Collaborative Transitions Coaching

Are Goals Overrated?

Georgia — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 14:35:44 +0000

Thomas Leonard, founder of Coach University, liked to challenge his students and clients by asking questions that popped into his mind that pushed them outside of the box in their thinking. One day while being interviewed by the San Francisco Chronicle, he very casually said “I feel that goals are overrated and unnecessary.” This was ironic at the time since he was currently teaching a course called “Life by Design” in which goals were the central thesis. Needless to say, he was berated rather severely in the newspaper.

I love thinking about how goals can be expensive if we take them too deeply to heart. Goals can certainly induce me to get up each morning to get a specific task done, or to move toward completion of a project, but they often do not inspire me to any great degree. I’m going to step out on a limb here, and state that I believe that is the case for the majority of people working in the United States. They will push themselves to complete a project or task, but rarely does the project or task excite them. Nor has anyone, let alone themselves, put something in front of them that does. So, let’s talk about goals for a minute.

A goal is often an object we are striving for. Many of you know about how all goals should be SMART goals – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Realistic and Timely. Rather than the traditional definition – let’s talk about how these SMART criteria could be limiting you.

Specific – The goal has defined limits, specifically defined. Out of the box thinking is not encouraged, taking you to something bigger and better when you consider the possibilities.
Measurable – Unless this goal is just for your fulfillment, whether or not you accomplished the goal satisfactorily is being measured by an external source – your boss, your family, your friends – rather than satisfaction being found from within.
Attainable – If the goal is deemed attainable by someone else – it is often not a stretch for the person accomplishing it, designed for the purpose of growth. While I am not a proponent of creating goals that are impossible, I do believe in growth.
Realistic – One question here. Was the electric light bulb realistic, or flying in an airplane realistic, or splitting atoms realistic – in their time? True innovation often is not considered realistic at the time.
Timely – By putting a target date on a project or task, you are putting the accomplishment of the goal firmly in the future – thereby causing you to concentrate your thoughts more in the future than the present. The present is where you find the opportunities and ideas that move you forward, and when your attention is elsewhere you may miss them.

Often I find that goals are created because we are trying to fulfill a want or a need. By definition, a need is something that drives us, and will often take precedence over our values. An example of a need that I see being played out over and over is the need for power. This need for power may override our values of compassion, respect, kindness or our life intentions to be a loving family member or an exceptional leader.

Now, if you think I’m bashing the setting of goals, I’m not. However, I think that people sometimes confuse goals with tasks. For example, we set a goal of losing 30 pounds. Or a goal of being able to walk 5-10 miles in one day. What if your goal was to be able to hike in Switzerland through the mountain meadows in 12 months on your wedding anniversary? This is a fun goal. The tasks then are to eat healthily and walk 1/3 of a block further each day in preparation for the trip to Switzerland. This still meets the criteria of a SMART goal, but it inspires and fulfills a life intention or value.

What becomes even more interesting here is how people sometimes confuse vision with goals. Vision is the art or power of imagination; living out of the box we put ourselves into each day. Vision easily defines purpose. It inspires, and does not limit. It is specific, because a great vision is detailed, not only visually, but you can feel it, smell it and touch it in your imagination. It is measurable, because you will know you have attained it when you get there. It is attainable, but not without a stretch and action on your part. It is realistic, because anything you can dream you can create. It is timely, because you will fulfill your vision when it is time.

A vision pulls us forward – setting tasks along the way because we see the next right step to take. As each task is accomplished, we are one step closer to the vision. When we sit back after we complete the task each day to look at the vision again to see if it has changed, we will see the next right step.

People, teams and organizations need a vision and a purpose that inspires them. It helps them align their thoughts and their actions each day to what they hold dear. Goals, as often defined within our performance management systems rarely do that, and often create rote activity that inspires no one.

Teams of Integrity: Commitment

Georgia — Mon, 16 Aug 2010 01:10:38 +0000

Commitment is the ability to defy a lack of consensus and support a decision specifically when members of a team don’t naturally agree. It is a rare team, indeed, who is willing to behave in this extraordinary way. It means that when they walk out of a meeting where they have agreed to support a specific decision, there is no hallway conversation taking place. No one is angry and mumbling under their breath. Each person knows what they have committed to and understands completely what they need to do next.

How does this happen?

First of all, the team has achieved a level of transparency around the strategy or goal that has been established. There is no uncertainty around ANY aspect of the situation. No one is making an assumption around what is to be done and there is nothing vague about the direction that has been established. With Teams of Integrity, this is done by the continuous asking of questions until everything has been said. The team knows that all points of view have been explored from every direction.

The second thing that Teams of Integrity do to obtain commitment is create alignment and acceptance. This is a difficult challenge because what we are aiming for is the achievement of honest emotional support. When clarity has been achieved, the team will have the conviction necessary to adopt a decision and set aside their initial thoughts and opinions.

We are relying upon the foundations of building a robust team in order to attain this level of alignment. Trust, a strong ability to communicate in crucial situations, and a common purpose are required to get to this point. Commitment cannot occur if people are unclear about exactly what is being committed to.

Have you been in any situation where people have left a meeting with a different understanding of what has been decided? What happens? I worked with a company where decisions were often announced and you could hear the outcry that took place across the entire campus. In order to avoid this type of repercussion, it is important to identify any discrepancies in team member’s understanding BEFORE a decision is announced. The leader must call the question: “What have we agreed to here?” and continue the discussion as necessary.

In addition, the leader must demand that the team go back and communicate the decision to staff members within twenty-four hours – in person. This requires each member of the team to have the ability to speak to the decisions that have been made with clarity and in a supportive manner.

Georgia Feiste, owner of Collaborative Transitions Coaching, Inc., located in Lincoln, NE, is a personal growth coach, writer, and workshop facilitator. She is also a Usui Reiki Master. Georgia specializes in career, business and personal life transitions for people seeking change in their life. She is uniquely skilled in providing support and encouragement as her clients set intentional goals to attain their desires, holding open the space they need to stretch and grow. Her passion is success grounded in purpose and passion, standards of integrity and priorities in life. Her websites are http://www.collaborativetransitions.com, where you can find her blogs about business and career, http://www.rainbowbridgecoach.com , where she and many other coaches blog about mind, body, spirit and emotion, and http://www.georgiafeiste.com where you can catch her thoughts on a wide variety of topics. Georgia can be reached at (402) 304-1902 or you can schedule a 30 minute consultation via Automated Appointment.

Leadership: Playing Full Out on All Your Teams!

Georgia — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 20:26:16 +0000

I was speaking to a group of people the other morning about Teams of Integrity and noticed that many of them looked puzzled, and some looked like they didn’t know why I was talking to them about the topic. Afterward, I asked them why they had those reactions. Joe said that he wasn’t part of any teams, so he didn’t think the ideas fit him. Randy said he was part of a team at work, but that was it. I was caught off guard, because my thought process has always been that I belong to a multitude of teams, and it never occurred to me that others might not look at their life in that fashion.

There are a multitude of definitions around the word team. It could be a cooperative unit, such as a sports team. The business dictionary defines it as a group of people with a full set of complementary skills required to complete a task, job or project. The Free Online Dictionary says that it is a group organized to work together. Merriam-Webster gives us the etymology of the word, which comes from the Middle English word “teme” meaning offspring, lineage or race.

Most people think of teams in the context of sports or in a workplace environment. This is certainly true, and the concepts behind creating cohesive and intentional teams certainly apply to both of those concepts. But it also applies to a number of other teams that we don’t normally think of in our daily use of the word.

Here are some thoughts around how we all belong to multiple teams, using a great friend of mine as an example.

1. She is a great one for remembering that we are all connected, so the first team she belongs to is the team of mankind.

2. Work – organization, department and her division.

3. Volunteer position within the Red Cross, and within that the group of people she works with on a rotational basis.

4. Church, as an overall member.

5. Church committee, as an active team member and facilitator.

6. Small Group Ministries – once per month, serves as a participant and volunteer facilitator, as needed.

6. Meditation Group – 2-3 times per month. Serves as a rotating facilitator.

7. Spiritual Growth Group – once per month, serves as a participant and rotating facilitator.

8. Tai Chi Class – serves as facilitator, supporter and chief encourager

9. Family – spouse, mother, grandmother, daughter

10. Neighborhood – works with her neighbors to create a safe and caring neighborhood where everyone looks out for each other

I visualize our lives as being made up of intertwined teams, with some people interacting in multiple teams on a daily basis. So, when I am speaking about building teams of integrity, I am talking about consciously and intentionally interacting in the role of leader in all areas of your life, on all the teams you play with. Being a leader on a team does not require that you be at the forefront of all activity (task, job, or project). Sometimes you step aside and let others lead while you follow. The mark of a great leader is when they recognize what skills and abilities they bring to each team they belong to. And they play full out, with all their team mates.

I will be back this week to speak to the same group about Building Teams of Integrity – and I’ll be sure to take these thoughts with me. Joe will realize how many teams he plays on, and perhaps Randy will begin to look at his work team in a different light.

Think about all the teams you are on in your life. Are you participating full out, with conscious intention?

Leadership: Have You Become the Change You Want to See?

Georgia — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 18:24:59 +0000

Words to live by. These are the words Gandhi said as he embarked on a hunger strike after the Hindu and Muslim communities struck out with deadly force. Gandhi was not a big man, and had little physical reserves to sustain him. What he had was the strength of his convictions and the values he held dear. Only when peace was restored did Gandhi stop fasting. Gandhi was well respected, a well spoken man. But his actions spoke louder than any words. This is the mark of a truly great leader.

One of the most difficult things to institute in an organization is change. Many leadership teams decide what and how they want the organization to change. Where they fail is in communicating that change throughout the organization in a manner employees can understand and relate to. Employees must be able to align with the message given their own life intentions and values in life.

How do you communicate change in your organization? Publications, communication campaigns and training programs can certainly introduce and explain the change. But only when top management “become the change they want to see” in the organization will anybody else believe the change message.

As a leader, manager, or staff specialist, ask yourself: “Have I become the change I want to see in this organization?”

Are You Being Positive and Candid in Your Relationships?

Georgia — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 19:07:38 +0000

I teach and coach a group twice a month on topics based upon the premise that it is much easier to be successful in our personal and professional lives when one is in integrity with oneself. Many people ask me what integrity has to do with being successful, other than honesty is usually the best choice. I have found myself explaining myself more often than not, which I am extremely happy to do.

Integrity, as it is defined by the coaching industry, comes from the latin “integer” which means whole. When it is applied to humans it means being complete, living from your values and your life intentions in all areas of your life. It means having boundaries and standards you choose to live by. It means knowing who you are, living from the premise of that “wholeness” as much as possible, and telling yourself the truth when you are not. Honesty is certainly part of that, but not all of it. And, by the way, honesty is always the best choice.

Living with integrity means: * Not settling for less than what you know you deserve in your relationships. * Asking for what you want and need from others. * Speaking your truth, even though it might create conflict or tension. * Behaving in ways that are in harmony with your personal values. * Making choices based on what you believe, and not what others believe. ~ Barbara De Angelis

Our group is nearing the end of our year-long engagement, and we have talked about a myriad of topics. As it should, the lessons and conversations we are having now refer back to previous group classes quite regularly. This week we are discussing how to be positive and candid in your relationships.

One of our previous lessons dealt with eliminating situations and/or people who drain you from your life. These could be as small as the junk drawer in the kitchen overflowing to the point of not being able to find anything (or even having a junk drawer to begin with). Or, they could be as complicated as being around someone who ALWAYS makes you uncomfortable.

Negative reactions to people can be enormously draining. My experience is that we obsess over those reactions, dealing with them time-after-time internally long before we actually say something. The stress we deal with can be very obvious to others, and to the person that triggers them. When we are around them:

We physically stiffen our bodies
We lean away from the person we are reacting to
Our verbal responses are clipped and, at times, caustic
In short, we find it difficult to be authentic in anything we say or do

One of the hardest things to do in this situation is to assess why we are having the reaction we are having. It entails the need to tell ourselves the truth, which we are usually very good at avoiding. Once we have dug deep enough to see that truth, we can take action on it – making a choice as to whether we want to stay away from people who bring up that specific reaction or work on a belief we may be holding that limits us in our ability to have a solid relationship with that person or class of persons.

When we decide that we must stay away from people who bring up that specific reaction, most of us struggle with how to tell the person we are walking away from one of the most important questions they will ask – “Why?” The ability to be positive and candid at the same time is an art form. An art form not many of us are extremely good at. It is a skill to be practiced almost every day of our lives. But, practice it we must. Meantime, err on the side of telling the truth.

The other side of this choice is to work on a belief or need we may be holding on to that limits us in our ability to have a solid relationship with that person or class of persons. The key is to do the soul searching required to get to the root of that belief or need and begin to explore whether the belief continues to serve us well and/or getting the need satisfied is more important than the relationship. When we have determined those answers, we can begin to move forward in learning the lessons this opportunity brings to us.

Teams of Integrity: Building on Common Purpose

Georgia — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:32:20 +0000

Have you experienced organizations that develop a Vision Statement, a Mission Statement, and a Purpose Statement and spend enormous amounts of money to send the message throughout the organization, but the teams and individuals within that organization never commit to them? On the flip side, have you experienced the joy and excitement of a working within a team that gets it, and moves together as if one? The obvious next question is: On which team would you rather be a member, and how do you get there?

Many years ago, I was working as a senior analyst within the Information Technology department. We were moving business from one system to another, and the project required a strong understanding of the product, as well as knowledge of how both systems worked, so we could translate from one to the other. We had a team of five people in this project, and we were given three months to accomplish the goal. We were asked to go off site for three months, away from our families, and focus on the task at hand. We quickly identified the skills and knowledge held by each person on the team, understood what we needed to do and in what order, and we walked together by separating to accomplish our individual tasks and coming back together multiple times a day to share information, talk through the challenges, make decisions and quickly move forward. If an individual on the team did not get their individual tasks accomplished, we either challenged them to stretch more or we jumped in to help. We played while we worked, and we worked while we played. We accomplished our goal, and we did it well.

I have also worked with teams who did not coalesce. Many members of the team were looking out for their own career, did not communicate, and often pointed fingers to shift scrutiny from them to another.

What was the difference between those teams? Common Purpose.

What is common purpose? I think it is fairly simple. It is when the leader takes an active role in the group that they lead. They create the bond that holds the team together. It isn’t about teams that work in an us vs. them culture (often hierarchical in nature, with managers making decisions and handing them down for implementation). It is about creating a we culture that is inspired, vibrant, courageous and nearly invincible. This culture says very clearly that 1) every individual on the team, including the leader, stands side by side with the others, 2) that there has been clear, open and candid conversation with everyone present so that every possible idea, concern, and disagreement is on the table, 3) the entire team knows the goal and what needs to be done, and 4) they know the values and intentions of the organization.

The team is then able to put aside all doubt and any perceived limitations, unleash their imaginations and resourcefulness, and agree as a cohesive group to be successful, with a willingness to take risks that often create huge shifts in thought and what they are able to accomplish.

When an organization remembers that every individual within an organization has the ability to be a leader, and utilize all the strengths and talents at hand, it creates a “third mind” that begins to gel and give rise to solutions that do not exist in any one individual’s mind. Everyone, including the leader of the team, is working toward a common purpose. The team cannot help but succeed. Often beyond the limits of our imagination.

What steps are you willing to take to create the common purpose that will propel your team forward, making them nearly invincible?

Check out the Resources page for suggestions on Transformational Leadership based on purpose. You will be glad you did.

Additional articles you might find helpful:

The Importance of Communication in Teams

The Power of Teams of Integrity

Trust: The Cornerston of Teams of Integrity

The Importance of Conversation in Teams

Georgia — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:56:30 +0000

We’ve all been members of teams in our lives. Our initial team is our family. We work up to sports, academics, play and finally work. Some teams gel and move forward as one in everything they do. Somehow, they naturally work together, discussing and deciding on issues that are important to them. Others, not so much. Many teams get lost in the quagmire of distrust, and an inability to communicate with each other well.

Trust is the cornerstone in building teams of integrity. Communication, particularly those that are difficult, is the next step in creating a powerful team that can get results. I’m not talking about the executive committee, or heads of state, although those might be interesting to talk about. Nor am I talking about the weather, what you did over the weekend for fun, or what you should make for dinner. I’m talking about those conversations that take place on a daily basis that could have a powerful impact on your life. The conversations you have with people who have a different opinion than you do, where stakes are high, and emotions can take over. These are the communications we often avoid, with e-mail, voice mail, or just plain walking away.

Teams of Integrity make a conscious choice to have the conversations, and to handle them well, knowing that upon occasion they will have some repair work to do when things are handled poorly.

What are some of the conversations you could have?

Talking to your boss about her behavior
Giving critical feedback to a colleague on their work
Negotiating with an insubordinate teenager
Asking your mother-in-law to quit telling you what to do – and how to do it
Sharing with a co-worker that they have a personal hygiene problem

Having had all of these conversations at some point, I can tell you that emotions do get in the way, and most of us haven’t had many demonstrations of effective communication skills throughout our lives. Consequently, these types of conversations can be difficult.

In the book, Crucial Conversations, the authors identify the one thing you need to do to succeed in having risky, controversial and emotional conversations. That one thing is getting all the relevant information out into the open. Team members must openly and honestly express their opinions, share their feelings and articulate their theories. They must willingly share their viewpoints, even when they are risky or controversial. They must be sincere in their readiness to have a dialogue.

So, there you have it. We first build the foundation of our team on trust. The next layer is communication and the willingness to live in constructive conflict.

Success Is In the Details

Georgia — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:09:20 +0000

How much time do you spend looking at the big picture, but then dismiss it as impossible because you are overwhelmed with what needs to be done to make it happen? You continue to yearn for what it is you want, but don’t sit down and lay out the details to be accomplished to get you where you yearn to be? Do you miss opportunities coming your way to make it happen because you are not paying attention to the impact of taking care of the obvious?

In 1990, New York City had the highest crime rate in their history. Since that date, the rate has been continually dropping and is sitting at 59.3% less overall crime in 2008 than it was eighteen years earlier. Violent crime has dropped by 63.8%, while crime against property has dropped by 58.3%. How did this happen? It wasn’t because they hired more officers to investigate murders, rapes and arson, along with burglary and car theft. It is because the policy began paying attention to petty crime on the streets that made tourists uncomfortable and drove people away from living in the city. They called it “quality-of-life crime”. Because of this effort, tourism has increased and it is safer to use the subways and walk the streets of NYC. Because they paid attention to the smallest details, the overall prosperity and safety of the city increased.

Let’s apply this concept to our everyday life. When you are not creating a joyful and fulfilling life for yourself, you are committing a quality-of-life crime against yourself. What do you see when you look at the details and nuances of your life that might help you eliminate the overwhelm that stops you from making the bigger changes?

We spent a great deal of time working on making space in our lives. We have eliminated the things we have put up with for a very long time, stopped dwelling in the past, eradicated worry about the future, and simplified our world. We’ve spent time practicing to “look, see, tell the truth, and take action”, get our needs met by setting boundaries and standards, and we’ve created reserves in our life. In our previous lesson, we learned to respond to people and opportunities immediately rather than let them sit. Now, it’s time to start paying attention to the details of our life – body, environment, ideas, trends, changes, projects – whatever it is that we are wanting to do something profound.

Michelangelo said “Trifles make perfection possible – and perfection is no trifle.”

Many people have praised me for my big picture view of things, and the imagination and vision I bring to projects and situations. Where I struggle is in the extreme details. Often I will start a project, get it more than halfway done, and stop because I’m ready to move on to the next big project. This worked well at work, when I had hundreds of people reporting to me to whom I could delegate the details. As a solopreneur, a person in charge of my own life, or team member at home or in other volunteer positions, I can no longer do that. I must take charge of the details.

The question is – where do you spend most of your time? Given this principle, I would say that 50% of your time needs to be spent handling the micro details, 40% needs to be spent in developing systems that handle the micro details automatically, and 10% needs to be spent in reviewing the big picture. What do you do when you are spending 10% of your time reviewing the big picture? You are looking for the right “minute” things to tackle or systems to build.

Lets go back to an earlier lesson, “Present Perfect”. In that lesson I told you: “When you develop an appreciation for your present, it is much easier for you develop the clarity you need to begin to take the next steps toward building the future you want and desire. “ Details most often occur in the present – in the moment. Because we are now utilizing our skills in over responding and responding immediately, we can do something about them.

Goals, on the other hand, are more of a macro level viewpoint, and are in the future. Therefore, we are not able to “pull” people and opportunities toward us as easily (we will talk more about this in a future lesson), unless you believe that taking care of the present is what attracts the future to which we aspire. Once this becomes our focus – we have created the connection between our conscious present and our desired future.

Too theoretical? When we have a goal, based upon our values and life intentions, it is what we are aspiring to at some point in the future. We must take the time to determine the detailed steps we must take in present time to move us toward our goal – one step at a time.

Have you heard of the butterfly effect? This is a theory that small differences in the condition of a state of a fixed system may produce large variations in the long term behavior of the system. Simple example: The beating of butterfly wings in Arizona can cause wind gusts in Alaska. This is a type of ripple effect that can be caused by tossing pebbles into still water.

By creating a steady flow of microscopic improvements, we are able to ultimately meet and even surpass our goals, much like the $10 dollars saved every week adding up to millions over time. If you focus on what you can fix instantly, you will get instant gratification. Given that is what our society thrives on these days, this should feel wonderful! Tomorrow you can fix something else, but today you did this. It is your opportunity to celebrate and be grateful. The bigger goals and problems will start to take care of themselves because you are taking care of the details.

The key to success is in not waiting for a trend to emerge. Nothing is insignificant. Watch for early opportunities, fine distinctions and messages, and take action immediately. Details are invaluable and should be treated that way. Your time and energy are best invested here – not dreaming of the future. A perfect example you have all heard and read about for the last several years – the demise of the automobile industry. They have lobbied against sustainable, environmental and economical improvements, and ignored what people are asking for. They are now paying the price of ignoring the details.

Think of yourself as a large network. You can integrate ideas in small bytes rather than trying to absorb the entire concept at once. You can take small action steps more easily than you can go after a huge opportunity. When we eat small meals throughout the day, we are more energetic, focused and feel much lighter than if we gulp down one huge meal and deal with the consequences of indigestion (stress) and a feeling of extreme fullness (fear). This same concept applies to all areas of your life, including your business.

Let’s talk about that for just a moment. In today’s world, it is very expensive to make a mistake. Customers and clients are much less tolerant than they have ever been before. Reliability and trust are key concepts, not only in running our business but in our personal lives as well. That’s why everything we offer up must be working 100% of the time. Excellence is an investment we make in ourselves and our careers. It is rarely straightforward, and hardly ever routine. But, like success, it is found in the details.

Thomas Leonard, who some consider to be the father of coaching, shared a model with his coaching students which has been echoed in a variety of settings throughout my life, some from a spiritual sense. This model is called the opportunity model: Occurrence>Message>Lesson>Problem>Crisis. He says the lesson of this model is that if we “immediately respond to things (positive and negative; wanted and unwanted) as they come to you, almost all of them can immediately become opportunities. And if you don’t, they can turn into something really unpleasant.” (Leonard, 1998)

When we respond to details immediately, and over-respond on top of it, our focus will change from issues to be dealt with to opportunities to be enjoyed. You will have completely bypassed the rest of the model.

Excerpt from coaching program Free to Succeed: Feisty and Fearless.

Georgia Feiste, owner of Collaborative Transitions Coaching, Inc., located in Lincoln, NE, is a life transitions coach, writer, and workshop facilitator. She specializes in career, business and personal life transitions for people seeking change in their life. Georgia is uniquely skilled in providing support and encouragement as her clients set intentional goals to attain their desires, holding open the space they need to stretch and grow. Her passion is success grounded in purpose and passion, standards of integrity and priorities in life. Her website is http://www.collaborativetransitions.com, where she blogs about business and career, and http://www.rainbowbridgecoach.com , where she and many other coaches blog about mind, body, spirit and emotion. Georgia can be reached at (402) 304-1902.

Announcing Automated Appointments!

Georgia — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 13:31:40 +0000

Hey, have you noticed the new appointment calendar on my web page? Have you seen what happens when you click on it? Give it a try! We’ll have to warn you though, you may be in for a surprise! No it’s not a Trojan horse. No, it’s not a birthday cake, it’s even better! It’s my time wrapped up in a great package and presented to you for your ease and convenience to get a hold of me anytime. Give it a try.

Or, maybe you want to try it from here! Go ahead, it won’t hurt.

I know that due to our busy schedules it is sometimes difficult to set aside time to find time to meet. Now you don’t have to. You can log on 24/7 and find a time that works for both of us. The calendar is updated on a real-time basis so it is completely up to date. I will confirm the date and time with you, and follow up with any conversations we need to have prior to the appointment. Here are a list of the services you can make appointments for:

General Consultation: 30 minute complementary coaching to determine if the fit is right for both of us and you are ready to move forward.

Career Coaching: Confidently create your own path to a career you desire and deserve. Strategically close the gap between where you are and where you want to be. Package discounts are available.

Life Transition Coaching: Be inspired to make big decisions that will produce real change. Find the motivation you need to change your habits and live a bolder life. Discover a purpose that is fulfilling and rewarding.

Retirement Coaching: You’ve enjoyed years of working in a thriving business environment and now you need to create a new way of life. Now is the time to discover the “who of you” and explore all the things you have always wanted to do.

Reiki Session: Book time for relaxation and stress reduction that also promotes healing. This is an ancient healing technique that is based on the unseen “life force energy”.

Teams of Integrity: Set up time now to discuss scheduling this workshop for your organization. All day offsite or six one hour programs, including three group coaching sessions and three individual sessions per attendee. Price quoted is per person for a group of five individuals.

Pendulum vs. Fulcrum

Georgia — Sun, 11 Jul 2010 22:02:53 +0000

The Encarta Dictionary states that a pendulum is something that changes regularly, often alternating between two extremes. A fulcrum is something that supports something else revolving about it or depending on it. My question this morning is whether I, as a leader, would rather be a pendulum or a fulcrum. And my question has to do with choosing my thoughts, and allowing my senses, emotions and body to move toward that vibrational frequency.

Most of us are aware of a new body of science called quantum physics. I’ve included a video for you to watch, if you are interested, so you might follow my giant leap in thought regarding our choices as to whether we want to be the pendulum or the fulcrum.

According to quantum physics, light can be either a particle or a wave – and it appears to be the one you decide to measure when you decide to measure it. Each particle, or wave of energy vibrates at a specific frequency and that determines whether we can actually see the results of that vibration, or not.

Here comes the leap. Many people believe that our thoughts are energy as well – we just can’t see them. Therefore, they also vibrate at a specific frequency. The frequency of our thoughts determine the emotions we feel, how we perceive our world, and the state of our body. It would seem to me, however, that any one of those measurements could determine the other. For example, choosing our emotion, could also raise or lower our thoughts and how we perceive our world.

The beauty of this is that we, like light, can choose how we want to be perceived. We can choose to be the fulcrum. When we choose our thoughts, and consciously decide to remain at choice, we do not deviate due to the attitudes of people around us.

Let me give you an example: I worked with an individual, let’s call her Monica, for a period of time who was full of anger and rage at the jobs that had been lost due to outsourcing activity to a country other than the United States. Monica was in a state of overwhelm and felt quite traumatized. We worked hard to raise her thoughts to a level of receptivity and openness since the only positions she was being offered interviews for were with companies based out of this foreign country. She had been laid off, and needed a job to be able to take care of her family, and she needed to move beyond the thoughts of repulsion she was feeling. Once we got her there, she was employed in a position with much higher pay than her previous position. In addition, she now volunteers to lead a group of professionals who are unemployed in developing a cooperative consulting firm utilizing the myriad talents they bring to the table to find work for members of the group. Monica is doing this by studying and utilizing the strategies put into practice by her outsourcing firm in winning contracts from companies in the United States. The group is energized and productive, and their attitudes are changing from one of despair to hope. Monica daily chooses her attitude of joy and gratitude, which yields thoughts of inspiration and insight. She has become highly sensitive to the frequencies of the people she surrounds herself with. Monica remains constant in her choice to be the pivot point of creative thought, rather than the intransigent member of the team blocked by obstacles of her own making.

Our evolution as enlightened leaders is made by choice, and determined by attitude. We choose whether to be the fulcrum or the pendulum, and move our way closer to wisdom.