Achieve Coaching Group

Power Up

Jodie Barrett — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 14:47:41 +0000

The new year is upon us and it is time to think about powering up. Starting afresh every year gives us the opportunity to erase the slate, move on and create the positions that we want for ourselves. Now is the time to empower yourself to make the career transition, a business goal or even a personal fitness attainment. It starts with you thinking about your possibilities, making a commitment and most importantly being accountable to yourself. I was watching an advertisement that Nike has put out with the slogan “Force Fate” and thought that is really what needs to happen. Take control of your fate, force your own position and make it happen. Achieve!

Empowered Principals

Jodie Barrett — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:24:36 +0000

I never fail to be amazed when we work with groups of principals who so clearly empower their staff and students to be prepared learners for the 21st century. Kudos to you! As coaches, we focus on so many different elements of a person’s personal world and it is an honour to be invited in to engage in that level of trust. But the true opportunities for transformation only happen if we move beyond the surface and dive right down into the heart of the matter. Being a lover of all things chocolate I envision this work being moving from icing the cake to jumping off of a spring board and diving right into the centre of that layer cake. Do you have the visual? Yes, you are now covered in goopy icing.! That’s what we need to do in order to reach the core of client’s behaviour that needs to change. We have to look at the ‘self’ and determine how they need to be different in order to create change? And we need to not only do this once through the framework of coaching but to keep coming back as many times as necessary until the client sees the impact and success of that changed behaviour. Good thing we like chocolate!
Your question today: How do you need to be different to create change?

Reflective Leadership

Jodie Barrett — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 18:30:39 +0000

Do you ever notice how the reflections on the water create beautiful picturesque moments? How often do we whip by and miss the chance to take a look? How often do we fail to notice an opportunity to move ourselves closer to wisdom? I have been finding lately when working with clients that everyone wants to race by the reflection because it is much easier to go by rather than stop and pause; see what is being presented. Is it the technological influence of immediate delivery/response or perhaps the spiraling economic times pushing us to the next great thing? We will leave the economy for the moment that is a whole other blog topic.
The process of coaching in leadership provides the time and space to stop, breathe and reflect. But we are busy, we are rushing, we are pushing to the next deliverable, deadline and we are always, always searching for that elusive ‘time’ factor. I wonder if the search itself is what propels us to create this crisis of time?
It is the element of missing or avoiding looking at what is really presented to the world that I find fascinating. Unless we take a glance we will never create the transformational change that frequently needs to happen to really allow the client to achieve their goals. It requires real trust and space in order for that change to happen and the carefully placed reminders to come back to the waters edge… look. Look again, look again. This process can occur over and over until finally there is a breath and the client is able to see the real self that needs to change.

Have you been taking and making the time for reflection?

What is your focus?

Jodie Barrett — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 17:39:03 +0000

Have you ever noticed that when you focus all your energies on your goal you are able to create your own success. Yet, when you reverse this process the same thing happens. When working with coaching clients I ask them “What do you want?” The answer I most often hear is what they don’t want. I don’t want to feel so overloaded. I don’t want to follow this career path. I don’t want to be tired anymore. All their energy is focused on what they don’t want. Guess what~ that is what they get! Why? Because that is what you are focusing on. That is your goal. What happens when you become a new parent? Besides a sudden lack of sleep you also start to notice how many other new infants your friends have. You go to the mall, everyone has new babies. Before you know it there are new babies everywhere. But it is only your perception, personal experience and your focus that has changed. There as many new babies out there in the world as there ever have been.

“What do you want?”
1. Focus on what you want.
2. Create measurable actions
3. Engage in coaching
4. Achieve your goal.
Have you phrased what you want in a positive frame?
I will to reach my next career goal of….
I will make my first million by 35…
I will…

Question of the Day:
What do you want? What is your focus? What will you do?

Hybrid Coaching

Jodie Barrett — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:53:29 +0000

Going to the gas pumps can easily cause heart failure as you watch the dollar signs creep up very quickly. With the high cost of fuel hybrid vehicles have been forefront in the media. Wickpedia lists the hybrid as “a vehicle that uses two or more distinct power sources to propel the vehicle”. What about the concept of hybrid coaching?
Hybrid coaching allows a coach to tap into a clients’ rechargeable energy system that they may not realize is within themselves while at the same time using their internal combustion engine otherwise known as ambition. This enables you to focus your energy towards your specific goals without having to keep returning to the gas pumps where you have input but gain minimal output without great costs. I’ll bet you can think of attending seminars or meetings that drain and deflate you just like the oversized SUV at the pumps.
Hybrid coaching; giving you the get-up-and-go without the high cost of fuel!

Happiness at Work

Jodie Barrett — Fri, 11 Apr 2008 01:06:00 +0000

What makes you happy? In our coaching practice we find that many clients are searching for elements within their work that create conditions for happiness; that sense of satisfaction both with yourself and the work that you do . But increasingly pressures for deadlines and deliverables and ongoing stresses overwhelm and we lose that sense of bliss.

How can you be happy in your work environment?

Find joy in what you do.
Every situation and working environment has positive within it. Happy people find those moments and expand upon them. The energy that is created will create more such conditions and you will find yourself having greater success.
Give it meaning.
If you are connected to your work it will inspire you to achieve your goals because it is important to you. If you are attached to a task and finding satisfaction you will be successful. Take charge of your own professional development and create your own growth plan.
Make connections.
Having friends at work provides a support network whether it be from peers, boss or direct reports. Take the time to get to know the people that you work with, find coworkers you like and spend time with them.

Deciding to fill up your glass at work ( figuratively speaking of course) and creating happy moments within your work will enable you to find great satisfaction and success.

Question of the day: Am I happy at work?

Twitter ‘Flection

Jodie Barrett — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 03:08:08 +0000

We are a fast paced society. We move at lightening speed and have misplaced the ability to take the time to reflect. Do you realize how far removed from ourselves we have become? While reading Will Richardson’s blog ‘On Twitter and Balance’ I noticed that he reflected upon a new tool called InnerTwitter. This is an interesting little chime sent via Twitter that reminds you to listen, pay attention to your breathing and have a surreal moment. It made me recognize that we have disconnected ourselves from that inner voice, to such an extent, that we need to be told to stop, breathe and reflect by a ding on our cell, pda etc. Isn’t technology an amazing thing! We can now use it to remind ourselves to do the things that some may say it stole from us in the first place. Regardless, reflecting is a necessary part of moving ourselves forward and ensuring that we are not doomed to repeat past mistakes. It allows us to review accomplishments and insights, issues and dilemas and to decide what steps to take next. This inner conversation corrects and stretches and gives us the tools to generate action, find opportunities and create intended results. Whatever method or technological support you need to summon up a moment of reflection be sure to take the time.

Question of the day: Have you looked at yourself today and what have you learned?

Assumptions are Wicked

Jodie Barrett — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:07:46 +0000

“Assumptions can be wicked thoughts that keep us from trying something new”. This statement made in Karla Reiss’s book Leadership Coaching for Educators really stuck with me. How often do we make assumptions everyday? I won’t try this because… or it wasn’t meant to be? Keeping track of this data would surprise many of us. I would expand this thought by suggesting that not only do assumptions keep us from trying something new but they also keep us absolutely stuck, mired in the mud, frozen in time … Sadly the lowly assumptions keep us from realizing the opportunities, possibilities and potential that we have within ourselves. Remember greatness lies within. Not within just everyone else but within you and by not exploring this internal excellence we have implicitly shortchanged ourselves and those that we have within our circle of influence. I would challenge you to ask yourself the questions: What assumptions have I made today? How can I ensure that I will self-regulate my assumptions? and once you have the answer: What new choices can you now make?

Moving the Thoughtless Leader forward

Jodie Barrett — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 01:05:30 +0000

Marshall Goldsmith speaks of thought leaders in his latest blog and reflects on the idea that these specialists add value within their area of expertise. As I was reading this I wondered if there is an antithesis to this idea; the notion of the ‘thoughtless leader’. While the thought leader had criteria listed such as character, principles, personality, performance, experience etc. as put forth by Ken Shelton in Leadership Excellence the ‘thoughtless leader’ is often someone that you also know within your organization. This would be the person who puts forward an agenda without an understanding of the effect on employees, without a strategic plan for successful organizational change, without character, emotional intelligence etc. How do you move an individual from being a ‘thoughtless leader’ to a valuable member contributing to organizational excellence? In our coaching practice, we find that focussed and precise conversations bring about the transformational change enabling leaders to improve performance and character. The opportunity to try out and take risks outside of your normal place of comfort with coach support creates a step by step move to the zone of proximinal development. Through coaching this gap closes and with collaborative problem-solving you begin to realize your potential. If more leaders took this approach and became thought leaders imagine the exponential value this would create.

Question of the Day: What kind of leader are you?

Recognizing Possibilities

Jodie Barrett — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 16:46:29 +0000

Last time we talked about utilizing staff strengths and how coaching can support this. So what does it take? It takes time and the recognition that the people you have working for your organization are doing the best that they know how. But is this giving you the output required or are you cruising along a bumpy highway trying to just stay on the road meeting deadlines, quotas etc.? How are you as a leader helping your staff move forward? Have you recognized the importance of this issue and are you making time for it in your busy schedule?Allow employees to discover the possibilities. Ask them: What outcome do you want?What is the best thing that could happen? If you knew you wouldn’t fail, what would you do?What have you examined that has worked for others? By reflecting on the possibilities we empower employees to make changes and create personal growth.