Coaching For Leaders

Everyone interacts with the world differently, but there are two broad ends of the spectrum that can help us understand how we see the world and how we can support those that we lead. In this episode, we'll look extensive at the judging-perceiving personality type preference and how appreciating both sides can help you to understand and lead others more effectively. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Are you a Chaos Muppet or an Order Muppet? Check out this article from Slate. Judging preference Organized Scheduled Planned Energized by planning Tips for leaders who prefer judging: Not everyone will have planned things out as well as you have Watch out for micromanagement You're going to need to be flexible with the real world How to lead those with a judging preference: Get them in the room when doing long-term planning and scheduling Coach them if they get too caught up in their planning Help people recognize when they need to be flexible Perceiving preference Spontane

We all make decision as leaders, but we don't all make decisions the same way. Our personalities influence what becomes important and prominent in our decision-making. In this episode, I explore the two dichotomies that help explain how we make decisions. Then, I discuss strategies leaders can use with folks who have preferences for each dichotomy in order to understand how we can make better decisions. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Thinking preference Analysis Objective Egalitarian Tips for leaders who prefer thinking: Watch out for over-analysis Listen to how people feel about the situation Know that you can't always be perfectly objective - consider the other side too How to lead those with a thinking preference: They are going to want data Coach them if they might appear cold to others Watch out for impact on one person Feeling preference Impact on people Values-based (my work - what inspires me) Individual considered Tips for leaders who prefer feeling: Spe

Everyone takes in information differently. Our personalities influence what we see and don't see. In this episode, I explore the two dichotomies that help explain how people take in information. Then, I discuss strategies leaders can use with folks who have preferences for each dichotomy in order to maximize the impact of what we take in and how we communicate that to others. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Sensing preference Tangible realities Concrete information from five senses Orientated towards present reality Real-life experience Take time to reach conclusions Need details to put together concepts and theories Experience Tips for leaders who prefer sensing: Tell people where you are going You can't ever collect it all Get help thinking about the future Watch out for missing the big picture How to lead those with a sensing preference: Talk about the here and now Give plenty of details up front and lead them through to the conclusion Reference how practical expe

Susan Cain: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Those of us who have a preference for introversion often are misunderstood by colleagues and organizations. In this episode, we explore how introverts can bring value to organizations and highlight the research of Susan Cain, author of the New York Times Bestseller, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can't Stop Talking. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Special Guest: Susan Cain I interview Susan on her New York Times Bestseller, Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Thank you to Stefan Schulz for liking our page on Facebook. If what you've heard on this week's show has been valuable to you or if you've benefited from past episodes, please leave us a review on iTunes. You can do this at coachingforleaders.com/itunes and then click "View in iTunes." We are very grateful for your feedback! Wherever you are in the world

While we all enjoy many aspects of our personality, most of us trend towards either extraversion or introversion in how we engage with the world. In this episode, Dave & Bonni Stachowiak discuss this dichotomy, how to lead those who have preferences in each area, and advice for your own leadership style. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Special Guest: Dr. Bonni Stachowiak How to lead those with an extraversion preference: Give them opportunities to communicate ideas and thoughts Help them use their preferences in sales interactions Recognize that they may become impatient with a slow pace, so give them indicators of movement, when possible Use feedback regularly How to lead if you have an extraversion preference: Take time to listen Ask others how they want to be led Avoid using "thinking out loud" as an excuse for not treating others well Give yourself "time outs" when you need them Recognize that venting does not actually live up to its reputation How to lead those with

Every leader will ultimately engage and develop people who have different personality preferences than they do. Too often, we lead others they way we would like to be led. In this episode, Bonni & Dave Stachowiak introduce the personality series and discuss ways that leaders can gain insight into the personalities of themselves and others. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Special Guest: Dr. Bonni Stachowiak Bonni and Dave both mentioned the book, Please Understand Me II by David Keirsey Get clear on your own personality first Journaling Books Space for quiet/thinking Coaching Feedback from others and development reports Assessments We tend to lead people the way that we like to be led - but often that's not the other party's preference. Personality isn't about good and bad or putting people into boxes - it's about preference There are a few models: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and DiSC are the most popular They are both widely accepted models They both have fans and

For better or worse, Microsoft PowerPoint has become our default method of framing much of what we present visually to others. While PowerPoint brings many advantages to presenters, it can also serve as a crutch when we don't utilize it well to enhance our presentations. In this episode, I discuss some of the common failures leaders make with PowerPoint and a many of tips you can put into practice immediately in order to enhance the use of PowerPoint (or any other visual medium) in your presentations to others. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback I mentioned early in the show that there is a wonderful, stand-up comedy bit from Don McMillan that captures much of what is wrong with how we use PowerPoint. Here's the video: Rule #1 - The best PowerPoint is one you don't need. Be sure that PowerPoint adds value to the presentation - if it doesn't, drop it. Susan Cain's TED talk is a wonderful example of a fantastic presentation that didn't need (and doesn't use) PowerPoint. Talk to the aud

There are few people who are better examples of getting noticed in a noisy world than Michael Hyatt. Michael is the voice behind MichaelHyatt.com and his blog attracts more than 300,000 unique readers each month. He joins me on today's episode to discuss his book Platform: Get Noticed In a Noisy World. If you have something to say or sell in today's marketplace, this is a must listen for you. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback I interview Michael Hyatt on this episode. You can purchase his new book Platform: Get Noticed In a Noisy World at http://platformbook.com Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Community News I mentioned on today's show that I have additional resources and notes on what I am reading on my Twitter account. My Twitter ID is @DaveStachowiak Be sure to check out The Five Biggest Mistakes CEOs Make in Speaking by Ben Decker. This is a great read and aligns beautifully with our series, regardless if you are a CEO or not. A special thank you to George Bell and St

The content of your presentation is always going to be most important, but how you deliver your message to the audience is a close second. In this episode, I examine 5 fundamentals that if you can use successfully, will help you to get your message across with more confidence and effectiveness. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback The five fundamental to deliver a presentation with power can be easily remembered with this acronym: Smile Hand gestures Eye contact Enthusiasm Posture Be certain that you check out our QuickCoach videos which will give you a visual overview of how to deliver a presentation effectively. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Community News Next week on episode #40, I am going to welcome Michael Hyatt, bestselling author of the new book, Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World. Michael is one of the most popular bloggers on the internet and is the former CEO of Thomas Nelson Publishers. What do you want to know from Michael? Leave your feedback usi

Some people have heard that myth that how you look is more important than what you say. In this episode, I address this myth, describe in detail why what you say is the most important part of your presentation, and give practical advice for how to assemble presentation content. You can build a good presentation, even if you don't feel that you have professional delivery skills. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback I begin this episode by speaking about the often misunderstood study from Dr. Albert Mehrabian that is often cited as evidence by those who claim that how you say something is more important that what you say. Olivia Mitchell from Speaking About Presenting has an excellent article that addresses this issue head on. In addition, this video provides great perspective: The bottom line? What you say is far more important than how you say it. "Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication." -Leonardo da Vinci Article I published last week: How One Key Question Gets Audience Results "

Leaders need to be able to speak confidently, clearly, and concisely to others - yet surveys show that at least 10% of the US population fears public speaking more than death. Even if that isn't true for you, chances are that you might not be as effective or confident as a speaker as you would like to be. In this new series, we'll look at what you can do as a leader to both speak and present more effectively, and help coach others to do this too. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback I started off this episode by talking about how I used to HATE public speaking and feared any speech...for days in advance. My trouble started in third grade and followed me well through college. I describe what I did to overcome these challenges and outlined three steps below that I know will be helpful to you as well. 1) Get in front of people! I looked for every opportunity to speak when I went to events I volunteered to help out at work in giving recognition to others You could also reach out to chariti

We turn our final episode of our training series to what every leader ought to know about sending people to training. Since episode #30, we've learned about many aspects of training, so this week we turn our focus to what you should know (and do) when sending people to training. I welcome Janet Riley, a gifted trainer and consultant, to help explore this topic. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Janet's extensive career in the learning and development industry has provided her thousands of hours in experience training leaders around the world, most recently with the David Allen Company. She provides important and practical wisdom for all leaders. Here's what I asked her: When is training a good way to develop someone? When is training the wrong answer? What are three things leaders can do before training to support people changing behaviors? What are some of the different attitudes people show up with in a training classroom - and how can a leader respond to each of these? What

Aaron Kent: Dale Carnegie In the opening of this episode, I mentioned the book Soar With Your Strengths, which I recommend. This week, I welcome a dear friend and business partner as my guest. Aaron Kent is the President & CEO of Dale Carnegie of Southern Los Angeles. I asked Aaron the following questions during our interview: What are some common misconceptions leaders have about training companies? How would a leader know its the right time to consider bringing in an outside resource like Dale Carnegie? What should leaders do to prepare for a first meeting with a company like Dale Carnegie? How does Dale Carnegie approach a first meeting (i.e. what can leaders expect?) In your experience, what do leaders who have great success with training do differently than those who have mediocre success? What's one thing that leaders don't do when hiring you that you wish they did? Since this show is about engaging and developing others with coaching, who is a leader that's been an effective coach for y

The term "learning objectives" might not show up in our everyday conversations, but it's an important tool for leaders to use in order to develop others. In this episode, we'll explain what a learning objective is, how to create an effective one, and how to use it in order to create results. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback I welcome back my favorite guest, Bonni Stachowiak! Instructional design most often starts with creating learning objectives. Most people start-and-finish with topics, but they are not specific enough and can lead to a lack of alignment on expectations. For example, the expectation to "know how to use Microsoft Word". Most people only use 2% of features of a Word Processor. One person's idea of "knowing" Word can be quite different than another's. Another example, "Understand how the economy effects small businesses in the US". How would I know if someone "understood" that or not? It isn't about topics! "The critical question, therefore, is not what topics to

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni Stachowiak is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, a professor of business and management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, Bonni was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. She joins me monthly to respond to listener questions. Be sure to align with the organization's mission, vision, and goals: Requires that you have at least a basic understanding of strategy (long-term planning). There are many approaches to strategy. A good person to know about in the area of creating competitive advantage is Michael Porter. Steps to needs analysis: Determine the problem(s) by finding a key business lever that will make a big impact on the organization if it gets fixed/improved. People pay more attention to fixing problems than they do to making improvements. Affirm that the problem really is the problem (work with stakeholders to see if there is consensus on the key prob

Whether you have access to many training resources or none at all, there is a lot you can do as a leader to train others. In this episode, we'll examine 5 effective ways you can train the people you lead. Prepare Estimate how much time you will need in advance - then double it. If you fail to block enough time, either you will sell the person short by rushing, or you will impact other business operations by taking more time than planned. Be realistic with how long things will take. Coach the rest of the team and remind them that access to you when you are conducing on-the-job training will be more limited. Be sure to consider the organizational outcome you want to have come out of the new skill or behavior you are working on. It's not enough just to get the other party good at actions - they need to understand how these actions fit into the big picture. Demonstrate You'll want to fully demonstrate what it is that you want the other party to do. Suggest that the other person watch and observer -

Whether you have access to many training resources or none at all, there is a lot you can do as a leader to train others. In this episode, we'll examine 5 effective ways you can train the people you lead. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback 1. Hold a Class This is a great tool when lots of people need to learn something at the same time Ask yourself, "What do I want people walking out of this room doing differently?" Focus on the objectives instead of the logistics 2. On-the-Job Training This is helpful when the learning lends itself to this, there are less resources or time available, or if there is a very small number of people involved A lot of organizations talk about on-the-job training, but few really do it Be clear on what you want the person to learn during an established time period and design for that 3. Role-Playing This is helpful when teaching something that requires a lot of human interaction and thinking on your feet. Your steps: demonstrate - practice - co

Leaders often look to training activities in order to develop people. Training is a wonderful tool for growth, if used correctly. Unfortunately, some very common mistakes are often made. This week, Dave looks at six common mistakes leaders will want to avoid as we being a new series on training others. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Six Mistakes Leaders Make Sending People to Training 1. Not willing to participate yourself 2. Using a training class to give feedback 3. Doing nothing to be flexible during training 4. Sending one person to training and having them come back to train everyone else 5. Failing to provide practical application opportunities 6. Going silent Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback If what you've heard on this week's show has been valuable to you or if you've benefited from past episodes, please leave us a review on iTunes. You can do this at coachingforleaders.com/itunes and then click "View in iTunes." We are very grateful for your feedback! Commun

Multitasking is talked about lots, but rarely understood. In this week's episode, Dave welcomes back Bonni Stachowiak to talk about multitasking, both personally and professionally, and what to keep in mind when leading others. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Interview with Dr. Bonni Stachowiak Bonni recommends the book The Myth of Multitasking by Dave Crenshaw as a reference tool for leaders. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback A brief comment from David via email, "I did just finish reading How to Win Friends and Influence People." I cannot believe that I never took the time to read this before. Basic principles, period. We have lost so much as a society. Much of it is common courtesy. The direct connect phones that beep and then your voice transmits are one of the prime offenders. They seem to make it okay to just beep and interrupt a conversation. And the owners always just top and respond. Sorry, digression. Steve Jobs seemed to break most of the principles Mr. Carne

Get Out of People's Way to Drive Productivity is the topic of this week's show. In episode #27, we looked at what we can do in order to coach others to be productive. Now, we're turning the focus on ourselves as leaders to examine what we might be going to get in the way of people's productivity. Community Feedback CoachingforLeaders.com/feedback Move to Outcome Based Meetings "Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion." - Cyril Parkinson Two Warning Signs: You can't figure out what to talk about. You're doing a data dump. What would awful thing would happen if we didn't meet today? Am I clear on what outcomes I want to have come out of this meeting? Move to outcome based meetings vs. schedule based meetings. You should have: Stated outcome Clear agenda Action items Align working environments with people Fortune Magazine says that drop-ins are the #1 productivity killer in offices Be conscious of how and where people like to work Put people on teams? By all means, assuming t