Wednesday Coaching Tip

Leadership isn’t just about what you do for others; it’s also about managing your responsibilities. It’s a lot, and you’re not alone in feeling it! Supporting others starts with supporting yourself—but what if the work you are responsible for can’t be delegated? Consider Rachael, juggling an overflowing list of responsibilities that only she could manage, all while supporting a team that needed her guidance. She felt stuck, but she found a way through by taking a few key step

Even if you’re not from the Midwest, you may be familiar with the term “Minnesota nice.” It’s a phrase that implies polite friendliness and an aversion to open confrontation. To be nice is about people pleasing in service of being liked. So, what’s the difference between being nice and being kind? Being kind is behavior that’s thoughtful, caring, and considerate, but also strong, confident, and self-caring,” says Dr. Marcia Sirota, a psychiatrist and author of “Be Kind, Not N

Recently, I found myself at a crossroads while attending a conference. Hurricane Helena was hitting the U.S., and travel disruptions were inevitable. I faced a tough choice: Should I stay for Day 2 and risk getting stranded at the airport, or forfeit my airline ticket and catch a ride home with a friend, Ann Wright, who was leaving early to avoid the storm? The decision wasn’t easy. I wanted to stay, and I didn’t want to lose the value of my airline ticket, but the thought of

Hi all, Coach Lauren here! We’re just a few weeks away from November, and November and Thanksgiving bring some well-deserved attention to gratitude practices and today I wanted to share one of mine: thank you letters. I’m fortunate to have had great parents who taught me the value of writing thank you letters. After every birthday I had less than a week to get all my thank you’s written and mailed. Admittedly as a kid this felt like a chore, but in adulthood I can definitely

Hello friends, We are doing our Wednesday Coaching Tips a bit different today. We asked three of our Coaches to answer this question: “What are 10 Ideas to bring energy into your life?” Read the 30 ideas they list below then add your favorite to make it a magical 31! Use these ideas to make it a great start to your 4th Quarter of 2024! From Coach Dorene Listen to an uplifting podcast. My favorites: Mindset Mentor- when I need a mental boost, Mel Robbins – when I need ideas, a

Do you find yourself trying to do more with less? Is it challenging to find a healthy work/life balance? Can you manage to do all the things while also carving time out for self-care? And is it really possible to juggle it all? And, even if we could, should we? A lot of us try to be hyper-productive and we work harder and faster than ever before. We rely on our “surge-capacity” to sustain us for the long-haul. Many of us also subscribe to the idea that staying busy means we’r

As a professional coach, I often help people through the personal challenges of their work situations. These challenges can be emotionally charged, which is natural when something important to us isn’t going well. One client shared that she drove home from work crying daily and would get physically ill on Sunday evenings, knowing she had to face work on Monday. Her anxiety was significant. It quickly became clear that her job was taking an emotional, mental, and physical toll

Storytime: the idea of “self-care” used to stress me out. I already had a massive to-do list, and now people were telling me I need to add tasks such as “do a face mask”, “take a bath”, etc. on top of everything else, otherwise I’m not apparently not taking care of myself or making myself a priority. The whole thing felt extremely counter-productive, and in my mind, “self-care” was this big production of an event. You want me to take care of myself by adding more to my plate?

Have you ever felt like your ideas are constantly overlooked at work? Do you sometimes wonder why your suggestions don’t resonate with your team, even though you’re confident in their potential? If so, you’re not alone. Lily worked as a project manager at a fast-paced marketing firm. She was creative, driven, and always full of ideas, but there was a problem—her coworkers rarely seemed to appreciate her contributions. Whenever she pitched an idea in meetings, it felt like her

In recent years, the significance of storytelling in communication has been increasingly recognized. Courses, books, and expert mentors abound, all focused on helping individuals refine their personal narratives. We acknowledge the power of storytelling when it comes to communicating with others, yet often neglect the most crucial stories of all—the ones we tell ourselves. Recently, I had a conversation with a young woman about the challenges of being a working mom. She share

If I ask “What does it mean to be resilient?”, what picture comes up for you? For me it is someone in a boxing match who just took a hit, and yet they get back up. They clearly have some sense of resilience since they got back up. But what, actually, does it mean to be resilient? A few years ago I learned there are different types of resilience, and I found it helpful to break this down. In the case of the boxer who just got back up after taking a hit: Physical resilience: th

I have spent as much time as I can this summer with family and friends. That was not easy, considering I broke my foot and was wearing a boot for the first six weeks of summer. I am now making the most of the next six weeks. My daughter is home from college after her freshman year. I realize I may not get too many more summers with her, so I want to enjoy every moment. We have spent time traveling, shopping, and eating! What about your summer plans? Are you being purposeful t

I was having a conversation with a new acquaintance who was recently promoted to a leadership role in the company. While excited, they also expressed feelings of self-doubt, citing a lack of experience in the new position. I shared a few perspectives with her and thought I’d offer them here as well! Potential over perfection Nobody knows it all Stories we tell ourselves Potential over Perfection When interviewing for a job, the focus is often on skills, background, and experi

In today's society, disagreements are increasingly common, extending into the workplace where differing approaches, styles, or opinions are to be expected. How we handle these disagreements significantly impacts our well-being and influences those around us, including coworkers and children. The other day, a client and I were having a conversation about her boss, who was taking credit for a project her team worked on. She was feeling very angry and resentful. She was ready to

The Ladder of Inference is a helpful tool that explains how we move from data toward action. This process often happens quickly, almost as if it is second nature. Candidly speaking, though, sometimes it can lead us down the wrong path. Our brains like to work efficiently, and they tend to default toward the most familiar path (even if that path is unhelpful), and this process is no exception. This tool is a helpful visual tool for breaking this pattern and building awareness