Tag Archives: strengths

A Powerful Question to Ask Yourself

In all the years of being a professional coach, I’ve used numerous “powerful” questions to help clients discover and clarify their personal and professional strengths.  But there is one question that really captures it all.  And that is “When are you really at your best?”

I ask clients to think about that question – not to hurry – and to come back to our next session with three or four stories that capture a picture of themselves at their very best.  The stories will have a theme through them – a red thread – that tells us what comes together to bring out the best of themselves.  These are natural talents that are coming together and over time have often become career and life strengths.

People, Ideas or Things

Lake Tahoe at Its Best!

These themes fall into three interest areas: an interest in people; an interest in ideas or an interest in things.  For myself, I have always gravitated toward work with people in some capacity.  When I ask myself this powerful question, I always come back to involvement with people during significant life and career transitions.  That theme has always run through my years as a Masters level social worker; an adult, child & family psychotherapist; my community volunteer work, and now as a corporate trainer and a professional career/life coach.

Now It’s Your Turn to Ask

 

 

 

 

 

 

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5 Generations at Work is Challenging!

It’s a challenge – working with people of all ages both in my regular training and coaching roles but also in my community volunteer work.  Each age group is really quite different – disconnects and miscommunication happen all the time.  We often don’t even realize that it’s a “generational thing”.  But it actually all makes sense if we take the time to understand & appreciate the differences (and gifts) that each generation brings to the workplace.

All Ages Volunteering at the Red Cross

I’ve had the great opportunity to design and deliver a leadership training course to the American Red Cross, Northern Nevada Chapter both in 2010 and again this year.  Tomorrow night’s materials will be fun – it’s all about how to work with volunteers of all five generations – common for the Red Cross.  Each generation has its own motivations for wanting to work with the Red Cross and each generation brings its own talents, strengths and gifts to their volunteer work.  But for new leaders it can be a stretch to know how to engage and motivate individuals who often are younger or older than themselves. 

A Great Book & Resource

Here is where I would start . . . pick up this brand new book written by a father-daughter team in a lively conversational style.  Generations, INC: From Boomers to Linksters – Managing the Friction Between Generations at Work, 2010, is packed with facts, historical research and practical, concrete suggestions for how to manage and work with each of the five generations.  It’s current and relevant to today’s work world and our families as well.  And it goes beyond just describing the generational differences (although I found that fasinating) to really teaching us as leaders how to bring out the best in this amazing diverse workforce.

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Just Keep Pedaling: Rain, Hail & Cold

Just keep pedaling . . . wise words I repeated to myself as the rain, hail and cold beat down on my husband, Wally, and me as we rode our racing tandem bicycle in a 60 mile race in Northern California this past weekend.  With 250 other bicycles (including many other racing tandems) we were riding in the beautiful ranching community of Indian Valley close to Lake Almanor. 

“Who’s idea was this anyway?!”  Well, I guess in all honesty it was mine.  It sounded good on paper and we had planned for months to do this . . . but who would have known that we’d have rain, sleet & snow on Memorial Day weekend.  But there we were with nothing to do but keep on pedaling.  

What Makes for Success

So as the miles swept by under my pedals (we average about 16 miles an hour) I got to thinking about what makes for success on a challenge such as this.  I came up with five ideas:

  • Set the vision of finishing (with glass of wine & hot bath)
  • Concentrate on the rhythm (I close my eyes but Wally keeps his eyes open)
  • Be in the moment (listen to the sounds around me & relax in the movement of the tandem)
  • Stay in sync with the cues Wally is giving me for the steep uphills & fast downhills
  • Trust in the bike, the front rider (has to be a strong rider) and my own ability

And we were done . . . 5 hours later with frozen feet and “screaming” quads we pedaled into Greenville High School to check in and say thank you to the volunteers who fed and encouraged us all along the way.  And it was more fun to send the IPhone pictures to those college kids who think Mom & Dad are too old to barely move.  A great adventure and some wonderful reminders that it really is well worth it to just “keep pedaling”.

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Can’t Quit Now – Cross Country Skiing

It was a gorgeous Sunday – the blue skies and the deep snow (over 65′) of the Sierra Nevada Mountains were awesome.  A small band of us (husband Wally & friend Cary) were out to do one last long trek to Point Mariah at the Royal Gorge ski area on the Donner Summit.  It sounded pretty easy – and we had been working up to it – but it turned out to be a long, long way out to the farthest point which overlooks a magnificent gorge – feels like you’re standing on top of the Grand Canyon.

Mindset Makes the Difference

But we’re cheerful, healthy and young so we just kept going and going and going.  After all, you can’t quit.  You’re way out in the middle of nowhere – no place to go but back to where you started.  It reminded me of my old days of running half marathons – finishing is all about your mindset.  There is definitely a trick to relaxing your mind, focusing on the moment and just pressing on.  We really have amazing strength and persistence when we put our mind to it.  And having others with you that also don’t quit is essential.  So we just kept going . . .

”Wally Walks” Go On & On

By the end of the day, we had skied over 12 miles up and down hills and through beautiful forests.   It took us almost six hours since we were on classic skies (slower that skate skies).  As we came up that last long hill, the ski patrol were already taking down the signs and closing up the lodge.  We felt good – we were tired, hot and hungry but we made it.  And we were even able to send the ski patrol back out to check on two young college boys who were still out at the point on their rental skies. 

Over a glass of wine and a wonderful dinner in Truckee we toasted another fun story and memory.  We call these “Wally Walks” which means you never quite know where you’re going, how far it is or when you’ll be back.  Wally is always optimistic (and does carry a map) but never quits.  (He’s an ‘ole retired marine pilot.) This was a challenge but I learned again that I actually can do a lot more than sometimes I give myself credit for – and I bet that goes for many of you too.  So challenge yourself and enjoy your successes!

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How to Identify Your Natural Talents

Now you may be asking yourself . . . what actually is a “natural talent” and how do I know what my natural talents really are? As we get older and more skilled, experienced and savvy in the World of Work, it can be a bit challenging to remember who we are when we’re really at our best.

So try this . . . step back and simply watch yourself, especially when you really are enjoying what you are doing in that moment. What do you see? You’re seeing your natural talents in action! A natural talent is the way we think, act or behave that comes easily to us with genuine enjoyment. It’s like “second nature”.

Look for these five things:

  • What do I gravitate toward?
  • What appeals to me spontaneously?
  • What comes easily to me?
  • What attracts others to me?
  • What do they say I’m good at?
  • What do I genuinely enjoy doing?
  • Who do I enjoy being?

Identify 3-4 talents for yourself. Now take it a step further . . . is there a theme running through your talents? Our natural talents often have a central theme to them – much like a golden thread running through them.  Once you know this theme it’s easier to choose work settings and responsibilities that allow you to be at your best. This is a tremendous benefit to you and to your employer – you are genuinely, positively engaged in your work, you feel more fulfilled and you’re bringing the best you have to offer to your employer. It’s great for your company’s bottom line and for yours as well!

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