Great plans don’t materialize by themselves. You have to execute them!

Once the team/people have helped crafting the plan, they feel accountable for executing it. The more people are involved in the plan, the more they are aware of the expectations from them and the more is achieved. If you as the leader own the ‘WHAT’ of execution then your team must be the owners of the ‘HOW’. Using your leadership coaching approach ask how, specifically are they going to achieve their goals. Speak simply and directly about this.

We have now reached the fourth and last post of coaching elements (“Belief-Dream-Plan-Execute”) using lived experiences.

In my last post, I wrote about the importance of devising a strong plan so you can revisit your goal/dreams on a daily basis, ensure you (your team) are on track and heading in the right direction. Also made the analogy to a ship –  the crew prepares a voyage plan before departure and, during EXECUTION, external factors and (involuntary) conditions may force them to constantly alter its route but the destination is kept as a goal.

Continue reading “Great plans don’t materialize by themselves. You have to execute them!”

Leadership Interview: Keith Svendsen ‘Linking Coaching to Leadership Success’

“I believe that a successful manager in the 21st century needs to have coaching for performance as a tool in their leadership toolbox”.

I have known and worked with Keith Svendsen since 2010. I’ve had the opportunity to observe him in a series of progressive leadership roles over a number of years. He is an enthusiastic advocate for his business and for his company. He has a strong business vision and has always been focussed on developing people, giving people space to work and delivering results. I caught up with Keith recently for one of our rare face-to-face meetings. I took the opportunity to ask him about how he sees coaching linking to leadership success.

Continue reading “Leadership Interview: Keith Svendsen ‘Linking Coaching to Leadership Success’”

Having a plan puts your destination on sight!

After having listed your dreams or goals, it is time to create a plan so you can revisit them on a daily basis, your energy is channelized in achieving that and also to ensure you are on track and heading in the right direction towards your ultimate goal! It is like ships and a voyage plan, external factors, and conditions may force the ship’s command to constantly alter its route for the sake of safety, security or even fuel saving but the ultimate goal is to, safely, reach its destination. “In life, to reach ultimate destination/goal/dream!”

‘Setting a goal is not the main thing. It is deciding how you will go about achieving it and staying with that plan’. Tom Landry (American football player)

This post is the third of four articles related to coaching elements (“Belief-Dream-Plan-Execute”). After having listed your dreams or goals, it is time to create a plan so you can revisit them on a daily basis, your energy is channelized in achieving that and also to ensure you are on track and heading in the right direction towards your ultimate goal! It is like ships and a voyage plan, external factors, and conditions may force the ship’s command to constantly alter its route for the sake of safety, security or even fuel saving but the ultimate goal is to, safely, reach its destination. “In life, to reach ultimate destination/goal/dream!”

Coaching is both a technique and a mind-set. For the ‘Coachee’ to keep its radar on opportunities, listen and respond positively to coaching and feedback. For the coach, it means adopting an inquisitive, non-directive approach. Asking purposeful questions, listening and giving feedback. Although the ‘Coachee’ is in the driver’s seat, it is two ways cooperation and the plan will serve as a contract between the ‘coach’ and ‘Coachee’ to work together and measure progress.

Measuring progress means for the ‘Coachee’ to see progress and build confidence by feeling/seeing him/herself closer to its objective. For the coach, this gives the opportunity to decide where to invest its discretionary leadership time to carry out the coaching along with return on coaching investment (ROCI) in line with both, business results and ‘Coachee’ development/career progression.

In my posts, I usually share lived experiences and, in this one I want to share one that ‘planning’ gave me very positive results and which played both the ‘coachee’ and ‘coach’ role. This post will not go into details of ‘planning coaching sessions’ as it is being thoroughly covered by Trevor Sherman in different articles. Continue reading “Having a plan puts your destination on sight!”

Is the British Prime Minister Coaching Her Cabinet Colleagues?

Coaching is being practiced at the very top of government

Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament.

I have been a subscriber to the Spectator magazine for some time. In fact, it is the only ‘newspaper’ we take in my household. All of our other news arrives online. Once a week this noble publication, full of contemporary political and social commentary, slides through my letter box. Imagine my delight when a recent article by two top Spectator journalists seemed to imply that our British Prime Minister, Theresa May, is using the Coaching GROW model!

Continue reading “Is the British Prime Minister Coaching Her Cabinet Colleagues?”

Organisational values in the 21st century – laminated or lived?

Have our values deserted us?

I don’t know about you but opening the papers, watching the news, reading a blog (hopefully not this one), scanning the web is really rather depressing these days.  There seems little going on where decent human behaviour is being exercised. It seems everyone is trying to get one over someone else. This is seen at the most macro level of geo-politics, business being conducted in a less than honourable manner and sport being “played” by bending the rules beyond acceptable limits. Why is this, what has happened? Have we lost our moral compass, do we no longer have any guiding values or principles unless it is tagged with some currency symbol? Or is it that not much has changed apart from everything being so much more on show courtesy of 24/7 media?

Continue reading “Organisational values in the 21st century – laminated or lived?”

Dare to dream…

Most people don’t fail because they want or laziness, they fail because they don’t know how to win. In many stages of our lives, we need someone who can help us to articulate our dreams, set priorities and devise a plan for the attainment of such dreams. I consider myself very fortunate to have encountered great people who not only believed but coached, guided and helped me pursuing my dreams.

In my last post I wrote that ‘Belief’ is about believing in oneself and that he/she can become a better version of itself. For the coach, believing that can and will make a difference in the lives of others through coaching. Believing in the potential of others to grow and succeed with his/her help. Today’s post is the second of four related to coaching elements (“Belief-Dream-Plan-Execute”).

Continue reading “Dare to dream…”

What I Have Learned From the Love for Sports

How I transferred my love for sport to my love for what I do today on a professional level.

I was 13 years old and I was laying on the couch watching TV, as usual, and my mother looked at me and took the decision to make me join a swimming team with my brothers. When I say that she made me join is that I did not like the idea, but I have received a direct order and believe me when I say that it was on my best interest to obey. 

Continue reading “What I Have Learned From the Love for Sports”

Can Quantum Physics Help Us Better Understand Leadership?

How reading a short paperback book about physics on holiday gave me great insights into leadership relationship.

I’m lucky enough to be spending two weeks on holiday with my wife and six month old son in Sardinia. I’ve learnt many things during the first months of becoming a parent. One thing to emerge from the last couple of weeks, though, is that very little reading can occur on a holiday with a young child in tow.

Continue reading “Can Quantum Physics Help Us Better Understand Leadership?”

Coaching is Blooming in Shanghai

Five years on and one of my Coaching Master Class participants is now running his own coaching programme for his managers.

I first visited Shanghai on business in 2009 and have returned a number of times since. I just love the bustle, the people, the parks and the gardens. The famous Yuyuan gardens pictured above is just one of many gorgeous places to experience. A promenade along the Bund on Sunday morning is another. But this is not a gardening website or a travelogue – it’s a Leadership Coaching Blog. So let’s get down to business shall we?

Continue reading “Coaching is Blooming in Shanghai”

Belief

Belief is about believing in oneself and that he/she can become a better version of itself. For the coach, believing that can and will make a difference in the lives of others through coaching. Believing in the potential of others to grow and succeed with his/her help.

In my post “Acreditar–Sonhar–Planejar–Executar”, I wrote about my presentation to sophomores of two renowned universities in Brazil and briefly covered the four elements of coaching “Belief-Dream-Plan-Execute”. To give a better perspective of each element, I decided to post four articles covering each of them and today it is about
“BELIEF”.

When I published the article in Portuguese back in August, a friend of mine wrote to me asking “Domingos, shouldn’t “dream” come prior to ‘belief’?” and my answer in form of question was “can someone dream about achieving something without believing he/she can accomplish that?” well, some people may possibly can but I personally trust that everything starts with BELIEF… Could Neil Armstrong have kicked up the dust on the moon if he didn’t believe he could get there? Before dreaming about that accomplishment and to plan the steps he first believed. (For those of us who believe that he was there J)

I recently started the mentoring session with one of the talents as Continue reading “Belief”