Flow and Engagement
Flow and Engagement

Flow is that magical state when you are so engrossed in what you are doing that time flies. What does this have to do with engagement? It’s the productivity arm of our engagement triad. We are at an utmost state of productivity because we are not just engrossed and highly focused but also enjoying ourselves which is what we want for every employee and leader.

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business, Coaching, leadership, managementshawna cordencoaching, Leadership, Leadership Development, Engagement, Flow, communication, leaders, Effective LeadershipComment
A Leader Needs An Ally
A Leader Needs An Ally

A Coach is your Ally One of the most often cited benefits of working with an executive coach is a partner. This is a partner that doesn’t judge and is aligned with your goals. This is a natural part of the coaching equation. Coaches don’t have our own agendas, we sign up to help our clients achieve theirs.

Clients cite me as their safe space. Where they can think out loud and not worry about the ramifications of their statements. Often when subordinates hear a leader think aloud – they just go and make it happen – as if that wondering aloud was a command. Subordinates also are affected by the decisions leaders make and so they listen with the angle of ‘what’s in this for me?’

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management, leadership, Coaching, businessmichelle villegasLeader, Ally, Self-aware Leader, Leadership, Coaching, Personal Development Comment
The Jerk Whisperer
The Jerk Whisperer

How I got the name the Jerk Whisperer

Every brilliant leader has an achillies heel – some more vulnerable than others So let’s go back to our ancient English – the Illiad – and for images in art – I studied art history and the details in the story are amplified in the art

So achilies is the strongest and the bravest of the warriors sent to Troy

He slays Hector

But later – we learn he has been shot by Paris’s arrow – in the heel – his only spot of vulnerability

Why? His mother – crafty one – had dipped Achilles in the river styx as an infant- holding him by his heel - This area that didn’t get dipped – his only vulnerable spot.

The illiad is in part about misdirection of anger by the leaders

And we talk about leaders – and in this case their achilles heel and perhaps their misdirection of anger

A couple of weeks ago we talked about self-awareness being the #1 area for managers through Csuite to be developed

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business, leadership, managementshawna cordenthejerkwhisperer, shawnacorden, coaching, achillies heel, leaders, flawsComment
Checking for blind spots
Checking for blind spots

Leaders need methods to check for blind spots

I think we are all familiar with a blind spot- in a car it is those tricky areas that are unseen because of pillars or areas that windows and mirrors don’t allow us to see- hence the need to look over our shoulder to be sure. And as technology evolved we had additional sensors to cue us – the light or a sound on a sideview mirror that alerted us to the presence of potential danger.

Unfortunately, not every leader has a team that informs them of the presence of potential danger. It could be a bias for optimism that blinds them to risk, or pride that makes them overly confident and fail to create a risk management plan.

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business, leadership, managementshawna cordencoaching, blind spots, bias, examine, team, team coachingComment
10 Things Scary Managers Do
10 Things Scary Managers Do

10 Scary Things That Managers Do

In the Spirit of Halloween we are looking at the spooky side of leadership. Managing comes with its own challenges and responsibilities. If you do not manage your employees well, there can be some scary side effects... So let's examine what those might look like! Here are ten things scary managers do.

1. They don’t communicate the vision

Communication is a skill that leaders and managers must master. The difficulty is that they frequently fail to do so. As a result, employees are left puzzled, disappointed, and even frustrated because their supervisors aren't as clear as they should be when setting expectations for them. This leads to employees' inability to accomplish their jobs successfully without management's guidance.

2. They treat their folks like (only) extra pairs of hands

When they do that, they ignore their talents, gifts, experiences, intuitions, and applications to create a better result. You can see how limiting if the managers treat their employees like an extra pair of hands and that they’re the only brain that’s fueling them. There’s no innovation, collaboration, or creativity.

3. They don’t demonstrate trust

Micromanaging employees ensures no learning takes place since it isn’t okay to fail even on the tiniest things. They may not give them opportunities.  As a result, employees felt demotivated, frustrated,  terrified of making mistakes. Trust is an essential part of leadership. Trust the talents of your team members and their ability to do their jobs.

4. They criticize in public

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business, leadership, management, Coachingmichelle villegasLeadership, Scary Managers, Effective Leadership, Employee, WorkplaceComment
Back to the Office: The COVID Etiquette
Back to the Office: The COVID Etiquette

Create a straw dog of expectations

Today’s WSJ(Wall Street Journal) had a great article on back to the office – referring to it as etiquette.

Etiquette has come a long way since the Emily post days of knowing which fork to use. In my past Brown Bags I’ve invited etiquette experts like Mary McCormick to share etiquette tips from email to meetings.

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business, Coaching, leadership, managementmichelle villegasBack to work, Workplace Ettiquette, New normal, COVID EtiquetteComment