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Coach Notes shares my perspective as a catalyst, communicator and consultant committed to helping people do their best in work and life. You’ll find advice, reflections, opinions, helpful links and photos taken during my daily walks. 

BIG new year goals? Watch out!

Cape Lookout Lighthouse

It’s encouraging to see articles like this from Fortune contributor Anne Fisher, emphasizing the incremental, “slow and steady wins the race” approach to reaching goals. It makes me think of the beautiful, big old lighthouses my husband and I love to visit. They were built under challenging conditions, one small brick at a time. Yesterday I hosted a marketing strategy meeting to review VERY BIG PLANS for 2012. I was excited, motivated and envisioning bold new directions for my business! My smart colleagues reminded me I need to be patient, to move mindfully and gradually, or risk feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, and far from my destination by year’s end. In short, I might consider following my own advice!

Happy New Year and hooray for daily walks!

Winter Walk at Sunset (Durham, NC)

As 2012 begins I’m celebrating last year’s accomplishment: I walked my talk! My January 2011 new year intentions included the somewhat daunting promise to walk outdoors for an hour a day (365 days in a row for 60 minutes). Other than two “sick” days of yucky stomach issues, I walked throughout 2011. Three days I was forced to step indoors due to weather, so the final tally looks like this: 363 days of walking, 360 in the great (and not-so-great) outdoors. Some treks were breezy and blissful; others boring, painful slogs. I learned a lot about putting one foot in front of the other on the slow, steady path to a positive habit. Now I know what it’s like to KEEP a deep, authentic, heartfelt intention… to will it into being, no matter what. I did not do this alone: I had help from my amazing, supportive husband, friends, walking buddies and terrific clients who helped me get CoachWalks℠ off the ground again, after a long hiatus. I’m feeling lots of gratitude as I walk into the new year!

Be a better leader, have a richer life (HBR video link)

Here’s a heartening example of a business professor discussing the importance of integrating leadership at work with leadership in life (i.e., home/family, community and self). I’m happy to see scholars talking about the holistic leadership I try to practice and model. Let’s hear it for leaders who find creative ways to win on the job while having the full, rewarding life “wins” that make them better leaders!

Be a Better Leader, Have a Richer Life.

Take your work for a walk℠

Do you like walking? Wish you had more time for it? I encourage you to walk for more than the usual reasons (e.g., the dog needs to do his business, it improves cardiovascular health and burns calories). I invite you to take your work for a walk℠. Walking offers an opportunity to think more creatively about a business challenge. If you choose a quiet, safe path (free from traffic and distractions), set an intention, open your mind, and put one foot in front of the other, you may be surprised at the outcome.

This week, I’ve walked with clients while advising them on leadership, communication or career-transition issues. Since January 1, 2011, I’ve walked daily, sometimes only with my iPhone — handy for capturing “aha” insights — other times with my husband, friends or clients. Each trek has underscored the value of moving away from the desk, office or routine for a change of scenery and perhaps a change of mind.

Often, my best thinking happens during walks. I may start off feeling sluggish and uninspired, but being outdoors and on the move usually shifts my energy and attitude. I’m more efficient and focused on priorities once I’m back in my office.

It took me years to accept this: I’m not good at some habits associated with “productivity” and successful entrepreneurship. I could choose to see this as a problem (and I have beat myself up about it, too often) but now I appreciate my nontraditional approaches to getting things done. Walking works for me and it’s time to share how it works, in case others may benefit. I’ll be blogging more about how I integrate walking and work. I hope you’ll try a business-focused walk and I welcome comments about what you discover on the path.

P.S. I took most photos on this blog during my walks!

How HR professionals can survive in a changing workplace

This post by Theresa M. Welbourne, Ph.D highlights what HR professionals should do to survive and thrive. I’ve observed how rarely HR people are viewed as respected leaders at work, despite good credentials, intentions and ideas. Welbourne advocates being a flexible, prepared problem-solver. I particularly like her suggestion that HR people find mentors outside of HR to help them navigate the workplace jungle.

Seat at the Table? Now it’s “Laws of the Jungle,” and 7 Tips for HR to Survive.

Annual blog review: 2011 new year intentions

Bridge to 2011...

My goals for January include hopeful new year intentions (instead of “resolutions” I associate with grim determination and inevitable disappointment when I stop being resolute, usually by January 7). My intentions include informing people about Coach Notes, posting more often and responding to readers’ feedback. So far, this blog has been a quiet experiment, read by a few friends and clients. In 2011 I intend to attract a significant number of new readers. On that note, I received the following information from WordPress, summarizing how Coach Notes is doing. 

How to listen with gratitude

Friday, November 26 has been declared National Day of Listening. Sponsors advocate interviewing a loved one, noting that listening is a gift benefiting both parties. When we seek others’ stories, relationships may grow closer and we may be surprised at how much we learn. Listening well exemplifies respectful communication.

Listening, leadership and respect

This post is the first in a series about listening. When I teach listening skills in college classrooms or corporate boardrooms, I begin with doing something old-fashioned. I use chalk or a marker to write this equation in bold letters:

LISTENING = RESPECT. (Because I want to encourage listening, I write these words instead of using PowerPoint slides. More on this in a future post.) Often I’m allotted only 15 minutes to speak on listening, a topic that requires a lifetime of patience and practice. Unfortunately too little time is spent on this critical interpersonal skill.

Pitching your business? Keep it simple and break the rules.

I live in a college town where I’m lucky enough to attend an amazing array of presentations, lectures, panels and other interesting events. Learning opportunities are unlimited and I’m in awe of very smart people who live and work here. I heard the best and brightest speak at a recent showcase introducing emerging business ventures. Their presentations stood out in two ways: 1) The good news – brilliant scientists in local research labs have hatched exciting, impressive ideas that will improve lives; 2) The bad news – few presenters connected effectively with the audience in their five-minute pitches to prospective investors or partners.

Overall, I noticed an over-reliance on cookie-cutter content, acronyms, jargon and reading from or pointing to PowerPoint slides. None of this is new, especially in the academic environment where scholar-inventors are trained to prove expertise through such measures as number of peer-reviewed publications or prestigious research grants. Let me be clear: I respect and admire these people. I’ve loved working with physicians, esteemed research scientists, professors and technical/R&D experts over the years. I expect them to analyze and understand every detail when they are teaching a graduate seminar, performing surgery or creating a drug that may or may not make me feel better. However, there is a time and place for simple, clear communication.