Tag Archives: Demp Coaching

Friendship Consists of a Willing Ear

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“Friendship consists of a willing ear, an understanding heart, and a helping hand.”

—Frank Tyger, American Cartoonist and columnist

Image of four men sitting on the edge of a mountaintop

Image from Unsplash by Matheus Ferrero

During my signature Personal Excellence Training program, new clients identify the most valued and important professional and personal relationships they intend to enhance through our coaching efforts.

When it comes to deep and meaningful friendships, I notice my male clients have fewer than my female clients. Yet men and women alike say they have a sense of diminished fulfillment, in terms of friendships, than they had at earlier points in their lives.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “To have a friend we must be a friend.”

EXERCISE:

With whom can you make an extra effort to offer a willing ear, an understanding heart, or a helpful hand, to realize more of the close and caring friendships you desire?

Character is a Diamond

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“Character is a diamond that scratches every other stone.”

—Cyrus A. Bartol, 19th Century Theologian

Image of cut diamond

Image from huffingtonpost

Diamonds are one of the hardest substances on earth, and will be here far longer than most other stones, which erode over time.

Character, or one’s personality traits, are the foundation for the strengths we attribute to others and ourselves as we operate within our personal and professional communities.

EXERCISE:

Rate yourself from one (low) to ten (high) on the personality traits that comprise your character:

Attitude Enthusiasm Ethics
Goal Orientation Listening Persistence
Self-Awareness Confidence Discipline
Adaptability Trustworthiness Responsibility

What actions can and will you take to strengthen your character to develop the solid reputation you desire?

 

preventative maintenance

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“Whoever said, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,’ probably never heard of preventative maintenance.”

—Steve Kasper, retired Canadian Hockey Player

Image of a Honda Acura

Image from HondaReference.com

My primary mode of transportation is a 2005 silver Acura TL. I am pleased and proud to tell you it now has over 204,000 miles on it, and is still going strong.

A key reason for this automotive longevity is the yellow maintenance light which prompts me to immediately schedule routine preventative repairs to keep it running optimally.

EXERCISE:

Where are things breaking or beginning to show considerable wear in your world? Where would a preventative maintenance approach keep your world operating on all cylinders well into the future?

Friday Review Competition

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FRIDAY REVIEW: COMPETITION

How do you view and deal with competition? Here are a few competition-related posts you may have missed.

 

“If a man does his best, what else is there?”

 

 

 

 

“If you wish to be out front, act as if you were behind.”

 

 

 

 

 

“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.”

 

 

 

 

Stay in Business

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“I do not believe you can do today’s job with yesterday’s methods and be in business tomorrow.”

—Horatio Nelson Jackson, 20th Century American physician and automobile pioneer

The word “agile” is often used in the software development and project management arenas. Today’s quote points to the need for agile strategies for career development and advancement.

In their 2009 book, Agile Career Development, three IBM human resources innovators show how they support initiatives that benefit the individual as well as the organization.

Critical to this work is the need for adaptability, flexibility, and the ability to change in the marketplace to meet the needs of today’s clients and those in the future.

EXERCISE:

Regardless of whether you work for a multi-billion dollar enterprise, work for yourself, or are somewhere in between, how can you better take an agile approach to your own job and career development to remain in business tomorrow and for years to come?

 

Don’t Argue Your Path

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“Don’t argue your path with other people. Walk it.”

—The Lazy Yogi

Meme of today's quote

Check out this cornucopia of statements that may help reduce arguments and improve your worlds:

  • Actions speak louder than words.
  • Walk your talk.
  • I don’t trust words. I trust action.
  • Let your success make the noise.
  • Don’t tell people your dreams. Show them.
  • Practice what you preach, or change your speech.
  • The world is changed by your example, not your opinion.
  • Characterize people by their actions, and you’ll never be fooled by their words.
  • People lie. Actions don’t.
  • What you do speaks so loudly I can hardly hear what you are saying.
  • Good words won’t cover up ugly actions.

EXERCISE:

Select at least one of the statements from this list and display it in your professional and personal space, where you will see it throughout the day.

Please let me know which you selected, and how it impacted your day.

The World Must Learn to Work Together

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“The world must learn to work together, or finally it will not work at all.”

—Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States

Image of a team

Image from OD4pic

As part of my preliminary discover process, two of the questions I use to determine the potential value of a coaching relationship are:

  1. What is working and going well in your personal and professional life?
  2. What is not working or going as you wish in your personal and professional life?

Based on the answers provided, a customized coaching relationship can be used to support going from good to great, or from not good to substantially better.

Perhaps no single factor impacts these areas more than the ability to create mutually trusting relationships and work toward common objectives.

EXERCISE:

Given the state of the world and specifically your worlds, what efforts and actions can and will you take to work more effectively and successfully with others?

keep stillness inside you

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“In the midst of movement and chaos, keep stillness inside you.”

—Deepak Chopra, Indian-American New Age Author/Speaker

meme of today's quote

Image from QuoteFancy

What is your current level of stress? How fast is your world moving? How much chaos do you experience in your personal and professional communities?

What strategies do you use to slow things down to find greater calm, and the peace of mind we all seek?

Sadly, the weekend to rest or that vacation we so desperately need to recharge may be days, weeks, even months away.

What can you do at this very moment to keep a source of stillness inside you, to call up and use at a moment’s notice?

EXERCISE:

Check out these links to add new or alternative strategies to your repertoire:

10 Steps to Keep Calm and Carry On

40 ways to achieve peace of mind and inner calm

 

Friday Review: Vision

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FRIDAY REVIEW: VISION

What new worlds can emerge as you utilize the power of your vision? Here are a few vision-related posts you may have missed.

 

“Who looks outside dreams; who looks inside awakens.”

 

 

 

 

 

“Only dead fish swim with the stream all the time.”

 

 

 

 

“What we see when watching others depends on the clarity of the window through which we look.”

 

 

 

The Best Speech You’ll Ever Regret

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“Speak when you are angry and you’ll make the best speech you’ll ever regret.”

—Ambrose Bierce, 18th Century American Writer and Civil War Soldier

Image of 2 men screaming at each other

Image from Flickr by Sid

When was the last time you lost your temper and really let someone have it? Perhaps you even rehearsed your speech and shared your seemingly justified attack articulately with equally practiced volume and gestures.

What happened after the initial “feel better” burst of adrenaline and getting things off your chest?

If you are like many, you may have experienced considerable fallout, and repercussions much like the aftershocks of an earthquake.

EXERCISE:

Where would counting to ten or a hundred, or simply holding your tongue more frequently, dramatically reduce the number of regretful interactions you experience?