Posts Tagged ‘success’

Take Time to Appreciate

Author: Diane Hamilton, Date: 3/28/2013

Snowstorms…spring thaw…freezing rain. Huge fluctuations in weather are quite common in the Midwest. If you’ve lived or traveled in this area you are well accustomed to it.

What struck me during a recent cold spell is how easy it is for some people to focus on the negative instead of appreciating what’s in front of them. The robins are back—scratching for food through what remains of the winter snow. The crocuses and daffodils are poking their way out of the still frozen ground. Yet, what I’ve heard from a lot of people is the negative reaction to our slow turning spring (i.e., “I’m SO sick of winter”). While this is understandable as temperatures remain chilly, it prevents people from appreciating what is around them and recognizing the beauty that is at hand.

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How to Measure Results in Coaching

Author: Paul Dillenburg, Date: 2/14/2013

Executive and leadership coaching has become increasingly popular for companies interested in developing and keeping key organizational talent. While the number of coaches in the market has increased, we have noticed that few provide potential clients with a model for measuring success. This isn’t surprising because much of what a coach works with a client on are some of the more intangible aspects of work (e.g., leading others, team effectiveness, communication style, etc.). Though intangibles may be difficult to quantify, our background and experience as evaluation and assessment practitioners, led us to develop a model for measuring success based on 5 key factors:

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Definition of Success

Author: Diane Hamilton, Date: 6/22/2012

The 2012 graduation season is coming to a close. We had more ceremonies and parties this year than most; so, I’ve had my share of commencement addresses and graduation cake.

Of the events I attended, there was one address that I thought was particularly moving. The young man, selected by his class, did a great job intertwining humor with wisdom; stories from the past with well wishes for the future. Now this speech wasn’t so different than others in terms of message. It included themes about hopes and dreams; celebrating the past while looking forward; and, current friends and those yet to be made. I was impressed, however, with how the speaker engaged the audience…a great job for an 18 year old.

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When Reflecting, Focus on the Positive

Author: Diane Hamilton, Date: 12/29/2011

“You’ve done it before and you can do it now. See the positive possibilities. Redirect the substantial energy of your frustration and turn it into positive, effective, unstoppable determination.”
–Ralph Marston

This is the time of year when it is common to reflect back on the year that was. We examine our personal and professional lives…we look at our relationships and friendships…we pause to take stock of what we’ve accomplished and what remains.

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Set Yourself Up for Success

Author: Paul Dillenburg, Date: 3/8/2011

If you’ve read our blog in the past, you’ll notice we spend quite a bit of time updating ourselves on the latest business books. Each year I set a goal to read one or two leadership/management books a month to keep up-to-date. One of my personal foibles is that my interest in a book wanes about halfway through. It may take me 3 days to get halfway through a book but another 3-4 weeks to complete it. Since I’m a stickler for deadlines, I tried setting self-imposed dates for completing a book – no luck. It continued to take me longer and longer to finish reading the books I started.

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A Story…And a Leadership Lesson

Author: Diane Hamilton, Date: 2/22/2011

Leadership lessons are all around us…if we observe, listen and learn. Sometimes we learn from successes; sometimes missteps teach us the most.

The Story

My friend (a mid-level manager) was talking with his boss (the organization’s General Manager) about some accomplishments in his department. My friend was pleased with results from the previous month and he talked about how he praised his staff (giving credit for) the wins. The GM then “coached” my friend (his manager) by saying, “Haven’t I taught you anything. As the boss you get to keep the credit and place the blame.”

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Curves In The Path

Author: Paul Dillenburg, Date: 9/27/2010

During my interactions with our clients, I often have the opportunity to ask individuals about their career paths. I enjoy hearing how successful people get to where they are today. Very rarely are the paths leaders take to a straight line to the top. Often there is an event or person, or multiple events and multiple people that throw a curve in the path. It’s often these curves that provide the most insight and direction for the leaders.

Think about your own path. When you were a young adult, what was your plan for your career? Who were the people and what were the events that provided curves in the path? What did you learn from the curves?

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