Giving feedback to redirect a person’s behavior is an essential professional skill, especially when we need improvement and change. But, feedback is often given poorly and can subsequentially be more damaging than helpful. I have found that remembering the three “R’s” of feedback helps me to reel in my emotions, keep my eye on the prize, and deliver the feedback …
Course Corrections
In my career, my only professional jaunt outside of dentistry and communications coaching was working for a local winery in my early 30’s as a marketing manager. The job was overall a great experience and one that broadened me professionally. The winery was owned by a huge international liquor giant so this was my first and only “corporate” job. It …
Supervision or Coaching?
One day a man walked by a cocoon and noticed a tightly wound butterfly within it, struggling to emerge. As it hung vertically from a branch, he noticed a small hole at the bottom through which the butterfly would have to squeeze to make its way out into the world. Given the size of the butterfly, the man was convinced …
Congruency
If I ask Tom, “Is anything wrong?” and he smiles, connects with me, and says, “Nothing’s wrong,”… I generally believe him. However, if I ask him, “What’s wrong, honey?” and his response is a mumbled, “Nothing,” accompanied by a sour tone, crossed arms, and a frowning face… I’m likely not to believe him. We hardly ever believe someone when their …
Stop Being the Nice Guy
The most common definitions of the word “nice” are agreeable and enjoyable. But the word “kind” is most often defined as loving, caring, generous, benevolent. And that’s exactly how it is for me. I experience people who are nice as very pleasant, well-mannered, and I usually enjoy being in their company. But kindness feels somehow different, like a value that …
Why Don’t They “Just Do It”?
I spend a lot of time coaching owners, managers, trainers, and frontline professionals on how to positively handle people who aren’t living up to expectations. It can be so frustrating when people don’t do what we want them to do, what we need them to do, what we expect them to do. Most of our frustration comes from a lack of …
Collective Intelligence
“When two minds are coordinated in the spirit of harmony, the mastermind is evolved.” This is a quote from the short video of Team Yaha’s facilitation of a team exercise that we have used at LionSpeak which we called Steering the Pen. They contend that the mastermind, or collective intelligence, is more powerful and productive than individual minds working independently. The …
We’ve Been Waiting for You
On this Monday morning gathered around for your team huddle, you are a team of completely unique individuals preparing to work this day together toward a common goal. You will attempt to serve your patients at a high level of care while simultaneously creating a full and rich life for you and your families. After observing hundreds of these morning team …
Reacting to Reality
Jerry calls an emergency meeting with the entire team before anyone goes home for the day. Waiting for everyone to be seated, he paces, his face red and visibly irritated. With a raised voice he states, “I want you all to know that I have had it. I’m sick to death of how unprofessional you have all been acting lately… gossiping, complaining, acting …
The Story Behind the Vision
I’m currently planning our annual LionSpeak team retreat, and as I revisited my vision for the future to share with the team, it occurred to me that while I have shared my view of the future with them before, I’ve never actually shared the past that brought me to it. Do they even know the LionSpeak story? How I got here? Why I …