When your coaching client gives back in spades
<704 words> We’re 17 days into the new year and I’ve had more things go wrong in this short time than I care to speak about, in case I fall into the trap of thinking like a victim. I travelled into the city the other day to meet a client: She’s in a senior leadership…
Networking and Business Cards
<1073 words> MUST DO NETWORKING When you start out as an entrepreneur and you get caught up in all the ‘must do’ things like blogging, creating a list, networking, writing a book…it may be daunting; it may be exciting. Whichever way it is/was for you, it’s pretty likely that you attended more than one networking…
TENACITY AND RESILIENCE
<658 words> I have a sideways pear tree in my backyard. It fell over some years ago before I moved here, so I don’t know what happened. But, by the time I moved in, it had developed a very different stance from what one normally expects of a pear tree. The main trunk, about 20 feet…
Being a mother-in-law is no joke
“Mother-in-law” – The most maligned role in our society. Does any little girl ever dream of becoming a mother-in-law? When you were pregnant with your baby (who is now your adult offspring who is married), were you eagerly anticipating becoming a mother-in-law? If you answered ‘Yes’ to either of these questions I’d love to know how…
Alyce doesn’t live here anymore
<1340 words> Alyce fell in her basement a couple of months ago. She banged the back of her head quite hard but came away without any major injuries. There were some long-term effects though. Alyce, who has been living alone on her farm since her husband died about fifteen years ago, had become nervous about staying…
CUTTING BACK ON BIG HAIRY AUDACIOUS GOALS
<1211 words> Ambition Many years ago, when I was working with my first ever coaching client, I saw in real life the power of sensible vs. audacious goal setting. The client was the plant manager in a manufacturing concern, part of a global conglomerate. He was thrilled at his recent promotion – a skilled and experienced…
When Faltering Happens
<1312 words> Faltering can happen any time, no matter how well prepared you are and how experienced and skilled and everything. No doubt faltering has many causes but to my mind, when emotions simply will not remain in the back row of a command performance, the prospects of faltering happening significantly increases. “I was struck with…
My Story of an African Farm
<1156 words> Apparently it was necessary for me to have a crazy dream of registering for a farmers’ expo here in Nova Scotia. The rule was that if you could register a VOF (Very Old Farm) you somehow could claim senior status. I thought I might use my grandfather’s farm outside Mafikeng in South Africa –…
Conflict Management Starts with Self
<1609 words> Recipe for Conflict A minimum of two people and an issue on which they disagree. Add to the recipe the factors that the people each bring into the relationship: Values, Culture & Triggers Our values are what we judge to be important in life: our personal principles. The rules we live by. They…
RESPECT & CURIOSITY: On Elephants and Others
<1281 words> I have a great deal of respect for wild elephants and am careful to show that respect by backing out of their way when they come walking down the road towards my car. I believe I’ve learned a thing or two about elephant culture in my multiple trips to various game reserves across Africa…