Now, pick your favorite:

A) Really now, is it worth all that effort?
B) How about just yelling at your barista?
C) Or, you could just buy a Keurig!

Many times during the course of being out in public, I am asked, “What is it that you do, exactly… in that room?” It can be a question of innocence or perhaps what I do with clients seems a bit like magic to those who do not have some experience in working with a coach or counselor. But at the end of the day, what I like to think I do, exactly is help others find:

Confidence:
I help the individual drill down to the reason confidence is lacking, then hold him/her accountable to a routine that boosts confidence. This is different for each person but might include accountability, afformations, self talk, practice and personal view of healthy competition. I provide a safe place for each client to discover the root reason confidence is lacking, then rebuild through a variety of methods tailored to each individual (examples might include afformations, self-talk and practice).

Focus: I use techniques that professional athletes use to Get Into the Zone” to help you compete what you start.
By working through a series of exercises, Jeff helps each client define their true purpose in life, and from purpose flows focus. Much like athletes put on blinders to “Get Into the Zone” when competing, I teache clients how to quiet the distractions and allow focus to take over.

Accountability:
There is a difference between encouragement and accountability, and I know that difference. Accountability requires fierce conversations, tough love and true honesty. I respect my clients enough to take off the kid gloves and hold them accountable to their words. Unlike many ‘life coaches’ I am a licensed therapist. Sometimes there are true issues that hold us back— and I can help you identify those issues and push past them to true success.

Reduced stress:
Perspective and balance are qualities I strive for in my own life and I impart to each client. Knowing that life is not only work, I focus on the whole person. Integrating each part of life and making them work together is a start to reducing stress and leading a full life.

I truely enjoy helping others, and my talent and the gifts that I have been given allow me a great deal of enjoyment on a daily basis.

*Teams are motivated and you don’t have to coach effort
As an administrator, educator or manager is imperative that time is used wisely. When your team is ready and eager to learn, the success rate improves and you don’t waste time. Coaching improvement always comes easier when the student believes the old Confucius saying. “When the pupil is ready, the teacher appears.”

*Teams have genuine enthusiasm
When people know what is expected of them it is much easier for them to be enthusiastic and passionate about their responsibilities. An organizational leader’s vision helps encourage this enthusiasm. It is stated in the bible, “without a vision, people perish.” Specific standards help the team take this one step further. A team with a vision is more disciplined, determined and tends to be self starters. As Ralph Waldo Emerson so aptly stated, “nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.”
Two companies that fit this model are PPR Healthcare Staffing and Southwest Airlines. PPR was voted as one of the best small companies to work for in the Southeast. The achievement was made possible by CEO Dwight Cooper who believes that his job is to set the environment. Whether it is a fitness boot camp, yoga or thank you Thursdays all the employees know that they are part of a family.
Family is one way to name the working relationships fostered by Southwest Airlines. The former CEO Herb Kelleher set the tone by treating each employee as if they were his kin. His attitude and irreverence for protocol permeated the entire company. Every time I fly with Southwest I always ask the employees if it is a great place to work and I have never received even the slightest hesitation followed by a hearty affirmation.

*Players have positive body language
Walk into any classroom or meeting and you can tell immediately who is listening and who is not. Facial expressions and posture can be a clear indicator. Venture into a movie theater or the classroom of an expert teacher and you will see the audience’s eyes riveted and their bodies up at attention. The same is true for a meeting that is purposeful and conducted by an inspirational leader.

She brings over 20 years of marketing and design experience to help small and medium sized businesses grow.

Deb’s background brings together a unique combination of art director, marketing director, branding and entrepreneur from both big companies and small. Deb has more than 12 years experience in design, marketing and branding with a Fortune 500 company and seven years experience as a business owner and marketing director when she started a spa business. As an entrepreneur herself, she loves to problem solve, think strategically and creatively and… most importantly… help small businesses grow.

Deb is a wife, mother of two and actively supports and volunteers for several local non-profit organizations.

Please join with us to welcome Deb, and discover how she can help you in your business!

Using the model of Leonardo da Vinci, man is made up of several aspects of his life. Each week, over a lunch and learn, we explore these aspects, from personal to professional. Each week you know it will be great insight, brought to you by an expert in that field! Join us!

As our way of showing you a little love… we will offer you one (1) seat to a future Vitruvian lunch & learn… AT NO CHARGE! Just bring a little bite for yourself, and absorb the wisdom shared. To learn what we will be talking about go to: www.NothingByChanceCoaching.com/calendar/
We promise the experience will be like you have your own little… renaissance!

1. Sell more homes (in most times a bit difficult, but in these times a staggering prospect) or,
2. Start building a team (a prospect that did not appeal to this realtor, because to do so, would require a step back, revenue-wise while the team was built and trained).

Jim developed with a third option. They discussed, and with some tweaking, uncovered a new stream of revenue that was worth another $60,000, per year for this realtor, all while selling the exact same number of homes as the year before!

When we talk about what each of the coaches here at Nothing By Chance actually do, sometimes finding the slot for Jim is difficult. Yes, he knows about business. We recognize that technology is his friend. He does love to go on and on about marketing. But all of it, at times seems like… well, a bit like Shaman’s work.

As Jim put it, “It’s what I do”… indeed it is sir, it is what you do!

Maximizing Time Use

Becoming more aware of the need for more effective time management is the first step toward maximizing time use. Develop creative ideas that fit your own situation.
These basic strategies can benefit everyone:

• Control accessibility to you. When you have high priority projects to work on, close your office door to discourage interruptions. The “open door” concept means only that people should be able to get your help – to “open your door” – when necessary. But an office door standing open invites people to stop and chat for a moment. If it is closed, they assume you are busy and think no more about it. If you work in an open area environment, a closed door is not possible. Find a system that works in your situation to set boundaries yet provide reasonable accessibility. An additional technique is to simply tell people the times you prefer to be available to them and the times you would like to work uninterrupted.

• Make “appointments” with yourself to work on projects. Block off appropriate time periods on your calendar and consider them “appointments” to work on high priority tasks and projects. Protect this time just as you would an appointment with an important client. Callers may be told that you are not available but will return their calls after a certain time.

• Control interruptions caused by telephone, e-mail, and fax. If you have a receptionist or assistant who answers your telephone, ask this person to hold your calls and give your messages to you all at one time. Reserve a particular time during the morning and again during the afternoon to return all telephone calls. If you have a person to answer your telephone, teach this individual how to recognize important calls that should be put through immediately and how to handle other callers politely and still protect your time. If you answer your own line, do not let it control you. Allow your voice mail or answering machine to pick up if you are in the middle of focused work. You can return the calls when you come to a more convenient stopping point. Using e-mail or faxes may also minimize time spent on the telephone. Avoid the temptation to respond to e-mail, faxes, or voice mail as soon as you know about them. Your telephone, faxes, and e-mail are tools to help you reach your business goals; use them to your advantage.

• Keep the time required for meetings to a minimum. Consider using a meeting planner for the best use of time spent in meetings. For each meeting, send out information on the agenda ahead of time so people will come prepared. Invite only those who actually need to be present to achieve the purpose of the meeting. Send others a copy of the minutes or a memo and do not waste their time by asking them to attend. Start meetings on time, and stop them on time. If more time is needed on important issues, set a date for another meeting. Ignore late arrivals as much as possible, and keep the meeting progressing. When attending meetings run by others, be sure to know the agenda in advance so you are prepared to contribute appropriately.

• Focus conversations on actions and results. While friendliness is important, there is wisdom in keeping conversations short. Focus on actions, not on philosophizing and socializing for long periods of time. Self-control in conversations prevents counterproductive excuse making, self-pity, gossip, “paralysis of analysis,” or criticism. There is power in being brief.

• Cut out unnecessary paperwork and e-mail. Make memos, letters, and e-mail concise, to the point, and clear. Use written methods of communication only when a written record is needed or whenever you consider them the most effective method to communicate in a particular situation. Handle paper flow efficiently. Set a goal to handle each piece of paper only once. If you have an assistant, dictate or write an answer, attach a note on how to handle it, send it to the file, or read and discard it. Place items that relate to specific projects, meetings, or later events in an appropriate follow-up file so they will be at hand when needed.

• Learn and use the principles of behavior modification:
o Identify a behavior you want to adopt.
o Make a personal commitment to develop it.
o Plan small actions to practice using the new behavior.
o Choose ways to reward your success.
o Check progress regularly and make any necessary adjustments.

Improved time management offers one of the quickest, easiest, and most effective strategies for improving productivity and increasing results.

© 2007 Leadership Management, Inc. All rights reserved. Reprinted with permission from LMI Journal 5/07

Two things made all the difference in her decision. First, comprehending her life’s purpose allowed her to understand how one of the positions absolutely was NOT a stepping stone to her desired future and how one position absolutely WAS that stepping stone. One other job in the mix was neutral, so she punted.

Second, by understanding her core values – those principles which are indisputable as to how to live your life – she was able to ask questions of her perspective employers and decide if their cultures aligned with her values. One of the positions was a total mismatch (even though the money and prestige were appealing), while the other two were more aligned.

By factoring in more than just pay and benefits, she was able to find a job that is a step in the right direction and allows her to be honest and natural, not having to “check her values at the door” every day.

In all our lives, in almost every decision we make, these same lessons hold true: When you know where you’re going and you know who you are, making decisions on how to get there and what you’ll say and do become very straightforward.