Art, Wine, Wit...and Some FAQs About Coaching...No I don't work for a business hospice...your diagnosis is not terminal...

By Joy Mizzoni 

Artist and Team Support Specialist at ActionCOACH Spokane

As you know, I am an artist. If you missed my very first posting than click here now! 

June 1, 2012, I had the honor of being June’s First Friday artist at CaterinaWinery.

Acrylic on Wood by your humble blog author

A big thank you to Coach Jim Munro who spent three hours atop a ladder (in a tie) hanging 29 pieces of my art!  If that’s not a job perk, I don’t know what is…

Surprisingly, there were as many questions asked of me about business coaching as there were about my art. 

To me, this is a great sign because it means two things:

1. People are actually reading this blog 
2. I have elicited some curiosity about coaching. 

Now, I did mention these questions were asked of me during an art event at a winery.  I like wine, especially complimentary wine.  A lot.  Which explains why I felt it necessary to compose a blog posting on a Monday morning to try and better clarify some of my answers I may have offered Friday night. I do believe, in my defense, my answers where clear, articulate and typically ended with, ‘excuse me, I’m going to get another glass of wine.’

 

So, let’s explore business coaching.  What it is and what it is not.

It is not a business hospice…

If you come expecting miracles, you may be disappointed. This is not the place to come and die. If your business is dead, we probably can not resuscitate it for you. 

 

 

ActionCOACH Spokane works with businesses that are already profitable. 

(Click Here for ActionCOACH definition of a“business”) 

“We are not looking for a couch potato to turn them into a triathlete,” explains Jim Munro.  “Our best clients, and the most fun to work with, are businesses that are 80% there, but are looking to accelerate that last 15-20% of their success. They might have achieved that last 20% in a few years anyway, but the impact on both the business and the community is astounding when they move forward at warp speed in contrast to a slow plod.”

It is not a sign of weakness or ineptitude…

People seem to think of business coaching in the same respects neighbors thought of divorce in the 1950s:  “I didn’t know they were having problems…I didn’t know things were THAT bad.” 

Let me ask you something, if your colleague told you they hired a personal trainer, would you respond,

“Gee Gloria, I didn’t know you were THAT fat”? 

No, of course you wouldn’t!

Go for the gold in the business Olympics…

 

Simply put, a business coach works with emerging and successful business owners who wish to take their success to a higher level.

The word “success” is subjective; so is happiness.  It’s personally defined by each individual.  A business coach does not pass judgment.

What a business coach does is hold you accountable, keep you focused, and ensure you are putting time and energy into actions that produce results for your business; not just on things you enjoy. 

A business coach will tell you that you have to fire Aunt Betty, because although she’s your favorite aunt and she always brings you chocolate chip cookies, as an employee, she is pretty much worthless.

Some specifics please….

 

A business coach can help you with….

• Sales
• Advertising
• Profit growth
• Business growth
• Business systems
• Time issues
• Team building strategies

Can’t anyone slap “Business Coach” in front of their name? 

Just like you wouldn’t visit a plastic surgeon without doing your homework, you should never hire a business coach without snooping around first.  Yes, anyone can call themselves a “coach” and charge you a fee.

I feel I'm among the real deal...

Greg M. Anderson, MS, MSW, BCC
Certified Business Coach

ActionCOACH GregAnderson  is the first person in the Spokane area to attain Board Certification through the Center for Credentialing and Education.  He is native to the Spokane-area, graduating from Eastern Washington University with both his Bachelor and Master degrees.  He earned a second Masters’ degree from Walla Walla College.  During his studies, he lectured extensively as a Graduate-level teaching assistant and guest lecturer in his field of study.  He was recently recognized for his national efforts to share the impact of his learning and abilities.

But Joy….they pay you to say good things….

Yes, but not this many good things. I came here in September thinking only a miracle or a very rich husband could make my dream of someday becoming a full time artist reality. But witnessing our clients’ successes coupled with the practical, strategic guidance I receive during my weekly meetings with my coach, I have begun to see some fundamental similarities in successful people. I am aware of the continuous assault of distractions bombarded on me almost constantly.  The road to success sometimes seems paved with land mines and booby traps.

I took another step toward my professional success through my art by accepting a friendly push, although I didn't think I was seeking out that helpful shove. Fortunately, someone cared enough to provide it and I was smart enough not to refuse the assistance.

Want to succeed? Want to do it as effectively as possible? Someone knows and cares enough to help you too...Take your first step...reach out for assistance and start on your journey post haste...

Explore More....Suggested Links...

  ActionCOACH Spokane BBB Profile A+ Rating

Best Business Consulting Company - ActionCOACH Spokane

Free Business Tools

http://www.actioncoach.com/businesstools

N.I.C.E….Nothing Inside Me Cares Enough To Say Anything….

In an effort to effectively prioritize and produce results, I promised myself that I could work on a blog post only after I had finished some other, less exciting projects. Specifically, I committed to finishing this lengthy PowerPoint presentation today (not due until next week) and the reward for not procrastinating would be, well, this blog post. 

Long story short, I stopped working on the presentation dead in my tracks to write this blog post for you.

But, the redeeming moral of the story, is that, well, this blog post happens to be about the presentation that is sitting half done on my desk this very moment. 

For those of you who read my very first posting (click here…hint hint) the purpose of this bog is to share practical information for improving your life.  I say “life” because although I support “business” coaches — not “life” coaches — business is your life...whether you own a business, dream of starting your own business, or just want to be employee of the month.  And for those of you lucky enough to have a trust fund just spewing money into your bank account, then these tips will help you with your life. 

Most of us want to become better people. Most of us want to make smarter decisions. Most of us want to hear HOW to do this. 

 

See, that’s the thing with most self-help books and good old standbys like Stephen Covey. I have read 7 Habits twice AND listened to the audio CD. Guess what? Win-win my ass.  Sure, theoretically it’s brilliant and it definitely is the bible of popular jargon such as ‘synergy’ and ‘sharpen your saw’ but it never seemed applicable to the mundane, day-to-day experiences that trip us up. 

Remember, it’s the little things that make the difference. It’s the little things you think no one will notice that make or break your goals.

 

I learned a valuable lesson in the military. Yes, your humble writer spent four long, tedious, tumultuous years in the Air Force. Yes, I was a member of PETA and a vegetarian during that time too. Yes, I had a problem with authority. And YES I was honorably discharged.  

In the military, you aren’t allowed to wear dangle earrings and there is a laundry list of other dress-related regulations that seem inconsequential especially when you wake up late. But I swear to you, EVERY TIME I said to myself, ‘ah no one will notice’ someone did; and let me tell you, I mean EVERY TIME! 

Point being, the information I am sharing with you may seem little, trite, trivial, inconsequential. But TRUST ME, it’s the little things that matter. 

 

Which brings me to the concept of not being nice. According to this awesome presentation I am working on for Coach Ted Schmidt, the ActionCOACH Spokane definition of nice is as follows:

N.I.C.E....

• Nothing

• Inside Me

• Cares

• Enough

Think about that. Think about all the times you never spoke up in situations because you didn’t want to offend someone. What where the consequences? How could things have turned out differently if you had held that person accountable for their actions?  

This concept isn’t just about your own fear of the other person’s anger. It’s about the other person too.   It’s about caring enough about the other person to give them the input or information they need to be successful – or to avoid further or future pain.  We don’t typically stand by silently as we watch people we care about sabotage their efforts, or do we?  

It’s just something to think about. 

 

Now, for those of you who read my last blog post (click here..hint hint) about how I recently blurted out something inappropriate to a client (in front of my boss) I am not saying this is an opportunity to start telling people what you really think of them. I’m just suggesting that the concept of N.I.C.E. may be something we should all explore a little further and see if, in fact, because we are too nice, we ourselves are not being accountable. 

I’ll be honest, I am not quite sure how to apply this concept yet since it is fairly new to me. 

But perhaps together we can figure out how we can start caring enough about ourselves and our goals to stop being so N.I.C.E. all the damn time. 

 

 

 

Pause, breathe, think…all with your mouth closed.

I am not one who typically thinks before she speaks. I tend to be a little nervous, slightly shy, yet high strung.  This is a formula for nervously rattling away via impulse to fill awkward silences as opposed to wooing my colleagues and acquaintances with well-articulated thoughtful responses.  I would like to blame these mannerisms on my culture and upbringing. I would like to attribute it to my artistic colorful personality; I am, after all, uniquely me and that hasn’t always been a bad thing. 

I know I talk fast. I get going and I forget to breathe. And then I start talking with my hands.  My arms will never remain completely still during a conversation and I’m not even about to try.  But I am open to learning how to lower my voice, take a deep breath and pause before I say whatever highly inappropriate thing just popped into my rambling, rambunctious brain. 

As they say, there is a time and place for everything and typically, mixed company does not fall into either of those categories. 

For example, last week a gentleman arrived at our office for his weekly career counseling appointment with one of our business coaches. He had spent many years as a corrections officer in a prison and was now searching for his true passion which involved elements of both creative and salutary purpose. While he was waiting to meet with his coach, our conversation went something like this…..

He expressed the satisfaction he receives from helping others. This was one aspect of the prison system he found very rewarding; when an inmate turned their life around. Then he made the comment, “everyone deserves a second chance.”

Now, normally, this is where most people would pause and say something polite reinforcing this sentiment, especially in a professional environment like ActionCOACH Spokane. 

Do you know what comes out of my mouth?

“Yeah, except for sex offenders.”

Hoping to stop the conversation in its tracks I apologized profusely, but it was too late. 

Oh, did I mention that my boss was standing right there this entire time? 

As Coach Jim effortlessly guided the conversation to less-futile territory, I knew there was a lesson to be learned from this; not one completely unfamiliar to me either. 

Pause before you speak. 

As you may have guessed, Friday, in my weekly coaching session “Coach”  kindly provided me with some helpful tips to improve my communication style. 

This was the communication strategy he outlined for yours truly:

Before you open your mouth:

1. Breathe.

2. Pause (count to three silently)

3. Think about the impact of what you said (or did) 72 hours down the road. Do you like it?

   

    

Not bad advice eh?  

Common sense you may say? 

Really?

When’s the last time you said something really stupid in front of YOUR boss?

I thought so.The common theme in my blogs is simplicity doesn’t equate to easy.  Common sense also doesn’t equal “easy”. 

Isn’t it common sense to put down the cupcakes and get to the gym? 

I thought so. 

So before you pick up that cupcake or say something horribly inappropriate to a client, remember it’s as simple as one, two, three. 

Breathe, pause and remember the 72-hour rule; and don’t forget….this philosophy also applies to cupcakes.