Have you ever thought about coaching yourself? It’s a good skill to have—especially during an unexpected change, transition, or period of uncertainty. Through self-coaching, you can take control of your thoughts and actions. Coaching yourself can be a challenge due to biases and assumed constraints. However, by increasing your awareness of your thoughts and being…
Professional coaches know the importance of being skilled at coaching presence—being fully present. This fundamental and powerful skill can make or break a coach/client relationship. The International Coach Federation describes presence as the “ability to be fully conscious and create spontaneous relationship with the client, employing a style that is open, flexible, and confident.” Being…
It’s important to ensure that people who are about to receive coaching are set up for success. When using coaching as a development methodology, an experienced coach will take four steps to make sure the engagement has the best chance to achieve desired outcomes. Here’s what to look for in the coaching interactions you set…
Dear Madeleine, I am a marketing professional who manages a whole crew of kids—really. Age-wise, I could be the parent of each of these people. My team is tasked with providing movement and content across all of the social media platforms. We are very successful at what we do. Here is my problem: I feel…
Managing during stressful times can be very challenging. Most managers will experience major change several times throughout their career. This may include a company merger, downsizing, a new senior leadership team, or new job responsibilities. Managers must cope with their own emotions and uncertainties along with those of their direct reports. Wondering what people want…
I went out to my network and asked people what books, not about coaching, have made the biggest difference for them as a coach. I was surprised at how few responses I got on this particular question—because I have so many on my list. This possibly could be because I started coaching before there were…
Dear Madeleine, I am a young entrepreneur just getting off the ground with my own startup. I have been told by several people that I should have an advisory board. Can you tell me what that is, what would it do for me, and how I should go about creating one? Advice Needed Dear Advice…
I am often asked what books I would recommend for someone who is just starting on their coaching journey. Because I am always refining my list, I asked a select group of coaches their picks for the best books for coaches—books not only about coaching but also about leadership and coaching in organizations. Below is…
As I regularly partner with company sponsors, clients, and coaches from various cultures, I’ve realized that people from different country cultures and even organizational cultures can have different expectations of coaching. A client’s belief system and cultural perspective greatly impacts how they not only interact with their coach but also achieve goals. As a result,…
Ask anyone about their best boss and you will get a familiar list: My boss cared about me as a person My boss listened to me and helped me grow My boss was clear about what was expected and gave me feedback—even when it wasn’t pretty My boss was a person I respected and admired…