Top Ten Reasons To Start Creativity Coaching

DEVELOP YOUR ARTISTIC CONFIDENCE I'd really like to write but I don't have enough time. Creativity coaching can give you back control over your calendar.

EXPAND YOUR HOBBY TO A PART-TIME BUSINESS: I can make crafts for others, but I'm too scared to sell them to strangers. Creativity coaching can teach you how to expand and meet your artistic expectations.

EXPLORE YOUR COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Marketing my work to new markets is difficult. Creativity coaching can teach you how to research and develop new markets.

ACHIEVE YOUR ARTISTIC GOALS: I can set goals, but I can't complete them. Creativity coaching can teach you how to formulate and complete your goals.

EXPLORE ALL ASPECTS OF YOUR CREATIVITY: I don't know if I am creative or not. Creativity coaching can help you discover the truth about your creativity.

BALANCE YOUR CREATIVITY AND THE REST OF YOUR LIFE: If I don't write regularly, I begin to feel trapped. Creativity coaching can help you discover the truth about your creativity.

DISCOVER PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS AND OTHER NETWORKING OUTLETS: Where do I find artist in my artistic discipline? Creativity coaching can help you increase your business skills.

CREATE CONCRETE PLANS FOR YOUR ARTISTIC BUSINESS: How do I write a business plan, when my art isn't even selling? Creativity coaching can help you increase your business skills.

FIND AN ARTISTIC MENTOR OR BUDDY: Where can I find an artistic mentor or buddy? Creativity coaching can help you expand your support network.

Copyright 2005 Writer's Eye Advisory Service

Lael Johnson, owner of Writer's Eye Advisory Service, offers creativity coaching services and additional writing resources at: www.writerseye.com/creativitycoaching/index.shtml.

The Achilles Heel Of Management Coaching

While heading home at days end, you begin reflecting on a coaching meeting you had earlier that day with an employee, Chris. You hope that, this time, you finally succeeded in getting her to understand the importance of spending less time in disruptive socializing in the office and more time elevating her performance. If not, you feel that your only remaining alternatives are to give her a poor performance evaluation or demotion or may even fire her. Youre reluctant to do either of the first two things because you know these would disrupt the positive work relationship youve had with Chris. And you dont really want to fire her. On the other hand, youre running out of patience; this is the fourth time youve said something to Chris about the situation. Admittedly, the first few times, your comments may have missed the mark because you gave her only some casual feedback. But about a month ago, you held a formal coaching meeting with Chris, in which you discussed the situation in depth and came away thinking that she understood the need to change her behavior. In fact, she did change. But after a week or so, she was back to her old behavior.

Sound familiar? The most critical step in the management coaching process getting an employee to agree theres a need for improvement is usually not well understood or well executed. Without that, theres little likelihood of any permanent change.

Not a chewing out

As the use of coaching rises, so does the confusion over what it is and isnt. I define management coaching as an interpersonal process between a manager and an employee in which the manager helps the employee redirect his or her performance while maintaining mutual trust. Coaching differs from feedback, although feedback is part of the management coaching process. Feedback is given by a manager or supervisor in response to a specific event or situation; coaching focuses on a pattern of behavior along with strategies for growth and development. Coaching is all about the art of turning situations and events into learning and growing experiences. Examples include missing several deadlines in a short period despite being reminded that meeting deadlines is important, continuing to arrive late for work after being told tardiness is not acceptable, and continuing to interrupt others in spite of receiving feedback that such behavior isnt appropriate. Management Coaching is not chewing out, taking to task, or threatening employees to try to improve their performance. Those tactics can work, but the results may be worse than the original problem. Such approaches tend to make employees passive-aggressive. They will walk the line and do nothing more or less than what is asked.

In general, a management coaching meeting should take place only after an employee understands clearly whats expected and has received feedback at least once that his or her performance is not what it could or should be. However, in some cases, certain significant events may be the focus of a coaching meeting, before they develop into a pattern of behavior. For example, a manufacturer decided that any safety violation no matter how minor would be addressed in a coaching discussion and, if significant, could lead to formal discipline.

Coaching involves these critical elements:

• A two-way dialogue
• A series of interdependent steps or objectives
• Specific coaching skills and strategies
• Courage and conviction
• A personal sense of humor

The management coaching process has two primary areas of focus: helping an employee recognize the need to improve his or her performance and developing an employees commitment to taking steps to improve performance permanently.

While all of the steps in the C.M.O.E coaching model are important, the most critical one is often not understood or carried out effectively getting an employee to recognize and agree that there is a need to improve his performance. That step is equally important whether an employee has a specific performance problem or an employee is an average performer who could do better. Without a felt need for change and greater self awareness, theres little likelihood that any improvement will occur or that it will be permanent.

The Center for Management and Organization Effectiveness (CMOE) seeks to improve individual leadership and team member skills within organizations.

For professional information on management coaching, visit http://cmoe.com/how-to-avoid-coaching-mistakes.htm

Coaching Sports For All The Right Reasons

The Glove

It was during a March evening in 2002 that I received word that my grandfather was dying. I drove the four and a half hours to Ironwood, Michigan in a snowstorm to say goodbye. I was able to see my grandpa and he was able to recognize me and acknowledge that I was there.

The next morning, he was gone. The doctors said that they were not sure how he had survived for so long. He had many health conditions and a lot of pain that he hadnt really shown on the outside. Yet, he had visited my grandmother every day in the nursing home where she had moved just a few months before. The staff marveled at the fact that my grandpa could even make it up the stairs each day. But, he did it. He was always there to help someone else.

I stayed in the town where my grandfather had been born, lived and now passed on. The funeral was scheduled for just a couple of days later. I thought a lot about my grandfather during this time. He had inspired me to be an athlete and coach. I remember him showing me the pictures and ribbons that he had won as a hurdler in track and field. But his real love was baseball. He was a great first baseman who played for a while with the Union City Greyhounds farm team and even had a try out for the St. Louis Cardinals. Rumor has it that he left baseball to come back for my grandmother. He continued to play ball in his home town. When times were tough and jobs were scarce, my grandfather was offered a job at the mine... if he would also play on the companys baseball team.

Two days passed and the preparations for the funeral were made. I spent a lot of the time at my aunts house with the rest of my family. Late in the morning, there was a knock on the door. An older gentleman stood outside and carried a small object under one arm. My aunt answered the door and had a short conversation with the man. He then handed her the object, said goodbye and walked off.

My aunt entered the room looking sad but strangely happy at the same time. In her hands, she cradled a baseball glove. It was old and battered and some of the laces were missing but you could still see the words US ARMY branded into the leather. My aunt set the glove on the table and filled the rest of us in on what had just happened.

This was Dads glove from the Army, she said. Remember that when he got back from the war, he helped to start the first little league here in town. That man was a member of Dads first team. His family didnt have much money and he couldnt afford to buy a baseball glove. Dad gave him his so that he could play like the rest of the boys.

The man had gone on to say that he had never forgotten my grandfathers generosity. He had kept and cherished the glove for over 45 years. He had seen my grandpas obituary in the newspaper and had wanted to return the glove to the family and let us know what a great coach, and man, my grandfather had been.

The glove was put on display at my grandpas funeral. And, of course, the ministers sermon contained many allusions to sports and frequent quotes from A Field of Dreams. All this made me ever so proud of my grandfather who enjoyed coaching and passing on his love of athletics to the youth in his town. It also made me remember why I chose to be a coach.

How many times have you wondered, Why do people coach? Why do they give up their time and energy for little or no money, sometimes even less respect and the opportunity to be targeted by parents and fans alike?

That cold and snowy March day, I was reminded of the answers to those questions. We coach to touch the youth. To instill values into young people that they will carry with them for the rest of their lives. We coach to make a difference and to show the right way to play, work and live. We coach so that, even 45 years can pass without a man forgetting his coach and the impact that he had made on a young boys life.

Copyright, Tim Kauppinen, 2005

This article is protected by copyright, 2005,

Tim Kauppinen. All rights reserved.
http://www.makesyoufast.com

Tim Alan Kauppinen, or Coach K, has over 20 years experience as an athlete and coach. He has worked with athletes of all ages and abiltities in track and field, football, speed training and strength and conditioning. This has given him the privilege and the opportunity to coach athletes who have become conference champions, state champions and Division I college players. Coach K publishes a free daily fitness email with current tips on getting stronger, faster and in the best shape of your life. To sign up for this no cost service, visit Coach K's website at http://www.makesyoufast.com/contact.html

COACHING: When it's beyond Oprah and Dr. Phil

How many more servings of the daytime self-help salad will it take to sooth your appetite? To actually get your life to where you want it to be? To actually start seeing changes for yourself rather than just on the tear-filled faces of Oprah's latest guests?

How about the alternatives? If you stick with TV then you will likely wind up in frightening dead ends with the likes of Jerry, Ricky and Montel. So, you read a few more Chicken Soup books, listen to another Anthony Robbins seminar and double up on the appointments with your shrink. Still nothing?

Consider coaching. Within the past decade, life (or personal) coaching has become the self-help book put into action. Once reserved for executives facing tough decisions in elite corners of corporate America, coaching has now become a catalyst for success in life, career and relationships for mainstream America. Think of coaching as having your own Dr. Phil on call; someone there not to diagnose emotional problems or feel your pain, but to help you set better goals, take more action, make better decisions and use your natural strengths more fully.

Coaching has been touted as a cutting edge resource for life success by every form of national media. Health Magazine recently called coaching, "The path to success." The Washington Post recently headlined, "many who want a winning record in the game of life are hiring a Life coach." The profession is even showcased in a new reality TV show called Starting Over, although many coaches see this as painting the profession as merely the latest self-help fad.

Here's how it works. Life coaches are retained on a monthly basis with fees ranging from $150-$400, on average. This generally includes three or four coaching sessions that last anywhere from half an hour to a full hour. Most coaches also provide additional support and communication between sessions via e-mail, instant messaging or brief "check in" phone calls. It is also common practice for coaches to provide a free introductory session for potential clients to get a sampling of what being coached is like and to see if they "click" with their potential coach. Those hiring coaches run the gamut. Coaching clients are parents, teachers, business professionals, "Midlifers", students and business owners. They are basically, anyone ready for life change through the support, guidance, challenge and clarity that coaching provides. When moving forward rather than digging deeper begins to sound like the right recipe, then coaching might be your next best step. Don't forget, Jerry, Ricky and Montel will always be there to remind you of the alternatives!