Tag Archives: business coaching

How to Live Life to the Fullest

Posted on by
Reply

803770_daisy_1The lowest level of life is not to be in want of any kind; although pitiable, it is not to lack basic amenities, to be out of job, or to be betrayed by a wicked spouse. It is not to be lonely, dejected, broke or even depressed, even though these are excruciatingly painful feelings to bear.

But rather, the lowest level that we can ever assume in life is to respond to hate with hate, aggression with aggression, and selfishness with selfishness. It is to do unto others what you would rather is not done to you. It is to know and not say, see and not tell, have and not share, feel and not control; it is to live your life in such a way that only you seem to matter, to go about your day to day without showing any kind of love for your neighbour, and without thinking, even for just a moment, of your purpose in life.

It is to quit the responsibilities that were designed to give you the fulfillment that people ignorantly pursue in empty areas of life – to wickedly quit your marriage in the pursuit of self-gratification, regardless of the destructive emotional, spiritual, mental and financial impact on your family; to give up on parenting your children, inline with the unfortunate vicious cycle that have likely existed in your family for generations; to hold grudges against others without making concrete plans for resolution.

The lowest level of life is to make claim to life and yet find nothing to apologize for, nothing to be grateful for, or nothing to be polite about. It is to stand on societal laws that unfortunately seem to support ignorance, excuse laziness, propel selfishness, applaud hastiness, encourage revenge, and enable the systematic elimination of lives through execution, euthanasia and abortion.

Until we begin to see life as a journey where our life purpose is to enable the life purpose of other people, as a process that can only be refined by challenges, as an opportunity of impact that must be passionately seized, our sojourn will be in vain.

To live life to the fullest has nothing to do with being rulers of kingdoms, presidents of nations or topmost executives in organizations. It has nothing to do with who you are, what you do, and what you or others consider you to be; it has nothing to do with the impressiveness of your educational qualifications, material possessions and abounding accolades. It is more than just surviving the storms along the way.

Coined by Jesus Christ to summarize his mission on earth, to live life to the fullest is to dwell in the satisfaction that can only be derived from consistently helping others to thrive; it is the unabashed willingness to assume the daunting positions that were quitted by the weak, irresponsible, fearful, prideful, arrogant and wicked.

Be you a spouse, parent, child, an employer, employee, or in any form of leadership role, to live life to the fullest means to do more than is asked of you, to give much more than you have ever received. It is to be readily available to make a sacrificial difference in the lives of others without waiting to be asked; to inspire, motivate, encourage, exhort and be a blessing to others regardless of how retarded your own situation might be.

Those who live life to the fullest love despite excruciating hate, persevere despite severe challenges, appreciate despite abounding lack, maintain integrity despite overwhelming adversity, and encourage others despite aggressive opposition. We can never live life to the fullest until we are passionate about helping others live their lives to the fullest. In fact, our lives will be empty until we seek to fill up the lives of others.

Considering that God had to become man in order to exemplify how we may live life to the fullest, it is obviously the most challenging undertaking in life . . . the decision to welcome greatness, to live life to the fullest. Nevertheless, how we are is never an excuse for not being how we should be. Where we are is never an excuse for not being where we should be.

While influential, conditions are never to blame for the decisions we make, for it is only when we start taking full responsibility for our actions and inactions would we begin the process of welcoming greatness into our lives and businesses. Until then the chasm between us and greatness continues to widen.

Great people don’t work towards greatness, but rather they live for it; they don’t aim to be great, but rather aim to make others great; they don’t think of themselves as great, but yet, despite their humility, they would be considered nothing else by others.

Long life has more to do with the quality of life than the number of years lived; it has more to do with the number of lives impacted than the age before death. A man may die young and yet celebrated as Methuselah was, while another may die at 100 years old and yet had not impacted enough lives to fill the pews. If you are not living your life in such a way that you would gladly live it all over again, what are you waiting for?

Copyright © 2010 The Exhortation Life and Business Coaching Service

Welcome to Greatness! Alex Nosa Ihama (Certified Life Coach & Speaker) The Exhortation Institute of Life & Business Skills Phone: + 1 (416) 902 – 6672 Website: www.TheExhortation.com

Have you ever wondered what it means to truly live, why we were even created, what you Life Purpose is on earth? What about you? Are you living life to the fullest? Find out more on www.TheExhortation.com.

Considering Business Life Coaching? It’s About Coaching Success

Posted on by
Reply

1188746_peony

Most of us have been coached at one time or another in our lives. For many of us it took place in grade school and high school. You may have been coached in athletics, dance, drama, debate or some other area. Regardless, coaching is about creating a winning performance strategy and a successful outcome.

Business life coaching and business coaching are no different. Their goal is to help you create your own performance strategy and design the successful outcome you desire. Business life coaching may differ from business coaching in some cases. Ultimately both are about the individual who is being coached. One may have a slightly narrower focus on business outcome but regardless, the success of coaching rests on the individual being coached embracing personal growth to change their thinking.

How do you create that winning performance strategy? Whether you have a small business coach or not there is one essential ingredient that can help you to move to the success you desire more quickly. You must have a finished picture of the future in your mind. Once you do then it will become clear as to what you have to do in the present to have the future you desire.

And, to have the future you desire you must embrace change. Only when you change your thinking will you change your habits. When you change your habits you will change your activity. It only follows when you change your activity you will change your results. And, when you change your results you will change your life.

How do you find the right coach for you? It is a question with no easy answers because there are coaches for virtually any area you can think of. Are you the entrepreneur successful in many ways but wanting to upgrade areas of your life? Are you in a corporation looking for executive business coaching? Do you have a small business running well yet you want more small business growth?

Here’s a specific example that may help. Let’s say that small business growth is your main concern. In this instance, it might be best to find a business life coach or business coach with a small business background along with a strong emphasis on personal growth. Why? In small business the business will grow only to the extent of the personal growth of the owner and key employees. Ultimately, the best coach for most is the one that can help you design pathways to your success. Understanding and good chemistry are essential for a successful coaching experience.

Steve Scott is a business/life coach and a business development consultant. He specializes in teaching entrepreneurs and solo and sales professionals to create a business and life with greater freedom and abundance. http://www.stevescottcoaching.com

The Value of Coaching

Posted on by
Reply

1198056_bambooIt is well documented that Coaching is a highly effective method of managing and leading people to greater and greater levels of personal performance. Whether on the sports field or in business, the increase of the use of coaches has grown exponentially over the last few years.
This is not without good reason; numerous studies – most notably one called the Manchester Review, demonstrated that coaching increased the ROI and effectiveness of Managers and Executives by over 500%. Coaching as a methodology is used throughout the world, and it’s definitely of use to anyone who has responsibility for people management or leadership.

Its use in business has grown massively in recent years, as it has proven to be one of the most effective tools for gaining increases in efficiency and effectiveness. Coaching is also something that is generally viewed positively by the “Coachees”, who usually see it as a beneficial interaction with their managers or superiors as compared to the more traditional methods that were used in the past.

Often, coaching is mistakenly viewed as something only for salespeople – this is a completely false misconception, as all functions can benefit from managers and senior staff being trained in the tools and techniques used by coaches.

Coaching is the practice of providing support and advice to an individual or group in order to help them recognize ways in which they can improve the effectiveness of their business. Coaches work to improve leadership, establish employee accountability, inspire teamwork, generate sales, expand communication, motivate goal setting, implement strategic planning and much more. This can be provided in a number of ways, including one-on-one or group coaching sessions. Mistakenly, coaching is often seen to be only needed when things are not going well, however successful businesses recognize the benefits of coaching even when their organisation is at its best.

Coaching is not the same as mentoring, and the two should not be confused. Mentoring involves a developmental relationship between a more experienced “mentor” and a less experienced partner, typically involving the sharing of advice. A coach can act as a mentor – given that he or she has adequate expertise and experience. However, mentoring is not a form of coaching. A good coach need not have specific business expertise and experience in the same field as the person receiving the coaching in order to provide quality coaching services.


Coaching is also NOT training. Often, companies I have worked with have said to me that they want their managers to be coaches or that they want to improve the organisations coaching capabilities, but in reality they want people to become on-the-job trainers.

An effective coach can add value far beyond the cost of the sessions or the cost of an employee brought in as a coach. In the Pharmaceutical Industry for example, Sales Managers will generally spend in excess of 120 days per year in the field with their team – working on a 1:1 basis; this is a huge investment of time and money. If these managers can become excellent coaches, the value gained here will be exponential, and if they can’t, then that’s a lot of money wasted on heating the passenger seat of a car.

Many organisations expect their senior leaders and middle managers to coach their team members toward higher levels of performance, increased job satisfaction, personal growth, and career development. Those that do, usually back up their expectations with training in coaching skills, access to feedback tools, and/or specific coaching behaviours described in their leadership competency models. However, few organisations link coaching activities to compensation, and until there is a prominent culture that links effective coaching to reward, there will continue to be minimal coaching by managers. In order to embed this culture into an organisation it is necessary to provide proper training and support to those that are expected to coach, and also link their compensation and reward to the benefits that they deliver within this role.

Copyright © 2009 Alan Gillies

Alan Gillies is the Managing Director of the L2L Group, specialising in providing Executive Coaching, Training and Consultancy Services to Businesses across the Globe. Want to learn more about these business success strategies? Get Alan’s popular FREE Business Pack today!

Photo: Zsuzsanna Kilián


How to Make the Most Out of Your Executive Coaching Sessions

Posted on by
Reply

51138723_futureHiring an executive coach is a sound decision if you want to reach your business goals more efficiently and effectively. Business coaching helps a business grow and become more profitable on so many levels – from improving staff performance to efficiently executing business strategies, business consultants contribute to your business success.

To get the most out of business coaching, open communication is vital. When working with a business coach, expectations should be well expressed. Some areas that business consultants address are: managerial coaching skills, redesigning processes, communication skills, team building, executive management training and negotiation skills.

Executive coaching is a two way street, so there are things you need to do to make the most out of your executive management training sessions. They include:

1. Participate in the communication dialogue. Communication at the start of your business coaching session guides your satisfaction. You and your business coach will discuss each other’s role in the process, establish expectations, clarify objectives and establish benchmarks for results. Actively participate in the dialogue and ask questions of the business consultants to clearly define your goals. Your feedback ensures you get the most from your business coaching sessions.

2. Listen and be open to change. An executive coach may introduce new ideas or communication skills. While it is often difficult to adapt to change, listen well to the reasons behind the change. Communication between you and your business coach is important for working through your concerns. Be open to the new ideas business coaching offers in a non-judgemental manner. After all, the purpose of an executive coach is to develop measures to ensure your business operates at peak performance.

3. Stay focused. This will better manage your time with your business coach. Before each executive management training session, think about your goals and bring discussion topics. This will help during your executive management training to remain focused on the core issues surrounding your goals.

4. Do your homework. Your business coach might have you try some new ideas and jot down your experiences to review at your next session. This allows for good communication flow about the idea’s effectiveness. An executive coach might also give you homework, such as reading material, business building exercises, or communication skills to practice. Committing the extra time to your coaching moves the process towards your ultimate goals in a timely fashion.

5. Implement. Business consultants set forth actions for achieving your objectives. This could range from executive management training for employees, new communication skills, a change in strategy, or new procedures. You must implement these actions or try out the ideas in order to get the best return on your investment.

An executive coach will challenge you, introduce new communication skills and encourage you to view things differently to improve your business. Be willing to accept new ideas or to try different communication skills. Business consultants present concepts based on best practices and their experience. Rely on their unbiased views as to what your business needs to operate efficiently and remain successful.

Alan Gillies is the Managing Director of the L2L Group, specialising in providing Executive Coaching, Training and Consultancy Services to Businesses across the Globe. Want to learn more about these business success strategies? Get Alan’s popular FREE Business Pack today!

Photo: Iva Villi

3 Top Ways to Find Clients through Networking

Posted on by
2

1147449_archesOne thing that most businesses have in common is clients. As business consultants explain, businesses need a constantly growing base of customers in order to remain profitable. The most effective way to generate client leads, says executive management training professionals, is networking, a business communication strategy that provides the best success.

A business coach or executive coach can assist you with identifying the best networking avenues for your type of business. There are three in particular worth investigating and often addressed in executive management training.

1. Business Networking. With so many ways to network, business coaching is the best way to identify them and sharpen your interpersonal communication skills. A business coach or executive coach knows how to best generate client leads, such as through Ecademy.com or LinkedIn.com, two online communication platforms that connect business people. These business networking sites provide the opportunity, but advertising your skills and making new contacts requires effective communication skills. Business consultants have solid experience in generating client leads without using a hard sell approach.

Networking online is different from in-person and requires a distinct set of communication skills. A business coach or executive coach can provide you with advice and tips for cultivating online relationships. Plus, business coaching can help with creating an online profile that will achieve successful results.

In addition to online networking, business consultants can guide you with communication strategies to gain access to top business leaders who can open doors to meetings with important decision makers in a company.

2. Social Media. Popular sites like MySpace and Facebook attract a targeted demographic that could prove fruitful for your business venture. Business coaching can teach you ways to introduce a business topic into a social environment.

There are numerous online applications that can help you be found by people looking for your service or product. By combining executive management training and communication skills, you can save time in researching these opportunities and gain valuable insight as to how best to use them to your selling advantage. In addition, executive management training, a business coach, or executive coach can teach you proactive methods to use on discussion forums, message boards and blogs.


3. Joint Ventures. Developing alliances with other businesses that complement yours is a great way to network, share client bases and save money on shared resources. According to business consultants, online joint ventures are growing. However, communication is essential for the relationship to work. Business coaching is often used to ensure that assets and resources are balanced so both parties equally benefit. A business coach or executive coach can also guide with you choosing a joint venture that targets your market and fits in with your business goals.

Once contact is made through networking, business consultants note that good communication skills are necessary for talking with clients. Providing information about your business relies on open communication that can be best taught through executive management training.

When it comes to networking, business coaching is the first step to identifying contacts that will prove beneficial to you.

—————————–
Alan Gillies is the Managing Director of the L2L Group, specialising in providing Executive Coaching, Training and Consultancy Services to Businesses across the Globe. Want to learn more about these business success strategies? Get Alan’s popular FREE Business Pack today!

Photo:  PsychoPxL