Posterous theme by Cory Watilo

Reveln Coaching


Filed under: tools

From Thinking to Doing: Coaching to Design Success | Reveln, Change Anything & JT Pedersen

Happiness is natural!  It's a conversation I’m currently having in my coaching community where we are discussing how to put happiness & success together.  Designing our success is more challenging.  Happiness + success is a key life task, one where coaches often dwell to help their clients get clear.

For this reason JT's post below about getting to "DO," getting to ACTION, caught my eye.  Like many coaches, I use assessments.  The "doing" focus of JT's post relates to my own "Activator" strength on StrengthFinder 2.0 (and the earlier version book, Now, Discover Your Strengths) - in my top 5 list of strengths.

__________________________________

 You know, it started, one step at a time…

__________________________________


A useful test for Activation for me and possibly for those of us input junkies out there, is this set of questions.

What top three things do you:

  • love,
  • have the capacity and skill to do, and
  • know can bring you both happiness + success?
  • have readiness to begin?
  • commit to begin, now?

 

P1000505

Photo of the 6 sources of Influence tool from the "Change Anything!" book.

 The video below of Diana Wong and me is from the May event, Change Anything, another "DO" focus, from the national book launch.  The Change Anything! book is a helpful resource, as is their on-line, free quiz about how NOT to be blind and outnumbered in managing your sources of influence in making an ACTION oriented change in your behavior.

Getting to DID, in a world filled with possibilities and rich distractions is a challenge, especially for someone like me who like to inhale it all, who is a INPUT junkie (another of my top 5, heh.)

__________________________________

"Is Reflection an Action Step?"  -- Peter Block

__________________________________

 This is what coaches in my group mean when we help clients reach in and clarify how they can design their success.  The questions that I'd add to this include: 

  • What resources do you need to fully realize your success?  
  • What capacity do you have within yourself to affect the changes you may need?
  • What capacity do you need from a partner, strategic alliance or to just hire out?  

Your strategic alliances can make all the difference in the world from getting from Initiate to Did.    I'd also add a favorite question from a consulting guru in my circles:  "Is Reflection an Action Step?"  -- Peter Block.

Here's JT's action oriented blog, excerpts: 

  • Seth Godin: In, “Linchpin,” he repeatedly reminds everyone to ship! If you want to be recognized for something you have to have shipped something.  In, “Poke the Box,” Seth again prods us to ship things, to initiate.
  • David Allen: “Getting Things Done,” is all about organizing your life so as to improve productivity—and decrease stress.  A key tool: Next Actions.  What is a Next Action? It’s something you initiate, start, do, did.

A number of friends have commented about my having ‘started blogging,’ and wished they could as well.  You know, it started, one step at a time.  …

So, let me encourage you: Whatever it is you want to do, whatever it might be you’ve been afraid of doing, whatever your dream might be: Start. Initiate. Do it. Now.

Photo credit: Emil Bacik

via jtpedersen.net

TJ interviews Deb on How to Select a Prospective Coach | Reveln

TJ Wisner interviews me, Deb Nystrom, on questions to ask to choose a coach for yourself.

Connect, Clarify and Commit: listen to internet radio with Terry Wisner via Blog Talk Radio

 

Note:  After the initial ad, you may need to adjust your speakers

Terry_tj_wisner
  Terry and his cool car...
Deb_2011_smile_red_jckt_photo

Deb Nystrom.  (I've got a cool car too here via Pinterest & my Automania page.)

 Terry Wisner asked me about questions to ask a prospective coach.  Here's the blog article that goes with Terry's radio show.  Thanks Terry, a great host!   --Deb

I covered the three "Cs" of coaching which I like to use, also referred to as 3 core competencies of coaching.  They are the coach having the ability to:

  • connect with his or her person being coached
  • clarify (produce clarity) for the coaching client according to HIS or HER definition, intention - NOT the coaches version
  • commit to an action that produce results in line with the client's overall coaching goals and desired outcome

 

 

The three "Cs" are simple to remember, yet they are implemented so differently among coaches. 

Here are some basic questions to ask your coach candidates:

  1. How does your background and training define the type of coaching you offer?
  2. Why did you choose to become a coach?
  3. What is your coaching philosophy?
  4. Describe the results one of your clients has achieved through coaching.
  5. What’s unique about you as a coach?
  6. Describe your coaching process.
  7. Will our sessions be in person or over the phone?
  8. How frequently will we meet, for how long, and over what duration?
  9. What do you charge?
  10. Who is your ideal client?
  11. How will I measure success in using you as my coach?
  12. Where can I read more about your approach (if the coach uses a website and/or social media)?

Start with thinking about your relationships with mentors, sport coaches, teachers and friends.  Consider what relationships were most beneficial to your development and why.  Bring this thinking to your decision making when considering leveraging a coach to help you see deeply into your own strengths and capacity to help you maximize your best self.   

If you have thoughts about these questions and this approach, feel free to share them!   

Warm Regards,

--Deb

via revelncoach.posterous.com

 

Unlocking the Depth of the Myers Briggs

Excerpts from a helpful website that digs into some of the depth of the MBTI. 

I'm including some excerpts here to give you a flavor of how the MBTI is a more two-dimension model, with, below the water line of the shadow, actually 8 preference results, not just four.  (Check out John Beebe's work on-line.)  Meanwhile, this is a great set of tools and a visual about what you present to the world as your dominant, auxiliary, tertiary (described below) and inferior functions.    --  Deb
Media_httpfarm1static_aptqs
via flickr.com

The Great Tertiary Debate?

Our convention is to draw the Mental Muscle Diagrams(TM) are usually drawn to show the tertiary function as in the same world as the dominant - but you should remember that it could be either. In fact, any function could be in either the outer or inner world, depending on the individual. The Mental Muscle Diagram(TM) simply shows the more 'typical' configuration.

Note: this mental muscle diagram accurately reflects all that is contained within the Myers Briggs dynamic model, and enables a complicated subject to be simplified in an easy to understand visual form. However, it is a new way of representing the Myers Briggs functions, so you may not come across it anywhere else.

The Mental Muscle Diagrams(TM)

Finally, here are the typical mental muscle diagrams for each of the 16 types. Mental Muscles for the 16 types
_____________________________
You may have wondered why, in the diagram for an ENFP, Thinking has been shown in the outer world, and Sensing in the inner world.
_____________________________
  • In the Myers Briggs model, the least preferred mental muscle (called the inferior - in this case, Sensing) is believed to operate mainly in the world opposite to the dominant.
  • There is some controversy as to the normal pattern for extroverting or introverting the third preferred (called the tertiary - in this case, Thinking).
  • Some people believe that the tertiary operates in the same world as the dominant, others believe it operates in the opposite world, and yet more others believe it can operate in either.
  • In my view, this is a dynamic model, where each function operates to some degree in both the outer and inner worlds.
  • Also, individuals do not conform to a set pattern, and everyone introverts and extroverts the mental muscles according to their own unique pattern.
Surely this means that it is not too important to resolve the issue of whether the tertiary is introverted or extraverted.

Having said that, the extroversion of Thinking in this case can explain some potential anomalies and misunderstandings. Whilst the ENFP is primarily a Feeling person, others may perceive him or her as being logical first.

Suppose there is a significant cultural pressure, within the business environment, to operate in a logical fashion. As other people's views affect the individual's view of himself, he may come to believe that he is more logical, and lose touch with the inner Feeling side.

(This issue might be raised during the 'mid-life transition', when individuals often seek to understand themselves better, and pay more attention to their own needs rather than accommodating the cultural pressure on them to conform. For further discussion of this subject, see 'Navigating Mid-life', a book published by Consulting Psychologists Press.)

Read the full article here via teamtechnology.co.uk

 

Talent Myth IS a Myth - the "Blank Slate" Myth vs. Capacity & Potential | Reveln

I ran across an intriguing title today in my social media and news checking:  How to be Great: Rising Above the Talent Myth.   It confirmed to me that I've adopted a different point of view, based on conversations in my coaching circle of colleagues and in working with clients. 

via flickr.com

Here's a key quote to illustrate the conflict:

...what’s great about these findings is that we can apply them to all areas of our life. Almost any skill is improvable. Giving presentations. Sports. Negotiating. Whatever it is that you do and have a passion for, you can improve and become truly great — if you are willing to put in the work, that is.

Source:  Litemind: The Talent Myth

_________________________________

These types of findings are fairly pervasive.  They create quite an economy of self-help seminars, books, academies, and certainly generate a lot of revenue in leadership coaching arenas.

_________________________________

As a counterpoint, I have adopted the view that Blank Slate, the you-can-be-anything viewpoint, is a recipe for frustration and unhappiness, let along full effectiveness and success.

These types of findings cited are fairly pervasive.  They create quite an economy of self-help seminars, books, academies, and certainly generate a lot of revenue in leadership coaching arenas.

Here was my response to the Talent Myth article.  See if you agree. Several other commenters did:

I have a different point of view - as it seems what is written about here may be about success, but not happiness + success tied to capacity and our natural talents.  

Several colleagues of mine have already written blog posts on working within your innate strengths and capacities, in order to build both happiness and success together, with speed and minimal frustration.   Most people just do not have the arm to be professional baseball pitchers, no matter how long they practice. Most people do not have the pipes to be world famous operatic stars.

The first citation is from a hearfelt blog post by Manya Arond Thomas, a Harvard trained physician and healer as well as a leadership coach:

Manya's Excerpt:  

Even if we’re pretty good at a lot of things, we will never get the same result, or bang for the buck, if we aren’t naturally wired for that strength, that is, if it isn’t coded into our DNA. The truth is that everything about who we are and what our potential is, is in our blueprint.      Source is her full blog post here.

Another citation, built on the somewhat controversial work of Elliot Jacques is by Herb Koplowitz.  It is not easy to understand - yet in a nutshell, oversimplified, it is about understanding and assigning people to places in organizations where they can best succeed based on their capacity, including the capacity for planning into the future.  The reference is here based on a strata framework.


I'd be interested in what you think about working toward capacity and strengths, vs. the blank slate approach - which can lead to frustration and inefficiency.  Working in your strengths should show results in better work life effectiveness as well as being joyful, energizing, and just plan fun!

--Deb

Deb Nystrom, of Reveln Consulting blogs about innovation,  leadership, emerging trends, social media, business strategy, news,higher education and fun stuff. You can learn more about her background & projects on the mothership at Reveln Consulting.

via revelnconsulting.posterous.com

 

​