Toolbox

Managing Mmmm: 3 Ways to Increase Your Nonverbal Awareness

“I don’t really know you, so I’m not sure you intend this interpretation, but why do you say ‘mmmm’ when your client answers a question? You sound very negative,” offered…

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Multi-stakeholder Contracting in Executive Coaching

Whereas previously a coaching assignment may have involved two key parties (coach and coachee), increasingly, it is evident that there are more than just these two people who have an…

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Delivering Effective Feedback

Giving feedback is a critical skill in the workplace and in any social interaction. The effectiveness of the feedback, however, depends on the way it is delivered. Too much criticism…

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The Inner Work of Leadership Coaches

Leadership starts within. As leaders, we naturally and inevitably bring ourselves into our work. The same is true with leadership coaches: In order to serve and support leaders, coaches need…

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Meet Me Where I Am

Several years ago, I hired a coach to support my developmental journey and learn from his coaching style. Early on, out of the blue, he asked about my spiritual practice.…

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Shifting through the Seven Gears of a Coaching Conversation

As a professional coach, imagine that you are the chauffeur of every coaching conversation. Your client tells you their desired destination, and with your questions and observations, you drive them…

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Whatever You Do, Always Establish the Agenda

Early in my coaching career, I was fortunate to make—and get caught making—a major mistake. While listening to a recorded coaching session, my supervisor asked, “What was the agenda for…

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Using a Coaching Approach for Effective Decision-making

People make decisions every day from the trivial to the critical, such as changing careers, launching a business or making a large purchase. But how good are our decisions? According…

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Ending the Rumination Game for Our Clients

We’ve all experienced the client who can’t let go of an event. It’s the CEO who wishes she hadn’t screwed up the pitch. Or, the team leader who can’t believe…

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Three Tips for Developing Presence in a Hyperactive World

We’ve all had them: conversations in which you feel your mind wandering. To some extent, it’s human nature. In fact, there’s a popular notion that we have around 70,000 thoughts…

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