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“Dad! When do we get there?!?!”   “Stop asking me!  We will get there when we get there!”  That’s what my Dad used to say to us, sequestered in the back seat of an unairconditioned family truckster heading to Grandma’s Florida retreat.  We wanted answers and didn’t know where else to go for them. There was a map, folded in a variety of permutations, and a clock on the dashboard that, if it still worked and you were past the seventh grade, gave you the knowledge to combine those two tools into a reasonable idea of just “how long?” Now where…

The Godfather, iconic and critically acclaimed for many reasons, is considered one of the greatest and most influential films of all time. It was the highest grossing film of 1972, winning a record five Golden Globes (not to be surpassed until 2017), three Academy Awards, and surprisingly, not one for coaching.  Well, that’s a miss in my book!  Now I’m often accused of seeing coachable moments everywhere, so, yes, I actually found a coaching moment in this film.  In the opening scene, a man, an undertaker by trade, narrates a story of woe.  His daughter has been beaten by two…

Goals, goals, goals. So much is written about them.  Setting them. Pursuing them.  Attaining them.  Not attaining them. This is not one of those blogs.  Sort of… Present day living is challenging.  Things happen fast and what to do next is always on our minds.  We don’t want to make a mistake, get disrupted from whatever we’re pursuing. We stay the course, stick to our plan, and whether it’s right or wrong, let the chips fall where they may.  This is going to happen no matter what!   The result is often the difference between companies and businesses that live to…

“I never really planned on going into sales.” Does anyone?  Well, does most anyone?   It amazes me how many times I hear this from people, especially emerging sales professionals, though also more seasoned ones at times.  Not many of us “went to school” for sales.  We didn’t come out of higher education with a degree in sales.   Very recently two different clients said these exact words to me.  In both cases I was curious and very amused because both individuals have shown up big as newbies to this honorable path. And continuing with the curious side of this, it really…

“I’m always just trying to stay present, especially this year as much as anything, and enjoy the moments.” So said Aaron Rodgers, vaunted signal caller for the Green Bay Packers. 

Rodgers was responding to questions about whether or not he will see another championship in his career, given his age and the nature of professional football. He went on to say “My future is a beautiful mystery, I think. The present is such a gift to be able to stay in the moment and to have gratitude for being in this situation again and being with the guys and having fans in our stadium and maybe snow in an NFC Championship Game.“

“As soon as the gold in the casket rings; the rescued soul to heaven springs.” What could be the very first formal pitch from the first example of the “bad salesman.”  His name: Johann Tetzel (1519 AD).  His job: raising money to assist Pope Julius II in building St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.  Johann, aka John, was very good at his job. His weapon?  Fear.  His leverage? Donate to the church, assist in building this cathedral, avoid hell.  And…you didn’t really have to repent!  Your donation. without copping to anything, released some relative from purgatory sending them upward, into the…

“She had the answer the whole time, and if I told her she would’ve never believed me”.  And so said Glinda,the Good Witch of the North, in a recent viewing of the iconic film The Wizard of Oz as post-Thanksgiving entertainment.  Glinda was one powerful and wise coach. Who knew? And what is her coaching superpower?  Honoring one of the cornerstones of Co-Active model coaching: that people are creative, resourceful and whole, and the answers truly lie within each and every one of us.  Glinda connects with Dorothy on her journey and continues to witness her progress.  She challenges her…

“I don’t want to come off as ‘sales-y.’” How many of you sales pros out there have either thought this, even said it out loud?  How many who are not a sales professional have thought of sales(wo)men as shifty? Untrustworthy? Dare I say it: sleazy? Oh, and all of you small business owners and entrepreneurs, I’m calling you out too; sales is an important requirement for a healthy business.   This must end here.  Now. So, this blog is really for all of us, and mostly for those of us who are sales professionals.  A profession (my choice of descriptor) that…

Pope Francis said recently that gossiping is a “plague worse than COVID.”  It divides us, he said.  “Please brothers and sisters, let’s try to not gossip,” said the Pope. “Gossip is a plague worse than COVID. Worse. Let’s make a big effort: No gossiping!”  For clarity purposes, this blog accepts the definition of gossip as talking about another person(s) when they’re not “in the room” with you. This includes virtual rooms such as on phones, video platforms and social media exchanges. I was once challenged during a management development course to not gossip for an entire week.  A WEEK!  Yikes. …

As the first presidential debate of 2020 disappears into our rear view mirror, I can’t resist an opportunity to newsjack, bringing you perspective regarding communication exchanges that happen between human beings. The question is: Debate or Conversation? Debate is about stating and defending ideas, positions, and opinions while conversation is about an exploration of these same things.  Both have a place in communication and both are critical in maintaining connection. Which do you tend to lean into when communicating?   Debaters tend to be seen as argumentative. They can also be seen as passionate about their beliefs and values. Conversationalists are…