Coaching for Leaders

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Question from Jignesh I have been on a leadership course in 2012. Through the Myers Briggs Test, I have learned about my personality type and have received feedback/comparison on world’s most famous leaders. I also recently read Simon Sinek’s book – Start With Why. My assessment about myself has been that I am an introvert. I love working on my own. I realize that Leaders need to challenge their own comfort-zone and for me this would be to try communicating my ideas and practicing my leadership skill by interacting with others. Knowing the fact that I am introvert. I am not sure how to strike a conversation and to get maximum out of my one-on-one meeting with my stranger LinkedIn industry colleagues. I will really appreciate receiving some advice or ideas on how to strike impactful conversations. Teaching in Higher Ed episode 38: Steve Wheeler Talks Learning with ‘E’s Question from Willie I value wisdom over rules, but wisdom doesn’t scale well. Our director wants a more consistent experience for our customers. Rules are the traditional method to accomplish consistency, but we can’t make a rule for every scenario because each scenario is different. We do have guidelines in place, which cover the vast majority of cases, but it seems like every time an exception occurs, the natural opinion across the organization is that we need to figure out a way to address the exception in the process. Is it okay for an exception to just be an exception? Bonni mentioned Zendesk Episode 92: Barry Schwartz on How to Tap Into Your Practical Wisdom Barry Schwartz: Our loss of wisdom Question from Simon I am downunder in Australia, love your show and your podcast is a staple in my professional life as a manager of customer-facing people in the software industry. I’d like to ask if you could dedicate some time in your podcast schedule to explore “accountability”. It is common these days to hear the words “empowerment” and “accountability” in the same sentence and I use them often. The empowerment side of the coin is straight forward (do what you need to do). I’m looking for ideas on the “accountability” piece. Is this a stick / carrot mentality and how have you seen people make accountability mean something that people don’t just pay lip service to. Dave’s three steps: Communicate Follow-up Consequence We also mentioned: Episode 117: The Seven Steps You Follow To Delegate Work Bonni mentioned Asana and Dave mentioned Basecamp Bonni mentioned Slack Here’s a recent article about Slack in the New York Times Question from Valery My current set-up is to act as a consultant working for a large training firm. It’s a good set-up as consultants do not have to worry about the prospection aspect of the job on top of providing the training. On the other hand, it can be frustrating because they are not “my” customers. My set-up is good and I can live decently from it but I am looking for creating a company based on my areas of expertise (sales consulting and coaching). I have this inner voice telling me “Valery, it’s going to the right direction” but what are the steps now? There are a few companies out there providing the same expertise but the addressable market is big enough. Are there any prerequisites such as raising funds to invest into technology and/or people? How should I consider the transition between my current set up (consultant) and the entrepreneurial one? Are there new forms of associations I should think of? For example, approaching a consulting company and offering to develop an activity in sales development I would partially own from an equity stand-point? Dave mentioned the StartUp podcast and Copyblogger Audio Question from Howie Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Jeff Spencer, D.C. DrJeffSpencer.com Jeff noticed that the people who should have won didn’t often win. “The single most important factor is how people perform in pivotal moments.” -Jeff Spencer “Do you have the readiness for the 3-5 pivotal moments that occur each year that will make or break your career or your life that year?” -Jeff Spencer “There’s a lot of people who have will and talent that don’t go anywhere.” -Jeff Spencer “You cannot think your way fast enough to be able to perform with ideal timing. Ideal timing and ideal responses are the direct product of your level of preparation.” -Jeff Spencer “Most people concentrate on all the things that can go wrong rather than the 1-2 things that have to go right.” -Jeff Spencer “The natural tendency is to want to be the best at whatever you’re doing. I don’t know if that’s really the best strategy. I think the place that you really start is creating your legacy.” -Jeff Spencer “Our judgements don’t help us and they don’t give us a free pass about what we need to do in terms of our own legacy and our own way of relating to people.” -Jeff Spencer Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Kevin Pho, M.D. (Twitter) (Facebook) Author, Establishing, Managing, and Protecting Your Online Reputation Social media is not a passing fad, but many people perceive it as such since the media tends to focus problem situations. “Today, getting published and getting people to read your thoughts and read your articles is no more than a click of a button.” -Kevin Pho “If you have a strong social media presence, you are many steps ahead of your competition in defining yourself online.” -Kevin Pho “If you aren’t proactive in establishing your online reputation, other sites, such as rating sites, are going to create content about you.” Three steps to creating your identify online from Kevin’s book: Curate Connect Make a difference “Using social media to follow experts in your industry is a tremendous way to learn.” -Kevin Pho A strong social media presence can marginalize the rating sites. Set up a Google alert to monitor mentions of yourself online. Dave mentioned at the end of the show a previous episode on LinkedIn. Check out episode 101: How to Get the Most From LinkedIn. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

David Allen: Getting Things Done The Getting Things Done steps: Capture—collect what has your attention Clarify—process what it means Organize—put it where it belongs Reflect—review frequently Engage—simply do. The methodology has not changed in the revision of the book, but what has changed is the number of people who need it. If what’s most on your mind right now is thinking about what should be on your mind, then it’s time to spend more time clarifying what is most important. “Not only do you need to spend time thinking, you need to spend time not thinking – absolutely daydreaming.” -David Allen Your biggest job is to define what your work is. “The big secret about Getting Things Done is it’s not really about getting things done. It’s about creating appropriate engagement with your life.” -David Allen “The people most attracted to what we teach, the GTD methodology, are the people who need it least.” David recommended The War of Art* by Steven Pressfield One of the best habits you can develop is to do the thing first that you are least looking forward to. Perfectionism is a huge obstacle for procrastination. David recommended Brain Chains* by Theo Compernolle Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Tim Stringer Technically Simple and Learn OmniFocus Connect in Person to Strengthen Relationships Tim mentioned the podcast Home Work, a show for people who work at home Dave’s team at Dale Carnegie meets once a month for half a day Tim mentioned his co-working space, HiVE Vancouver Make Intentionally Richer Connections Move your level of communication up a level When possible, seek out the opportunity to connect by video We both recommend Zoom for video conferencing Ways to Stay Connected Participate in a mastermind group Attend a class that utilizes video-conferencing Social Media Tim and Dave both utilize Twitter and follow a limited number of people Ask the second question when interaction online, especially with a first connection Resources Sign-up for a free account with Zoom Tim has an affiliate relationship with Zoom. If your needs require a Zoom Pro account, utilize this link. Tim offers courses on Holistic Productivity that utilize many of the principles and technology we spoke of on this episode Tim recommends ShareDesk, a worldwide directory of co-working and meeting spaces, for those who are outside of Vancouver. Tim also suggests Meetup.com Learn more about Tim’s Holistic Productivity model from his prior appearance on Coaching for Leaders episode 151. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Audio Question from Rick 3 Ways to Start Your Next Presentation Episode 126: How to Be Interesting When Pitching an Idea Show and Tell: How Everybody Can Make Extraordinary Presentations* by Dan Roam The Quick & Easy Way to Effective Speaking* by Dale Carnegie Question from Jay Daniel Pink said that one of the important qualities of a leader was the ability of the leader to insulate their team members from the “noise” of the organization (I completely agree). However, I have also seen that the act of insulating one’s team can get the leader into trouble. Ultimately, insulating one’s team members sometimes means saying no to new projects so that more important existing projects can get done. This very thing (insulation of team) has a tendency to create a great working environment for the followers but simultaneously put the leader in jeopardy with his superiors. How do you suggest dealing with such a quandary? In essence, the right thing to do for the leader’s people, and consequently the organization, is also the very thing that may cause political difficulty for the leader. Yes, Bonni received a new Kindle* for Valentine’s Day Essentialism* by Greg McKeown Episode 129: How to Create A Personal Knowledge Management System Harold Jarche Audio Question from Phil Episode 143: Accepting Feedback With Sheila Heen of Difficult Conversations The Leadership Challenge* by James Kouzes and Barry Posner Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI) Assessments Question from Charles How does one know if what one needs is a professional coach (life/career coach?) or a therapist? Are there professionals which wear both hats? I am currently in transition from solopreneur to possibly going back in the corporate world after about 12 years. It’s not a transition that I am eager for and is accompanied by a good measure of anxiety, confusion, self-doubt, etc. My feeling is that I need someone who can objectively guide me through answering some basic questions at this point in my life (What do I really want to do? What are my real strengths? Do I want to go back to the corporate grind? Should/How do I change careers?, etc.) while also helping me manage the emotional issues. I know this is a tall order (overwhelming for me right now). Should I be seeking one person who can offer a holistic view (a life coach)? Or two very different professionals (who may or may not offer conflicting advice)? Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes* by William Bridges Audio Question from Elle Episode 79: Benefits You Get From A Recognition Program Episode 80: Ten Steps To Create A Recognition Program Drive* by Daniel Pink On The Folly Of Rewarding A While Hoping For B by Steven Kerr Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Ron Friedman: The Best Place to Work Interviews are not the most effective way to select people, but if you need to do it: Standardize your questions Ask behavioral questions “What underlies a great place to work isn’t access to perks, but rather experiences that are psychologically fulfilling.” -Ron Freidman Three needs that we have to feel good at work: Being good at the work we are doing and able to grow our competence Being connected to the people around us Autonomy and choice in how we approach our work “The impact of money on job satisfaction is incredibly small.” -Ron Freidman Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Dave Stachowiak: Coaching for Leaders In the book Getting Things Done*, past guest David Allen first popularized the practice of a weekly review. In this episode, I share my own process for the weekly review, so that you can incorporate the actions that best work for you. Key Points 1. Block Time I complete my weekly review either Sunday evening or early Monday morning. Pick a time that will work consistently in your schedule. 2. Record What Worked I don’t have an issue remembering what didn’t work, so I discipline myself to write down what did work last week. That way, I recognize strengths. 3. Review Goals I do a full read of the annual goals I created at the beginning of the year, so I know where I am headed. 4. Determine Next Actions I decide the next action for each annual goal to advance me closer. 5. Flag 3-5 Actions I pick the 3-5 actions (fewer is better) than I will commit to complete this week. I leave the rest of them for another week. 6. Remove Flags from Last Week If there are still flagged items remaining from last week (often the case) I remove them if they are not already on this week’s list. This is an administrative step. 7. Review Projects in OmniFocus I review all my projects in OmniFocus* for important tasks that might need to be added to the week. 8. Review Habits and Set Focus I review my daily habits on Coach.me for the last week to see where I did well and where I fell short. Then, I pick a focus habit for the week so I can realign with one I’ve been missing. I write it on my office board. 9. Review Calendar for 14 Days Looking ahead to just this week isn’t good enough and I won’t think to look to the following week until Friday. Reminding myself to do this is key. 10. Review Tasks for 7 Days I review all my tasks in the OmniFocus* forecast view, just to be sure I’m aware of busier days ahead. 11. Block Time I schedule or block time that I need to be doing something (like a client meeting) if not already booked. I work hard to minimize this to only things I must do at a certain time. Download My Weekly Review Checklist Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Marc Mawhinney: Natural Born Coaches “Coaches are important because they are a second pair of eyes for your business.” -Marc Mawhinney Mark and I discussed my recent article on What to Know When Hiring a Coach. In addition to the recommendation to check out Marc’s show, I made three recommendations of coaches I recommend at the end of the episode, all of which are past guests: Tom Henschel, Essential Communications Bill Bliss, Bliss & Associates, Inc. Tim Stringer, Technically Simple Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Question from Brian I presently struggle with keeping the balance between friend and boss as we work closely together. All three of us are in cubicles next to each other. While this allows us to be very close knit (almost as much as the camaraderie in the Army, but not quite) I know I have already blurred the line more than I should have. It was easy to “keep your distance” in the military because you always have your rank whether you are in uniform or not. You could be a friend and a Sergeant at the same time. This has proven to be my biggest challenge as a civilian leader. Question from Sarah I recently found your podcast and have been an avid listener ever since. I am about to re-enter the corporate world in what I think must be my dream role! So very excited (nervous, anxious, ecstatic ) and so have been arming myself with the tools and tips of your many episodes. My question is – what would be your first priority when assuming a senior executive role in a large organization and inheriting a team hand picked by the previous incumbent who has been laterally moved now due to poor performance. I envision there are going to be some very disgruntled team members loyal to my predecessor, and while I want to make a good first impression. I also want to be clear that I am not interested in historical politics and am there to lead them positively forward. The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins* 98: Five Rules For Your New Leadership Role With Pam Fox Rollin 42 Rules to Your New Leadership Role by Pam Fox Rollin* Question from Rachel I am struggling with a staff member who is supposedly bullying other people and being extremely rude. She knows I am watching her and is perfectly delightful when I’m around. I have many staff members reporting that she completely changes when I’m not around. The Right Way to Fire the Wrong Person, a podcast by Michael Hyatt The No Asshole Rule by Bob Sutton* Question from Paola We have one training initiative (an international one), where employees should change behavior. My question is: how can I make the biggest impact as a trainer to a team of 70 people to make sure, this changes take place? The New Mager Six Pack by Robert F. Mager* Creating Measurable Learning Objectives by Bonni Stachowiak Evaluating Training Programs by Donald Kirkpatrick and James Kirkpatrick* Feedback from Geoff When you give task list recommendations, you might want to consider mentioning Wunderlist as a simple, low/no-cost, yet reasonably powerful solution for cross platform task management. Although I dearly love OmniFocus, my job requires me to use a PC at the office. Having another computer or an iPad always nearby wasn’t ideal, so I’ve switched much of my task tracking to Wunderlist, which syncs between my Macs, iPhone, iPad, and work PC (as a Chrome web app, which works even on a locked-down PC with no admin rights). Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Mark Sieverkropp: How to Start a Conversation With Anyone Mark and I were both featured by Forbes as 25 Professional Networking Experts to Watch in 2015 1. First Impressions last the longest John Corcoran spoke in episode 169 on what we can do to recover from a bad first impression 2. Practice the type of listening that makes a difference “…if you aspire to be a good conversationalist, be an attentive listener. To be interesting, be interested. Ask questions that other persons will enjoy answering. Encourage them to talk about themselves and their accomplishments.” -Dale Carnegie 3. Understand who people are by how they act 4. People like others who share their same interests 5. Do not hold your listener hostage 6. Remembering the conversation is crucial to growing the relationship Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Susanne Madsen: The Power of Project Leadership Susanne Madsen is an internationally recognized project leadership coach, trainer, speaker and consultant. Susanne specializes in helping project managers transform into leaders. She is the author of The Power of Project Leadership*. “Most organizations jump very quickly from the idea stage to the doing stage.” -Susanne Madsen Project definition: it’s key to determine the value the project offers to the organization Be strong enough to show weakness and ask the dumb questions Two problems in managing risk Not properly dealing with expected risks Paying little or no attention to unexpected risks Connect with Susanne on Twitter or LinkedIn Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

You’ve been in the job for awhile. You’re maybe not feeling that same sense of motivation or fulfillment that you once did. How do you know when to move on? In this episode, five indicators that will help you answer that question. 1. When it’s beyond a bad day, week, or month. “Being a professional is doing the things you love to do, on the days you don’t feel like doing them.” -Julius Erving 2. When its not fulfilling anymore to solve problems. I mentioned Michael Hyatt’s appearance on episode #40. “Great marketing only makes a bad product fail faster.” -David Ogilvy Every organization has the well-connected people who are marketing a bad “product” or at least a mediocre one. Are you solving problems, or are you window dressing? 3. When you’re living in Groundhog Day. You can become the cynic who says, “This is the way we do things around here.” 4. When you think the same way today that you did a year ago. You should, on occasion, be able to look back on a decision you made in the past, or on your thinking on something, and be amazed at how stupid you were. 5. When your heart tells you that its time. It’s OK to not know the answer for awhile. In fact, that’s probably the side to error on. A final thought: this isn’t the answer. It’s a place to start asking yourself the questions. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Question from Michelle: I’ve recently taken on a Training post…it’s a new post and so I’m making things up as I go along. In episode 30 you recommend that Managers attend the same training as their team. I’m organizing a whole range of training courses in 2015 and at first I agreed with you that the Manager should attend with their team. The feedback I’ve had though is that if the Manager attends then people won’t ask all the questions they should ask to seek clarification. This maybe a cultural point rather than a general training point. Are there some types of training that need the Manager to be present and others where it’s better than they are not present? For example : if it’s about changing behavior then it’s right that they should attend and if it’s about learning something that’s new (new skills to do the job they already do) then the Manager shouldn’t be present. 30: Six Mistakes Leaders Make Sending People to Training Question from Amy: I enjoy listening every morning on my way to work and have applied MANY of your tips to my job. I’ve been through so many podcasts, I’m curious if you could help me with one of your recommendations. You talked about a planner you use that can be specialized — what recommended company/website was this? I’m looking to start the New Year off right! Thanks for your advice! Remember the Milk OmniFocus (Mac)* (iPhone)* (iPad)* LearnOmniFocus.com from our friend Tim Stringer Question from Brenda: I am a retreat coordinator at a camp where I work with many different churches and Christian organizations. Most people I work with come 1-2 times a year and come and share their camp space with 2-5 different churches and organizations. I am looking for a way to not only personally connect with the people I work with, but also give them the opportunity to get to know each other as other camp rental leaders and be able bounce ideas off each other and give this group unity by coming to camp together. I also want to build this same unity and community with other retreat coordinators across the US within a online group. But keep the two groups separate from each other. I have seen this done with Stay-at-homes moms on Facebook, but really do not want to use Facebook for this. Would LinkedIn be a good website to use to for this purpose? Is there another social media or website that I should explore that you know of that would work better? What have you found to be the best way to grow your community with Coaching for Leaders? IP.Board Audio Question from Hujefa  Question from Lisa: Quick question – have you ever done a podcast about how to handle a mistake at work? I have made a mistake that has many upset. I scheduled a meeting for next week to discuss and although I’ve already apologized internally, I’m looking for suggestions on how to handle the meeting. I don’t think I want to focus at all on what I “shoulda” done but rather what to do to help alleviate the situation. 54: How Authentic Leaders Apologize Question from Noushin: I was wondering if you can suggest a program for executives who would like to improve their writing skills for communicating with the investors, CEOs, etc. On Writing Well* by William Zissner Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing* by Mignon Fogarty 108: How To Improve Your Writing With Grammar Girl and Grammar Pop Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Donna Schilder We’ve all seen bad meeting behavior, but do you know what to do? Donna Schilder shares five power steps for leaders and facilitators to get us towards a better meeting. 1. What are some types bad meeting behavior we often see? Late arrivers Ramblers Side Conversationalists Note Passers Multi-taskers Non-participators Dominators Chronic objectors Gate-closers Off-the-wall commenters Eye rollers Sighers Personal attackers 2. How can leaders identify disruptive behaviors as they happen? Realize that your job is to create the agenda, lead the participants through the agenda, but also, to watch for and facilitate behaviors that prevent the meeting from being as successful as it can be. Now that you are more focused on what they are, you can watch for these disruptive behaviors. Scrutinize and reflect on meetings that don’t seem to be as productive as they should be. Watch for other people’s reactions. Are they rolling their eyes, sighing, showing signs of frustration, shuffling in their seats? 3. How can a leader intervene in disruptive behaviors in meetings? For Side Conversationalists, Ramblers, Multi-Taskers, Note Passers, Eye Rollers, Off-the-Wall Commenters, & Eye Rollers: Use non-verbal cues For all behaviors: Acknowledge and reinforce acceptable behavior For Late Arrivers, Dominators, Ramblers, Gate Closers, and really any behaviors: Review Ground Rules for Effective Meeting Behavior Don’t interrupt others, encourage new ideas, don’t be late Encourage shared responsibility for handling disruptive behavior For Ramblers or if new topics just come up: Use a Hold Bin when the meeting gets off topic For Non-Participators: Round Robin – always allow people to pass Invite people into the conversation For some of the more difficult behaviors, like Dominators or Personal Attackers: Utilize team feedback tools Plus Delta Team Effectiveness Surveys Use firm but friendly confrontation 4. What is firm but friendly confrontation? This is in order from the lightest intervention to the strongest intervention. Tread cautiously with the strong interventions. General Question: Does anyone else feel we are digressing? Specific Question: For a side conversation: Andrea, do you have anything to add? General statement (no names): We had agreed as a team that we would be on time to this meeting General statement (looking at the person): Not everyone here seems to be open to new ideas Specific statement: Joe, you seem to be objecting to this idea. 5. When should a leader Take it Offline? Visit Donna’s detailed notes and downloadable PDF Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Jill Morgenthaler: The Courage to Take Command “I’m not going to change the culture, but I can adjust the behavior.” -Jill Morgenthaler Sometimes bullies don’t know they’re bullies. Ensure that we don’t become the bullies ourselves. Aggressiveness vs. assertiveness. When people starting to show disrespect, he would stop it immediately. Hang back and watch when moving into a new situation. Ask people how they want to be rewarded. Never ask anyone something that you’re not willing to do. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Allison Clarke: What Will They Say? Allison Clarke attended 30 funerals in 60 days with the intention to discover how to live without regret. She captured her discovered in the book What Will They Say? and shared her key findings during this conversation. Key Points 1. Listen and lead others to their own answers. 2. Remember the value of face-to-face communication. 3. Do something unique and special for someone. 4. Make time for important people in your life. 5. Bring your courage to the forefront. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Audio question from Susan on how to develop strategic skills. Bonni recommended On Competition* by Michael Porter Question from Mark I just wanted to let you know I have been listening to the coaching for leaders podcast since somewhere around episode 100. Recently an opportunity came by to become team leader of the engineering department I worked in. Listening to the podcast for a while gave me enough mental support to take the step! Thank very much. I find that there are certain pro’s and con’s of assuming a leadership position coming from within the team instead of coming from outside the department of even outside the company. Maybe you can address this in an upcoming Q&A show. Dave also suggested a listen to the beginning of episode 120, with a more detailed response to a similar question Audio question from Diana Dave suggested episode 148 with David Hutchens for a fantastic foundation on storytelling Question from Guto I listen to your programs daily – Coaching for Leaders and Carnegie Coach – and this has helped me a lot to improve as Manager and Coach. I have a training project and wanted a your tips. The idea is to make a leadership development program, and the topic is: Lead yourself. As the program will mix coaching with training, I thought to use some coaching tools such as wheel of life, personal SWOT analysis, and mission & purpose. However the module requires 4 hours of training. My program so far has given two hours of training. What do you recommend to do more as a way of self-knowledge to train leaders to make a difference in business and in their teams? Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

John Corcoran If you make a bad first impression, all is not lost. John Corcoran and I detail six things you can do when the first impression doesn’t land. Key Points 1. Decide Whether or Not to Take Action 2. Take Swift Action and Apologize Immediately 3. Admit Your Mistake, but Don’t Dwell on It 4. Apologize Later, Even If Time Has Passed 5. Pivot 6. Be Consistent Over Time John appeared previously on two other episodes: How to Create Your Personal Networking Plan (episode 106) The Practical Pursuit of Work-Life Balance (episode 123) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Laura Schiesl Vega, Partner, Molever Conelly PLLC 1. Social media One general best practice is to have a social media policy if you don’t already have one. Social media guidelines from the National Labor Relations board (see pages 22-24) 2. Employment classification Independent contractor vs. employees United States Department of Labor 6-factor economic realities test United States Department of Labor on independent contractors Internal Revenue Service Section 530 relief requirements California Department of Industrial Relations on worker misclassification 3. Wages and hours United States Department of Labor Overtime Pay Requirements of the FLSA Connect with Laura Schiesl on LinkedIn Dave recommended the book Law 101* by Jay Feinman. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Kelly Studer Dave mentioned episode #153 with Bill Bliss on How to Start with Succession Planning “I got a bit of a reputation for being a tough, scary interviewer, and I learned over time that that wasn’t necessarily the best approach.” -Kelly Studer Share some of your own vulnerability and have a real conversation about some of the work they may be involved in. A great starting point is StrengthsFinder 2.0 Check out episode #89 with Steven Dosier on the Value of the StrengthsFinder Assessment. “The only thing worse than training someone and losing them is not training them and keeping them.” -Zig Ziglar Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Nathan Czubaj: Emails from Mumbai I wanted go somewhere that would really be different…that I could learn most about the world and most about myself. Preparation Talking to people is most helpful. Pick up some of the language, at least the greetings and please/thank you. Give yourself time for the mental preparation. “I’m never going to find the things that I’m used to. I need to get used to the things that I can have.” -Nathan Czubaj “I didn’t need all the things that I thought I needed. My definition of wants and needs changed radically.” -Nathan Czubaj Obstacles Some of the obstacles are how people do business that you would never expect. It was hard to impose my way of doing things and our Western way. People don’t always trust Westerners. What you’ve been successful with back home doesn’t necessarily translate. Attitudes and Behaviors I had to forget that I was an American and try to be a local. “Today is going to be more memorable than the most memorable day all year back home. I’m going to learn more today than I would in a typical month back home.” -Nathan Czubaj 100% of the proceeds from Emails from Mumbai* are going to benefit iSanctuary, an organization that works in India to help end the global challenge of human trafficking. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Patricia says she’s struggling with working with and working for micromanagers Bonni mentioned Drive by Daniel Pink* Wally asks, “Have you addressed the topic of leaders who believe their executive team can be productive by competing with each other rather than working as a team?” Bonni mentioned Susan Gerke’s recent appearances on the show: 138: The Four Unique Types of Teams 139: How To Maximize Team Performance Dave mentioned the Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni Mike says he’s struggling finding enough time in the day to be everything to everyone. He says he also knows that’s impossible. “I do for the few what I wish I could do for everyone.” -Andy Stanley Dave mentioned OmniFocus, his task management system of choice. Bonni mentioned Michael Hyatt’s ideal week strategy, which Bonni and Dave both use What about networking? Dave suggests setting up a basic LinkedIn profile as a starting point Dave mentioned past show 101: How to Get the Most from LinkedIn with Donna Schilder Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Tom Henschel: The Look & Sound of Leadership Is someone you care about – or maybe even you – working for a jerk? My guest Tom Henschel from the Look & Sound of Leadership podcast helps us to navigate this difficult situation. How to know if it’s just you Test the waters, but be careful How to address it When you decide to talk, leave the emotion out of it Frame the business concern, not you as the victim Don’t take it personally Don’t speak for others You are not going to change your boss It’s not your place to get coaching for your boss Nothing you will do will likely change your boss’s behavior If you can accept that, what do you want to do? If it’s really a business issue, give the feedback Avoid being attached to the outcome Once the feedback is given, let it go Rehearse the feedback with someone trusted before you give it What to do when the boss is chaotic Calm down with someone who is chaotic Take tons of notes Get clear agreements When they change something, don’t take it personally Consider sending a note afterwards to summarize what is said How to deal with the narcissist Be a good audience and ask how you can help them to succeed “Narcissists crave attention and there’s not enough room in the spotlight for both of you.” -Tom Henschel “With narcissists, in order to succeed with them, you need to not compete with them.” -Tom Henschel Have support outside of work too, since you won’t get it from your boss When you can do it honestly, throw them a bone Always approach situations with collaboration and support What do you do with the screamer? Don’t engage, wait it out Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Dan Schwabel: Promote Yourself “Smart companies create a good internal culture, and then it becomes really easy for them to communicate to the outside world.” -Dan Schwabel Practical Action or Advice Bring reverse mentoring into your next mentorship conversation or program Ensure that senior leaders are engaged with you next initiative before proceeding Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Aaron Kent: Dale Carnegie Aaron was last on the show on episode #35: You Don’t Have to Be a Trainer to Know How to Hire One. Find Industry Overlap In the same world as you, but not in a competitive place with you Each party brings insight and resources that wouldn’t be available to the other Focus on what you are best in the world at, and form alliances in other areas Aaron mentioned the book Good to Great by Jim Collins* Clear and Immediate Financial Value Overlap Identify where a win-win outcome can be that benefits both parties This doesn’t necessarily mean a dollar for dollar match Be sure it’s measurable Aaron mentioned How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie* Dave mentioned How To Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie* Dave mentioned The Quick and Easy Way To Effective Speaking by Dale Carnegie* Committing Resources to the Relationship and Sustaining it Over Time It’s easy for an alliance to lose importance when it’s not with a paying customer Think of an alliance partner like you would a paying client Dedicate a person or resource directly to the alliance Special Note The Carnegie Coach podcast mentioned in this episode was started in 2014 and ran for almost 200 episodes until it ended in 2016. Business changes at Dale Carnegie and my own departure from the organization resulted in the show sunsetting after two years. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Question from Leonardo I´m one of your fans, I listen your podcast every day and I see better results on my day job managing an emergency room in Brazilian Hospital. I’m a cardiologist and today I work as a manger also. I was listening the episode 143, about feedback, while I was driving to my job and I was thinking how difficult to me is receive a negative feedback. I think that what struggle in this situation is emotion and controlling the emotion to respond or give some excuse for that negative perception. When I give any feedback to my employees I saw this same problem. How do I train myself to be better on that? Episode #143: Accepting Feedback With Sheila Heen of Difficult Conversations Episode #107: Three Steps To Soliciting Feedback with Tom Henschel Lets Get Real Or Let’s Not Play by Mahan Khalsa* Question from Dow Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, Sheila Heen* The Dale Carnegie Course How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie* Positive Coaching by Jim Thompson* Question from Nathan I am not currently in a “leadership” position but I feel that I am being called to leadership and feel that leadership and coaching is something that I would enjoy long term. I wanted to ask what recommendations you would have to really start moving in this direction and to start developing those skills. I’ve been trying to read books and listen to podcast to get some insight but haven’t really had the opportunity to hone these skills. I am looking at going to toastmasters to get some experience/training in public speaking to get started working on something I don’t feel I’m strong in. Do you have any recommendations of things like Toastmasters that I can check out or any suggestions on steps I could take to improve my leadership and coaching skills? Toastmasters Junior Chamber International (Jaycees) Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Michael “Coop” Cooper: Innovators + Influencers Do you feel like you are playing whack-a-mole, constantly putting out fires in your organization? Are others and you clear on the real reason for most problems? In this conversation, I welcome Michael “Coop” Cooper from Innovators + Influencers to share a 5-step strategy that will help you define problems so it’s clear what to do next. 1. Describe the situation There’s a lot of information in the situation that people don’t talk about. This does not have to take as long as most people think it does. 2. Draft a problem statement The problem we’re trying to solve is… Find the simplest statement possible. 3. Ask “Why is that a problem?” (REPEAT) Be aware of the thud factor and the pause. 4. Is this the real problem? Involve someone else 5. Is this problem worth solving? Will it save you time or money? Will it make your company/department more competitive/productive? Will this solution make your work or life easier in the long-run? Does this solution or solving this problem actually align with your company goals? “If I were given an hour to save the world, I’d spend 59 minutes defining the problem and one minute solving it.” -Albert Einstein Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

David Sparks: Presentations David last appeared on episode #119 to help us get control of our email. Memorize the opening and the closing of your presentation Nail the beginning. Close strong. Utilize an effective remote A green laser shows better than a red one Keep the button options simple Dark the screen when you’re not referring to a slide Find one with an on/off switch David recommends the Kensington K72427AM Wireless Presenter* Tools to consider You need to learn to be self-sufficient Adapters Extension cord Duct tape Speakers for audio David’s final advice Think about your presentation as a story Your slides are not your script Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Chip Espinoza: Millennials at Work Who are the millennials? They were born between 1980-2002 range. These are many of our newer employees in organizations. “The millennials are the first generation that has not needed an authority figure to access information.” -Chip Espinoza There is a dynamic in the workforce of a generation that doesn’t know how to reach up working with a generation that doesn’t know how to reach down. The people with the most responsibility need to adapt first in an organization. -Chip Espinoza Ambiguity is the millennial kryptonite. -Chip Espinoza This generation is used to experiencing success and might not have run into failure much before. They also assume that everything is negotiable. Avoid getting caught up in defensiveness of a millennial who might be receiving positive feedback. Millennials are relationship oriented. Give feedback in a way that’s not formal. Maintain the strength of the relationship. Feedback must be timely. Have a conversation with them instead of a conversation about them. Build a relationship with people! Practical Action Have a conversation and build a relationship. How to Start Coaching Someone (episode 2) provides a 4-step model for doing this Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Do you find yourself struggling with changing your behavior? Real learning is hard, but keeps you from making the same mistake again. I wrote this article a few months ago: Sorry, I Don’t Love Learning Have you seen this scene in the Matrix? I mentioned the book Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell* Practical Advice 1. Ensure that it’s something important for you to learn I mentioned the book Soar With Your Strengths by Donald Clifton and Paula Nelson* 2. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable “When you are tough on yourself, life is going to be infinitely easier on you.” -Zig Ziglar 3. Recognize that what you’ve been able to change your behavior on is really challenging for others “Every single time I get on a plane I’m really glad that the plane is not being flown by someone who just always loved planes.” -A teacher quoted in Building A Better Teacher by Elizabeth Green*. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Question from Gabriel I recommended episode #144: How We Do Things Around Here To Get Results Question from Torrey I would like to know if you have a group on book reads or know of any groups I can join to get advice about good reading for leadership? For example which of Peter Drucker’s books should I read? Subscribe to Coaching for Leaders weekly update for a reader’s guide to the 10 Leadership Books That Will Help You Get Better Results From Others Check out Dave’s personal reading library on GoodReeds Dave recommended Leadership and Self-Deception by The Arbinger Institute* Dave and Bonni recommended The Essential Drucker by Peter Drucker* Bonni recommended The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz* Bonni recommended The Empowered Manager by Peter Block* Bonni recommended Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton, Sheila Heen and Roger Fisher* Bonni recommended The Fifth Discipline by Peter Senge* Question from Busakorn I was wondering if you could advise a great book for selling skills? Bonni recommended Let’s Get Real or Let’s Not Play by Mahan Khalsa and Randy Illig Bonni recommended SPIN Selling by Neil Rackham* Question from Torrey I would like the partners to be motivated enough to complete their reporting and liquidations with a concern for quality and timing, and not have to constantly ask and remind them. I want them to WANT to complete their reporting and do a good job, but right now they do not seem too concerned about it. How can we motivate them to improve their performance? What’s the “why” behind the “what?” On The Folly Of Rewarding A While Hoping For B by Steven Kerr Question from Anonymous I had decided a few weeks ago that my time with my company has expired and it was the moment to move on. I have a second interview coming and while the change scares me, I think it’s needed. My health and marriage are affected so change should be good. My reason for leaving is because of people and I cannot figure out a way to deliver the message without sounding whiny. I don’t want to burn any bridges at all but I also need to be firm and not allow my boss to convince me to stay. Do you have suggestions? – Bonni recommended Michael Hyatt’s podcast on 7 Actions To Take Before You Quit Your Job Question from Armando Be intentional about what goes in and surround yourself with people who bring life to you Give yourself grace! Dave recommended episode #85: Ten Ways to Pick Yourself Up When You’re Beaten Down Dave’s past article One Interaction That Enhances Performance In The Best Employees might be a helpful idea as well “If you act enthusiastic you’ll be enthusiastic.” -Dale Carnegie Question from Paola As a very structured person I am quite good organized when it comes to clear and specific tasks. But to be honest I feel kind of lost when I have to do projects or strategic work with no clear way, structure or tasks. Can you provide some ideas on that? Dave recommended Basecamp for project management – Dave uses and recommends MindNode (Mac*) (iPhone and iPad*) for mind mapping – Bonni’s question to stakeholders: “When this is done, what will success look like?” Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Mark Allen: Aha Moments In Talent Management Mark Allen is a professor at Pepperdine University and author of The Corporate University Handbook* and The Next Generation of Corporate Universities*. He just released his newest book, Aha Moments in Talent Management*. In this conversation, Mark and Dave discuss practical strategies that you can use to develop talent in your organization. Key Points “Having better people is the best source of competitive advantage, so attracting top talent is a top priority. Be willing to do whatever it takes to bring in top talent. Do not let your own policies prevent you from hiring exceptional people.” -Mark Allen Ask for the rationale for why rules are in place that are preventing talent acquisition “The job of manager requires specific skills and abilities. Promotion should be based on the ability to do the next job, not performance in the current job. Good performance should be rewarded appropriately, but promotion should not be a reward for past performance.” -Mark Allen Check out Google’s Quest to Build A Better Boss to learn more about Project Oxygen. “If you’re going to treat training and development as an investment, then you must be able to demonstrate a return on that investment. That means that every program should be designed to deliver a specific business result and should be held accountable for achieving that result.” -Mark Allen Mark referenced Donald Kirkpatrick’s four levels of evaluation “60-90% of everything that people learn in a training program never gets used on the job.” -Mark Allen “Begin with the end in mind.” -Stephen Covey Ask these two questions when planning your next talent development program: How will this improve at least one key business result? How will you measure it? Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Dave Stachowiak: Eight Types of Power A brief word from Power vs. Force* by David Hawkins In 1959, French & Raven identified several types of power in their research: 1. Reward power Giving something of value 2. Expert power Knowledge, competence, and experience 3. Referent power Personality and charisma to influence others 4. Legitimate We have the legitimate right to command given our position in the organization In 1975, Raven & Kruglanski added to the list… 5. Connection power Access to powerful people and organizations 6. Information power Access to information that other parties don’t have In 1989, Liberatore et al. added… 7. Group decision-making power The decisions an entire organization gets behind Finally, in 1991, Yukl & Falbe identified… 8. Persuasive power The ability to influence through logic and dialogue A brief word about force Coercive “power” is also cited in the research This is the force against will – to threaten punishment and deliver penalty Effective leaders have two directives when considering force: 1. Use it only as a last resort 2. To be certain, at least beyond a reasonable doubt, that it’s justified Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Bill Bliss: Success In the C-Suite Bill last appeared on episode #118: What’s The Difference Between Management and Leadership Myths and stopping points of succession planning The organization is only mine (I own it) The organization is too small I don’t know how to create a plan In reality, a lot of people just don’t want to make the hard decisions. Succession planning strategies and principles: 1. Development of leaders requires an investment of time and money Look at where the company needs to be five years from now – that’s where the discussion starts Then determine the competencies that will need to be ready at that time “The number one role of any leader is to identify and prepare their successor.” -Bill Bliss 2. Successful leadership development is a multi-faceted approach Bill mentioned the Center for Creative Leadership as a resource Mentorship is valuable for some organizations, as is experiential leadership Coaching is also very valuable for individuals 3. Backup succession plans are a necessity, not a luxury Don’t place all your eggs in one basket 4. Legacy leaders must learn to completely let go Develop interests outside of the organization if you are leading and plan to leave 5. Leaders willingly subordinate their own pride and ego for the sake of the success of the organization Step one: where is the organization going to be 3-5 years from now? “Begin with the end in mind.” -Stephen Covey Practical Action What action are you taking on your 3-5 year action plan? Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Bonni mentioned the This American Life show titled Trends With Benefits, citing a disability story from Hale County, Alabama. Question from Aaron During a one-on-one meeting my boss asked me where I wanted to go in my career, and I didn’t have an answer for him. More concerning was that I didn’t have an answer for myself. He recommended that I have a five year plan, and he gave me a few ideas to considers. With so many paths – both inside and outside my company – where do I begin? Your 90th birthday party Your ideal day or week What Color Is Your Parachute* by Richard N. Bolles Question from Birger “’After observing O Sensei, the founder of Aikido, sparring with an accomplished fighter, a young student said to the master, ‘You never lose your balance. What is your secret?’ ‘You are wrong,” Ōsensei replied. ‘I am constantly losing my balance. My skill lies in my ability to regain it.’” Also see Coaching for Leaders episode #123 with John Corcoran Question from Mike I have started to set expectations and coaching within role, but I am finding it very difficult to get any engagement with anything I do. It feels like I am the outsider and they would quite like to leave it that way. I have looked for quick wins and found a few but again they seems to be disengagement, a different perspective may be good. What your thoughts? Leading Change* by John Kotter Five Dysfunctions of a Team* by Patrick Lencioni Question from Danielle I just started my job and am really excited to hit the ground running with a lot of on-going projects. One theme in particular that is highly important and consistent in my current assignments is the concept of Customer Retention Strategy. I just need to know (1) In your personal/professional experience, have there been any particular practices or techniques you have implemented that have proven successful and (2) are there any resources/materials you may suggest that would prove useful for my research? (e.g. books, articles, videos) Fish!* by Stephen Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen Net Promoter Community Crush It!* by Gary Vaynerchuk The Lean Startup* by Eric Ries Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Tim Stringer: Holistic Productivity “There’s only two problems in life. Either you don’t know where you’re going or you don’t know the next step.” -Tim Stringer, paraphrasing David Allen Tim recommended Tony Schwartz’s book Be Excellent At Anything* Step 1 – Reflection Tim recommends journaling to separate the noise from what’s most important The Day One app* is an excellent resource for this Step 2 – Accepting life as is Step 3 – Focus on one thing A positive shift in one area of life will influence many other areas It’s a lot easier to get early wins by starting with one area first Step 4 – Inspired action Work on a specific action for a 90-day period Think a strategize about your action like it’s already occurred Strategies Name projects the define the objective Due dates only when things are actually due Resources OmniFocus for the Mac* and iPhone* LearnOmniFocus.com Holistic Productivity Courses Holistic Productivity from The Omni Group on Vimeo. Practical action Try journaling for a week Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. 1. Thank people Dave used Surveymonkey.com for the listener survey 2. Share the results Resources for visualizing results Column Five Piktochart Demographics Over 100 people participated 40% have graduate degrees 75% of listeners are managers Of those, 60% have managed five years or more Findings Dave needs to be more concise (introductions and show length) People want to continue to hear more advice for practical action People like and want more Q&A 3. Take action Show length will be 30-40 minutes Advice or practical action at the end of each episode Question and answer show the first Monday of the month (submit your question) Bonni started a podcast! The Teaching In Higher Ed podcast is live on iTunes and Stitcher Practical action Thank someone who has completed something for you that has not yet been thanked Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Chris Hadfield: An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth Author of the New York Times Bestseller: An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth: What Going To Space Taught Me About Ingenuity, Determination, and Being Prepared for Anything* “So many people in life, maybe without even acknowledging it to themselves, let fear dictate a lot of their decision-making.” -Chris Hadfield Some keys to balancing sweating the small stuff and avoiding micromanagement Visualize it going perfectly Visualize failure before it has happened What’s the most likely 10 things to go wrong? Let’s simulate them and figure out how we will react to them Then run the simulation again to find the best plan and change behavior Aim to be a zero Begin by soaking up what’s going on and seeing what’s happening Recognize the necessity to become educated and understand the subtleties of the environment How to be successful at work and have a personal and private life that is successful and balanced Clearly understand what people are trying to accomplish in a family Make nobody’s sense of self worth dependent on anyone else’s identity The good intentions of the day are always often sacrificed on the altar of reality How successful people deal with the “what’s next?” question “If I had ever said to myself that the only part about this job that I like, or that is worthwhile, or that is satisfying — is spaceflight, then I would have hated my life.” -Chris Hadfield What really matters is what I am doing today Question: How will you define success today? Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

David Hutchens: The Storytelling Leaders Leaders often hear about influence through storytelling, but don’t know where to start. David Hutchens shares four stories to tell and how to get started. “It’s more important to tell a strategic story, to tell the right story, even if you don’t tell it particularly well.” -David Hutchens The starting point of telling stories is permission Storytelling is a skill that nobody really has to learn since it’s our natural language Leaders needs to give themselves permission to tell a story in their organization The 4 stories leaders need to tell Who we are stories – what it means to be us Think about the stories parents and caregivers told you when you were young about what it was like growing up for them When we do this, we impart information about what we believe and who we are today Every organization and team has an origin story David shared the origin story of General Electric A story from a leader always has a reason for telling it What are the identity and origin stories that you have? Vision stories – the future we desire These stories should be told in present tense language You can tell a story about somebody else that is already doing what it is you envision You might tell a story about someone else if it’s a big jump from where the organization is today Values in action stories – how the espoused values show up in our organization David mentioned Zappos and the stories they create about customer service The stories being told also affect how members of the organization make future choices The right story should reconnect people with why they really care about this work Change and learning stories – the stories about a time we tried something and learned from it This is generally the hardest story to tell Think about the leaders you’ve loved and appreciated the most (the best ones do this well) These stories can build culture and loyalty David shared the failure story of New Coke Here’s the structure: I tried something Here’s the bad result I got Here’s why I got that bad result Here’s how I’m now changing my behavior so I get a better result next time Don’t try to change your voice and be a professional storyteller: talk like you Resources Mentioned GO Team program* Leadership Story Deck* by David Hutchens Circle of the 9 Muses: A Storytelling Field Guide for Innovators and Meaning Makers* by David Hutchens David’s email: [email protected] Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Todd Henry: The Accidental Creative “Creativity, at the heart of it, is problem solving.” -Todd Henry “We are creatures of habit and creatures of comfort.” -Todd Henry Focus is a key element of creative work Those who are most effective can define their work very well. Define your work by establishing challenges. “When we start framing up work as problem statements rather than as projects, it completely changes the way that we approach the work itself.” -Todd Henry Hours of work is important element of work and creativity to look at “You’re not being paid for replying to emails quickly. You’re being paid for the value you contribute to the organization.” -Todd Henry Most people don’t make dedicated time to think and process important things. Stimulus makes a big difference in shifting your perspective and tapping into your creativity If you want to have deep thoughts, immerse yourself in the minds of great people. Books are hugs helps to do this, and not just business books. Capture ideas in some way Todd uses notecards to capture his ideas Later, he’ll process which ideas are helpful or actionable Todd has learned to use seasonal rhythms in order to be most effective What’s one action you could take to be more creative? Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Steve Richardson: Become a Better Leader in 30 Days* “All leaders manage, but not all managers lead.” -Steve Richardson Three things not to do when managing people Avoid managing by suggestion Managers do this when they don’t want to be accountable What do people really want from leaders? Direct Decisive Avoid managing by hoping These managers maintain a positive attitude, but don’t really know how things are going Employees learn that managers like this want to hear only good news Avoid managing by redoing Some managers take on the work of employees and will re-do it This is trap for people who were the start performers in the previous role We mentioned episode #117: The Seven Steps You Follow To Delegate Work “Doing something well myself is different than doing something well through other people.” -Steve Richardson Ask: How can I help you? The response “fine” does not necessarily mean fine Ask the next question to find out what’s really going on Steve’s triangle of managing people: Fair, Friendly, and Firm One of these will typically take the lead in one situation What does this person most need right now? It takes tension to keep them in balance Let intuition govern what takes the lead in any given situation What should you stop doing? Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Matthew Butterick: Practical Typography Written communication may say as much about you as what you wear. Typography is more than just font. Matthew’s rankings of common system fonts Book resource: Garner’s Modern American Usage* by Bryan Garner Mark Twain received the following telegram from a publisher: NEED 2-PAGE SHORT STORY TWO DAYS. And famously replied… NO CAN DO 2 PAGES TWO DAYS. CAN DO 30 PAGES 2 DAYS. NEED 30 DAYS TO DO 2 PAGES. Use one space after a sentence. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Kent Rhodes: The Family Business Consulting Group Culture is how we do things around here. The three Levels of Culture from Edgar Schein Artifacts Espoused values Underlying assumptions Culture is difficult to identify when you are inside of it. Organizations confuse climate and culture: Climate comes from the outside and tends to be more temporary Culture is what is happening internally and more difficult to change Resources Books Organizational Culture and Leadership* by Edgar Schein Diagnosing and Changing Organizational Culture* by Kim Cameron and Robert Quinn Articles The Trader Joe’s Experience by Mark Mallinger and Gerry Rossy Recognizing Organizational Culture in Managing Change by Mark Mallinger, Don Goodwin, and Tetsuya O’Hara The Competitive Advantage of Culture in a Family Business by Kelly LeCouvie and Kent Rhodes Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Sheila Heen: Thanks for the Feedback Author with Douglas Stone of Thanks for the Feedback: The Science and Art of Receiving Feedback Well* Author with Douglas Stone and Bruce Patton of the New York Times Business Bestseller Difficult Conversations* Feedback sits at the core of two human needs: Our need to get better Our need to be accepted, respected, and loved for how we are now “Who’s giving the feedback is often a louder message than what they’re saying.” -Sheila Heen The six steps: 1. Know your tendencies Baseline (or set point): a level of satisfaction that you gravitate towards in the absence of life events Swing: how far positive or negative feedback knocks you off your baseline Recovery: how long it takes you to come back to your baseline Recovery speed can be different for positive and negative feedback Understanding your profile can help you dismantle your distortions Also, this helps you to be more empathetic to others who have different styles than you do 2. Disentangle the “what” from the “who” If the feedback is wise, it shouldn’t matter who delivers it (but it does). Solicit feedback from the people who you find difficult to work with 3. Sort towards coaching Three kinds of feedback Appreciation: sometimes when people ask for more feedback, they really want more of this Coaching: helping you get better at something Evaluation: where you rank or stand Sheila uses this with her children to speak about their grades and what it says about what they can change Separating these three things is helpful, since evaluation is very loud and people don’t often hear anything else 4. Unpack the feedback Most of what we hear comes in vague labels. It requires you as a receiver to be a more active participant. 5. Ask for just one thing “What’s one thing you see me doing (or failing to do) that holds me back?” 6. Engage in small experiments “I don’t believe that receiving feedback well means that you have to take the feedback.” -Sheila Heen It’s hard to know if feedback is helpful until we try it out. Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Andrew Stenhouse: Vanguard University Dean, School for Graduate and Professional Studies Vanguard University of Southern California Loss is pervasive and we don’t often recognize how much we’re dealing with loss at the time. Three broad categories of emotions tend to show up for people during a time of workplace loss: Fear We don’t know the loss will affect us personally We don’t know how we are going to react to the loss These fears can surprise us and cause even more anxiety Anger We can be angry at the person who we lost We need to be able to express our anger in some way Anger sometimes feels good because it provides some illusion of control Sadness Anger tends to yield to sadness Guilt is the feeling that we could or should have done something We can sometimes feel guilt that we are not in as much pain as we think we should be What leaders can do after a loss: Don’t put parameters on how people are supposed to deal with loss However, provide stability and structure for people Create and lead forums for conversation The performance aspects of the job can help stabilize and reduce stress Leaders should facilitate the conversation about the loss, rather than just allowing it (or hoping for it) to happen on its own Bring in someone else to help when you see physical signs of loss “You’re always on one side or the other of a loss. You’re either approaching one or getting over one.” -Andrew Stenhouse What’s one thing you could do now to ready your organization for loss? Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Bonni Stachowiak: Teaching in Higher Ed Bonni is the host of the Teaching in Higher Ed podcast, Dean of Teaching and Learning and Professor of Business and Management at Vanguard University, and my life partner. Prior to her academic career, she was a human resources consultant and executive officer for a publicly traded company. Bonni is the author of The Productive Online and Offline Professor: A Practical Guide*. Mishal in Saudia Arabia: How do you increase self-confidence as a new leader? Phil in the UK: What advice would you give to someone who hasn’t had the opportunity to lead people in an organization? Dave reference Coaching for Leaders episode #94: What To Do When Managing Without Authority Another article that might be helpful is 8 Ways To Influence Without Authority John: How can I build time into my day for the long-term goals? Jenn: How do you cope with a difficult coworker when your boss doesn’t want to acknowledge the problem? Dave referenced Coaching for Leaders episode #64: Eight Ways To Get Results By Managing Up Just for fun, we mentioned our Sonos PLAY:3 station* in this response Lisa shared a comment. Lisa referenced Coaching for Leaders episode #117: The Seven Steps You Follow To Delegate Work Dave mentioned his video: How To Get Podcasts on Your iPhone for Free Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Eric Ruckle It’s not about me, but about the project. Book recommendation: The Startup of You by Reid Hoffman* Book recommendation: So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport* What’s one attitude change you can make that will help you work with multiple bosses? Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic. To accelerate your learning, uncover more inside Coaching for Leaders Plus.

Susan Gerke: GO Team Resources This model originates with Bruce Tuckman in the 1960’s Forming Storming Norming Performing Susan and I discuss the issues at each stage above and the actions that both team members and leaders can take in order to maximize team performance. There are several options when conflict emerges: Reform the team Do good Feel good Deal with the conflict There are also several ways that change itself can happen to a team: Leadership changes Membership changes Changes to the purpose and goals of the team Resources The I in Team* by Susan Gerke Go Team by Susan Gerke and David Hutchens What’s one action you will take to be more proactive with your team’s development? Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.

Susan Gerke: GO Team Resources Teams are different and unique Purpose Structure Stage of Development Membership Leadership When you are trying to figure out how to lead a team, 2 models can be very helpful. Types of Teams Interdependence degree of cooperation and coordination Number of meetings Content of meetings Goals —team vs. individual Reward team vs. individual Expertise Training plan Resources The I in Team* by Susan Gerke Go Team* by Susan Gerke and David Hutchens Discover More Activate your free membership for full access to the entire library of interviews since 2011, searchable by topic.