December 16, 2016 by

Use It Or Lose It!

check-wenkroyThe month of December brings along much joy, warmth and pleasure to many people. It signifies the end of the calendar year and for a great many organizations the end of their fiscal year.  Corporations, not for profit charities and a variety of associations and other businesses have allocated funds for development, training and materials which if the funds are not utilized by the end of the year they are lost.  

Potentially even more impactful to their budget is the allocation in the budget for the upcoming year or two may be reset to the lower number of dollars actually spent in this previous year for this category.  

When this topic is discussed by me certain people say, “This is not true! Why would this  apply to a Non- Profit Organization?”  

It definitely does apply and here is one small example. From a variety of my contacts on the Board of Directors of certain Non-Profit Organizations, they tell me the business and the people in a Non-Profit may need development and training in leadership, communications, and presentation skills more than some of their corporate sponsors. In fact, they would find the money as long as the Non-Profit would agree to spend the money specifically on it and not something else.

If you are in this type of situation or know of an organization which is please stop right now and contact me with your information or an introduction.

This is an investment in the future of your organization. There are many reports which state that organizations are spending quite a bit on leadership development and training within their organization and they still are not seeing the return on their investment.  

Now this is not to knock the Human Resources folks – and let’s be careful here not to feel offended as this is not the purpose here –  often a training and development workshop or course is brought in with the mindset that it is a one time event.  For the most part this is due to the larger organizations who are hired are set up to deliver their workshops and courses in this manner.  Once the workshop or the course ends everyone goes back to conducting themselves exactly as they did prior to the workshop or course.

The more effective method of delivery to have an impact and to create a change in behavior is through spaced repetition. For example – If you consider marketing and the use of media it is through the repetition of the brand, the message, the reason through a  number of different sources which translates into the attainment of a customer.

By incorporating spaced repetition into the delivery, this continued contact and engagement in a variety of methods keep people onboard and accountable. They are able to grow and their behavior changes along with this process.

The ultimate goal and deliverable must be supported from the top of the organization as well. When a shift in culture or behavioral change is the deliverable the fastest way to undo everything is to have a leader in the organization or a manager continue to present themselves the same exact way they always have while expecting everyone else to change.

There are numerous ways to take advantage of this end of year opportunity. Here are a few examples where either a deposit or a full payment in December 2016 will secure top notch development, training and resources for individuals and/or groups:

  • High Performance Coaching
  • Effective Personal Productivity
  • Effective Personal Leadership

These ALL INCLUDE areas where goal setting and the accountability to carry these through are part of the program. Each of these are from start to finish designed for an initial 90 day effort.

Secure the program now! 

Mitch Tublin runs a boutique consulting firm with a main focus on leadership development, strategic initiatives and executive coaching. Based in Stamford, CT. he has clients all over the world.

Filed Under: Business Planning, Business Strategy, Marketing, Small Business Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
September 26, 2014 by

Values or Money Which Means More To You?

values-or-moneyThe other day it was cool enough outside to create a need for the heat to turn on in the house. The thing is there was a problem. We could tell something was not right, so we hit the emergency kill switch. Now when the technician comes into your house and starts poking around do you really have a clue what they are doing, looking at or what the end result will be?

When working with a client you see the solutions. You see the answers. The coaching process demands that the coach does not ‘tell’ the client what to do. The client must ‘discover’ their own answers from within. This is for meaningful growth and change to take place. Is this how you practice your coaching?

There are coaches who often step in and step out. This means they are requesting permission or stating, “May I take my coaching hat off for a moment?” Then they proceed to offer their client opinions, directions and statements of direction, none of which are part of the practice of coaching an individual. Does this describe your method of coaching?

Feel free to state your views and practices in the comments area.

The point of this article is if we are to add value to others we should want that value to stick. While we are there for our client we cannot force a client to change, to grow, or to act. A client must want to do these themselves with our support and guidance as professional coaches. Anything less is to cheat the client of the opportunity for true change, true growth, and taking real action.

Consider for a moment the consultant who works on a project for an hourly rate.

Is there an incentive to add value and provide solutions to the client or to continue to ensure there are more hours to bill to the client? The consultant who instead bills by the result and the solution will be paid in full as the result and the solution are worth the fee paid. The time it takes is not material to the conversation. It should not matter if the result and the solution takes one day or six months.

In a similar fashion a coach who designs their practice to where the coach becomes the crutch and the client always needs to use the crutch is setting themselves up for more hours to bill than to provide the client with true value.

It is when this is done by design the question is – values or money which means more to you?

Mitch Tublin is an advanced certified executive and personal coach who resides in Stamford, CT.

 

Filed Under: Business Strategy, Coach Mentor Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
May 15, 2013 by

Crush The Competition! Really?

Business CoachRecently while attending an event where there were a variety of top notch professional speakers, one specific speaker struck a specific feeling in me and others. This speaker was essentially ranting about the urgency to take action immediately with his program so you will crush the competition. He might have even said something like, “crush them, step on their throats, stomp on their throats and don’t let up.” Virtually everyone in the audience was standing on their feet and cheering! Somehow my throat kept the nausea from producing a projectile vomit which would have painted the backs of the folks for three or four rows in front of me.

Was this really happening? It is 2013 right? What was missing here? Maybe this is not the right conference. Or maybe the speaker went to the wrong venue? No, there was his name right there on the program guide. He was finishing up and people were rushing to the back of the room to fill out the paperwork and purchase his program.

My view of my competition in the field of Business Consulting and Executive Coaching is if someone is good, if they have values, if they are trained and certified similar to me, if they are trustworthy and we know each other, if there is a client who is not a good fit for me, they get a referral from me. If there are articles or books which come across my desk which they might not know about, they are informed about them by me. It does not help anyone for a coach to have problems in their business, or for me to run my business with the intent to “crush” them.

What are we really saying about ourselves and our business if our business model is to first crush the competition?

In our communities, or in the online communities we belong to, it should be our intent and purpose to be gracious and to add value. It is better for the community of coaches to be more successful and bright coaches working and helping others. The coaches who do not operate in this manner create ill will for all of the rest of the coaching community.

This is not so easy to overcome. It is better to know your competition, embrace your competition, and assist your competition.

Mitch Tublin is an advanced certified personal and executive coach who resides in Stamford, CT.

Filed Under: Business Strategy, Coach Mentor Tagged With: , , , , , , ,
September 2, 2010 by

Are Your Habits Holding You Back Or Moving You Closer To Success?

Are Your Habits Holding You Back Or Moving You Closer To Success? It is a good idea to take a good look at your habits. Your personal habits, your work habits and your business habits. What is a habit?
From online dictionary –
hab·it –noun
1. an acquired behavior pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary: the habit of looking both ways before crossing the street.
2. customary practice or use: Daily bathing is an American habit.
3. a particular practice, custom, or usage: the habit of shaking hands.
4. a dominant or regular disposition or tendency; prevailing character or quality: She has a habit of looking at the bright side of things.
5. addiction, esp. to narcotics (often prec. by the ).
6. mental character or disposition: a habit of mind.
7. characteristic bodily or physical condition.
The reason for placing this list of descriptions is for us to conduct an exercise. Write down two personal habits you have which clearly fall into two of these categories from 1 to 7. Do you have a personal habit you know annoys others? Write that habit down. What category above is that habit in? Okay, now think about your business and how you work. Write down three specific habits you have about how you work? What category are each of these habits in? Are these three habits high quality habits which you would teach others to learn? Let’s stay on your business and how you work. Write down three habits you have about how you work which you know are non-productive and these habits hold you back. Look at each one of these habits for a few minutes. Why do you have this habit? What do you need to do to change this habit? Is there another habit or behavior you know you should replace this habit with. Write down the new habit underneath the one you must replace. Now follow this same conversation with each of the other two non-productive habits. This will permit you to manage your habits. It is a way to hold yourself accountable.
A more effective method of conducting this exercise is to work with a mentor, a coach who will laser focus into you, your habits and your personal definition of your path to success. Take your personal inventory on a regular basis of your habits if you work with a mentor or coach or not. Your habit structure will propel you forward with great speed or hold you back indefinitely. The choice is yours.

Filed Under: Coach Mentor, Habits, Inspiration Tagged With: , , ,
January 27, 2010 by

Where is The Value in the Value Meal?

You see the ads in the fast food industry for the value meal.  The $1 burgers.

The $5 foot long.   I am a firm believer that you get what you pay for.  So would you bring a client you are trying to get to know – to a place to eat where you each order a Value Meal?  Probably Not!

Here is my question: why do you make price the main concern when you seek advice, a coach or a mentor?   My most successful clients know the end game either before we meet or they get it after our initial call.  If you are not willing to make the investment in yourself of time, effort and money how will you achieve your goals?   Let me know.

Filed Under: Achieve Goals Tagged With: , , , , ,
October 13, 2009 by

Golf is A Workout or Not?

This last weekend I went over to the driving range to hit a bucket of balls with my son. He is just learning to swing a golf club. Just as in life and in business you need to work on certain things enough in order for you  to do them well. When you work on these things with a coach or a mentor who is there only for your best interests great things happen.
Golf is enjoyable for the people you meet and the ability to get outside and enjoy yourself. Of course hitting the white ball where you want to hit it and in the right hole in the fewest strokes is a reward if you are able to achieve it. Next to us on the driving range was a couple who were clearly ‘real’ golfers. The woman had a 100 ball bucket. She was hitting two spots away from us. Her partner, he had two 100 ball buckets and he was right next to us. Since my son and I had our backs to them and I was watching my son’s swing in front of me – we really did not notice them other then to say hello – at first. When the guy next to us started to warm up with his driver we felt we needed to duck. He was taking these seemingly wide and wild swings to warm up. I started to wish I had my hard hat from my refinery days. Here is the part I want to ask you about. You see after he warmed up – we noticed that – he used his driver club head and his foot to place the golf ball on the rubber practice tee. He repeated this effortlessly
numerous times. So I am trying to understand, golf is a sport and you are out here taking practice swings, and you cannot bend down each time to place the little ball on the rubber practice tee each time? Somebody help me out here?

Filed Under: Sports Reflects Life and Business Tagged With: , , , , ,