“Wow thanks, we will certainly make good use of this tool.
Your workshop was the best. I left it knowing what to do! Finally! Most valuable workshop I have been to in years.”
RN – Clinical Nurse Educator ICU

I really appreciate your time and talent as shared with the group on Friday at Saddleback Memorial. I think you are a “fire starter” and lit many fires on that day. I feel very motivated to use the techniques. They were so practical and interesting to learn. I actually put my “plan” into place over the weekend. I KNOW I will need to put the coaching techniques in place to make it happen. Thank you so much.” RN, Program Manager Professional Development

I wanted to thank you for the workshop you gave yesterday at Redlands Community Hospital. You provided great information and in a wonderful way. RN, BSN, Clinical Staff Educator

“I wasn’t real excited about coming at first, but what I found was very exciting and very useful information and skills that I could apply right now. I am so glad I came.”

“Thank You!  The best workshop in years!”

“Great class! I left with tools & suggestions on how to encourage employees and improve the work environment. Learning to ask powerful questions was my biggest take away. Thank you Anita!”

“I really enjoyed using specific real-life incidents when discussing coaching techniques. It made the class more relevant.”

SELF CONFIDENCE:  Confidence is defined as “freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities”  A lack of confidence is destructive to your energy and abilities.  If others perceive your lack of confidence this further feeds your own self doubt. Be aware of your internal critic and silence your negative self talk. It only serves to derail your confidence and success. In a future blog entry , I will discuss how to build self confidence.

LACK OF KNOWLEDGE:  Sometimes our insecurities are knowledge related or experienced based.  If it’s knowledge you lack, take specific action.  Taking classes, networking with experts and reading related books can help.  And, there is only one way to get experience. As NIKE would say, “Just Do IT!  At one time or another we all do something for the first time.  Once you have that initial experience behind you, your confidence and knowledge begin to rise quickly.

PERFECTIONISM:  Being perfect and knowing everything is not realistic, although many people strive towards it.  In leadership and business it is critical to be able to roll with the changes and be flexible.  Trying to be perfect can freeze your ability to make decisions and take action.   Striving for perfection can also serve to reduce our self confidence when it’s not achieved.

The bottom line is nobody knows “everything” about anything and at some point we all “fake it till we make it” to some extent.  The only way we learn is to step out of our comfort zone and try something new.

In coaching, one of the big moments we strive for is when our clients have a realization, reach a conclusion, or experience a shift in thinking.  We call it an “aha” moment.  Well, little did I know that I would have an “aha” moment training these nurses on coaching skills!

One of the activities in the workshop was to write down real- life coachable moments they had experienced in the workplace with an employee or a situation when they could have used some coaching for themselves.  Well, to my surprise, their issues resembled those of managers from every other industry I’ve worked with. Approaching employees on difficult topics, dealing with conflict, resistance to change and performance issues and accountability were a few of the common threads.

I came to understand that no matter what the industry is, people are just people.  We all have the same basic needs: to be listened to, respected and supported when necessary.  Industry specific background and knowledge can be helpful in building rapport and confidence, but ultimately it’s our human experience that counts.

Last night I watched the pairs skating / short program.  It was fantastic: the spins and the jumps and the amazing synchronicity of the couples. What really fascinated me was how when a skater would fall during the competition, the couple would press on – seemingly unfazed.  What a great lesson in focus, attitude and perseverance.  It’s that “never give up” attitude that drives people to success – whether it’s business or personal.  I think we could all you a little of that.

So what’s your favorite event?

Why do you love it?

And what key leadership traits do you see in your Olympic Super Star?

I’d love to hear your comments!

• Our Customer Service scores are down, we need training.
  The employees aren’t getting along, we need a teambuilding program.
• Turnover is out of control.  It must be because Joe is a bad manager. Let’s fire him.
• Employee morale is low.  Let’s have a employee appreciation party.

It never ceases to amaze me how quick organizations are to self diagnose and prescribe a quick-fix remedy.  The question is, are they using a band-aid strategy to prevent the spread of a cancer like problem?   Are they treating the root cause or just addressing the symptom?   When you go to the doctor with a pain in your chest, do they immediately give you medicine for a heart problem?   Or, do they quickly conclude it’s just heart burn and send you home with Pepcid AC?   Absolutely not.   They run tests and collect information before prescribing a course of action.   It would be reckless and dangerous to rush to a false judgment.

As leaders, shouldn’t we take the same approach?  In order to really address an organizational issue or management concern, we need to dig down and get a more complete picture of the situation. There are variety resources and tools available for doing this. Focus groups, survey instruments and individual “one on one” conversations are all great options for exploration and discovery.   Bringing in an outside person with a neutral perspective is also useful from a variety of stand points. Employees and managers feel more comfortable to disclose information and it allows you as the leader to be the recipient of the information vs. the “investigator, interrogator or disciplinarian”.  Once you have all the facts in front of you, it is much easier to target and address the core issue. The process may take a bit more time, but the end result will be more effective and sustainable.

It’s time to throw away the band-aids, cure what ails you and get back to business!

Thank you for reading,

Anita