Ultimate Coach University – powerful questions

Neil Phillips Nov 7, 2015

Weekend Love, November Seventh

Here are some of the great nuggets that I’ve found on the web recently. This handful of links takes you to tools or insightful content. Occasionally I’ll include one from my “save” file if it fits the mood.

Some days, I tell myself this. Please read Frank Sonnenberg’s article, Failing Doesn’t Make You a Failure.

Dan Rockwell makes some really insightful lists on Leadership (which is to be expected since his blog is titled, Leadership Freak.) Here is one of them on 10 Ways to Seize Leadership’s Greatest Opportunity.

As I sit here planning a quick getaway, this article from Rachel Henke really resonates well with me. She raises some ideas worth contemplating when she writes about Designing Your Freedom Solution.

The question we often want answered: How to stay calm when you know you’ll be stressed. Daniel Levitin talks about this on TED. Click here if the video isn’t showing.

failure, leadership, mindfulness, powerful questions, stress

Neil Phillips Oct 31, 2015

Weekend Love, October Thirty-First

We share everything, even Halloween treats

Just about everyone I know is trying to find additional sales this time of year. Karyn Greenstreet gives you some quick ideas when she writes about 5 Smart Tips to Re-engage Inactive Customers.

The problem might not be the people around you. It might be your expectations about the people around you. What will you do now? Dominique Christine explores this thought in her article on What to Do When You’re Feeling Disappointed in Your Relationship.

Seth Godin is one of the most concise writers I’ve encountered. He talks about Entitlement vs. Worthiness and asks you to think about Halloween candy. How this man’s mind works I’ll never know.

This is from the way back machine. From top to bottom, the choice is yours. We don’t always recognize that until it gets spelled out for us like Frank Sonnenberg did in his article, The Choice is Yours.

Halloween wouldn’t be complete without at least one article prompted by the holiday. This one is basically pictures, so check out 26 Hauntingly Beautiful Photos of Abandoned Homes Across America, some of which might just be haunted.

Coach Approach, coaching process, mindfulness, passion, powerful questions, sales

Neil Phillips Oct 21, 2015

3 Absolutely Critical Tools for Goal Achievement

I think we all, at some point, look for that silver bullet solution. You know the one makes all your problems melt away, everyone agree with you, and produces 110% of your wishes. We all know it’s not there, but we still keep looking.

You keep looking for it because you think that, along the way, you will come across the next best thing to a silver bullet. The solution is actually simpler to find but harder to execute. Here are the three tools.

ME. Yes, you are the core of your answer.

What is it you want?
When you take away the pressure from friends, family, and business associates, what would make you happy?

The more you focus on this, the more likely you are to find it. Alice in Wonderland’s Cheshire cat said to her that “If you don’t know where you are going, any old road will do.” The opposite of those prophetic words is your answer.

MYSELF. You are also the second most important tool for goal achievement.

What is it that you are uniquely qualified to do?
How will you get rid of everything else?

You can get distracted like a dog chasing squirrels. You don’t mean to, but you end up spending your time on things that others can do as well (or better) than you. Stop right there. There is a piece of your goal that is yours and yours alone to do. Everything else is just stuff.

AND I. If you are the real tool to achieve your goal, admit it. Take credit for your successes and take the blame for your failures. Anything less is giving credit to random forces in your life. You will never truly appreciate your success if you think it’s due to random luck.

If you are not sure of your answers, you might want to find a mentor or a coach. Get someone to ask the hard and uncomfortable questions that will make you truly appreciate me, myself, and I.

coaching tools, Goal Setting, mindfulness, powerful questions, Productivity

Neil Phillips Oct 14, 2015

10 Yogi Berra-isms for Coaches

Yogi Berra, one of the greatest baseball players of all time, passed away in September. His feats as a baseball player and coach are legendary. He still holds some records in major league baseball as a player and a coach. He was even the inspiration for a long running cartoon character, Yogi Bear (although Hanna-Barbera denied the association for a long time).

He was also well-known for his ability to coin a phrase. Many of his sayings have become long running punch lines. Here are ten that offer good advice for coaches.

On the importance of deciding and acting: When you come to a fork in the road, take it.

On driving to the end: It ain’t over till it’s over.

On framing and reframing: Slump? I ain’t in no slump… I just ain’t hitting.

On having goals: You’ve got to be very careful if you don’t know where you are going, because you might not get there.

On being totally committed: Baseball is 90% mental and the other half is physical.

On action orientation: How can you think and hit at the same time?

On listening: It was impossible to get a conversation going, everybody was talking too much.

On coaching silence: You can observe a lot by just watching.

On owning the results: I never blame myself when I’m not hitting. I just blame the bat and if it keeps up, I change bats. After all, if I know it isn’t my fault that I’m not hitting, how can I get mad at myself?

On being in the flow: You don’t have to swing hard to hit a home run. If you got the timing, it’ll go.

Bonus: (It fits every occasion) If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be.

May he long be remembered.

coaching presence, coaching process, listening, powerful questions, reframing, Yogi Berra

Neil Phillips Oct 10, 2015

Weekend Love, October Ten

Want to solve problems or fix them? Dan Rockwell explores the difference in his article, 10 Ways to Solve Real Problems.

What do you do when you notice others struggling? Karyn Greenstreet gives some quick lists to recognize struggles and how you can help someone get moving. Her article is on How to Help a Floundering Member.

Speaking of mistakes, Frank Sonnenberg makes a great case for changing your response to personal mistakes. His article, The Biggest Mistake, Ever! would be a mistake to not read.

I’ve sometimes found that some people who say they want a coach really don’t. Joanne Maynard asks a great question in her article Are You Coachable? 3 Questions to Consider.

BONUS: Want the perfect movie for a night in? Five Thirty Eight’s survey gives the top 25 all-time choices. The male-female differences will make you smile. Read Walt Hickey’s article, The 25 Most Rewatchable Movies of All Time.

Awareness, Coach Approach, coaching vs training, powerful questions

Neil Phillips Sep 19, 2015

Weekend Love, September Nineteenth

I love the paradoxes we sometimes find ourselves in. Tim Brownson explores one when he writes If You Want to Be Creative, Stop Trying to Be Creative.

If you want to cross the goal line, you need to set a goal. Dan Rockwell fills in more details when he writes about 4 Secrets to Winning.

Coaches have a lot (I mean A LOT) of good communication skills at their disposal. Micheline Germanos provides an insightful case study into applied coaching skills when she writes about The Coaching Case: A Matter of Trust.

From the archives: You know it’s not as simple as Michael Hyatt writes, but it just might be. Check out his article on How to Develop the One Trait Essential for Success.

Coach Approach, creativity, persistence, powerful questions, trust

Neil Phillips Sep 12, 2015

Weekend Love, September Twelfth

We have preferred patterns of communication—particular people, topics, and tones (think gossip). Dan Rockwell gives some quick advice on what to keep and what to discard when he writes about How to Spiral Up Not Down.

Who wouldn’t like better teamwork? Jim Whitehurst suggests 3 Ways to Encourage Smarter Teamwork.

No matter how much you try, you can’t do it all. Leo Babuta provides some insights about making your choices when he writes How Not To Do It All.

From the archives: Most of the people I coach are trying to find the right way to share their products online without becoming tedious. I like the advice from Naomi Dunford when she talks about 3 Simple Ways To Mention Your Products From Your Blog or Newsletter.

Group Coaching, listening, powerful questions, Time Management

Neil Phillips Sep 5, 2015

Weekend Love, September Fifth

When confronted with change, our first reactions range from head-in-the-sand to raging battles. Susan Fowler asks three of the best questions for a situation like that when she writes about Thriving in the Midst of Change: Ask 3 Questions.

The opening paragraph starts, “Fascinating leaders ask questions. The rest are dullards.” How can you not want to read the article? Join Dan Rockwell as he answers that age-old question about How to Become a Fascinating Leader.

I know that I am not the poster child for exercise and fitness. I do that stuff, and hate it. Mark Sisson finally explains why. If you are like me, you can read how you got to this state and ways to get out of it in his article on Why Getting Fit Isn’t the Best Exercise Motivation (and 10 Better Reasons to Move Today).

Bonus Video: Brian Tracy and his daughter, Christina, discuss his new book , Find your Balance Point. It’s a great discussion about the stuff we know but don’t do on topics like harmony, being grounded, and working from your passion. Enjoy The Secret to Finding Balance in Your Life.

Awareness, Coach Approach, coaching tools, Fear, feedback, Goal Setting, listening, powerful questions

Neil Phillips Sep 3, 2015

What Defines Importance for You?

If a stranger were to watch you for a week, how would they know what is important in your life?

We all carry around a picture in our head of what’s important. And if we talk about our values, materials wants and needs, beliefs and “why’s”, we can find a way to share that picture with someone.

My question is a little different. If someone were to shadow you, what would they say? How do you act towards what is important in your life?

One way they could probably tell is by the amount of time you spend on certain activities. The assumption is that if it’s important, you spend more time doing it. You know that doesn’t tell the whole story.

Your soul and spiritual life is important but as a percentage of time…not so much.

You spend most of your life at work. Does that make it most important?

Can “quality time” replace “quantity of time” as a way to determine importance? Does your passion matter?

I obviously don’t have the answers to these questions and yet I think they are worth pondering. How will you SHOW people what’s important in your life? When you find your answer, then your true self is obvious to everyone.

Coach Approach, passion, powerful questions, Time Management

Neil Phillips Jul 25, 2015

Weekend Love, July Twenty-Fifth

If you want to find out what others think about you, then you’ll have to find a way to ask them. Lou Solomon reports on a Harris poll about The Top Complaints from Employees About Their Leaders. Most of them even fit direct sellers and other entrepreneurs using independent contractors.

Want to know the best way to not look dumb? Ask Questions. Dan Rockwell gives you some great examples and he explores the topic, What If You’re Not That Smart?

When’s the last time you did a simple SWOT analysis of your business. As you prepare to move into the Fall season, maybe you should think about one. Dan McCarty gives you the basics in his article, How to Conduct a SWOT Analysis.

I absolutely hate text messages. It’s great to find out I’m not alone. Michael Hyatt agree when he writes about 3 Reasons I Hate Text Messages.

For the next couple of weeks I’ll be on a wilderness retreat that is completely off the digital grid. Some might say I’ve simply gone fishin.’ In any case, I’ll catch up with you the week of August 11.

Coach Approach, complaints, powerful questions, SWOT

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