I haven't written in a while. Between raising a 1 year old, taking care of the house, and managing my own free time and sanity, I somehow found a mental space to ask myself: "If I were, in this one year away from work, to do something else, something that truly defines me, what would it be?" After ...
Dream come true – I’m part of a Coaching School!
I'm so excited that as of this weekend one of my dreams is turning to reality. I'm going to be a co-facilitator in a Coaching School! After having completed the Transformational Coaching School last year, Alis kindly asked me to be part of the (growing) coaches team, and I enthusiastically said yes! It's so important for me ...
I got my ACC!
No, it's not some sort of new virus, nor any type of pills. It's a coach credential by the International Coach Federation, namely Associate Certified Coach. I'm so happy I finally got to apply for it, since it means a lot, as a coach, to earn a certification. Basically it means that the school you got trained as ...
How Whiplash helped me get over myself
I saw "Whiplash" a week ago, and something stuck with me. If you haven't seen the movie yet, you should. Despite JK Simmons being the beacon of acting (he won an Oscar for it), it's a movie about an eternal fight for recognition and coming of age. Also, it's a story about how NOT to coach. But that's ...
Career Planning for Young Graduates
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/jul/04/unemployment-not-kids-problem I recently took up two mentees from a student organization, and part of the Get To Know Each Other phase, we talked a lot about what they know and what they would like to know, about the "outside world", the corporate environment. We're talking about a reputed, large, well structured and well organized student ...
Capture summer time
During summertime I often tend to think about life and death. Sounds a bit ridiculous, right? How can you think about death when everything outside is full of life, there's light 16 hours per day and everyone seems to be at the peak of their happiness? Well, sometimes, in the peak of happiness lies a grain ...
The Paradoxes of a Manager – and how to balance them
Few people are good managers. In fact, I've met so few that sometimes I congratulate myself for the job I'm in - that of helping managers be better people managers. The good people managers, however, are mostly not built (sadly, though I'd love to say HR had a role to play in it). They're built through ...
10 Questions to raise Engagement (GROW model)
Whether you're a manager talking to a direct report who has a problem, or a friend helping out someone who doesn't know what to do next... there's a simple flow of questions that can help bring focus and call to action. Coaches talk a lot about the GROW model, perhaps the most known - and simple! - ...
How to coach – it’s that simple!
Part of my job (one of the parts I love most) is to create and supervise development programs for employees who want to move to the next level. Sometimes you spot a potential leader inside the group of participants, and the guy (or girl) just sky rockets by himself. Other times, you must create the awareness ...
What you hate is what inspires change
I'm going through some confusing, yet change-prone times. It seems to come around every few years, a restlessness and need to re-define my life. Normally it includes hating what I've worked hard to earn, and a feeling that unless I do some big change around here, I'm not - ever! - going to be really ...
Career Coaching for Millennials – and a Career Planning Tool
(picture from www.personalbrandingblog.com) I've been asked to deliver 3 Career workshops in less than 3 months, and while I love doing that, I can't help but thinking what might be the increasing need behind. Is it a trend? According to many studies, Millennials (or Generation Y) are the spoiled and undecided generation. Sure, they have strengths, such ...
5 questions for 2012′s New Year Resolutions
I wished for a quiet year in 2011 - a year with my family, friends, new home, and work. I wished for no big changes, no surprises, and good sleep. I got all minus the last one. But I compensated by learning to cook and experimenting in my new kitchen. Now in 2012 I have almost ...
Control vs Freedom – A Power Tool
This is a post inspired by my Power Tool submission for my coaching training. A Power Tool is an antagonism (two opposite concepts) that a client can use to his benefit in one extreme or the other. I chose to write about Control. Control vs Freedom We live in an era of multitasking, and we find ourselves ...
How to be a better communicator: be aware.
I'm conducting a series of 4 trainings on communication (although I'm not a full time trainer: it just came out that way). And I'm not an expert on communication or building relationships either. Heck, I would even say that is one of my weak areas. But I guess at a certain stage I decided I ...
What are you learning new about yourself?
I haven't been posting for more than a month, which, in blogger terms, is unexcusable. I haven't posted not because of lack of ideas, but of lack of ability to get myself together and do something constructive. Instead, I kept having long conversations with myself, especially at night during my insomnia hours. It seems that lack of sleep ...
