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What is the Monday Morning Business Coach?
For over 12 years and running, every Monday morning we’ve sent out an email containing an executive coaching “nugget”—a simple, practical tip or strategy for you to easily take action on to start off your work week.
We use the situations of our clients (anonymously, of course) as well as what we’re pondering or reading about to write a short post. We keep it short because we know your life is busy and you need the “quick tips” to solve your problems, help you focus, and move you forward. We’re not claiming we can solve every issue, but we aim to give you the knowledge and wisdom to help you find your own power and create the future you want. You can view past posts below.
As some of you know, at Carpenter Smith Consulting we define leadership in this way: Leadership is the willingness to influence your world and be influenced by your world, regardless of role or title. We’ve brought this definition to leaders of large organizations, leaders in school, leaders in communities, and leaders in life… and based on their positive feedback, we’re more dedicated to this definition than ever. This definition represents a powerful shift in your behavior and supports…
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Follow effective action with quiet reflection. From the quiet reflection will come even more effective action. ~ Peter Drucker One of the key behaviors of successful people—in life and in work—is the ability to self reflect. Often when we ask the question, “As you reflect on this experience, what have you learned?” we find that people don’t really know what we mean when we ask them to reflect on their experiences. Their response makes a lot of sense…
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As surprising as it is, we’re once again heading in to summer. In the Pacific NW, it’s actually been warm and dry. Summer!!! And, while many of us associate summer with summer vacation, not many people really take a break to refuel. We’re here to remind you… if you’re going to create a life you love, where you’re successful, connected, and satisfied, then you need to refuel. So, what do we mean by refuel? The simple online definition is…
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These are challenging times for our country and our planet. Daily we’re reminded of the differences that exist in the world, and to feel safer we seek out our allies. Seeking comfort from people who are aligned with you is a very human thing to do; yet it can further polarize our families, workplaces, and worlds. Unfortunately, polarization breaks down connections and communities. It’s not bad for us to have differences; it’s bad to start to believe those differences automatically…
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If you want to know your past, look into your present conditions. If you want to know your future, look into your present actions. ~ Buddhist Saying We love this quote! It’s a powerful reminder that if you want to create a future that’s different from your present, you have to start by changing what you’re doing presently—in your day-to-day life. Many of our executive coaching clients seek us out because their present situations are no longer tenable.…
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We were in a meeting a few weeks ago with a CEO who was describing a major rift in her executive leadership team. In that conversation, she explained how there was a breakdown in the working relationship between two subgroups of her team, and went on to say that one of the members could sometimes have a sharp edge, which “was probably the issue.” She asked us if we would work with the members of her team to help them…
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If you’ve been a part of our community for a while, you know that we think a lot about the ways we can support you to move forward on the things that are important to you, bring you meaning, and create the future that you long for. Sometimes, those words can sound like the phrases on the magazines calling out to you from the local newsstand: “Be happy now!”, “Create the life you love!”, or “10 steps to living with…
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For those of you who don’t know this, Memorial Day is described online in this way: In years since World War I, the day has become a celebration of honor for those who died in all America’s wars, as well as those who are Veterans and current members of the U.S. military. In the U.S., regardless of your politics, most Americans have compassion and appreciation for the men and women of our country in uniform. We use words like “He’s…
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Most of us can recall an event in our life that shaped us—something that if asked about you could say, “Before the event I was that way, and after the event I’m this way.” Most of these before and after scenarios weren’t necessarily by choice. It usually takes something pretty big for people to be moved from one state of being to another. In fact, most people have a before/after that is related to something where they had little…
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There’s a lot written on following your passion in work and life. Yet, unfocused passion won’t get you where you want to go. Think for a moment about the things you’re passionate about. Recently, when we asked several clients about their passion, they listed a wide range of things, including great food, dance, the qualities of good coffee, cheese, wine, etc. When we work with clients to define their purpose, it’s often a compelling and active list. Purpose…
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