Archive for December 2019

NEW WORDS FOR THE SAME OLD THING There is rightly some skepticism about new management ideas. Sometimes we appropriate new words to describe what we are already doing. For example, it is common to hear people speak about coaching as a word to describe counseling, friendly management, mentoring, supervision, psychological interventions and advising. Coaching is…

THE MANAGERIAL CONTEXT FOR COACHING, AND THE COACHING CONTEXT FOR MANAGING Much of “the art of getting things done through people” is actually a sensitivity to, and skill with, the climate, environment, and context in which the work gets done. The popular management textbook, Principles of Management, begins with the following statement: “Managing is defined…

WHAT IS MANAGEMENT? Follett: “Management is the art of getting things done through people.” Koontz and O’Donnell: “Art is the most creative of all human pursuits…. Managing is the most important of all the arts. The most productive art is always based on an understanding of the science underlying it…. Science and art are not…

IS THIS ARTICLE FOR YOU? This article is written for three important audiences. First and foremost, the article speaks to professional leaders and coaches, whether you work within organizations or as practitioners providing coaching services on a temporary or contractual basis. Second, it is for those who are new coaches, those on a development track…

top THE PRACTICAL CASE FOR COACHING I have come to believe that the need to create “coaching cultures”in our organizations is more pressing than ever. This is becausea coaching culture is based on distinguishing, empowering and coordinatingindividual commitment and action. Since commitment is a universalhuman phenomenon, a coaching culture naturally transcends geographicaland historical differences between…

A Paradox A paradox appears when we consider that the problem may be our common sense about change and commitment. On one hand, it can be argued that without commitment nothing will change, at least that we have anything to do with. We must accept whatever the circumstances of our lives give us and learn…

“Drill for oil? You mean drill into the ground to try and find oil? You’re crazy.”—Drillers whom Edwin L. Drake tried to enlist to his project to drill for oil (1859) “This ‘telephone’ has too many shortcomings to be seriously considered as a means of communication. The device is inherently of no value to us.”—Western…

TIPS FOR EFFECTIVE LISTENING Listen with IntentionCommit to seeing how the world looks to the other person. Keep your attention focused on them, on what they are saying, on what they are not saying and on the non-verbal cues they are unconsciously giving you. Notice their energy level and mood. Listen deeply to what they…

<p > CHANGING THE PARADIGM Reinvent the SELF →A NEW OBSERVER<p > Reinvent the PARADIGM →A NEW WORLDVIEW <p > Reinvent the WORLD →A NEW FUTURE The word ‘paradigm’, like so much of our language, has been overused, so much so that in business many of us don’t even like to hear the term—‘paradigm’ has become like some annoying…