Deb: I met John Baldoni before I left University of Michigan, where both he and I have done consulting work.  John's a great guy, lucky that Ann Arbor has him locally.  As I'd always like the term "Mojo" after seeing it so playfully used in the Austin Powers spoof movies, I'm excerpting John's take on it via his review of Marshall Goldsmith latest book MOJO cited. Goldsmith has presented at the UM Health System over the years.

____________________________________

'Mojo' is that positive spirit toward what we are doing now that starts from the inside and radiates to the outside.

____________________________________

Also, building self-coaching ability is a goal for coaches:  creating greater client effectiveness, improved self-awareness, and positive results.

 

via baldoniconsulting.com

Excerpted:  A Lesson in Mojo from Marshall Goldsmith 

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Mojo is a folkloric word that refers to the physical manifestation of a supernatural force. MOJO is also the title of a brand-new book by my friend and pre-eminent executive coach, Marshall Goldsmith. "Mojo," as Marshall writes, "is that positive spirit toward what we are doing now that starts from the inside and radiates to the outside."

____________________________________

Goals are good, but they can sometimes prevent us from achieving reconciliation with our inner selves

____________________________________

Consider mojo a form of self-motivation that spurs us onward to achieve for ourselves as well as for others. There four aspects to this positive force, two are focused on the inner self and two are focused on our outer self. That split between what we are inside and how we are perceived makes the concept of mojo useful for anyone seeking to improve as well as to make a positive difference.
Let's examine the four keys, each of which is defined by a straightforward but evocative question:

Identity: Who you think you are? ...The operative word in this question is think; that is, how do you perceive yourself....

Achievement: What have you done lately?

Reputation: What do other people think you are? ...reputation is the combination of identify and achievement as seen by others.

Acceptance: What can you change, and what is beyond your control? ...as Marshall asserts, you can dispense with the 'I'll be happy when" statement. ...Goals are good, but they can sometimes prevent us from achieving reconciliation with our inner selves...Acceptance becomes critical...

...Each of the four keys is augmented by a full toolkit that provides roadmaps for readers to follow to develop a stronger identity, achieve more effectively, ensure their reputation, and come to terms with self and life.

Read the full post   Posted FastCompany.com 2.16.10

via baldoniconsulting.com