What We Are Reading

Burnout is a serious, current struggle for employees and leaders alike. Executive coaches can help leaders fight off burnout by offering a fresh perspective, clarifying the big picture, focusing on problem solving, and more.

Link: https://www.fastcompany.com/90628736/turn-to-these-steps-to-protect-yourself-from-catching-burnout?partner=feedburner&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feedburner+fastcompany&utm_content=feedburner

Wendy Wood, Professor of Psychology and Business at USC, draws on 30 years of research to explain the fascinating science of how we form habits. Why is it easy to make the decision to change, but difficult to persist in the long term? It’s because our minds are comprised of separate parts. The part that decides to change a habit, our conscious “executive function” mind, has little contact with many of the things we do (43% of the time, our actions are habitual, performed without conscious thought). Whereas our habitual mind is all about repetition, rewards and contexts. Recognizing, and then leveraging the difference, should bring hope to any reader looking to create long-term behavioral change. As the father of modern psychology, William James put it, “The more of the details of our daily life we can hand over to the effortless custody of automatism, the more our higher powers of mind will be set free for their own proper work.”

HIGHLIGHT(S): Until we have laid down a habit in our neural networks, we must willfully decide to repeat a new action again and again, thus draining a lot of brainpower. At some point, through setting context, removing friction and sheer repetition, the behavior becomes second nature, and we can sit back and let autopilot drive.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Good-Habits-Bad-Habits-audiobook/dp/B07THBYNNS/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3P7NPN485D1V7&dchild=1&keywords=good+habits+bad+habits+wendy+wood&qid=1623163768&sprefix=good+habits+bad+habits%2Caps%2C145&sr=8-3

Are you satisfied with your productivity? Hire an executive coach to look at your workload objectively and help you strategize and prioritize to accomplish more in less time.

Link: https://www.fastcompany.com/90630426/how-doing-less-can-help-you-accomplish-more?partner=feedburner&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feedburner+fastcompany&utm_content=feedburner

It is normal to feel stagnant at some point in your career. An executive coach can help you get past this by asking personalized questions that help you think differently about your work. A new perspective can work wonders.

Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2021/05/04/33-powerful-coaching-questions-to-get-unstuck-and-take-action-in-your-career/?sh=22f3ada26688

Leadership can be defined as universal key principles upheld by hardworking individuals. Attaching gender to certain leadership traits is limiting to all. Think beyond the stereotypes to find the best leadership style for you.

Link: https://www.fastcompany.com/90630653/why-powerful-leadership-depends-on-a-genderless-approach?partner=feedburner&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=feedburner+fastcompany&utm_content=feedburner

Leaders: employees look to you in uncertain times. You can cultivate hope and trust from your staff. Demonstrate compassion and help establish feelings of stability in the workplace.

Link: https://www.inc.com/marcel-schwantes/4-things-employees-need-from-leadership-to-support-their-wellbeing.html

Internal mobility is a great staffing solution. When you unlock hidden or untapped strengths, you optimize the talent you already have, learn about their other capabilities, and find the right people to get jobs done.

Link: https://blog.shrm.org/blog/internal-talent-mobility-think-projects-not-jobs

Internal promotions can lead to high productivity, loyalty, and stronger relationships between staff and managers. Look for growth potential in your talent and invest in their success.

Link: https://www.inc.com/jeff-haden/its-official-promoting-leaders-from-within-is-best-approach.html

Help your teams get into the zone at work and maintain productivity. Encourage them to find energetic peaks, take breaks, focus their intentions, and more. Find what works best for you and your staff and motivate each other to keep up those practices.

Link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2021/04/30/achieving-peak-productivity-15-ways-to-get-into-the-zone-at-work/?sh=79790b7d6c4e

Who doesn’t dread being asked “Can I give you some feedback?” We know we’re supposed to answer “yes” and then stoically prepare to take our medicine. Here Joseph Folkman makes us feel better by showing the powerful benefits of feedback, both positive and negative. This research-based book serves as a practical guide for coaches helping others to ask for, accept and leverage feedback. Folkman explores how perceptions of us are formed by others (and the best strategies for changing these perceptions), how to prioritize developmental goals, and why our response to feedback is the most important variable affecting our ability to improve.

HIGHLIGHT(S): When considering coaching goals, ask, “If I were to change one thing, what would make the biggest difference in how I am perceived?” When an executive is highly competent in one area, others will assume strengths in other areas and ignore weaknesses (the “halo effect”). This argues for focusing on developing a single, profound strength, rather than multiple, lower-impact, goals.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Power-Feedback-Principles-Personal-Professional/dp/0471998206/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=The+power+of+feedback&qid=1622551842&s=books&sr=1-2