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 ...
Innovation starts from an empty page
{source: link} Creation starts from the void. Or so the Holy Books tell us. I get my inspiration in the morning, driving to work, listening to music. Or sometimes, in an empty room, writing on my laptop. Or listening to a presentation and going through idle thoughts. Either way, creativity and results focus don't really go together. You have to give up ...
Integrating who you are into what you do
Last week I had a funny breakthrough - I brought something quite personal, almost a part of me, into the professional. And not only did it work out fine, it was even inspiring. I've been a fan intrigued quite obsessed with Alice (the one from Wonderland..you know) pretty much my entire life. I saw the movies, the cartoons, ...
Young careers – why passion won’t (always) get you a job
I saw two very good candidates today. Both very young (just out of University), both talented and with potential. However, only one goes forward to get the job. It is not the one who was ambitious, hard working, pursuing a passion and full of drive and energy. It is the one who steps back, takes a good look ...
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 leave work on time and enjoy life more
Usually when I talk to people about their workload, they say they just can't leave early, and find various excuses: - "my work is not done" - "I have too much on my plate and need to finish it today" - "there's an important deadline tomorrow" - "I was in meetings all day and now I have to catch ...
10 Common Sense Lessons from the Corporate world
I've recently started recognizing people (outside work environment) who work in multinationals. They have a certain way of behaving and, of course, personal idiosyncrasies (or as we say it in Romanian, "pitici", or "stoluri"). On the other hand, there are some valuable lessons I've learned, some not yet mastered, while working almost 6 years for corporations. ...
Confident Communication – it’s not only about the attitude
Recently I was talking with Eddie Ezeanu, a friend coach, for lunch. Eddie and I have that kind of camaraderie where we challenge each other's views and tend to find different perspectives. As he was talking about his niche - which is helping other people how to better communicate, this brought the following debate to ...
A different perspective on reality
I was doing a quick peer coaching (15 minutes "flash" coaching) yesterday evening, and something popped in my mind, so brilliant (excuse my modesty, it always gets in the way) that I thought I should share this with you. Jackie, the woman I was coaching, is returning to work next week, after 2 months of leave ...
1 year of Life Toolkit! Best posts & Coaching challenge
So one year of blogging passed away, quite fast. What happened during this time? Looking back... - I started blogging like crazy, read all I could on SEO and social network promoting, then decided I should just let my readers unfold as they come. And that's how I got to this steady, smallish base of you ...
The Devil’s Advocate: Corporate Life
I don't believe in safety nets. I flew on my own to the US, not having a job or a place to stay, not knowing where I would sleep the first night. And it went ok. I travelled alone by train to countries where people don't speak English, and found that sign language actually works. I trusted people ...
Leadership – moving from chaos to trust
I know, ashes on my head, I haven't written in a while. But it was for good reasons - I've been on an management training. Perfect weather, chilly, windy and rainy; great people, who didn't speak much to each other for the first two days, after which they/we danced frantically in a pub until ...
The first steps of a transition
Since ages, I've loved transitions. The first days of falling in love; the changes of seasons; moving to a new place to live (ok, without the packing and unpacking); going back to school in autumn; and changing the job. Transitions spice up life. Without them, we would be caught in a neverending slumber. The only thing ...
How to coach your people (even if you’re not a coach)
One of the biggest shifts I've seen in the people I work with was the ability to move from the "Manager" point of view to the "Coach" point of view. Remember my post on "being a People Manager vs. a People Developer"? Well, this approach lies between the two. If your people perceive that you're shifting ...
