A Good Way to Start the New Year!

Here's a terrific video from Howcast on how to give a speech -- a humorous way to kick in the new year...

Hiring an Executive Coach

My friend and colleague from the Executive Coaching Summit, Mary Beth O'Neill has written and new book, Executive Coaching with Backbone and Heart. In it, among other things, she nicely articulates hiring criteria for an executive coach. 

This is a great checklist to determine if your potential coach is offering what you need. Take a look at this article from Investors Daily.

StickK To It!

I can't believe it's been soooo long since I've written anything here, but suffice it to say that I've been creating and re-creating a lot these past few months. There will be some interesting, exciting announcements coming soon, so please stay tuned.

In the meantime, check out StickK.com. It's a great new site that has you make a personal-growth commitment, and then provide you with a framework to "stick to it!"

My friends at TrendCentral summed it up like this: 

"Developed by two Yale professors with backgrounds in law and economics, the stickK concept is based on the idea that most people will commit to something if either their reputation or their funds are at stake. With this in mind, users are asked to create a Commitment Contract in which they choose a goal and a timeframe, add stakes (completely optional), choose a referee (sister, coworker, etc.) to monitor progress, and choose supporters (your cheering section). The Commitment Journal, in which users leave detailed accounts of their progress (or lack thereof), facilitates an honest, well-documented account of the journey to success or the shameful downward spiral to failure. Add optional stakes? Success gives you your money back, and Failure gives the money to charity (or the lucky someone you've chosen)."

Take a look. You'll like, I promise. It's basically coaching in a box, online, and a whole lot cheaper than hiring me or someone from the Northward Leadership team!

Excellent article on executive coaching effectiveness

Take a look at this...

Here's a terrific blog from Fast Company on the effectiveness of executive coaching.

We Made the News!!

Apparently, there was a reporter present last night at my "Take Charge of Your Federal Career in 2008" workshop for the Young Government Leaders.

Take a look here at the article.

In the Shower

Take a look at what others are saying about me!

Look at this blog, and scroll down to the January 4th, 11:00 am entry.

Happy New Year!

New Year's Resolutions Redux

[Editor's Note - This is modified repost of an earlier blog that somehow seems relevant]

I’ll go ahead and spit it out right now… I HATE New Year’s Resolutions! I always have. Even as a kid, I thought they were silly. I’ve always believed (and also known) that the likelihood of success is about 0%. So year after year after year I sit at the NYE dinner table and listen with venomous contempt as my friends and family make their profound intentional declarations for the upcoming year. Maybe it does work for them, but it’s never worked for me. Like most everyone else, by February 1st, I’ve forgotten what my resolutions were.

Enough venting; I’m now climbing off of my soapbox…

Here’s what I do know, however -- Having a vision of where you’re going increases the chances of you achieving your goals. I’ve said it over and over again: Knowing the “What” helps us figure out the “How!” So maybe there is something to the New Year’s Resolution shenanigans?

I have a young, very successful friend who keeps his New Year’s intentions (both personal and professional) taped to his bedroom mirror. This strategy works for him and allows him to continually and casually revisit his annual goals. He does not share these with anyone (other than those lucky few who get to visit the inner sanctum of his bedroom), and he has a better sense of where he’s going than anyone else I know.

Another idea that works well comes from a federal coaching client I've been working with. She keeps dry erase markers in her shower to keep her vision visible, as well as to modify and keep her resolutions current.

So maybe resolutions do work? Let's throw out those prior misconceptions and try something new this year.

Here’s the challenge I’ll give you, Gentle Reader:

What’s ONE thing you want to accomplish in 2008?

New job? New car? New life partner? New hairdo?

What’s yours going to be? Write it down (in the shower!), tell a friend, shoot me an email. Just do something to get it out there!

Easy enough?

Happy Holidays and have a terrific New Year!