erica Sandberg how the announcements would impact consumers, for example would it increase the sense of stress and panic that many are already feeling?

Her answer was “no”, because unfortunately the average person won’t be able to articulate what either firm does, let alone how the fall of both of these companies can impact their personal financial situations.

According to Erica, most of us just want to know if our banks are secure. And in general, we want to understand how and why the economy is in the state that it is.

Even worse, many of us are terrified and paralyzed, because we don’t understand how the economy overall is going to impact our jobs, our livelihoods, and our finances in the months to come.

We also discussed the fact that many Americans have been living well beyond their means. According to Erica, most of us on average are carrying around $9,000 in credit card debt, and if we’re going to make it through the recession, we need to wake up and change some key behaviors.

Her recommendations?

Get a copy of your credit report and see where you stand.
Take a look at your budget and determine your cash flow.
Stop using your credit cards.
Don’t become obsessed with your credit scores, instead focus on paying off debt.
Work with financial coaches or organizations like the Consumer Credit Counseling Service to construct a budget you can live within.

We took a much deeper dive into many of these recommendations throughout our show, but I’d like to hear some initial thoughts from all of you:

In general, did last week’s announcements and “Black Wednesday” impact how you’ll be spending and saving money in the months to come?
What are your biggest concerns and fears within our current recession?
If you’re a financial coach or expert, what are your recommendations to those people out there who may be living beyond their means? Anything you’d add to Erica’s list above?

Your Insight on Coaching Host,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for Financial Success in a Recession

Lehman Brothers management consulting financial coaching Tom Floyd KRON-TV 4 life coaching Consumer Credit Counseling Service IEC Erica Sandberg recession managing debt credit card debt coaching podcast Turbo Tagger

Coaching for Financial Success in a Recession

Tom Floyd — Wed, 17 Sep 2008 23:56:00 GMT

Coaching for Financial Success in a Recession

More and more consumers are being forced into financial responsibility by the housing downtown and a weakening economy.

With less than 15 percent of Americans “living within their means,” according to the Federal Reserve’s Survey of Consumer Finances, the recession is a critical time to get personal finances in shape.

With limited resources, what are the best ways to spend and save your money during a recession?

We speak with coaches and personal finance experts on the best recession lessons that can last a lifetime.

According to a June 2nd, 2008 online survey by The Nielsen Company, some 85% of U.S. consumers say they believe the country is in a recession.

However based on Nielsen’s research, this negative view of the U.S. economy appears not to have tainted most Americans’ views of their own financial affairs: More than half (51%) say the state of their personal finances remains excellent or good, while just over one-third (36%) rank their situation as not so good.

Feeling overwhelmed, overspent, and unsure of how to come out on top during this uncertain economic time, many consumers are showing they’re floundering when it comes to managing debt, making wise investments, and saving money to survive a financial crisis.

What lessons for financial success can be learned from the recent housing crisis and market fluctuations? Is it better to invest money or save money in the times ahead?

And how are coaches helping individuals get fiscally fit not only for work, but also for home and play?

Our panel of experts address these questions and more.

Highlights of the show include:

The impact of the recession on the average consumer’s finances.
Why many Americans are living beyond their means.
How to manage and lower debt during a recession.
How to make money during a recession and where to invest.
Why it can be a good time to buy a house, building, or other real estate investment.
How personal finance coaches can help build accountability and get you back on track.

Featured Guests:

Gabe Graumann, Author and Creator of MoneyTalkWithGabe
William Patterson, CEO and co-founder of The Baron Solution Group, Author of The Baron Son
Kathy Jo Pollack, Certified Life Coach, Trainer, and Public Speaker on Personal Finance
Erica Sandberg, National Credit and Management Authority, On-Air Credit and Money Expert for KRON-TV San Francisco

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for Financial Success in a Recession

Kathy Jo Pollack recession Lehman Brothers financial coaching Erica Sandberg credit management The Nielsen Company Tom Floyd housing crisis life coaching Gabe Graumann managing debt Turbo Tagger

10 Ways to Market Yourself During a Recession - Coaching Through a Recession

Tom Floyd — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 00:43:00 GMT

10 Ways to Market Yourself During a Recession

According to a March 13, 2008 Business Week article titled Strategies for Surviving the Slump, Chris Ferrel writes “The big fear during a recession is layoffs. The best move might simply be to try and make your current position more secure.”

Our panel agreed. Several of our guests emphasized the importance of elevating and marketing yourself during a recession, particularly within your current organization. Our guests shared a variety of suggestions in terms of how to market yourself and increase your chances of staying on the island:

Continue to do the job you’ve been hired to do and augment it with additional work.
Be willing to put in additional hours.
Stay visible, and spend more time in the office.
Fly the company flag whenever you can, and be a positive ambassador for the organization.
Make sure you have a close, solid working relationship with your boss.
If you don’t have a good working relationship with your boss, make repairing that relationship an important priority for yourself.
Take on essential, invaluable tasks no one else can do.
Be supportive of your colleagues.
Network, network, network.
Work with a career coach to ensure you are focused, have a plan, and are in the right frame of mind.

Wendy Enelow and Krishna De also emphasized a great point – it will look really obvious if you suddenly change your attitude, your relationships, and contributions at work during a recession.

Regardless of whether your company is going through uncertain times or not, it’s important to build and establish a long term trusted personal brand and reputation with your peers, managers, and the organization as a whole.

When times are tough, it’s easier to justify keeping the people around who have a long-standing reputation for being accountable, hard working, positive, relationship oriented, and invaluable to the organization.

Best,

Tom Floyd

CEO

IEC: Insight Educational Consulting

Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching Through a Recession

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Networking During a Recession - Coaching Through a Recession

Tom Floyd — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:58:00 GMT

Networking During a Recession

An interesting comment Amy Lindgren made during our show was that regardless of whether we are in a recession or not – people are acting like we’re in a recession. According to Amy, she’s seeing many job seekers or people out-of-work curling up in a ball, feeling like the odds are against them.

Feeling scared by the headlines, over-dramatizing what’s happening, and worrying they won’t be able to find a new job or better job, many people can become paralyzed, even depressed, during a recession.

Amy’s advice? It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.

Get away from the computer, your next job is most likely not going to be found on the Internet. It will be found within your network of colleagues, former co-workers, family members, and friends.

While networking can be intimidating for many people even in an good economy, it’s especially important for job seekers in a recession to reach out to people in their networks.

This can include using tools like LinkedIn to identify potential leads within your contacts’ networks, going to networking and social events, volunteering in outlets where you’ll meet other professionals, and basically staying out and in-front of people at every possible professional and social opportunity.

What networking suggestions and success stories do you have?

For both our career experts and coaches out there:

How can people use their networks to find job opportunities during a recession?
For people who don’t feel comfortable networking, what do you typically recommend?
What do you recommend to people looking to network within a new field or industry?

Looking forward to your thoughts!

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching Through a Recession

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Increase in Unemployment in 2008 - Coaching Through a Recession

Tom Floyd — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:39:00 GMT

Increase in Unemployment in 2008

We kicked off our Coaching Through a Recession show with a discussion about the current state-of-the-state in the U.S. economy. When I asked John Challenger the question “are we in a recession,” his answer was yes.

One of the topics both John and Rich Milgram discussed was unemployment.

John shared there are 1.6 million more people unemployed this year than there were at this same time last year. He followed that up by emphasizing there has been a steady increase in the amount of unemployed workers every month in 2008. Some additional themes that came up on our show related to this:

More people are taking part-time jobs to make ends meet in the current economy. (1.4 million more people are working in part-time jobs this year than last year)
Experienced professionals with more than 7 years in the workplace are willing to take lower paying jobs to make ends meet given the current economic state.
Companies aren’t as willing to hire or invest in recent college graduates or professionals with less than 5 years of experience due to the amount of workers with more experience looking for jobs.
The end doesn’t appear to be in sight yet – it’s been slow going into this economy, and it’s going to be slow coming out.

What have your observations been? Share your thoughts and stories.

Do you believe we’re in a recession?
For job seekers out there, are you finding it more difficult to find work in the current economy?
Are more people taking jobs with lower salaries or supplementing incomes with part-time jobs to make ends meet?

Your Insight on Coaching Host,

Tom Floyd

CEO

IEC: Insight Educational Consulting

Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching Through a Recession

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Coaching Through a Recession

Tom Floyd — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 14:44:00 GMT

Coaching Through a Recession

According to a survey that appeared in the April 28th, 2008 issue of USA Today, two-thirds of 52 economists polled said the U.S. economy is in recession.

As quoted in the August 9th 2008 issue of Newsweek, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the national unemployment rate is now at 5.7 percent, the highest level in four years, and now with two consecutive quarters of falling GDP, “America is bracing for a recession.”

Combine the above with rising energy prices, an unstable financial sector, and an overall decrease in the amount of jobs available, many people are nervous about the impact of the economy on their livelihood and careers.

In his article titled “Strategies for Surviving the Slump”, BusinessWeek writer Chris Farrell says “The big fear during a recession is layoffs, and the best move may simply be to try to make your current position more secure.”

But how can you make your current position more secure during a recession? Is it possible to recession-proof your career?

And how can coaches help you survive a recession?

Our panel of experts address these questions and more.

Highlights of the show include:

A discussion of the indicators and trends that indicate our economy is in recession.
Why it’s important to not let fear and self doubt consume you during a recession.
How to successfully market yourself during a recession.
Strategies to help you “stay on the island” in the workplace during a recession.
Why skills like relationship management and networking become even more important during a recession.
How coaches can guide and motivate people during a recession, as well as help them retain and find jobs.

Featured Guests:

John Challenger, CEO, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, Inc.
Krishna De, Employer Branding and Employee Engagement Strategist and Commentator
Wendy Enelow, Coach and Author of 101 Ways to Recession Proof Your Career
Amy Lindgren, Expert, Columnist, and Founder/President, Prototype Career Service
Rich Milgram, Founder and CEO, Beyond.com, Inc.

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching Through a Recession

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Season 5 - Insight on Coaching Archive Links

Tom Floyd — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 00:41:00 GMT

Insight on Coaching Season Five - Previous Episodes

Select a link to a previous episode of the Insight on Coaching show below to read more about it or listen to the recording.

Your Host,

Tom Floyd

Coaching for Financial Success in a Recession
Air Date: September 15th, 2008

Coaching Through a Recession
Air Date: August 25th, 2008

Mentoring Programs: Part 2
Air Date: July 14th, 2008

Coaching Lessons from The Apprentice
Air Date: June 23rd, 2008

The Value of Mentorship
Air Date: June 9th, 2008

Coaching for a Promotion: What Does It Take to Get Ahead?
Air Date: May 12th, 2008

Coaching for Kababayan: Insight on the Fil-Am Community
Air Date: May 5th, 2008

Inside the Actor's Coaching Session
Air Date: March 10th, 2008

Coaching Leadership and Workforces During a Strike
Air Date: March 3rd, 2008

Coaching for Recruiters and Recruiter Success
Air Date: February 11th, 2008

Coaching Successes with Web 2.0
Air Date: February 4th, 2008

Coaching for African American Audiences and Teams
Air Date: January 14th, 2008

Coaching for Reinvention
Air Date: January 7th, 2008

Taking Risks - Coaching Lessons from The Apprentice

Tom Floyd — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 18:17:00 GMT

Taking Risks

It was a pleasure having Ann Vanino back on our show to discus her book, Leadership on Trial: Lessons from The Apprentice. We’ve highlighted the lessons from her book on Insight on Coaching in the past, but went deeper on this show with several of them, including Lesson One: Take Risks.

The majority of contestants on The Apprentice certainly took risks. On our show, Troy McClain stressed if he hadn’t taken a big risk at the encouragement of his wife, he never even would’ve applied for the show in the first place.

Ann emphasized risk is a part of our lives every day, and that there will always be unknowns. It’s because of this she stressed, that if we strive for absolute certainty, we may not get very far in life.

To quote her in her words, “If you stay in the box, you’ll have a fairly safe life. However you may not have a very interesting life or even perhaps a fulfilling life.”

I found myself nodding all the way through this discussion.

I wouldn’t be where I am today professionally or personally if I hadn’t taken risks in my life, and I’ve been fortunate that many of those risks have worked out favorably. Personally it’s strange to find myself in a place in life where I have become extremely comfortable taking risks - yet I still totally understand why taking risks continues to be so uncomfortable or downright frightening for many people as well.

For our listeners and readers out there, what’s helped you get more comfortable taking risks?
For our coaches out there – when should we take risks in the workplace – and when should we not?
How have any of you as coaches guided clients in determining if taking a risk is worth it?

Best,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching Lessons from The Apprentice

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Knowing When to Lead and When to Follow - Coaching Lessons from The Apprentice

Tom Floyd — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:19:00 GMT

Knowing When to Lead and When to Follow

In an issue of Workforce Management, writer John Hollon identified key “Lessons from the Donald” as he put them, and we discussed these on our Coaching Lessons from The Apprentice show as well.

One lesson John summarized was “Leadership – even a little bit of it matters.” His point was the winners in the show were all people who showed basic leadership skills.

While our guests certainly concurred with this point, I loved that Ann Vanino added that as leaders, it’s also important to know when to lead, and when to follow.

I had a conversation with Carolyn Kepcher several years ago at an American Management Association event, and when I asked her to talk about the traits the winners from The Apprentice shared, she highlighted that adaptability was the biggest. She explained those who could quickly adjust to a constant changing environment and set of circumstances were the most successful.

This really rang true to me both on the show and in the workplace in general. While having the best intentions, leaders who consistently take the ball and run with it without letting others take the helm can often have a negative impact on motivation, teamwork, and the respect of their peers. While it may be difficult watching someone else in your company drive an important project in a way that you personally wouldn’t, it’s important to support them and become a part of the team if necessary.

It’s important for good leaders to keep on leadin’ – but also focus on championing and growing other leaders within the team.

For our coaches out there:

How have you helped executives and managers lead – and be led – within their organizations?
What would you recommend to leaders out there who struggle when managed by others? Any best practices or tips to keep in mind?

Your host,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching Lessons from The Apprentice

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Watching Your Back in the Workplace - Coaching Lessons from The Apprentice

Tom Floyd — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 21:35:00 GMT

Watching Your Back in the Workplace

Throughout our Insight on Coaching show dedicated to The Apprentice, we talked about the best practices and lessons learned that could be gleaned from the show from a leadership development, teamwork, and coaching perspective.

According to a February 2004 Business Week article, one of the lessons learned is “Always watch your back.” Troy McClain and Elizabeth Jarosz touched on this topic throughout our conversation.

When I asked Elizabeth how she collaborated and worked with team members who didn’t have her best interests at heart in many tasks, she shared it was important to not focus on the backstabbing and competitiveness, but to instead try to rally the team around a third point of reference that everyone could relate to.

In the case of The Apprentice, the third point of reference was winning the task. By keeping everyone’s attention on something mutually beneficial to the entire team, it helped reduce tension and bring the team together.

Share your strategies and thoughts with us:

What strategies have you used to successfully “watch your back” in the workplace?

How do you decide who to trust – and who not to?

How have you handled backstabbers on your team who are focused on personal gain?

Have you used a strategy like Elizabeth’s successfully in the workplace?

Looking forward to your thoughts!

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching Lessons from The Apprentice

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Coaching Lessons from The Apprentice

Tom Floyd — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Coaching Lessons from The Apprentice

The Apprentice is a television franchise that originated in 2004 in the United States on NBC. Billed as "The Ultimate Job Interview," the show depicted a group of 15 to 18 businessmen and -women competing in an elimination-style competition for a one-year, $250,000 job of running one of host and executive producer Donald Trump’s companies.

Many magazines, newspapers, educational institutions, and organizations like the American Management Association have captured lessons learned from this hit reality show over the past several years.

For example according to The Boston Globe, institutions like Georgetown University and the University of Washington have weaved lessons learned from the show into classroom discussions on everything from what's fair play in negotiations to how to win customers.

In fact, ABC’s news “Working Wounded Blog” cited that 4.8% of people listed The Apprentice as “their main source for information about how to survive the workplace.”

What are the best practices we can capture from the show? And how can we apply them both inside and outside of the boardroom?

Our panel of guests address these questions and more.

Highlights of the show include:

An overview of seven leadership lessons that can be taken from the show.
Anecdotes, best practices, and examples from former candidates on The Apprentice.
The characteristics and personality traits successful candidates on the show possess.
Why it was important to take risks on the show, and why it’s important in life in general.
How to coach someone through a situation where their peers or team may be bent on sabotage.

Featured Guests:

Duncan Brodie, Managing Director, Goals and Achievements Limited
Lauryn Franzoni, VP and Executive Editor of ExecuNet’s Center for Executive Careers
Elizabeth Jarosz, Candidate from The Apprentice, Season 2
Troy McClain, Candidate from The Apprentice, Season 1
Ann Vanino, Author, Leadership on Trial: Lessons Learned from The Apprentice

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching Lessons from The Apprentice

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What Makes a Good Mentor?

Tom Floyd — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:43:00 GMT

What Makes a Good Mentor?

A common mistake that some companies make is assuming "anyone" can be a mentor. Unfortunately that isn’t always the case. Things to consider include whether the individual is interested in being a mentor (and does so voluntarily), and also if he or she possesses key skills needed for success as a mentor.

On our Value of Mentorship show, I asked Dave Williams, Corporate Director of Employee Training and Development at Hunter Douglas, to speak to the attributes his organization looks for in potential candidates for mentor roles.

Dave summarized these as possessing a good understanding of the company’s mission, goals and values, demonstrating a solid cross functional understanding of different departments within the organization, having a positive attitude, excellent communication skills, demonstrating sensitivity to other people, and really believing in the mentor/mentee relationship.

Make sure to check out what Brown University says makes a good mentor as well.

All of the above, said, what traits do you think a good mentor should possess?
If you’re a mentor, can you talk to us about your approach in making the mentor/mentee relationship successful?

Until next time!

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

The Value of Mentorship

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Developing a Mentoring Program - The Value of Mentorship

Tom Floyd — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 02:03:00 GMT

Developing a Mentoring Program

We started out the 2nd segment of our Insight on Coaching show with some data about how to create a mentoring program from an article in Office Solutions. One of the questions I asked our guests was "What’s the best way to get started" when building a mentoring program?

Lois Zachary kicked us off by saying it’s important to look at your business reasons for wanting to roll out the program in the first place, while also making sure the climate and timing are right.

Her thoughts on making sure your business reasons have both been socialized and scrutinized – they’ll become the benchmark by which your mentoring program is measured in the long run.

What do our mentoring and executive coaching experts out there think?

What are some things to keep in mind when initially planning or starting a mentoring program?
Have your business reasons ultimately become your benchmarks of success for mentoring programs you've developed as well?
Why is important to make sure the timing is right?

Looking forward to your thoughts!

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

The Value of Mentorship
mentoring coaching programs mentoring programs IEC Lois Zachary management consulting organizational development executive coaching Tom Floyd Office Solutions Turbo Tagger

The Value of Mentorship - The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd

Tom Floyd — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 23:53:00 GMT

The Value of Mentorship

National Mentoring Month is marked each January, with an annual "Thank Your Mentor Day" at the end of the month.

In a recent March 20th, 2008 Business Week article titled "Mentors Make A Business Better," writer Emily Keller noted that "successful mentorship can be in any number of forms: online or in-person, in both formal and informal settings, on a temporary or long-term basis, and between individuals or in groups. What is essential, experts say, is direction, dedication, and openness."

According to a 2003 Office Solutions article titled "Creating A Company Mentoring Program", one of our Insight on Coaching guests Barton Goldsmith adds "if you've experienced the professional and personal growth that comes from a great mentoring relationship, then you'll understand the value that comes from creating your own company mentoring program."

How does Corporate America view or support the role of mentorship?

What resources are available to mentors and mentees across corporations, educational institutions, nonprofits, and other organizations?

And what is the role of a mentor versus a coach? Do the two share things in common?

Our outstanding panel of guests addressed these questions and more.

Highlights of the show included:

^{Why mentoring is popular today, and the positive impact it has on retention.
How companies can establish and cultivate a mentoring culture.
The characteristics or qualities that a good mentor possesses.
The success Hunter Douglas has experienced as a result of their mentoring program.
Key factors that can influence the overall success of a mentoring program.
The differences between coaching and mentoring.
Featured Guests:
Dr. Barton Goldsmith, CEO of Goldsmith Consulting and author of the syndicated weekly column "Emotional Fitness"
Dr. Susan Weinberger, President of the Mentor Consulting Group and author of Mentoring a Movement: My Personal Journey
Dave Williams, Corporate Director of Employee Training and Development, Hunter Douglas
Dr. Lois Zachary, President of Leadership Development Services LLC and author of Creating a Mentoring Culture: The Organization’s Guide
The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd
This week's show was fantastic, one of my favorites this year!

I felt like we could have chatted for at least another hour, and truly only covered the tip of the iceberg. That said, I am thrilled to report we’ll be doing a follow up show on this outstanding topic.
Some highlights from the first segment of the show I’d like to briefly cover are mentoring as a competency and creating a mentoring culture.
I loved hearing Lois Zachary refer to mentoring as a leadership competency. As I shared on the show, I often hear coaching referred to as a competency for leaders and managers as well, and it continues to fascinate me that both mentoring and coaching seem to play a role both externally as individual people who can help someone grow and develop, but also as skills those who manage people need to possess to grow and inspire teams.
We spent a good deal of time also discussing how to create a mentoring culture. Lois shared eight hallmarks inherent to a mentoring culture, examples including alignment to company vision, accountability, communication, and more.
From a performance consulting point of view, my ears perked up at alignment. It’s one of the factors that can be so difficult to influence in some organizations, yet people oriented or relationship oriented tools like mentoring can overcome alignment challenges very effectively.
And the information Barton Goldsmith and Susan Weinberger shared on the impact of mentoring on depression and anxiety in the workplace blew me away!
For those of you who haven’t listened to the show yet, make sure to pay attention to the information Barton shares, which says according to some studies, having mentoring in the workplace actually reduced depression.
For our listeners as well as our mentors and coaches our there - share your thoughts with us!

How have you benefited from mentoring in the past?
Do you feel mentoring benefits the mentors themselves as much as it does mentees?
Do you feel mentoring could positively impact things like anxiety and depression in the workplace?
I look forward to hearing from you!
Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

The Value of Mentorship}

Insight on Coaching Mentors Susan Weinberger Business Week Barton Goldsmith Emotional Fitness Mentoring Organizational Alignment Employee Training Lois Zachary Coaching Leadership Competencies Creating a Mentoring Culture: The Organization's Guide Dave Williams Office Solutions Hunter Douglas Mentoring Programs Depression Mentorship Mentoring a Movement: My Personal Journey Turbo Tagger

Coaching Accreditation and Certification - Developing an Internal Coaching Program

Tom Floyd — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 06:27:00 GMT

Coaching Accreditation and Certification

In the last segment of our Developing an Internal Coaching Program show, our discussion focused heavily on the importance of coaching certification and accreditation.

Bob Vavrina from BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina stressed the importance of certification within his organization’s coaching program. And from a consistency perspective he indicated he experienced great success in having his coaches go through an accredited program.

Bob highlighted both the Center for Creative Leadership and the BeamPines Master’s Program in Executive Coaching as examples of programs he’d recommend.

Josh Erhlich also pointed out that both internal and external coaches should be exposed to as many coaching models, coaching programs, and techniques as possible, to develop a sense of what works best for them.

Josh’s point really resonated with me. For example as a coaching advocate, both in my line of work as a management consultant and on the Insight on Coaching show, I’ve been exposed to many different coaching models and tools, but the enneagram in particular is one that just "clicked" with me.

It provided me with a frame of reference for viewing myself.

I have to admit as a coaching client, I’d naturally prefer to work with a coach who used the enneagram as an assessment tool, or one who was at least familiar with it.

What are your thoughts? For both our coaching program managers and coaches in general out there:

Do you agree that requiring some form of accreditation or certification is critical when bringing coaches into an internal coaching program?

In general what are some other recommendations and best practices companies looking to develop an internal coaching program should keep in mind?

All the best,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Developing an Internal Coaching Program

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Coaching Confidentiality - Developing an Internal Coaching Program

Tom Floyd — Thu, 29 May 2008 20:32:00 GMT

Coaching Confidentiality

We also discussed the pros and cons of having an internal coaching program on this particular Insight on Coaching show as well. In terms of pros, an April 2007 Human Resources Planning article highlighted benefits including performance improvements resulting from coaching, particularly for high performers.

The article also stressed how coaching could significantly impact performance for middle managers and what the article refers to as "solid performers."

In terms of the pros of having an internal coaching program and internal coaches, our guests agreed.

As far as benefits internal coaches have over external coaches, examples discussed included greater understanding of the culture within the organization, having more skin in the game, better knowledge of internal players and individuals the coachee may interact with, and impacts on coachee confidence and morale, knowing they have someone from the inside "on their side."

Some felt external coaches have advantages as well though, especially in terms of offering greater confidentiality.

David Lane and other guests were very forthcoming in saying confidentiality is the number one question raised about internal coaching. The biggest question being, "at what point should an internal coach use or report information shared in a coaching session that could impact the organization in some way?"

Coaches out there, share your thoughts!

Can external coaches provide more confidentiality then internal coaches?
Are there conversations, situations, topics, or other examples that an internal coach absolutely has to report or share with others in the organization?
What is the best way for companies with internal coaching programs to address the issue of confidentiality?

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Developing an Internal Coaching Program

Corporate Leadership Council IEC Coaching Programs Coaching Confidentiality Client Coach Confidentiality Ethics in the Workplace Human Resources Planning Magazine Ethics Coaching David Lane BeamPines Master's Program in Executive Coaching Professional Development Foundation Howard Pines Business Coaching External Coaching Coaching Benefits Professional Coaching Workforce Performance Performance Management Organizational Development Turbo Tagger

Developing an Internal Coaching Program - The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd

Tom Floyd — Wed, 28 May 2008 22:42:00 GMT

Developing an Internal Coaching Program

According to a study published by business trade magazine Human Resource Planning in its April 1st, 2007 issue, sixty percent of companies report having some form of internal coaching.

A recent article in the New Zealand Business Herald builds upon this trend in terms of the number of organizations who are using coaching internally, specifically highlighting three types of coaching in business:

Managers coaching staff.
External executive coaches who are working with executives and leaders within an organization.
Internal coaches who are a part of an internal coaching function who work with employees from the inside.

But how are today’s corporations running these internal coaching departments?

And for those companies looking to build a coaching program – where should they start?On this show are guests not only discuss how organizations are structuring internal coaching programs, but also share successes and challenges organizations are experiencing as they’ve introduced and managed these departments and programs.

Highlights of the show included:

How the coaching field has evolved over the past several decades.
The top 3 reasons why the C-Suite should consider implementing an internal coaching program.
The pros and cons of having an internal coaching function.
How issues like confidentiality impact internal coaches and their clients.
The successes companies like Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina have experienced with their internal programs.

Featured Guests:

Josh Erhlich, Dean, BeamPines Master's Program in Executive Coaching
David Lane, Founding Director, Professional Development Foundation
Howard Pines, Chairman, BeamPines, Inc
Bob Vavrina, Senior Vice President, Human Resources, BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina

The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd

This week we aired a repeat of a popular Insight on Coaching show we did this past December on how to develop an internal coaching program.

It’s been several years since Strat Sherman wrote "The Wild West of Executive Coaching" in the Harvard Business Review, and both Howard Pines and Josh Erhlich provided us with an overview of how the field has continued to evolve.

It was great hearing that many organizations are expanding who they’re offering coaching to – meaning it’s not just for executives and leaders high up on the totem pole anymore. Many companies are offering coaching to other people in the organization including high potentials, directors, middle managers, and more.

And it was of course simply amazing to learn that 60% of companies indicated internal coaching was used within their organizations, according to an April 2007 issue of Human Resources Planning magazine.

Josh confirmed a gut feeling I had though, in that his suspicion is that many of these organizations most likely don’t have fully baked coaching programs yet. Meaning some are still in the formation or thought stages, or may only have 1 or 2 people currently providing coaching to a select group of individuals.

I’d like to do a pulse check and validate the above with all of you though.

Does your organization have an internal coaching program or function?

How structured is the coaching program itself?
Do you have more than 1 individual providing coaching within your organization?
What business reasons or "pain points" helped make the case for the coaching program?

Your Insight on Coaching host,Tom FloydCEOIEC: Insight Educational Consulting Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Developing an Internal Coaching Program

BeamPines Howard Pines Human Resources Planning Internal Coaching Programs Josh Erhlich Master's Program in Executive Coaching BlueCross BlueShield Robert Vavrina Conference Board Tom Floyd Insight on Coaching Executive Coaching David Lane Harvard Business Review The Wild West of Executive Coaching Coaching Program Strat Sherman Coaching Benefits Leadership Development High Potentials New Zealand Business Herald C-level Executives Turbo Tagger

Career Coaching - Coaching for a Promotion

Tom Floyd — Sat, 24 May 2008 16:53:00 GMT

Career Coaching

There is so much great stuff to share from the last segment of our Coaching for a Promotion show that it would be impossible to do it one entry!

We started out with some great information from Management Issues Magazine. We then moved into a conversation about coaching from two perspectives – as a skill newly promoted managers can use when coaching employees, and also as guidance that external coaches are providing to help people land promotions.

As a skill, we talked about the impact of coaching on attitude. Anne Loehr, author of A Manager’s Guide to Coaching: Simple and Effective Ways to Get the Best out of Your Employees," discussed a model she uses with managers known as the 3-A model (Aptitude, Attitude, and Available Resources.)

Anne defined attitude as drive and focus, and stressed the importance of having newly promoted managers engage employees – even if it’s just via a series of five minute conversations – to generate excitement and ensure alignment. She emphasized that it’s about having effective coaching conversations with employees that focus on the drive, the know-how, and commitment of their team.

As far as the work external coaches are doing, I felt Jane Cranston was "right on" with many of her comments as well. We discussed the role of an external coach as a facilitator, helping newly promoted individuals increase self awareness, continue growing, and providing a sounding board to them in their new role – which can often involve helping someone navigate outside his or her comfort zone.

A lot can change once you a land new role, and being uncomfortable is natural.

Make sure to check out the Insight on Coaching podcast for more tips and tricks about how to manage and prepare for your next promotion!

All the best,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for a Promotion

Management Issues Career Coaching Promotions Leadership Coaching Upward Mobility IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd Self Awareness Anne Loehr Career Development Performance Management Executive Coach New Managers Insight on Coaching Podcast Jane Cranston Career Coach Management Consulting Career Counseling Insight on Coaching Blog Coaching Conversations Skill Development Turbo Tagger

Managing Former Coworkers - Coaching for a Promotion

Tom Floyd — Thu, 22 May 2008 23:50:00 GMT

Managing Former Coworkers

In the second segment of our show we talked about some of the challenges that can occur after getting a promotion, ranging from organizational politics to time management.

I brought up one common scenario I’ve both experienced and heard about from colleagues, and that’s the scenario where a newly promoted manager finds himself or herself managing former coworkers or team members with whom they shared a really good relationship when working at the same level.

From spreading gossip to offering flat out resistance to new ideas or direction, our guests shared examples of how situations like this can prove challenging for newly promoted managers.

Susan Whitcomb recommended viewing the situation as a leadership challenge, and keeping focused on what the team needs to accomplish.

Having direct conversations with people saying things like "This is where we are going. This is the vision and this is what it's going to take to get there." And certainly recognizing that at some point, the manager is going to need to have a courageous conversation with the individual at the root of the problem.

We also discussed the politics that can arise with new peers at the same level as the newly promoted manager.

While reaching out proactively to schedule a "get to know you" lunch may seem like a good idea to many people, Jane Cranston wisely emphasized the importance of taking a seat back and observing for awhile.

I also liked how she reinforced that it’s important to make sure your own team is rallied behind you and aligned with you first, before beginning to reach out to the next level. It seemed to "work" for both scenarios.

Share your stories with us!

For our managers out there, have you experienced challenges in managing former coworkers? How did you address situations like this? Any lessons learned?
Is organizational politics something you’ve experienced as you’ve moved up the corporate ladder?
For our coaches, tell us how would you help new managers navigate these scenarios.

Your host,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for a Promotion:

Career Coaching Promotions Jane Cranston Organizational Development Job Promotion Teamwork Insight on Coaching Managing People Managing Coworkers Conflict Resolution Leadership Coaching Management Training Susan Whitcomb Business Acumen Interpersonal Skills Performance Management Coaching for a Promotion Managing Expectations IEC Organizational Politics Leadership Development Voice America Turbo Tagger

Coaching for a Promotion - The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd

Tom Floyd — Tue, 20 May 2008 21:36:00 GMT

Coaching for a Promotion – What Does It Take to Get Ahead?

^{According to an April 17th, 2007 article in Personnel Today Magazine titled "Manage a Major Promotion," HR consultancy Dimensions Data International (DDI) concluded that "managing a major promotion is second only to divorce in terms of life stress."}

Simon Mitchell, a director at DDI, advised that if you are about to or are going through a promotion, you need to anticipate this stress. Your organization should help you cope with the changes in your new role, with minimum disruption.

However the article noted just one in three leaders indicated their company provides any type of support to help make the mental shift required for a big promotion.

What strategies can people apply to successfully get promoted?

How can professionals manage the stress associated with promotions?

What work are professional coaches doing to prepare their clients for promotions, as well as overcome challenges and hurdles once they land the job?

Our guests addressed these questions and more.

Highlights of the show included:

Why the overall promotion process is stressful for many people.
What it takes to get ahead in the corporate world today.
What executives and managers look for in "promotable" employees.
Guidelines to use when highlighting your accomplishments and "self promoting" yourself appropriately.
Strategies for advancement and promotion during our current economic state.
How coaches are working with professionals to advance up the career ladder.

Featured Guests:

Fernan Cepero VP of Human Resources, YMCA of Greater Rochester, NY
Jane Cranston, Executive and Career Coach, Managing Director, Executive Coach NY
Anne Loehr, Executive Coach, Riverstone Endeavors, LLC
Susan Whitcomb, President, Career Coach Academy & Leadership Coach Academy

The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd

It never really occurred to me just how stressful a promotion can be – from the effort going into landing a promotion to handling the stress associated with additional responsibilities and managing people, our guests made it clear that promotions can be challenging.

Susan Whitcomb summarized several factors that can impact the stress associated with promotions, including organizational culture, the individual’s experience in managing people, and how proactive the newly promoted individual is seeking mentors to guide them.

I also asked our guests to discuss what it takes to get ahead in the corporate world today, and traits seemed to include having a vision for the team that fits within the overall organization, maintaining and developing relationships, and adaptability to change.

In terms of what motivates people to seek a promotion, while money and ego certainly sound like they play a role for many people, an important point we discussed is having what Susan calls "the itch" – or an overall personal motivation to grow, develop, and expand one’s skills.

How do these points land on you?

Have promotions been stressful for you in the past? Why or why not?
What do you think it takes to get ahead in the corporate world today?
What’s motivated you to seek a promotion before? Money? Ego? The "itch" to grow and learn more?
What do managers in your company look for in "promotable people" so to speak?

Looking forward to some good discussion!

Best,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for a Promotion

Career Development Insight on Coaching Promotions Fernan Cepero YMCA Jane Cranston Executive Coach NY Career Coaching Generations in the Workplacel Simon Mitchell DDI Anne Loehr A Manager's Guide to Coaching Career Advancement Riverstone Endeavors Mentoring Getting Ahead Tom Floyd Susan Whitcomb Career Coach Academy Leader Coach Academy Job Promotion Workforce Performance Employee Development Turbo Tagger

Leadership Coaching for Filipino Professionals - Coaching for Kababayan

Tom Floyd — Fri, 16 May 2008 17:43:00 GMT

Leadership Coaching for Filipino Professionals

I really enjoyed hearing how many of the coaches on our show are working within the Filipino community. It was especially inspiring to hear Bruce Daniels discuss the work he is doing with students at the junior and senior levels of high school to prepare them for the workforce and grow their leadership abilities.

We also had a very healthy discussion on why the workforce isn’t seeing more Filipino Americans in management.

Some of our guests felt some Filipinos actually believe their role is limited, but were quick to point out how coaches can help with this, especially in terms of helping Filipinos understand they have a role within executive and managerial ranks.

We discussed the idea of "imagined limitations", and I found myself nodding when Tristan de la Rosa said "I believe a Filipino or anybody for that matter can go as high up the corporate ladder as he or she wishes to be."

For our coaches out there – share your thoughts and stories.

Tells us about the coaching work you’ve done with Filipino American professionals.

How have you helped Filipino employees prepare for management and executive positions?

As coaches, how have you helped bridge any cultural divides in the workplace?

We look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time!

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for Kababayan

Tom Floyd Executive Coaching Insight on Coaching Podcast Glass Ceiling Workplace Diversity Diversity and Inclusion Kababayan Management Development Tristan de la Rosa Leadership Development Filipino Managers Life Coaching Climbing the Corporate Ladder Asian Communities Diversity Training Filipino Community Bruce Daniels IEC Turbo Tagger

Filipinos as an Invisible Minority - Coaching for Kababayan

Tom Floyd — Wed, 14 May 2008 14:33:00 GMT

Filipinos as an Invisible Minority

The topic of Filipinos as an invisible minority was extremely interesting – it really blew my mind. Our research team defined the term "invisible minority" as referring to the lack of political power and representation of Filipino Americans across American society.

Our guests definitely felt we need to see more Filipinos in politics, more Filipinos in the mainstream, and more Filipinos coming together in the community.

A good deal of discussion on both sides also focused on the perception of Filipino Americans being able to more easily assimilate into American society. Some agreed with this perception – and some didn’t.

In terms of examples, guests discussed the impact of learning English at an early age on the community and the emphasis on conformity within the Filipino culture as factors impacting assimilation into U.S. culture.

I’d like to turn to our Filipino listeners and visitor again – does this resonate with you?

Do you feel Filipinos are an invisible minority within the United States?

Do you feel Filipino Americans may have advantages over other Asian cultures when it comes to assimilation?

Any examples or stories you can share?

I look forward to hearing from you!

Your host,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for Kababayan

Kababayan Cultural Assimilation Asian Communities Diverse Magazine Coaching Podcast Management Consulting Invisible Minority Communities of Color Fil-Am Filipino Community Insight on Coaching English as a Second Language Professional Coaching Cultural Coaching Coaching Filipino Audiences Insight Educational Consulting Turbo Tagger

Coaching for Kababayan - The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd

Tom Floyd — Mon, 12 May 2008 22:11:00 GMT

Coaching for Kababayan

According to the 2000 United States Census, the Filipino-American (Fil-Am) community is the second largest Asian American group in the United States, with over 2.4 million people identifying their ancestry as Filipino, but speculated to be 4 million by many Filipino-American and Asian-American organizations.

However why have many Americans had limited exposure to this diverse and thriving community?

Many sources reference the Fil-Am community as one perceived by some as blending easily within American culture. Diverse magazine cites "there are social misperceptions that Filipinos don’t have a distinct culture."

Popular website PhilFortune.com notes "The $57 billion buying power of Filipino Americans is underserved because of their invisibility to American society."

Is the Fil-Am community an "invisible minority" within both Western culture and the workplace?

Why is this group under-represented within Corporate America and society today?

And how are coaches who specialize in working with Fil-Am audiences and teams helping to cultivate and grow leaders within this group?

On this show I interviewed Fil-Am experts and coaches, who addressed these questions and more.

Highlights of the show included:

An overview of the overall Filipino-American community.

A discussion about the typical beliefs, culture, and values within the Filipino-American community.

The perception of the Filipino-American community as an "invisible minority."

How unique characteristics specific to the Filipino-American cultural group translate within the business world and society.

How coaching Filipino-Americans can be distinctive from other groups.

The work coaches are doing in helping Fil-Am and non-Fil Am employees alike in uncovering their own paradigms and limiting beliefs.

Featured Guests:

Bruce Daniels, Personal Life Coach, Renaissance Life Coaching
Terence Elumba, Founder and CEO, PhilFortune Media Group
Joel Jacinto, Executive Director, Search to Involve Pilipino Americans
Alma Kern, National Chair, National Federation of Filipino American Association
Tristan de la Rosa, Executive Coach and Founder and President, Banyan Way

The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd

In the first part of our show we spent a good deal of time setting the stage, and talking about the Fil-Am community as such a large and underrepresented minority within the United States.

Joel Jacinto also brought up some great points about the impact of education and the media on shaping the public’s knowledge and opinion of the Filipino community.

Something I found interesting were some of the challenges with communication across the Filipino community as well, especially in terms of keeping members of the community in touch. Terence Elumba brought up interesting points about the impact of both geography and the sheer volume of varying dialects across the culture.

For our Filipino listeners and visitors, what are your thoughts?

Do you feel Filipinos are underrepresented within the U.S.?

Are Filipino Americans portrayed positively by the media?

Do you feel it’s challenging to stay connected with other members of the community?

We’d love to hear you thoughts!

Best,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for Kababayan

Fil-Am Filipino Community Insight on Coaching Joel Jacinto Search to Involve Pilipino Americans Alma Kern National Federation of Filipino American Associations Filipino American Communication Challenges Terence Elumba PhilFortune Media Group Bruce Daniels Life Coaching Diversity Asian American Tom Floyd Tristan de la Rosa Executive Coaching Turbo Tagger

The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd - Coaching for Entrepreneurs

Tom Floyd — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 13:52:00 GMT

Coaching for Entrepreneurs

A new study sponsored by The Entrepreneur’s Source finds 5 universal reasons why businesses fail no matter what their size.
They are:

Poor financial management.
Mismanagement of human capital.
Pursuit of projects that are incompatible with resources and capabilities.
Underperforming sales people.
Lack of communications leadership.

On this show, I interviewed guests who have successfully guided entrepreneurs in the past, focusing on how coaches can help entrepreneurs overcome their blind spots, see the big picture and improve their overall performance.

Highlights of the show included:

How coaches can work with entrepreneurs to avoid financial mismanagement.

The importance of outsourcing in helping entrepreneurs manage their business.

How coaches can counsel entrepreneurs who may be pursuing the wrong endeavors or projects.

How coaches can help entrepreneurs deal with the symptoms and signs of stress.

The importance of social networking in an entrepreneur’s success.

The resources and tools that can help entrepreneurs network and grow their businesses.

Featured Guests:

Andrea Garfield, Entrepreneur, Advisor, and Coach, UCLA Anderson School of Management
Patricia Kelly, President and CEO, Limerick
Terry Powell, Founder and CEO, The Entrepreneur Source
Paul Williams, President, E Odyssey, Inc.

The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd

The U.S. Small Business Administration indicated there were 671,800 new business start ups in 2006, yet according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 45% of new businesses ventures fail within 2 years of opening.

When asked about the reasons why many small businesses fail, one of the most interesting reasons to me Terry Powell highlighted was underperforming salespeople.

As a small business owner myself, that pain point in particular really resonated with me.

In the small business world we wear so many different hats, and in some cases when you’re personally responsible for delivering the work you sell, it’s extremely hard to continue focusing on sales when work is piling up in front of you.

Talk to us small business owners!

What challenges have you experienced as small business owners?
Is continuing to bring in new business a challenge for you?
How have you successfully grown high performing sales teams for your businesses?

Cheers from your host,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching for Entrepreneurs

Coaching Entrepreneurs Executive Coaches Professional Coaching Andrea Garfield UCLA Anderson School of Management Patricia Kelly Limerick Terry Powell The Entrepreneur Source Paul Williams Small Business Owners High Performing Sales Teams Turbo Tagger

Coaching for Financial Success - Coaching for Entrepreneurs

Tom Floyd — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 13:42:00 GMT

Coaching for Financial Success

Wow, did the topic of financial management hit home with me. I found myself nodding as Paul Williams discussed the importance of reviewing financials on a quarterly basis, along with using applications like QuickBooks to stay organized.

In October of 2001, I had just gotten my business license and was talking to my accountant, who told me “Tom, setting yourself up the right way financially from the get go is key. Buy QuickBooks, it will make your life AND my life easier.” He was right!

In addition to talking about QuickBooks, I thought Paul hit the nail on the head when he discussed the importance of outsourcing financial management if it’s not your strength.

Reconciling books, finding discrepancies, and plain staying on top of everything caused me an enormous amount of anxiety in the beginning.

Small business owners out there, what was your experience?

Have you struggled in managing the finances for your business?
Have you experienced successes in outsourcing this function to an accounting or financial services firm?
What are some additional financial best practices, tips, and tricks you’d recommend to other small business owners out there?

Please feel free to comment, We’d love to hear your thoughts!

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Financial Coaching Paul Williams Outsourcing Financial Management Small Business Coaching Financial Best Practices Tom Floyd Insight on Coaching Insight Educational Consulting Management Consulting Change Management Workforce Performance Employee Development IEC Turbo Tagger

Helping Entrepreneurs Find Balance - Coaching for Entrepreneurs

Tom Floyd — Mon, 24 Mar 2008 17:47:00 GMT

Helping Entrepreneurs Find Balance

A Fortune Small Business article that cites the annoying habits of entrepreneurs was quoted as saying “Entrepreneurs, almost by definition, are obsessed with achieving their goals.” In interviewing executive coaches on that matter, an expert said, “Entrepreneurs kill themselves, literally. Their health goes straight to hell.”

As I hung my head in shame, wincing from the vision of dust on my elliptical, I asked our panel about this. Andrea Garfield piped up from a coaching perspective, focusing on the need for entrepreneurs to create a growth strategy, focus on running the company, and delegate day-to-day activities to staff.

She also shared many entrepreneurs have a personal a-ha when someone like a coach helps them realize they are missing their lives and can realize even greater success when they are balanced, rested, and happy.

I encourage our coaches in cyberspace to share their stories!

Are you seeing an increase in the number of clients who struggle with finding balance in their lives?
As coaches, how have you helped clients achieve greater balance?
From a coaching perspective, has it been your experience that balanced people are happier – and more successful – than those who aren’t?

We look forward to hearing from you. Cheers from your host,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development
Listen to My Weekly Internet Radio Show and Podcast Dedicated to Professional Coaching

Coaching Entrepreneurs Andrea Garfield Executive Coaches Tom Floyd Insight on Coaching Insight Educational Consulting IEC Coaching Podcast Educational Consulting Management Consulting Change Management Workforce Performance Employee Development Turbo Tagger

The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd - Inside the Actor's Coaching Session

Tom Floyd — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:23:00 GMT

Inside the Actor's Coaching Session

With Academy Award winning actors acknowledging the key people who made their success possible, the acting coach is perhaps one of the most familiar professional coaches in the business world today.

Aspiring stars always ask how to make it in the business, but how do acting coaches make it?

Who are the top acting coaches and how do they work?

What methods do the best acting coaches employ, and what draws big-name talent to them?

How can these lessons translate from on-screen success to business or personal success?

This show featured some of the entertainment industry’s top talent and looked at some of their biggest names and best practices.

Highlights of the show included:

An overview of the acting coach field.
A discussion about the challenges actors experience that coaches can address.
What draws big name talent to the best acting coaches.
The skills a good acting coach must possess.
Why it’s important for executives to not become actors during conferences, presentations, and meetings.
Lessons from the acting world that can be applied to the business world.

Featured Guests:

Daniel Henning, Acting Coach and Artistic Director, The Blank Theatre Company
Lynette McNeill, Acting Coach and Director, Lynette McNeill Studios
Jerry Weissman, Executive Coach and President, Power Presentations Ltd.
Adrian Zmed, Actor and Acting Coach, Stella Adler Conservatory, L.A.

The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd

We began the show with a quote from a USA Today article titled “Even A-List Actors Need a Coach.” Larry Moss was quoted in the article as saying “I know some very big stars who don't do a movie without a coach. To be coached is not a sign of weakness, but of strength."

As a coaching advocate myself (and a guy who has two coaches at the moment!) – I agree. It’s absolutely a sign of strength, to know yourself, your areas of growth, and your weaknesses – it’s empowering. It amazes me how some people feel the complete opposite though!

Lynette McNeill shared some actors are completely comfortable acknowledging and talking about the coaches who have had an impact on their careers and lives.

However, others are not. What do you think?

Would you view an A-list actor or celebrity differently if you knew he or she had an acting coach?
What would you suggest or recommend to a high profile actor, celebrity, or other well known personality who was concerned about the public being aware of his or her acting coach?

We look forward to hearing from all of you!

Cheers from your host,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching and the Entertainment Industry

Coaching Entertainment Industry Acting Coach Professional Coaches Talent Management Daniel Henning The Blank Theatre Company Lynette McNeill Lynette McNeill Studios Jerry Weissman Power Presentations Ltd. Adrian Zmed Stella Adler Conservatory Los Angeles Larry Moss

Coaching to Build Confidence - Inside the Actor's Coaching Session

Tom Floyd — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 22:34:00 GMT

Coaching to Build Confidence

Confidence. As human beings we think about confidence often. We’re naturally attracted to or inspired by those who naturally exude this trait, yet can very quickly lose confidence in the person we should admire the most – ourselves.

We discussed the challenges new or young actors in particular experience as they begin their careers, and confidence was an area our guests saw people struggle with time and time again. Former TJ Hooker star Adrian Zmed highlighted the need to keep perspective. For actors, he explained it’s important to remember if you didn’t get the role you wanted, it’s not because you did badly – it’s because you just weren’t right for the part.

This is an often an area where acting coaches can help – keeping their clients grounded, on track, and focused on moving ahead.

How do you keep self doubt from dragging your confidence down?
If you’re an acting coach, what would you say to young actors who may doubt themselves at times?
For our executive and life coaches out there, tell us how you’ve helped clients rebuild their confidence.

Adrian Zmed Acting Coaches Executive Coaches Life Coaches Management Consulting Change Management Workforce Performance Employee Development Turbo Tagger

Are Executives Actors? - Inside the Actor's Coaching Session

Tom Floyd — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 22:37:00 GMT

Are Executives Actors?

The work Jerry Weissman does with executives at companies like Cisco Systems, eBay, Microsoft, and Yahoo was fascinating to me. We brought Jerry on the show based on his amazing credentials, experience, and mention in the Wall Street Journal as the “Acting Coach to CEO’s.”

I couldn’t wait to get into a discussion about the techniques that can be applied in both worlds, and Jerry made it clear one of the main overlaps is the very trait that comes up on our show time and time again – authenticity.

Jerry emphasized executives should not view themselves as “performers”, but should instead focus on the message they’d like to deliver, the audience who will be listening, and being themselves when presenting.

His point - while actors may go into character for a role, leaders in Corporate America should not.

What are your thoughts?

Have you ever been at a conference or presentation where an executive seemed like he/she was trying to be somebody they’re not?
Are there ever occasions or times when you feel executives should act?
For our coaches out there, feel free to share your stories. How have you coached leaders to remain authentic and true to themselves?

CEO Acting Coach Coaching Corporate Executives Jerry Weissman Tom Floyd Insight on Coaching Insight Educational Consulting IEC Turbo Tagger

Coaching Leadership and Workforces During a Strike - The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd

Tom Floyd — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 14:59:00 GMT

Coaching Leadership and Workforces During a Strike

Estimated at costing the local economy more than $3 billion since it began last November, Hollywood's 100-day strike came to a widely welcomed end on February 12th.

After securing several advances for writers, including establishing residuals for writing in new media and on the Internet, the Writers Guild of America members, from both West and East unions, voted overwhelmingly to go back to work. The two unions represent more than 12,000 writers working in film, television, radio and new media.

Largely considered the entertainment industry’s most contentious labor dispute in recent history, the WGA strikes offer valuable lessons for other guilds, unions, and industries.

This show explores those key lessons and also asks the questions, “What are the rules that come into play when a strike affects business as usual” and “How can professional coaches help leadership and workforces during a strike?”

Highlights of the show included:

An overview of the Writer’s Guild strike from one of its primary leaders, Patric Verrone.
Why eventually involving studio presidents and other Hollywood executives in the strike was critical.
What made the Writer’s Guild strike different – and why Hollywood is still in gridlock mode.
Why Hollywood is behind in the areas of leadership and employee development.
How coaches are helping to address some of Hollywood’s dysfunctional areas, including leadership and communication.
How coaches can help clients overcome fear and stay true to themselves during a strike.

Featured Guests:

David Brownstein, Founder, Hollywood Coaching
Jonathan Handel, Entertainment Attorney, TroyGould
Sherri Ziff Lester, Certified Life Coach, RockYourLifeCoaching
Patric Verrone, President, Writer’s Guild of America West

The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd

This show provided a fantastic overview of this year’s Writer’s Guild strike. I think Patrick summed up the reason behind the strike well when he said “if you make money – we make money.”

According to Patric it was hard to get anywhere at the beginning of initial negotiations and get the studios to listen - it literally took the strike on November 5th to get their attention.

Interestingly enough a December 2007 USA Today/Gallup Poll showed six weeks into the strike, 60% of Americans favored writers in the dispute.

Did you support the writers in their strike?
Would you support actors in the Screen Actors Guild if they move to strike for similar reasons?
What do you see as the primary lessons learned from the Writer’s Guide strike?

Coaching Leadership and Workforces During a Strike

Writers Guild of America Writers Guild Strike Leadership Development Executive Coaching Hollywood Executives David Brownstein Hollywood Coaching Jonathan Handel TroyGould Sherri Ziff Lester Rock Your Life Coaching Patric Verrone Screen Actors Guild Turbo Tagger

Making the Case for Leadership Development - Coaching Leadership and Workforces During a Strike

Tom Floyd — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 14:51:00 GMT

Making the Case for Leadership Development

I asked guest David Brownstein why Hollywood needs coaching. In addition to highlighting how Hollywood leadership can be conflict adverse, hiding behind representatives and outside agencies, he also highlighted that many studios and companies didn’t necessarily embrace leadership and career development.

Giving lip service to leadership development is something I see across many industries – I don’t think it’s just specific to Hollywood. In large and small organizations alike, employees are tasked with building the case for having a talent management strategy that includes things like leadership development, career growth, coaching, training, and succession planning.

What’s important to emphasize when making the case for leadership or career development?
For companies who might not understand how coaches are able to grow, guide, and bring out the best in their employees, what benefits or points would you emphasize?

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Addressing Fear in Coaching Engagements - Coaching Leadership and Workforces During a Strike

Tom Floyd — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 14:41:00 GMT

Addressing Fear in Coaching Engagements

Another topic that came up during the show was fear. For the people involved in a strike, fears can range from job loss and lack of income to wavering confidence and self doubt.

From my perspective, it seemed like the key to a strike is staying true to two things: the reason behind the strike, and yourself.

That said, it can be hard to stay true to yourself when it’s impacting your ability to live your life and put food on the table. Not knowing how long a strike is going to last or if it’s going to be successful – scary!

For our coaches out there:

Is it okay to feel scared or be scared?
What’s the best way to cope with fear during a life altering event like a strike?
How have you prevented clients from giving into their fears?

Please leave a comment and share how you’ve helped clients grapple with fear in your engagements.

We look forward to hearing from you. Cheers from your host,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Unemployment Job Loss Self Doubt Executive Coaching Management Consulting Workforce Strikes Strikes Tom Floyd Insight on Coaching Insight Educational Consulting IEC Turbo Tagger

Insight on Coaching Presents "Coaching for Recruiting Success"

Tom Floyd — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:05:00 GMT

Coaching for Recruiting Success

Executive recruiters have long been considered the lifeline to major companies seeking the best in top-level talent. Today there's an increasingly valued role of networking, both online and off, with a Gallop poll revealing that 80 percent of workers find their jobs through their networks.

Recruiters also are facing stiff competition and criticism over how they track top talent and whether they truly understand the needs of the hiring company.

We'll talk with coaches who work with both recruiters and executives using recruiters, as well as the recruiters themselves to understand the key issues surrounding recruitment and retention today.

Highlights of the show included:

An overall outlook for the recruiting profession in 2008.
Why the recruiting profession can be a little schizophrenic.
The skills recruiters need to do their jobs successfully in today's economy.
How the Internet, online networking, and other Web technologies have changed both how we look for jobs, and how recruiters find us.
How recruiting a C-level or senior executive is different than recruiting someone with less experience.
How coaches can help recruiters pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses.

Featured Guests

Arlene Hirsch, Author of The Wall Street Journal Premier Guide to Interviewing and Job Search

Mareza Larizadeh, Founder and CEO, Doostang

Carrie Pryor, Senior Partner at Korn Ferry International

Katherine Simmons, President and CEO, NETSHARE, Incorporated

The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd

This week's Insight on Coaching show focused on coaching for recruiters and recruiting success. Our conversation ranged from discussing the outlook for the recruiting profession in 2008 to the challenges recruiters faced in their role, ending with a brief conversation about the work that coaches are doing with recruiters.

Our show was definitely insightful. I thought it was particularly interesting how one guest labeled the recruiting profession as "schizophrenic", meaning while times are tough in industries where there is a talent shortage, it's actually more positive in industries like high tech and even in growing industries like Internet marketing and advertising.

In the news we're constantly hearing about both the talent shortage in many fields and the impact the predicted recession in the U.S. is going to have on the economy this year. To me that means, if we're facing a recession and companies are cutting back - they're not going to be hiring. If companies slow hiring this year, this begs the question - are many recruiters going to struggle to find companies who are hiring this year?

That leads me to two more questions for all of you:

Do you think the U.S. is headed for a recession in 2008?

If you do, what impact do you feel this is going to have on both recruiters and the people out there who are looking for jobs?

Another great question Arlene Hirsch asked on the show that I want to pose to all of you as well - given both of the above AND the fact that many recruiters are receiving 300+ e-mails a day - "What are some of the best ways to get a recruiter's attention?"

Later in the show, we discussed the skills that are critical for success in a recruiter's role. Examples used were interpersonal skills, listening, and relationship building. I also brought up a strong opinion that some people feel that recruiters don't always understand the roles they're hiring for.

That's my next question for you: Do you feel the majority of recruiters understand the roles they've been hired to fill - or are some, in fact, a little "clueless?"

Finally, during the coaching portion of our show, I was disappointed we didn't get to spend more time discussing the role that coaches can play. While we did discuss how a coach would help recruiters pinpoint their strengths and weaknesses, we didn't discuss what makes coaching recruiters unique. I would also have loved to have spent more time talking about how specifically coaches can help people like recruiters improve their listening and relationship building skills. These are difficult skills, not just for recruiters - but for all of us.

For recruiters, these are even more critical - if you're not good at hearing the hiring company or candidate's needs, and you're not good at maintaining relationships with one or the other - it's going to impact your success. For our coaches out there, we'd love your insight on these topics:

For those of you who have worked with recruiters directly - what's unique in your coaching engagements with them?
In terms of their areas of growth and challenges, do you see consistencies?
As a coach, how have you helped recruiters (or others) improve their listening skills?
How do you help someone moving at the speed of light, slow down and build more quality relationships with candidates and clients?

Coaching for Recruiting Success

Arlene Hirsch Mareza Larizadeh Carrie Pryor Katherine Simmons Coaching Podcast Educational Consulting Executive Coaching Change Management Professional Coaching Management Consulting Tom Floyd Insight on Coaching Insight Educational Consulting IEC Turbo Tagger

Insight on Coaching Presents "Coaching Successes with Web 2.0"

Tom Floyd — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 17:18:00 GMT

Coaching Successes with Web 2.0

Web 2.0 has been hailed as the business revolution in the computer industry, changing how the world uses and views the World Wide Web. Technologies such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, RSS feeds, social software and more are an increasingly integral part of business success today.

How does Corporate America define and use Web 2.0 and what are the key characteristics, issues and innovations of Web 2.0?

We'll talk with coaches and other experts about working with Web 2.0, and will also discuss its potential to transform companies and result in business success.

Highlights of the show included:

An overview of why Web 2.0 is changing the way we do business.
An introduction to technologies including peer content production, social networking, Web services, and collaboration tools.
Why Web 2.0 can be critical to the success of independent coaches and entrepreneurs alike.
The challenges that prevent some people from embracing Web 2.0.
How coaches can use technologies like blogging and social networking to their advantage.
Best practices and guidelines to begin using Web 2.0 within your business.

Featured Guests

Robyn Logan, Strategy Director and Founder, International Coaching Academy (ICA)

Larry Magid, Co-Author, MySpace Unraveled, Co-Director, ConnectSafely.org

Derrick Sorles, Co-Owner, BusinessBloggingConsulting.com

Dave Taylor, Founder and Principal, Intuitive Systems

The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd

MySpace, facebook, blogs,wikis, SEO -- is all this like learning a foreign language to you? The plethera of online sites/tools and networks available to us today can be really overwhelming. What can help you most grow your business? How can you leverage some of these to benefit and connect your clients and/or prospects. This show was really helpful to me as well in demystifying what the is was Web 1.0 and what is Web 2.0. We also discussed some do's and don'ts when networking and being part of these new online communities.

What online sites or tools have you had the most success with in growing your business or client community? How do you anticipate maximizing these online resources and networks in the future? Please share your comments and feedback with us on your Web 2.0 eperiences and behavior!

We look forward to hearing from all of you!

Cheers from your host,

Tom Floyd
CEO
IEC: Insight Educational Consulting
Specializing in Management Consulting, Change Management, Workforce Performance, and Employee Development

Coaching Successes with Web 2.0

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More About Tom Floyd, Founder and CEO of IEC: Insight Educational Consulting

Tom Floyd — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 22:38:00 GMT

IEC: Insight Educational Consulting is a management consulting firm specializing in corporate change and transformation, workforce performance and employee development founded in 2001. With an emphasis on client satisfaction and espousing IEC's "human approach" to consulting, weve guided Fortune 500 companies, corporate leaders and startups toward greater profitability, and helped translate client visions into executable plans that deliver results. Some of our clients include the American Bar Association, Chevron, Cisco Systems, Harrah's Entertainment, Hewlett Packard, and Xilinx.

I strive to create new and non-traditional programs that leverage my passion around learning, collaboration, and change to help people both personally and professionally. I had the pleasure to work with Elizabeth Jarosz from NBC's The Apprentice to develop Beyond the Boardroom, a program designed to help women define what professional and personal success means to them. Its a terrific example of my belief as well that through self-realization, sharing, and inspiration, people can find true meaning in their lives.

Prior to founding IEC, I served as a Senior Consultant at Crawford & Associates International. Responsible for business development, client relations and strategic consulting to top-tier clients, I was an early pioneer and evangelist for the organization in e-learning, resulting in my first publication in the American Management Association (AMA) Handbook of E-Learning.

Professionally and personally, I consider myself a passionate and fun-loving guy who appreciates people and good conversation. Whether it's developing a business partnership, driving organizational strategy or sipping a cosmo at the local martini bar, I'm always up for a good discussion, debate or laugh. If you're in the Bay Area, feel free to contact me and we'll get together and discuss business, coaching or life in general!

Cheers!
Tom

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Insight on Coaching Presents "Coaching for African American Audiences and Teams"

Tom Floyd — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 22:24:00 GMT

Coaching for African American Audiences and Teams

African-Americans have had major influence on societal/cultural trends and business innovations, yet this group remains largely underrepresented in the corporate world.

The group makes up just a small fraction of Fortune 500 company leadership, major college campus populations, and business school graduates.

How can coaching help companies find, attract and retain African-American talent?

What issues are important for coaching African-American business teams or marketing to African-American audiences?

Featured Guests

Dr. Joel Freeman, President, Freeman Institute
Patricia Harris, Vice President, McDonalds USA
Pat Perkins, CEO, Exodus Coaching
Pat Thomas, Founder, Thomas Coaching Company

Highlights of the show included:

How coaching African Americans can be distinctive from other groups.
The importance of embedding acceptance and diversity as cultural values within an organization.
How unique characteristics specific to the African American cultural group translate within the business world.
Best practices and examples of how McDonald’s has become a global diversity leader.
Why it’s important for African American managers to demonstrate accountability in overcoming obstacles in the workplace.
The work coaches are doing in helping non African-American managers and employees in uncovering their own paradigms
and limiting beliefs.

The IEC Debrief with Tom Floyd

Coaching for African American Audiences and Teams

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Insight on Coaching Presents "Coaching for Reinvention"

Tom Floyd — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 23:25:00 GMT

Coaching for Reinvention

Aired: January 7th, 2008

Most people change jobs several times, with the average amount of career changes throughout a lifetime at 5-7, and the average number of job changes at 29-30, according to a university study.

This show explores the reasons why people change careers or industries and what factors prompt so many job changes within a career or industry. We will speak with career experts and coaches who help executives and managers reinvent themselves, and learn the best ways to find a career that makes one truly happy.

Featured Guests

Michael Arthur, Professor of Management, Suffolk University, Boston
Linda Clark Borre, Creativity Coach, From Inspiration to Implementation
Pamela Mitchell, Founder and CEO, The Reinvention Institute
Watt Nicoll, Personal Reinvention Expert, Watt Nicoll Associates

Overview

In a feature for Diversified Recruitment Inc, career columnist Patrice
Kelly writes “Corporations reinvent themselves internally everyday, but
individuals also can make significant changes to improve their business
and personal life.”

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, statistically speaking no one
really knows what motivates many of us to want to change careers, or the
number of times the typical person changes his or her career over a lifetime.
However one idea commonly attributed to the Department of Labor is
that people change careers about seven times throughout their lives.

But what stops many of us from changing careers or pursuing
our dreams?

Miami-based The Reinvention Institute says there are a variety of perceived
barriers that stop many of us from reinventing our careers, including
lack of knowledge, scarce financial resources, and a scarcity of contacts.

How can we overcome these challenges in finding the career of our
dreams? And what should we consider when debating whether or
not to change careers?

Our panel of experts address these questions and more, focusing on
how coaches who specialize in career reinvention can help reshape who
we are, what we do, and how we choose to live our professional and
personal lives.

Highlights of the show included:

An overview of what personal reinvention is.
Why reinvention requires a real commitment on a very
personal level.
The roles that planning and fear play in defining our careers.
How reinvention experts are helping both business executives and
celebrities like David Beckham achieve their goals.
What to consider when making a career change.
How career reinvention coaches can help people stick to
their commitment of reinventing their careers.

Your Host, Tom Floyd

Coaching Podcast Educational Consulting Executive Coaching Change Management Professional Coaching Management Consulting Turbo Tagger

Season Four - Insight on Coaching Archive Links

Tom Floyd — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 00:15:00 GMT

Insight on Coaching Season Four - Previous Episodes
Select a link to a previous episode of the Insight on Coaching show below to read more about it or listen to the recording.

Your Host

Tom Floyd

Coaching Across the Playing Field
Air Date: December 17th, 2007

Coaching for Hispanic/Latino Teams and Audiences
Air Date; December 10th, 2007

Developing an Internal Coaching Program
Air Date: December 3rd, 2007

Crisis Coaching
Air Date: November 26th, 2007

Coaching LGBT Professionals in the Workplace
Air Date: November 12th, 2007

Coaching Toward Multi-Cultural Selling
Air Date: November 5th, 2007

Coaching Non-Profit and Charity Leaders
Air Date: October 29th, 2007

Military Coaching: Coaching Armed Forces Members and Their Teams
Air Date: October 22th, 2007

Coaching the Information Technology and Service Salesforce
Air Date: October 15th, 2007

Coaching As An Incentive
Air Date: October 8th, 2007

Offshore Outsourcing: Coaching and Offshore Outsourcing
Air Date: October 1st, 2007

Coaching for Success in the Long Run: Coaching the C Suite
Air Date: September 24th, 2007

Coaching for Success in Business and Politics
Air Date: September 17th, 2007

Coaching Successes in Corporate America: Part 3
Air Date: September 10th, 2007

Coaching for Entrepreneurs
Air Date: August 27th, 2007

Success Factors for Women in Business
Air Date: August 20th, 2007

Coaching on Character and Ethics
Air Date: August 13th, 2007

Coaching for IT Managers
Air Date: August 6th, 2007

Health and Wellness Coaching
Air Date: July 30th, 2007

Season Three - Insight on Coaching Archive Links

Tom Floyd — Thu, 10 Jan 2008 03:04:00 GMT

Insight on Coaching Season Three - Previous Episodes
Select a link to a previous episode of the Insight on Coaching show below to read more about it or listen to the recording.
Your Host, Tom Floyd.

Coaching: The Missing Ingredient to Performance Management
Air Date: June 4th, 2007

Coaching New Managers for Success
Air Date: May 21st, 2007

Coaching and New Employees: Shortening the On Ramp to Productivity
Air Date: May 14th, 2007

Coaching Skills for Leaders: Facilitating Change in You and Your Employees
Air Date: May 7th, 2007

Managing and Strengthening Work Relationships
Air Date: April 30th, 2007

Cultivating Executive Skills and Presence
Air Date: April 23rd, 2007

Millenials: Newcomers to the Workplace
Air Date: April 16th, 2007

Generation X: Moving into Management
Air Date: April 9th, 2007

Baby Boomers: Redefining the Market, Workplace and Retirement
Air Date: April 2nd, 2007

Coaching Successes in Corporate America: Part 2
Air Date: March 26th, 2007

Successful Technology Implementations
Air Date: March 19th, 2007

Managing through Mergers and Acquisitions
Air Date: March 5th, 2007

Season Two - Insight on Coaching Archive Links

Tom Floyd — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 03:17:00 GMT

Insight on Coaching Season Two - Previous Episodes
Select a link to a previous episode of the Insight on Coaching show below to read more about it or listen to the recording.
Your Host, Tom Floyd.

Leveraging Relationships to Build Lasting Success
Air Date: November 13th, 2006

Coaching the Alpha Male
Air Date: November 6th, 2006

Thriving, Not Surviving, in a Political Environment
Air Date: October 30th, 2006

Women in Leadership
Air Date: October 23rd, 2006

When to Use a Cultural Coach
Air Date: October 16th, 2006

When Cultures Collide
Air Date: October 9th, 2006

Becoming Culturally Aware
Air Date: October 2nd, 2006

Developing Executive Presence Through Somatic Coaching
Air Date: September 25th, 2006

Managing Difficult Conversations
Air Date: September 11th, 2006

Having It All: Work/Life Balance
Air Date: Week of September 4th, 2006

Coaching Long Distance
Air Date: Monday August 28th, 2006

Cultivating Relationships Within Your Organization
Air Date: Monday August 21st, 2006

Building and Leaving a Legacy
Air Date: Monday August 14th, 2006

Self Reflection: Developing Introspective Awareness
Air Date: Monday August 7th, 2006

Living The Inner You
Air Date: Monday July 31st, 2006

Shopping for a Coach
Air Date: Monday July 17th, 2006

Coaching Successes in Corporate America
Air Date: Monday June 26th, 2006

Let’s Talk: Marshall Goldsmith and Frances Hesselbein
Air Date: Monday June 5th, 2006

Season One - Insight on Coaching Archive Links

Tom Floyd — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:25:00 GMT

Insight on Coaching Season One - Previous Episodes
Select a link to a previous episode of the Insight on Coaching show below to read more about it or listen to the recording.
Your Host, Tom Floyd.

Gender Differences in Coaching
Air Date: April 24th, 2006

Cultural Coaching
Air Date: April 17th, 2006

Generational Coaching
Air Date: April 3rd, 2006

Sales Coaching
Air Date: March 27th, 2006

Career Coaching
Air Date: March 20th, 2006

Body-Centered Coaching
Air Date: March 13th, 2006

Life Coaching
Air Date: February 27th, 2006

Management Coaching
Air Date: February 20th, 2006

Executive Coaching
Air Date: February 13th, 2006

Coaching Vs. Therapy
Air Date: February 6th, 2006

Professional Coaching Overview
Air Date: January 30th, 2006

Gender Coaching Cultural Coaching Generational Coaching Sales Coaching Career Coaching
Body Centered Coaching Life Coaching Executive Coaching Management Coaching
Coaching Vs. Therapy Professional Coaching Turbo Tagger

Compilation of Guest Testimonials from Insight on Coaching with Tom Floyd

Tom Floyd — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:29:00 GMT

“Tom Floyd's show offers an excellent forum for discussing the full range of coaching issues. Tom selected the perfect combination of guests, each with complementary backgrounds and areas of expertise, which made for an engaging hour of conversation.”

Rob Asghar
Political Columnist
Executive Director of Communications, USC Office of the Provost

“Insight on Coaching is helping raise awareness about so many dimensions of our profession. Tom's leadership is providing an invaluable service at a critical time for us as coaches. We need to continue to share best practices and research so we bring coaching out of the Wild West and into a truly global future.”

Joshua Ehrlich, PhD
Dean, Master's Program in Executive Coaching
BeamPines, Inc.

“I was thrilled to be asked to participate on the Insight on Coaching radio show. The show was the third in a series about corporate coaching success stories. As someone involved in organizational learning and development, I know how important it is to share lessons learned and success stories. Listening to the other panelists reassured me that we frequently face common challenges -- and that we have options for addressing them. I am grateful for the opportunity to expand my professional community and am looking forward to continuing conversations with Tom and the other panelists.”

Karol Eller
Associate, Booz Allen Hamilton

“Insight on Coaching is providing an incredibly valuable service to our field. Tom is succeeding in getting great guests with the latest ideas. As a guest on the show myself, I am impressed with his professionalism. Tom is a joy to work with!”

Marshall Goldsmith
Executive coach and author of "What Got You Here Won't Get You There" - a New York Times best seller, Amazon.com 'Top 5' business book for 2007 and Wall Street Journal # 1 business book.

“I felt the show, the participants and Tom Floyd were extremely knowledgeable about the topic of returning veterans and their needs as our heroes come back to the workplace and a non-active military role. The give and take of ideas and different perspectives was one of the best examples of the positive role that shows like Tom's can play in our information rich society. I would gladly participate in any future shows with Tom and his broadcast team and would recommend to anyone that if invited they take advantage of the opportunity. I personally appreciate the small role I was allowed to play in assisting Tom in his efforts to provide insights into best practices regarding coaching and the workplace.”

Richard Halbrook
Executive Vice President, Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group

“Being a guest on Tom’s show was wonderful! I can’t believe how fast the hour went. Tom did a great job of keeping us engaged and gave everyone a chance to talk about their expertise around selling and marketing to diverse consumers. I would welcome the opportunity to do another show!”

Shelley Willingham-Hinton
Coach, Founder and President
The National Organization for Diversity in Sales and Marketing

“From the original discussion with me to appear on the Insight on Coaching show to receiving a post-show summary, I encountered professional treatment from everyone involved with the show. This included emails to prepare me for the event, biographies on my co-guests, and an easy system to link up with the studio. All were first-rate. Tom Floyd met with us before, during and after the broadcast segments providing positive feedback and letting us know he would ask about certain topics during the next portion of the show. My co-hosts were extremely knowledgeable and professional and my total experience was superb! I would gladly appear with Tom on any venue and believe his show provides business professionals with a valuable product that allows them to improve their business practices.”

Earl Honeycutt, Ph.D.
Professor of Marketing and Sales Management Elon University, NC

“It was a real pleasure to be a guest on Tom Floyd's "Insight on Coaching" show. The program content was well researched and thought provoking, incorporating different perspectives and opinions from experts in the field. Tom Floyd, the host, was extremely professional to work with and has a great on-air personality. The staff has done an exceptional job on marketing the show as well as staying in touch with the guests and listeners. This show was a great resource on leadership and business coaching.”

Maya Hu-Chan
Author, Global Leadership: The Next Generation
President, Global Leadership Associates

“I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with Insight on Coaching and host, Tom Floyd. I have been a frequent guest and host of radio shows in the past and know it can take skill to ensure each guest participates and the audience has the benefit of varied perspectives. Tom is great at it.

The various levels of expertise and credentials is also impressive in the show's ability to attract extremely accomplished professionals. It was a great opportunity!”

Myra Jolivet
Chief Marketing Officer
American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles

“A sharp resource for coaches with wide-ranging, action-packed ideas and advice from some of the smartest minds around.”

Lynne Lancaster
Author, "When Generations Collide: Who They Are. Why They Clash. How to Solve the Generational Puzzle at Work."

“Tom’s show, which brings together a diversity of experienced guests to discuss an issue, is a simple, compelling format. The Internet allows you to listen in real-time or listen by podcast; a format perfectly suited for today’s multi-tasking communities.”

Don Listwin
Founder, The Canary Foundation

“What a great way to reach a global and interested audience. Being on the show was fun, insightful, and a great way to learn and connect with other leaders in this field."

Jane Moran
Global Program Manager and Executive Coach
EDS Global Learning & Development

“Tom Floyd's "Insight on Coaching" show is a valuable forum for the business and professional world. By bringing together experts and thought leaders from the coaching and business world, Tom is able to offer his audience a wealth of information and insights on key issues in an engaging conversational format. With his affable style and astute questioning, Tom keeps the conversation on track while getting to the heart of issues. I recommend tuning into the show and bet you'll enjoy it!”

Ginny O’Brien
Executive Coach and Author

“As frequent contributors to Tom’s show on generational differences in coaching, we’ve had the opportunity to share our expertise and learn from others in the field. Tom always assembles a stellar panel of guests that compliment each other’s style and knowledge, giving the audience both depth and breadth of topic. The show’s content, format and energy provide the perfect medium for guests and listeners alike!”

Amy Hirsh Robinson
Principal, Interchange Group

“Tom gets coaching. His style and format encourages the kind of collaboration amongst his guests that gets to the core issues that matter in today's workplace. In a young, fragmented industry that is in desperate need of further transformation, education and authentic leadership, Tom attracts the kind of talent that helps portray the coaching profession at its best. Tom is responsive and professional in his work. He is truly committed to the highest standards in the development of the coaching profession and in maintaining its integrity for those people who have earned the right as well as the credentials to call themselves a coach.”

Keith Rosen, MCC
CEO of Profit Builders and author of "Coaching Salespeople into Sales Champions"

“Tom Floyd is an excellent interviewer and an experienced professional in his field. My experience as a guest was as easy as having a conversation over coffee about our amazing work that we are so lucky to do.”

Karlin Sloan
Author, "Smarter, Faster, Better; Strategies for Effective, Enduring, and Fulfilled Leadership"

“Tom Floyd’s Insight on Coaching is a cutting edge program on the discipline of coaching. Tom is a well-informed, intelligent host and interviewer who brings out the best in his guests; artfully and gracefully he opens the potential of coaching to his listeners. If you want to glimpse the future of coaching as well the present ground it’s breaking, listen to Insight on Coaching.”

Richard Strozzi Heckler
Author, "The Leadership Dojo: Build Your Foundation as an Exemplary Leader"
President Strozzi Institute

“I was incredibly impressed by the depth of knowledge and the level of information brought to the show by the guests. I learned quite a few things myself.”

Alex Tabibi
CEO, Perks.com

“Insight on Coaching is a sorely needed resource for the rapidly-growing coaching marketplace. It is the only radio show / podcast available for this industry. Tom Floyd routinely hosts some of the industry's most accomplished thought leaders, corporate practitioners and coaches. It has been a pleasure to be associated with this production on several occasions.”

Brian Underhill, PhD
Author, "Executive Coaching for Results: The Definitive Guide to Developing Organizational Leaders"
Founder, CoachSource

“We have a professional pandemic upon us, and it is called Coaching. As it continues to grow, almost exponentially, it has morphed and mutated, leaving long-standing, well-defined, helping processes like counseling and mentoring distant memories. Tom Floyd, by sharing best practices with credible subject matter experts on Insight on Coaching is, in fact, defining much needed standards for the coaching profession. His program is fast-moving and the topics are often complex, so Tom doesn’t waste time on warm-up (read lay-up) questions. My personal experience with Tom and my Insight panel colleagues was memorable and I was honored to be a part of the team.”

Bob Vavrina
Senior Vice President, Human Resources
BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina

Gender Coaching Cultural Coaching Generational Coaching Sales Coaching Career Coaching
Body Centered Coaching Life Coaching Executive Coaching Management Coaching
Coaching Vs. Therapy Professional Coaching Coaching Podcast Educational Consulting Change Management
Professional Coaching Management Consulting Turbo Tagger