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June 30th, 2008
Someone recently gave me a book about Eddie Feigner, who is known as the “King,” from the famous softball team, “The King and His Court.” Feigner was a great athlete, and his “Court” consisted of him as pitcher, and only 4 other players. They would consistently beat full teams of players and were quite entertaining in the process.
The book was not particularly well-written, and yet, for me, something about it was very emotional. This is the story of a boy who was given up for adoption at birth, and who struggled to make ends meet throughout his entire life. Ironically, he was at the top of his profession, but compared to baseball and other sports, fast-pitch softball wasn’t really recognized as equal to the others, and so, he received very little notoriety, even after he mastered his gift.
So in reading his story, it occurred to me that life’s masters are not just those who earn a great deal of money or recognition. And probably more often than not, they themselves don’t even recognize their full achievement and impact on others.
I saw the King and His Court in the 90’s. Eddie was in his 70’s, I think, and obviously past his prime. However, he still threw the ball nearly 100 miles per hour, and blew away all those who tried to hit against him. Eddie passed away a few years ago, leaving records that will probably remain unsurpassed. But most important to me was that he left me with the memory of someone who walked the talk and excelled in greatness. He didn’t just pitch. He was THE pitcher.
So whatever you do, do it with all you have, and regardless of what the masses think, let your actions be your success. Rest peacefully, Eddie.
Tags: achievement, actions, become a coach, coach, coach training, excellence, life passion, motivation, self realization, self-improvement, success
Posted in Books, Coaching and Coach Training, Current Affairs, Law of Being, Life Potentials
3 Comments »
June 25th, 2008
There are many differences between a parent armed with coaching skills vs. one who’s not. I’ll focus on three for now.
1) Parents who know how to coach can communicate clearly with their children, that is, they can make sure that everyone is totally clear about what is being discussed, and what actions each person will take. Good communication skills also help parents avoid the “What did you do in school today?” – “Nothing” conversations so typical in many households.
2) Parents can coach children through the disciplinary process, getting a buy-in on being responsible for their actions. Then, if the child breaks the agreed upon rules, parents can OBJECTIVELY respond, instead of emotionally react. This takes a lot of skill, but parents who learn the iPEC coaching process, even if it’s only from our initial Life Potentials Training, are well-equipped to be seen as the people responsible for enforcing an agreement, instead of being seen as parents who don’t care, are mean, and are policing their children.
3) A third benefit of learning how to coach would be to help older children (at any age), develop strong plans for college, business, relationships, finance, and more. Coaching works well in families that do it well, and the results are extraordinary. Nothing brings parents a greater level of satisfaction than helping their children create plans that lead to success. And by doing it with the coach approach, those plans have more chance for success than with any other approach.
Again, that’s just three examples of many about why it’s beneficial for parents to develop not only coaching skills, but a coaching frame of mind.
Tags: become a coach, child guidance, children, coach, coach training, communication, communication skills, family, family dynamics, mentor, parent
Posted in Coaching and Coach Training, Law of Being, Life Potentials, Training Programs
5 Comments »
June 16th, 2008
Getting engaged, lately?
I’ve found that one of the biggest challenges to most people’s level of enjoyment on the job or in a relationship is whether or not they are fully engaged in what they are doing. So many people are just going through the motions, particularly at work, to the point that they are in a state of "have to" instead of "want to." The result? A disconnection between who they are and what they do.
Disengagement from any aspect of life causes stress, at best, or at the extreme, apathy. This challenge is so prevalent that many studies cite disengagement at work as THE top block to productivity and the main cause for attrition.
So how do you get engaged? Well, for starters, I’ve always found that my clients felt more engaged when they knew that their contribution was appreciated and meant something. Instead of guessing, I’ve requested that people actually ask how they are doing. Few people offer accolades without prompting, and unfortunately, instead of this, most people are quicker to focus on and point out what’s wrong. So if you don’t ask, you may never get what you are looking for to feel valued and know what you are doing matters.
That said, ultimately, you value doesn’t need to be given to you by others. Recognize that whatever you do is your choice, and how you do it is also your choice. Give fully on the job, and at home, and you’ll be able to pat yourself on the back and feel great about your contribution.
Tags: become a coach, leadership, life coaching, workforce engagement
Posted in Coaching and Coach Training, Energy Leadership, Life Potentials
No Comments »
June 16th, 2008
Getting engaged, lately?
I’ve found that one of the biggest challenges to most people’s level of enjoyment on the job or in a relationship is whether or not they are fully engaged in what they are doing. So many people are just going through the motions, particularly at work, to the point that they are in a state of "have to" instead of "want to." The result? A disconnection between who they are and what they do.
Disengagement from any aspect of life causes stress, at best, or at the extreme, apathy. This challenge is so prevalent that many studies cite disengagement at work as THE top block to productivity and the main cause for attrition.
So how do you get engaged? Well, for starters, I’ve always found that my clients felt more engaged when they knew that their contribution was appreciated and meant something. Instead of guessing, I’ve requested that people actually ask how they are doing. Few people offer accolades without prompting, and unfortunately, instead of this, most people are quicker to focus on and point out what’s wrong. So if you don’t ask, you may never get what you are looking for to feel valued and know what you are doing matters.
That said, ultimately, you value doesn’t need to be given to you by others. Recognize that whatever you do is your choice, and how you do it is also your choice. Give fully on the job, and at home, and you’ll be able to pat yourself on the back and feel great about your contribution.
Tags: become a coach, leadership, life coaching, workforce engagement
Posted in Uncategorized
No Comments »
June 9th, 2008
In a way, it’s funny, that the most important aspect of leadership is great communication, and it’s the least practiced. Leaders, especially those in organizations, are usually experts at their product or service, but lack the true ability to motivate and inspire others to greatness. That lack of ability doesn’t come from a lack of desire, but a lack of coaching skills.
Coaching helps leaders inspire and motivate others in a variety of ways, including: communicating effectively and efficiently, meaning, clearly getting across their message in the shortest period of time; increasing buy-in for a particular project, task, or goal; breaking resistance; creating accountability and the desire to report successes, not problems; developing rapport and relationships; helping to create plans that make sense for all participants; and much, much, more.
And it’s not just the coaching skills that are needed, but the framework, philosophy, and structure behind the skills.
Without making this too much of a commercial, that’s why a lot of leaders are now participating in iPEC’s Life Potential’s Training. This course gives them the foundation not just to coach, but to BE a coach, which makes them even more effective in what they do and how they do it. What’s interesting to me is not just that many leaders are taking this training, but that these people are finally realizing the gap between where they are and where they want to be. It’s very exciting to know that so many people are looking to improve their personal and professional lives, and believe that coaching is a great way to do that.
The original question was related to success, and I want to say something about that: Success is defined by each person, and regardless of the definition, taking a coach-approach at on the job or in the house will ensure that your success is imminent.
iPEC Coaching
Bruce D Schneider, Founder
www.IPECcoaching.com
We all lead, either by choice or default.The question isn’t whether or not you are a leader, it’s how well you lead. Energy Leadership: Transforming Your Workplace and Your Life From the Core.
Tags: achievement, business coaching, coach, coaching skills, life coaching, mentor, mentor coach, motivation, personal achievement
Posted in Business Development, Coaching and Coach Training, Life Potentials, Training Programs, Upcoming Events & Workshops
3 Comments »
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