Each week at least one of our coaching clients will talk about how challenging it is to get anything substantial done during the course of a day. Meetings, email and crises drive any hope of real productivity out of their day and they are left feeling defeated and resentful. One simple but effective way to move the needle is to focus on what is most important first. In other words, we encourage our clients to spend the first 90…
A great conversation is a powerful way to build relationships at work, at home, and in your community. Great conversations happen when both parties have an equal opportunity to participate and to be heard. Remember, all humans desire to be seen and heard. It’s hardwired into our beings to engage with other beings and nothing satisfies that need nearly as well as conversation. We’ve been asked over the years by our executive coaching clients to describe for them the ingredients of…
In our work as executive coaches we see that anxiety, stress and depression are common struggles that people experience as they build their businesses, step into their power, and move into creating success. We have also seen that taking care of your psyche as you move forward is critically important to having the kind of impact you want in life. There are five key strategies to support your mental health: 1. Redefine failure There will be failure and if you…
In our work, we see that people are running faster than ever before. Work has gotten busier and busier: there are fewer resources and people to do the work, money has gotten tighter, the stakes are higher, and the speed required for thinking and delivery keeps accelerating. As one client recently said “I am running as fast as I can and the finish line keeps getting farther and farther away.” We know that with all of this effort you will…
Are you waiting too long to take the steps that will shape your future and bring more satisfaction to your career life? As a career coach, when people come in for the first time I often hear the phrase, “I have been thinking of this for months – even years.” I recognize that decisions that involve our career, leadership or personal goals need time to take shape, be considered and analyzed before being acted upon. However, in my experience, I…
You may be thinking: “Spirals? What do spirals have to do with business and life?” Quite a bit actually. We have come to think in terms of spirals. It’s a simple image to help our clients think about the decisions they are making and whether they are fostering growth and evolution or whether they are problematic. Remember, as humans we are either evolving (growing) or we are devolving (getting smaller). Think about it for a moment, stability only…
We have recently been reading the book “The WAR of ART: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles“ by Steven Pressfield. We have heard a range of reactions to this book but what spoke to us the most was his exploration of “resistance,” and why most of us struggle to bring our most cherished gifts to life. Pressfield describes the power of resistance to derail our efforts and the increasing power resistance commands when those efforts are…
In the past few years, we have been asked this question by CEO’s, VP’s, Board members, managers, various clients in a wide-range of roles and also clients wondering about how to give input to a partner, child or friend. Offering one’s wisdom is a bit of an art. Most of us have had the experience of someone offering us his or her wisdom and doing so as if it’s The Truth. They are certain of what they know and confident…
Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve been discussing the challenges of staying focused on your purpose and vision, taking action on your priorities, and keeping what matters to you more central to your decisions. Two weeks ago we gave you tips for getting control over the demands that email makes on your time and energy, and last week we discussed how often people say “yes” to a commitment before thinking through the implications of that yes. Both of…
Last week, we focused on changing your relationship with your email so that you are not at the mercy of your Inbox to set your agenda for the day. Today, we want to focus on another area that can challenge your ability to focus on the things that truly matter to you – your commitments to others. Knowing your priorities and spending time on those things that matter to you are important for your health, your energy, your investment…
We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with leaders, teams, and individuals who are passionate about growing in their leadership and in their ability to create cultures of psychological safety and engagement.
Carpenter Smith Consulting is a Women Business Enterprise, Oregon Cert ID 7047.
