Author Archive

The Secret to Finding a Great Business Coach

Information at the Indianapolis Library

Are certifications the key to finding a qualified coach?  Past experience?  Personal empathy?  Whether you are considering an assist for your personal life or your business, consider the one thing that consistently creates great coaches.

Canadian Cross Country CyclingThe best mentor or coach is the person who has had to overcome adversity in his/her career, to create great accomplishment.   It’s easy to reach home plate if you start on third base; the best coaches are the ones who had to fight their way out of the dugout, just to get to bat – then, after they lead the league in RBIs, they start teaching others to do the same.  I believe great obstacles make great coaches.  Overcoming obstacles teaches you how to win; effective coaches pass that experience on to others.

When everyone is a wannabe pundit, and self-proclaimed expert, how do you cut through the BS ..and find some real results?

Business coaching doesn’t necessarily require a particular certification.

Consider instead: Has your mentor or coach achieved what you seek, or can they demonstrate how they have helped others to reach their goals?

That track record is more important than any certification, because it is personal to you, and to your needs (or your company’s needs). Plus, a long list of degrees (certifications) doesn’t necessarily mean that the coach will be effective for you (will you get along? can they truly help you and meet your needs? does this individual fit with the culture of my organizations?  certifications won’t tell you that).

Experience in the face of difficulty is what matters most, combined with personal rapport. The track record of accomplishment should give you the personal confirmation you need.

Certifications are not the same as results, although they can help to establish credibility.  Hiring a coach is really about creating outcomes – accelerating results in ways that you can’t find with just Google alone.

The wisest question to ask, and the secret to finding a great coach, is quite simple.  Rarely is this question asked, but when it is presented simply (and answered professionally) the results can be quite profound.

See if this question makes a difference:

Can You Help Us?

Beyond certifications and experience is trust.  The past serves as a reference point, but the results that you can create, right here and right now, are much more important.  Ask your coach what they have had to overcome.  Ask about adversity, especially if you expect to be guided through yours.  Find a context that resonates, based on the simple question:  ”Can You Help Us?”  And make sure your coach is focused on your outcomes.  Is your success the most important objective in the room?

I believe great obstacles make great coaches. How about you?

Photo used under creative commons.   Some rights reserved by Serge Melki

The One Thing That’s Missing in Your Video Message

Social Media Strategies with Chris Westfall

Being simple is easier said than done, especially when it comes to creating an online video.

Simplicity is often the best way to reach your audience.  Do you know how to present your story in its simplest form?   Check out this video blog entry to help you create the kind of video message you need, for your social media strategy.
When we communicate our ideas, particularly in business, we tend towards the complex: the steps in a process are what make the process complete.  But simple doesn’t mean being simplistic.  In fact, being simple in your communication can be a fairly complex process!

Simplicity is complicated because of our beliefs.  We believe that messages must be dense to be considered intelligent and authoritative.  But it’s impossible to tell your life story in a two minute elevator pitch, or online video.  Being clear is the ultimate goal.

Step onto the Stage with Chris Westfall

The fact of the matter is that messages must be simple to be understood. Giving yourself permission to trust in simplicity is the first step.  Do you struggle with believing your message needs “something more”?  

Chances are your listener wishes it was something less.  

Not less important, but less convoluted – especially if you are creating an elevator pitch, or an online video.  The concept of “Tell me more…” allows you to focus on what really matters, while allowing your audience to guide you towards the level of detail that matters to them.

Do you struggle to keep your message short and simple? Is it possible to handle a complicated topic with a simple message?

Get Creative in Your Elevator Pitch

Louvre at Night

For an artist, talent alone is not enough. You’ve got to get creative, when it comes time to tell your story.

Being creative in your elevator pitch is really about your own personal artistry – in other words, putting YOU into your story. While a great work of art can perhaps speak for itself, any creative endeavor deserves a compelling messsage. No great work of art comes to life without collaboration, influence, exhibition…and an audience.

What’s the shared experience around your greatest creation? The ability to access an audience is the key to making the message matter, for your work.

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Leadership Happens at the Speed of Trust

Ups and Downs

The effectiveness of a leader hinges on trust and credibility. If you want to accelerate your impact as a leader, trust is the secret to your velocity.

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What’s Missing from Your Marketing

Social Media Strategies with Chris Westfall

For years, marketing teams have put their attention on the four p’s – product, price, promotion and place (distribution). Changes in market conditions have created a fifth p – and marketers are taking notice.

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Great Presentation Ideas: The Moment Before

Cool Subway pic from Laughing Squid

If you want some great presentation ideas, concentrate on the moment before.

The moment before you begin your next presentation is the time when you can overcome your fear, and get connected with the power you need to deliver your message.

When Innovation Fails

Beautiful Taormina

For leaders and executives, focusing on innovation is important – but what do you do, when you realize that great ideas are not enough?

In the following video, see how an experienced leader failed to inspire trust, even when he had the perfect solution. A cautionary tale of the right idea, and the wrong outcome. Dead wrong, in fact.

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Conversation Inspiration

Apple Keyboard

On CBS News Sunday Morning, there was a fantastic piece on the lost art of conversation.

The segment featured a litany of Baby Boomers crying over the proliferation of texting, social media and technology. Examples of people looking down at their phones while they fell off of subway platforms and into public fountains made me LOL.

Uh oh…am I laughing at myself?

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Where Does Corporate Culture Begin?

The Eye of the Girlfriend

Does corporate culture begin in the C-suite, or the boardroom, or the factory floor?

Culture starts – and stays – in a most unlikely place. And it’s not the corner office.

Here’s how to understand the beginnings of corporate culture.

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MOOCs: Education Transformation

Laptop meeting by Saad Faruque

What exactly are MOOCs, and why do you need one?

MOOCs are Massive Open Online Courses – the new method of learning that might just render the traditional college campus obsolete.

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