A Coaching Story
March 28, 2023Situation: Sharon and her husband had been running a family-owned business for almost 20 years. Over the years, the business began failing. Having lost a major client, not being able to keep up with expensive technology, and competing with other larger companies who were able to produce faster...February 28, 2023Situation: Lenny was a new coaching client that had just been promoted to a new position, previously held by Brenda (A Coaching Story XII) who was also just promoted. This was going to be a real stretch from what he had been doing before – at a new location in a new state. Having worked with...January 31, 2023Situation: Brenda came to her new position as the leader of operations at a work site. Her predecessor, Mike, was being moved into a new position as a final step before his imminent retirement. This decision was made by their manager, Keith. Keith felt that it would be helpful to have Mike and...Coaching
April 4, 2023Isn’t life moving faster than ever? Don’t we see it in every part of our lives? Everyone around us is also moving a fast pace. Technology was supposed to make our lives easier. Phones ring. Emails interrupt us. Texts fly in. To slow down takes a major effort. In coaching it’s all about...January 10, 2023A close friend shared this inspirational message. A new year has begun. A great deal of pressure is placed on this big change. People expect changes to happen in their lives, expect new opportunities and perhaps a redefined hope that may be generally hard to find. A date in the calendar alone...May 24, 2022Once when I was a leader in a networking group, my cell phone rang on the way to a weekly meeting. The member was calling to let me know that he had a tire blowout and was not going to make the meeting that morning. He also shared that he’d been procrastinating taking care of his vehicle and...Communication
July 23, 2024Perhaps you are "in sales". Even if it isn’t in our job titles, aren’t we selling something to various people all the time? For instance, do we not “sell” ideas, approaches, and benefits to our services or products? Maybe you don’t work with anyone outside of your organization, but have you ever...July 9, 2024For a current home project, we are seeking estimates from vendors. To date, no one has wowed us yet. Two companies that have been out are probably busier than ever and don’t seem to manage their pipeline effectively; this is my perspective as a potential customer. One company had a huge...June 18, 2024Harry Gordon Selfridge was an American businessman who moved to London to establish one of their finest department stores in the early 1900s, known as Selfridges & Co. and it is still in existence today. Harry was responsible for coining the phrase, “The customer is always right.” His intention...More PostsConflict
June 18, 2024Harry Gordon Selfridge was an American businessman who moved to London to establish one of their finest department stores in the early 1900s, known as Selfridges & Co. and it is still in existence today. Harry was responsible for coining the phrase, “The customer is always right.” His intention...January 23, 2024Wow! This is a topic about which I could write several posts. We have boundaries in our personal lives and in our professional lives as well. When American pioneers first began going out West to settle in wide open spaces, they would often set up fences around their property. These fences would...August 8, 2023Today’s message is an excerpt from The Manager’s Conflict Resolution Handbook; Geller and Cottrell. Get all the facts and clearly identify the problem.Encourage people to challenge the status quo so that all different opinions are on the table from the outset.Do your best to see the positive in...More PostsCustomer Service
July 23, 2024Perhaps you are "in sales". Even if it isn’t in our job titles, aren’t we selling something to...July 9, 2024For a current home project, we are seeking estimates from vendors. To date, no one has wowed us...June 18, 2024Harry Gordon Selfridge was an American businessman who moved to London to establish one of their...Diversity
December 5, 2023The holiday season is a time of joy and celebration for many faiths. From November 1st to January 15th, there are approximately 29 holidays observed by 7 of the world's major religions. With such rich diversity, how can we be inclusive in our holiday greetings? I choose to wish people "Happy...July 5, 2022When interacting with others professionally or personally, consider, that like we do, they have their strengths and they have their areas of development. We all do! If we look at others with a sense of understanding rather than blame, we’d all be better off. If we think about it, is it that they...July 14, 2020For the longest time, when organizations looked at diversity, they focused on race and gender. Add ethnicity, ability, sexual orientation, language, family, culture, region, and so on. Multi-generational issues is a hot topic right now, helping people understand that there are differences in how...Expectations
July 23, 2024Perhaps you are "in sales". Even if it isn’t in our job titles, aren’t we selling something to various people all the time? For instance, do we not “sell” ideas, approaches, and benefits to our services or products? Maybe you don’t work with anyone outside of your organization, but have you ever...July 9, 2024For a current home project, we are seeking estimates from vendors. To date, no one has wowed us yet. Two companies that have been out are probably busier than ever and don’t seem to manage their pipeline effectively; this is my perspective as a potential customer. One company had a huge...June 18, 2024Harry Gordon Selfridge was an American businessman who moved to London to establish one of their finest department stores in the early 1900s, known as Selfridges & Co. and it is still in existence today. Harry was responsible for coining the phrase, “The customer is always right.” His intention...More PostsGoal Setting
June 4, 2024May 7, 2024During a trip to Eastern Iowa, we visited the area where American iconic painter, Grant Wood, grew up and lived. We also visited the grounds of the house in Eldon that would serve prominently in his most famous painting – American Gothic. This painting, like the Mona Lisa, is known worldwide and...April 2, 2024In our last post, we discussed staying on task with your annual goals. But how can we stay focused? One thing to consider is our work environment. Is it conducive for what we’re trying to accomplish? What distractions might there be? When we are focused, all our energy is concentrated in one...More PostsMotivation
March 5, 2024When we are young and just entering the workforce, we often have ideals and enthusiasm for how great things are going to be. After a while in our first, second, or perhaps fifth job, we begin to realize that things may not be just so because others don’t share our perspective. Quickly we can...June 13, 2023Happy Flag Day! Like many of you who are experiencing milestones with family and friends, years ago we attended our niece’s 8th grade graduation. During the ceremony, the principal reminded everyone of the daily ritual of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and their own school’s Pledge. Would...April 18, 2023For some time now, I have been playing Solitaire (the card game) again. As a child, I remember learning it, and a variation of it, from grandparents on both sides of my family. In Russian, it was called “Patience”. Fast forward to a world that my grandparents could have never imagined – with...More PostsNetworking
September 12, 2023Once when visiting family and friends in Illinois (outside of St. Louis), a cousin’s daughter shared that at her high school, they are all issued laptops on which to take notes in their classes. They also had all their textbooks loaded which was probably a positive thing. She shared that she...March 21, 2023A few years ago, a professional colleague approached me since she was in transition, having just lost her job. We were members of the same professional organization, but she was prohibited from attending on a regular basis by her supervisor who was also a member. So, she was turning to me for...September 13, 2022In business, I have many opportunities to meet new people and to network. At a recent professional meeting, someone I did not know sat next to me. After we exchanged names and where we work, the didactic exchange was soon over. From that point on, this individual continued talking about himself...Obstacles
April 2, 2024In our last post, we discussed staying on task with your annual goals. But how can we stay focused? One thing to consider is our work environment. Is it conducive for what we’re trying to accomplish? What distractions might there be? When we are focused, all our energy is concentrated in one...March 19, 2024In just another week, we will have completed the first quarter for 2024. If you are like me, it’s also a time to review quarterly goals. Taking a pulse, checking one’s progress on annual goals, is crucial to evaluating if one is on track and heading in the right direction. Goals that are set...November 7, 2023In the dynamic landscape of professional life, navigating through challenges often feels like steering through the unpredictable winds during a plane journey. Have you ever found yourself caught in the turbulence of unexpected obstacles, feeling like every step forward is met with an equal force...More PostsSelf-Improvement
May 7, 2024During a trip to Eastern Iowa, we visited the area where American iconic painter, Grant Wood, grew up and lived. We also visited the grounds of the house in Eldon that would serve prominently in his most famous painting – American Gothic. This painting, like the Mona Lisa, is known worldwide and...April 23, 2024December 19, 2023In the world of Human Resources, we are constantly navigating the ever-evolving dynamics of the workplace. Amidst the hustle and bustle of daily operations, it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture: the impact of our work on the lives and well-being of individuals. As we delve deeper into...More PostsStress
December 19, 2023In the world of Human Resources, we are constantly navigating the ever-evolving dynamics of the workplace. Amidst the hustle and bustle of daily operations, it's easy to lose sight of the bigger picture: the impact of our work on the lives and well-being of individuals. As we delve deeper into...July 11, 2023When sailing on a cruise, you are assigned a fob or a cruise card. When you check in, you are provided with this item. It has your name on it and a few other details but not your cabin room, for security. You use it to enter your cabin, leave/return to the ship at ports (your photo is linked so...March 7, 2023Today, we’d like you to turn your attention to our furry, scaly, and feathery friends. We’d like to ensure that we take extra care to be kind to the other animals in our environment. If you are the owner of a furry friend such as a cat, dog, gerbil, or bunny, how about giving them an extra...More PostsTeam Work
June 27, 2023Our culture tends to emphasize the contributions of the individual and while these should not be ignored, the efforts of the team as a group with the varying contributions are important, too. Sometimes, they are just as or even more important. We tend to idolize the one instead of the many; the...November 8, 2022You know the routine: something goes wrong with your computer, your phone system, or your electric pencil sharpener, and the first thing you do is call IT. But these hardworking denizens of your company’s basement rarely ever get a call when things are just fine and working smoothly the other...August 23, 2022When asked, “What was the difference between being a top soldier and top diplomat?” in an interview for US News & World Report Weekly, Colin Powell answered, “The basic principles of leadership and management are the same: have a common purpose, get everybody aligned in that purpose, treat your...Time Management
June 4, 2024May 21, 2024At a recent dinner party, the conversation led to cultural work expectations. One party guest stated that he receives even more contact from the owner of his company while on vacation and unfortunately, he responds to it. Theoretically, it’s counter intuitive to the fact that while technology...April 2, 2024In our last post, we discussed staying on task with your annual goals. But how can we stay focused? One thing to consider is our work environment. Is it conducive for what we’re trying to accomplish? What distractions might there be? When we are focused, all our energy is concentrated in one...More PostsWork Styles
June 4, 2024May 21, 2024At a recent dinner party, the conversation led to cultural work expectations. One party guest stated that he receives even more contact from the owner of his company while on vacation and unfortunately, he responds to it. Theoretically, it’s counter intuitive to the fact that while technology...May 7, 2024During a trip to Eastern Iowa, we visited the area where American iconic painter, Grant Wood, grew up and lived. We also visited the grounds of the house in Eldon that would serve prominently in his most famous painting – American Gothic. This painting, like the Mona Lisa, is known worldwide and...More Posts
©2024 The Sky's The Limit Consulting, Inc. All Rights Reserved