Episode #1005: Turning the key of change with Norma Rosenberg, an Executive Coach and Vistage Chair. Discover Norma Rosenberg's journey of moving from analytical-based management consulting to intuitive-based coaching, and how she paved the way for others in the then, male-dominated world. About Norma Rosenberg Norma Rosenberg is an executive coach and a Master Vistage Chair who has been working with CEOs and senior executives for 40+ years. She came to coaching after a career in management consulting with PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she worked with numerous Fortune 500 companies. She has been a Chair with Vistage International since 1999 and has been coaching executives in management, sales, operations, marketing, customer service, and human resources. Her practice today is based in Manhattan and her clientele is a blend of for-profit and not-for-profit organizations. Norma is highly intuitive and perceptive. She is curious-minded, an innovator in the executive coaching field, and is pushing the limits of what coaching can be, particularly in our stay-at-home world. Watch the podcast Click here to listen to the podcast, or click below to view the podcast outline and transcript: Key highlights A serendipitous path Timestamp 03:44 For the first 16 years, Norma was working with the public sector. After starting Columbia's Executive MBA program, she started thinking about shifting to the private sector. In 1980, she went to Coopers and Lybrand, which later became PwC. This transition turned out to be a change she needed. Because the private sector functions differently than the public sector, Norma needed to get used to it and "bring [her] own brand to the table," as she describes it. Being a Vistage Chair Timestamp 05:52 After working with PwC for 20 years, Norma realized that she finds working with Fortune 500 company CEOs intellectually stimulating but not emotionally rewarding. She realized that, when working with clients who were leading hundreds of thousands of people, no matter how great the work they managed to do with Norma was, they couldn't do anything about some of the company's issues. That is one of the reasons Norma decided that, when the chance presented itself, she would start working with small to mid-sized companies. That's exactly what she did and it is just as she thought—much more emotionally rewarding than working with large corporations. The pandemic’s impact Timestamp 06:52 As Norma explains, the businesses she works with have been impacted by the pandemic one way or another. However, some have managed to pivot in a way that even helped them grow their business. Norma has worked with her clients to reimagine what people are going to need in the future. A few decades ago, the work would be focused on five or ten years of strategic planning. However, with things changing at a faster pace than ever, it is vital to stay sharp and nimble. A woman in a man’s world Timestamp 07:52 Norma started in a field that was male-dominated and excelled in it. She managed to break the glass ceiling and become a leader in the field. In the 1980s, she was the only woman in the room. There were no female consulting partners in New York at that time. So, Norma says: "I had to learn how to survive in that world.” She knew that, then, it wouldn't work for a woman to walk into the CEO's office and say what needs to be done. She realized she has to downplay her intelligence and ask them questions. “I would say, ‘Well, what do you think your choices are for the future?’ And I had studied the whole thing and what would work and what wouldn't work. So, they would say something. And if I thought it was going to bomb, I would say, ‘Well, you know, if you did that, that would work if the competition would stay in place for the next six years. So, what's your next choice?’ And they would go on to something else. And as soon as they hit on something that I knew would work, I would say, ‘That's a brilliant idea.’” At the time, she didn't know that what she was doing was called coaching. It was considered consulting. But, as a woman in a man's world, she had to lead by asking questions and letting them discover the answers. That is how she came into coaching. Powerful Questions Timestamp 09:48 One of the main questions Norma likes to ask her clients is: "What do you think your choices are?" After that one, many other important questions follow. And those might vary depending on the person she works with. She makes an effort to get to know every person she’s coaching as an individual while she works with them on fulfilling the goals they have. Although they are trying to grow their businesses, they are also always trying to achieve something that they personally believe in or that they are going to get rewarded for. After they share their goal with Norma, they try to find a match between the client’s own goals, what they are passionate about, and where the company is going. If they find it, that is what they work on—"When you have that match, it's nirvana.” Her Practice Today Timestamp 10:55 Norma's current practice is a blend of for-profit and not-for-profit clients. She explains how the not-for-profit leaders have a different focus and that always brings more to the table. That is why 25-30 percent of her clients are coming from not-for-profit businesses. Becoming an effective leader Timestamp 14:00 After decided that she wanted to become a coach, Norma realized she needed to focus on listening and asking questions more. She describes that she never had formal coaching training, despite coaching for more than 40 years now. But, her experience was her greatest teacher. She learned that she should quiet down and put herself in the other person's shoes and meet the person exactly where they are because we are all different. Her coaching skills aren’t coming from a book or a curriculum, but from feeling what is going on with the person she is working with or feeling what is going on in the room when working with a group of people. She is looking for clues that tell her where the person is at with the topic or a certain issue. She finds that more important than what she has read in a book or taken in a course. Although today almost everything is done via Zoom, that hasn't impact her ability to feel what is happening. Even in a virtual environment, she can use her power of intuition and feeling to gauge a person and their situation. The Why Timestamp 15:03 “I absolutely love helping someone get to where they want to be, as long as that's not something harmful or illegal. They give me their goals, and if I can help them get there, I'm thrilled. That's enough for me.” The Best Day as An Executive Coach Timestamp 16:28 When asked about her best day as an executive coach, Norma explains that she has had many best days. Surprisingly, one that stands out happened recently on Zoom. It is interesting because, just as most coaches, she didn't expect it to happen while coaching via Zoom. She proceeds to explain how she has the gift of having somebody trust her, even if she doesn't know the person well. Recently, she was working with a very successful individual, who she had just met. In the first minute or two, she felt he trusted her enough to share with her something profound. And her gut feeling was right; he shared something that happened to him personally and physically that has changed everything and caused him to go through a major transition. She sat with him on Zoom and told him: "You know, you don't have to know the answers. This is what transitions are like. The questions are more important." For Norma, the fact that somebody would trust her with something that will change everything for them in the first couple of minutes of the conversation, and that it would happen on Zoom, is thrilling and remarkable. Norma’s Coaching Tools Timestamp 19:08 The most powerful tool Norma uses isn’t an intellectual tool. Whereas earlier in her career, she spent more time learning all the facts, she realizes now that it isn't so much about the facts. It is about listening, quieting down, being with the individual without any distractions, and feeling what they are feeling. When she manages to do all those things, and the individual is trusting her, she can ask the questions that help turn the key to doing something they couldn't do before—and that changes everything. Failures and Valuable Lessons Timestamp 20:51 One of the failures Norma experienced that led to a valuable lesson happened at the beginning of the pandemic when she made it her mission to get all 40 of her clients through this challenging period. She soon realized that she couldn't get everyone through it because some of them weren't capitalized enough and they didn't believe that they could overcome all the difficulties. So, she lost some of her clients but managed to add new ones. Not succeeding in what she made her mission to do and losing some clients wasn't easy, but she has learned how to accept it and realize that she did her best. Changes in the Coaching Industry Timestamp 22:32 Norma believes that the coaching industry is too focused on some of the tools and techniques from the past. That is an issue in this fast-paced environment, where changes happen all the time. She believes it is essential to help people with their biggest issues, such as COVID relief. “It's that Maslow's hierarchy; if you don't help people get paid and fed and believe that there will be a tomorrow, then you can't go anywhere else. They're too frightened.” From Black and White into Technicolor Timestamp 23:50 In her early coaching days, Norma was like most coaches using spreadsheets, tools, and techniques. However, those don't work for her anymore because they can't bring the enormous change that comes when a person realizes they can do something they never thought they could. She believes this kind of realization can't come from a spreadsheet or tool. It has to be a realization from the inside. That is why it is so important to sit with people and feel what's going on inside them and, if needed, help them turn the key to change. This is how she describes it: “That opening of a door to another world, which I experienced in my own life when I was in my 30s. Something was going on that was life-changing. And when I got on the other side of it, I felt like I was in The Wizard of Oz, you know, when the movie turns from black and white into Technicolor. That's what it felt like to me. And that's what it feels like today when I'm helping someone, and they're walking from black and white into Technicolor, and they realize there are all these other possibilities.” An Attribute that Makes Her Stand Out Timestamp 25:36 Norma thinks her ability to empathize with others is what makes her a difference-maker in the coaching industry. She describes how there are very few people she wasn’t able to feel a connection with. If she felt there was no connection, she knew that the client wasn’t for her. Because of editing her own life over the last 15 years, she can only work with people she feels a connection with. Editing Her Life Timestamp 26:31 “I believe that in the second half of life, which I'm in (…), we're here to find what gives us joy and follow that. And we can jettison the things that don't bring us joy and spend less time with the people that don't serve us well and don't bring us joy. And this doesn't mean conflict. I just move away from things that are not right for me, that don't bring me joy.” Another important lesson Norma learned came from Pat Hyndman, who was her role model. He said, "People don't grow old. They get old when they stop growing." That is something that has stayed with her ever since. Measuring Her Life Timestamp 30:22 When asked how she will measure her life, Norma shares that she would measure her life based on her ability to help others, create the best life possible for herself, and use difficult times as a learning and growth opportunity. A Piece of Advice Timestamp 31:40 Norma's advice for anyone considering a career in coaching comes from her own experience. Her advice is to learn how to listen to people. When she started coaching, it is something she didn't know how to do. She would get affected by stories people told her and didn't know how to channel her empathy in a healthier way. What helped her was advice from other Vistage Chairs. One such helpful advice was to imagine a transparent membrane around herself where she can see and hear everything but has protection. So, now she can listen, feel, and have empathy without having what she hears destroy her. If she didn't learn how to do that, she isn't sure if she could do what she is doing today. A Wisdom for Her Younger Self Timestamp 33:43 If she could go back and talk to her young self who was starting in coaching, she would say to follow her gut and intuition more and not be afraid to do it. When she was younger and was learning different techniques, she had her own ideas but didn't use them. She felt compelled to use what others were teaching her without adding her own flair. It took her decades to realize there was a lot she could bring to the table. Becoming true to herself and using her own ways and methods, even if others weren't using them, made her better at what she does. Changing Herself Timestamp 35:22 When asked about the one question she wasn't asked during the interview, Norma first shares a beautiful metaphor: “Last night, I was on the treadmill in our fitness center in my building and I was watching the space launch... It was 10 minutes and you saw the first part of the breakaway and come back to Earth. I was thinking that that's a little bit about life... We have things that help us soar, and we don't need those anymore. We just go on to something new. And the foundation is still in our memory, but we don't need that.” She proceeds to say that the question that would tell us more about her is: “What was the most profound thing that happened that made you change?” Norma shares how something happened in her personal life that was profound and made her learn something she didn't know before. She thought of it as the end of something but later realized it was actually the beginning. “But when I changed my thinking towards—how can I work with this—that was when my life opened up into Technicolor, and there was no return because the other side was so beautiful. It's like being over the rainbow. So, I'd say that it's—when you're going through something difficult, just pause and see what you can do with that, that would change everything, maybe even for the better.” Copyright © 2021 by Arete Coach LLC. All rights reserved.

When the World Health Organization (WHO) announced the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic in March 2020, no one knew what life would look like, how significant the changes and the need for adjustment would be, and how all of it was going to impact people around the world. In times of crisis, does coaching positively impact well-being? Discover the answer in a recent study conducted on the impact coaching has in times of uncertainty. The measures to slow down the spread of the virus and the worldwide lockdown meant organizations had to shift to remote working. For many, this was their first experience with remote work. There were major adjustments needed, not only from a technology aspect but from a personal aspect as well. Many managers found themselves facing challenges while leading a team of people remotely. These challenges, one way or another, impacted their mental health, well-being, and subsequently, their performance. The positive effect coaching has on the well-being and performance of an individual and employee has been repeatedly shown in many studies. However, there were no findings on how coaching could be used to overcome a crisis, such as the pandemic, because coaching, as a profession, has never faced such a challenge before. To determine how coaching can be used during a time of crisis, a study was conducted at the beginning of the pandemic: Jarosz, J. (2021). The impact of coaching on well-being and performance of managers and their teams during pandemic. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 19(1), 4-27. DOI: 10.24384/n5ht-2722. The Study The purpose of the study was to establish the role of coaching during the pandemic and its impact on the well-being and performance of managers and their teams. There were 20 participants, all of which were in manager or director roles and actively managing a team. The industries they worked for included: banking, technology, sales, education, and marketing. The participants were from the following countries: China (Wuhan), England, Germany, Poland, Spain, and the United States. All participants were volunteers who applied to participate after seeing the study on Facebook and LinkedIn. To participate, the volunteers had to speak English and confirm they were not in therapy or taking medications for anxiety or depression. The first ten participants who applied were assigned to the Experimental group, and the next ten became the Control group. The participants of the Experimental group had to commit to participating in individual coaching sessions as well as four weekly group coaching sessions. Whereas, the Control group were only asked to fill out questionnaires each week and participate in weekly unstructured 15 minutes interviews to discuss the well-being and performance of individual managers and their teams. The study lasted five weeks. The researcher wanted to capture the pandemic’s early stages and its effect on people. There were both quantitative and qualitative measures used. During each of the five weeks, the participants needed to fill out two questionnaires—the Scales of Psychological Well-Being questionnaire (Ryff, 1989, as cited in Jarosz, 2021) and Team Barometer (designed by the researcher) on the performance and well-being dynamics within the teams. The Coaching Program The Well-Being and Performance Coaching Program was conducted over four weeks. It included four weekly group sessions. Additionally, four weekly individual sessions were offered to each participant of the Experimental group. The first week's session was focused on the program’s overview and introducing the concepts of coaching, well-being and its components (autonomy, environmental mastery, positive relationships with others, purpose in life, personal growth, self-acceptance), as well as the concept of performance. Subsequent sessions were focused on the team's well-being and performance and the impact the managers had on their team members during pandemic. The last session was used for the summary of progress and the closing remarks. Qualitative Findings Week 1 The first week included the early stage of lockdown and working from home for most participants. Although most participants reported that they had experienced a drop in their own and their team's performance and well-being levels, this first week was characterized by a moderate enthusiasm because of the novelty of the situation. Working from home was challenging for most participants. Some of the issues included difficulty staying productive, especially if they had small children, and split attention because of the need to focus on more things that needed to get organized and prepared for a day at home. Technology, such as fast internet and sound quality, were also an issue for some team members. Every person adapted differently to remote working, which impacted the team's performance. Week 2 Week two was characterized by worries around the sense of control—the changes that individuals were able to consciously impact and control, and changes that happened without them being able to influence the situation. With managers and the teams getting used to the new situation, fun and creative ways to keep the morale, well-being, and performance high started emerging. Well-being and performance increased compared to the first week because people started having more fun and looking forward to interacting with the team and supporting each other. However, the sense of not having control over what was happening regarding the pandemic resulted in increased anxiety, so the well-being and performance levels dropped by the end of week two. Week 3 Week three showed a sharp drop in well-being and performance in both the Experimental and the Control group. Enthusiasm hit its lowest point. Participants started reporting they were losing track of time. Every day seemed to look the same. Over the weeks, managers started having fewer expectations from their employees because they understood that their team members might be having a hard time and may need time to recharge. Team members weren't expected to give 100% anymore because it was understood that the current situation makes it impossible. Week 4 In week four, the productivity levels increased again. Most participants reported that their performance level was higher. Many managers started focusing on things they could control, do or change, and they were able to positively impact their team members, increase the feeling of renewed energy, but also bring the feeling of comfort into the workplace and create the sense of normality as much as it is possible. During this week, many managers and their teams started creating different scenarios of what might happen after the pandemic and how they could succeed in those situations. For many, this was a time of reevaluation of what matters to them personally and professionally. During this time, they also connected more with their teammates. Week 5 Week 5 was used to conduct exit interviews and collect the questionnaires. During this week, it was shown that the levels of well-being and performance were stagnating. Individuals mostly became used to the situation, which now represented a "new normal.” Using technology, people found a way to connect and "spend time" with their family and friends and continue with their hobbies. Increasing Well-Being and Productivity in Team Members Managers showed genuine care for their team member's well-being. Some managers would take time to discuss what was happening with team members and ask how everyone was doing before they started the day. They encouraged people to do things for themselves that would benefit them, such as eating right, exercising, and staying positive. Some companies found personal trainers to train people who want to join via video call. Most managers communicated to their team members that it is not expected of them to give 100% and that it is ok. They also wanted their employees to find a way to accept that their performance levels aren't as high as before and be ok with it. Some found having daily or weekly schedules useful. Many managers started focusing on gratitude, asking their team members about the welcomed changes this situation brought to them. Quantitative Findings It was shown that the average levels of well-being between the manager and team’s performance improved over the study period for the Experimental group, compared to the Control group. Despite the levels being similar in both groups at the beginning of the study, the averages stayed consistently higher for the Experimental group during the study. Week three was found to be a period of decreased levels of well-being and performance for both groups. The explanation for it might lie in the feeling of losing a sense of control, losing track of time, the decrease in enthusiasm, and the "novelty" effect. To assess improvement, gain scores were computed for the well-being and performance scores by subtracting Week 1 from Week 5 scores, which were then compared between the Experimental and the Control group. The results showed that self-acceptance increased in the Experimental group and decreased in the Control group over the study period. As for team performance, the participants in the Experimental group reported a mean increase, while the mean increase in the Control group showed to be negligible. The mean decreases were found in four out of the well-being scores in the Control group, whereas in the Experimental group, no negative gains were found. Conclusion During the five weeks of the study, it was shown that levels of well-being and performance were higher in the Experimental than in the Control group. Because the Control group wasn’t offered coaching as part of the study, coaching might be the factor that positively impacted well-being and performance in participants that were a part of the Experimental group. Interestingly, experienced weekly changes were the same for both groups. However, the magnitude of these changes between the groups differed. The increase in self-acceptance in the Experimental group, compared to the decrease in the Control group, might be explained by the participation in group sessions where participants were exposed to various solutions and suggestions. The group coaching also provided an opportunity for managers to share their thoughts and experiences and work through them. In week three, both groups experienced a sharp decrease in well-being and performance levels. Given that it happened in both groups, it might be an implication that this phenomenon could be found in the larger population also. The participants shared that they’ve found the group sessions helpful as they were an opportunity to connect with others in a meaningful way, share their experiences, learn from each other, hear others’ suggestions, get support, and gain new perspectives. Although the sample size and the duration of the study might make it difficult to generalize the results, its findings are useful and promising. Actionable Steps The study provides valuable insights into how coaching could enhance a manager and team’s well-being and performance during unprecedented times. Because the study included managers from different organizations and different countries, it was shown that effective coaching might be used across various types of businesses to offer support and help, and positively impact employee well-being and performance. Managers who unexpectedly found themselves leading team members who were now working from home—all of them facing their own struggles—could benefit from coaching sessions, both group and individual. Group sessions might help them receive support and an opportunity to share their experiences, learn, get useful suggestions and solutions, and gain different perspectives from other group members. They could then use what they've learned to pass onto their team members. It is important to keep in mind that employee well-being impacts performance, satisfaction, and loyalty—all of which are essential for an organization to succeed. References Jarosz, J. (2021). The impact of coaching on well-being and performance of managers and their teams during pandemic. International Journal of Evidence Based Coaching and Mentoring, 19(1), 4-27. DOI: 10.24384/n5ht-2722 Copyright © 2021 by Arete Coach LLC. All rights reserved.

When interviewing potential employees, have you found yourself questioning the trustworthiness of their responses? Do they really have the experience they claim? Can they actually perform well under pressure? According to Weiss and Feldman from the University of Massachusetts, over 80% of individuals lie at least once while being interviewed for a new position—especially when it comes to technical skills. In this article, we take a deep dive into why people lie during interviews, what circumstances push candidates to lie, and how we can prevent uninformative and fabricated interviews. Why people lie On January 10, 2021, the Wall Street Journal published an article about why people lie in job interviews. The article was largely based on the findings from “The Influence of Competition on Motivation to Fake in Employment Interviews” from (Ho, Powell, Barclay, & Gill, 2019). In the article, researchers proposed that individuals are believed to lie during interviews for the sake of “Impression Management.” In other words, interviewees frame what they say in such a manner that helps them win an offer. At Arete Coach, we wondered if there was more insight for employers that could be obtained by mining the academic research and experience from industry practitioners. Impression management & reinforcement Impression management is the modification of behavior for the sake of reward. In the interviewing process specifically, the long-term reward is a potential job offer, whereas; the short-term reward is to appear well-equipped, likable, and employable. Because people want to be seen as successful, talented, and skilled, individuals will often change their behavior during interviews to achieve these goals and avoid the negative consequence of not receiving a job offer. According to the psychological principles of behaviorism, people learn behaviors for the sake of rewards called, “reinforcements.” Behaviorism also states that people learn best with immediate reinforcement or immediate negative consequences. “Being entirely truthful is not in the applicants’ best interests” because it is perceived to have negative consequences for their long-term goal of obtaining a job offer (Ho et al., 2019). This desire to lie and sugar-coat experiences is only reinforced by the potential increase in the likelihood of a job offer. Lying during interviews also has no immediate negative consequence. Since interviewers can rarely tell the difference between fact and fiction in a thirty-minute conversation, there are little-to-no immediate consequences for lying. However, in many cases of deception, there is an immediate reward such as verbal praise or even an offer. As mentioned earlier, principles of behavioral psychology indicate that the quicker the consequence, the better the learning. Therefore, since there are no immediate negative consequences for lies in interviews, it is likely that lying behaviors will continue amongst candidates unless methodology is changed. With little to no immediate negative consequences for lying in interviews and the push of impression management, it isn’t surprising that most candidates fabricate their responses. Personality differences As one could assume, personality is believed by some to play a distinct role in the number of lies told (Weiss & Feldman, 2006). In an article from Psychology Today, research has shown that individuals high in manipulative behaviors, low in self-esteem, conscientiousness, or openness tend to lie more (Hart, 2019). However, without the ability to accurately and empirically analyze personalities, we have to focus on how to monitor impression management and what behaviors we reinforce in our interview processes to avoid potential discrimination of specific personalities. Factors that influence an applicant’s willingness to lie If we can infer that people lie because of impression management and experienced reinforcement, can we identify potential conditions that encourage lying? Understanding what influences a candidate’s willingness to lie was the main objective of the research done by Ho et al. The Study They hypothesized that an applicant’s willingness to lie was dependent on two factors: the ratio of those hired versus applied and the total amount of applicants. Ho et al. conducted their research using undergraduate psychology and business students from a Canadian university. 1,294 students were given surveys about their willingness to cheat and feel competitive towards other applicants and 775 cases were approved for use after questionnaires that were incomplete or failed the attention check were removed. Students were given one randomly selected questionnaire from four different variations as follows: Few competitors and a low ratio of hired applicants Few competitors and a high ratio of hired applicants Many competitors and a low ratio of hired applicants Many competitors and a high ratio of hired applicants The results The results of their research supported the hypothesis that competition increased among a small number of applicants, specifically when there is a low ratio of hired applicants. This can be explained by a phenomenon called the “N-effect” (Garcia, Tor, & Schiff, 2013). This sociological phenomenon relates to the amount of competition an individual perceives. The more competition a candidate perceives, the less likely they are to engage in comparing themselves to their fellow applicants. This means that if an individual sees a small number of applicants, they are more likely to compare themselves to what they believe the other applicants’ credentials are and they may exaggerate their own skills when compared to a small pool of candidates. This can lead candidates to adopting the impression management concept, and lying to get ahead or win the position. However, once the individual perceives a large number of applicants, their desire for comparison dissipates. They have no desire to compare themselves to the other applicants because the possibility of being hired seems highly unlikely and not worth the effort of competing. Applicants essentially lose their sense of optimism and drive for competition in the face of a large number of competitors, especially when few applicants will be hired. Applicants want to win and land a job of their choice, but will still avoid unnecessary effort when the likelihood of a job offer decreases. How do we avoid candidate deception? With this research in mind, we have the opportunity to strategically look at how we conduct our interviews and current procedures. Are we creating an atmosphere of competition amongst a large or small population? How might our interviewers be encouraging lies? What are some situational clues that an individual is lying? Here we propose three potential methods of reducing deception in interviews. Increase the number of applicants According to research done by Ho et al., when individuals perceive a small number of applicants, they are more likely to lie to land the position. Because of this, we can conclude that it’s beneficial to the employer to either not disclose the number of applicants or accept more applications for positions overall. Avoiding the perception of a small competitive job applicant market is the best way for employers to avoid deception in interviews. Consider telling them that you have X number of applicants in the pool and you are pleased they have been up-selected to the next stage. Train interviewers in lie detection strategies As previously stated, interviewers can rarely tell when an applicant is lying during an interview. Because of this, it is important to learn potential cues that could indicate applicant deception. Adela Belin states in an article from Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials that there are 5 main signals interviewers need to be aware of when interviewing potential candidates (2019). These five main signals include fidgeting, lack of eye contact, changes in tone, inconsistent responses, and the inability to justify their resume (Belin, 2019). When a candidate is presenting these signs it is important to remember that they are not fail-proof assurances that deception is taking place. Candidates might be anxious or intimidated by the interviewing process, so it is important to always check the validity of their claims using explicitly qualitative data if you sense that they are lying. Ask probing past-based questions From ePraxis’ Executive Search practice, their recruiters recommend asking candidates past-based questions particularly in the early phases of candidate selection to weed out those who can actually do the work with the pretenders. Sometimes called behavioral questions, past-based questions are helpful to ferret out those who have learned the jargon of an industry, from those who have actually performed work in an industry. Examples of past based questions include: Please share from your past experience your greatest innovation in your role as X? How did you come up with the idea; were there others involved in creation of the idea? How did you implement your innovation? What was the monetary value of the innovation to your company? Importantly, were you ever able to do this again or was it a one-time innovation? Note, repeatable success is valued far higher than an accidental or luck-based one-time win. For example in sales, we might ask, what was your largest sale to date? And what was your next largest sale? Also from ePraxis another behavioral question example may include: Tell us about your most colossal failure in business? Tell us what it was, how did it occur, how did you resolve the issue, what did it cost? What did you learn from this failure? Has it ever happened again? Getting specific with questions in an interview can help one ferret out the truthfulness of the story, and whether they learn from failures. In ePraxis’ Executive Search practice, research has shown that 30% of executive candidates say they have never had a colossal failure: and in this, the candidates either deny failure of any kind (a sign of extreme hubris and self-blindedness), or they have failed to risk trying at all, like someone who says they’ve fallen while skiing and you find out they never left the bunny slope for fear of falling on the mountain. A lack of trying due to fear of failing, is still failing. What does it all mean? Lying happens during job interviews for reasons such as impression management, positive reinforcement, and personality differences. By understanding how applicants perceive the potential job market and experience the interviewing process, employers can manipulate interviews to decrease the likelihood of applicants lying. Applying these insights to practice With current research in mind, interviewers and employers are encouraged to monitor the competitive perception of their job application processes. They can do this by accepting more applications for jobs or keeping the number of applicants for the position private and unknown to applicants. This reduces the chances that applicants will lie during interviews for an increased competitive edge. Interviewers are also encouraged to train their lie detection skills. By noticing indicators of an applicant lying, interviewers can revisit and check the validity of the specific applicant’s claims. In order to create interviews that support honest answers from candidates, employers are encouraged to increase the number of job applications and disclose the number in the pool. From the research above, the more competition an individual perceives (and the larger the pool), the less likely it is they will engage in comparison between themselves and their fellow applicants. Employers are also encouraged to ask more past-based questions (as opposed to hypothetical questions about the future), and explore more deeply the past experience of a candidate. By combining these tactics, employers can increase honesty and prevent deception in interviews. References Belin, A. (2019) 5 Signs A Candidate is Lying During The Interview. Talent Acquisition Excellence Essentials, 2019 Feintzeig, R. (2021), “The lies we tell during the job interview,” Wall Street Journal, 1/10/2021. Garcia, S. M., Tor, A., & Schiff, T. M. (2013). The psychology of competition: A social comparison perspective. Perspectives on Psychological Science, 8, 634–650. https://doi.org/10.1177/ 1745691613504114 Hart, C. (2019) Some Lie a Lot. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-nature-deception/201910/some-lie-lot#:~:text=In%20one%20recent%20study%2C%2060,or%20two%20lies%20per%20day.&text=It%20seems%20that%20a%20relatively,of%20the%20lying%20and%20dishonesty. Ho, J. L., Powell, D. M., Barclay, P., & Gill, H. (2019). The influence of competition on motivation to fake in employment interviews. Journal of Personnel Psychology, 18(2), 95–105. https://doi.org/10.1027/1866-5888/a000222 Severin Sorensen, ePraxis, “Identifying and Capturing Difference Making Top Talent,” (2021) speaker presentation drawn from executive search practice of ePraxis LLC. https://www.epraxis.com/blog/2015/04/identifying-and-capturing-difference-making-top-talent; see also, https://www.epraxis.com/blog/2014/01/identifying-difference-making -top-talent-an-executive-recruiters-perspective. Material drawn from 3-hour training course. Weiss, B. & Feldman, R. (2006). Looking Good and Lying to Do It: Deception as an Impression Management Strategy in Job Interviews. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 36(4), 1070-1086. Copyright © 2021 by Arete Coach LLC. All rights reserved.

Episode #1006: Encouraging clients to take responsibility for their own life and act on their goals with Glenn Waring, an executive coach, master coach, and CEO of EffectiveOrganization.com. In this episode, Glenn discusses topics relevant to today's developing coaching industry as well as the necessity to take responsibility for one's own life and decisions. To learn more about avoiding procrastination and learning amidst advancing technology, continue reading and listen to Episode #1006 of the Arete Coach Podcast. About Glenn Waring Glenn Waring is an executive coach, master coach and moderator of Chair Voice and CEO of EffectiveOrganization.com. Glenn operates from Columbus, Ohio, and today works with national and international business leaders, large and small, helping them grow. He has been in the executive coaching field for over 27 years and has ample experience in both the business executive world as well as the coaching world. After spending time in the corporate world, Glenn was introduced into the idea of executive coaching. This was the beginning of his thriving career and the declaration of his purpose of which he states is to, “help other people find purpose.” Watch the Podcast Click here to listen to the podcast, or click below to view the podcast outline and transcript: Key highlights The Responsibility of Your Life Recognized Timestamp 00:59 Glenn met with a president, who spent a majority of his time writing checks. While this task is normally nominated to other employees this president stated that he really enjoyed doing this because it gave him “more control.” Glenn challenged this idea by asking the president what tasks he was avoiding. After a moment of contemplation, the president realized Glenn’s point stating, “It’s the responsibility for my life, right?” This is where Glenn seeks to take each of his coaching clients: to the point of realization and responsibility. It is at this point that Glenn encourages clients to reach their genuine goals and business aspirations. Glenn’s Coaching Career Timestamp 2:08 After experiencing the corporate world, Glenn was introduced to executive coaching by John Caple. Inspired by coworkers including Richard Liter, he took up Richard’s life purpose as his own: “to help other people find purpose.” At his peak coaching season, Glenn coached 37 clients. He remains in contact with some of these clients as they have become CEOs and have since made multi-million dollar deals. As Glenn reaches his “eighth decade,” he has taken time to slow down but remains active in the executive coaching field. He still maintains a group for executives and marketing, and in his free time is writing a play to bring some of what he calls “joy” into the world. A Life of Learning Timestamp 05:18 After completing his education in Claremont, Southern California and achieving an MBA at Cornell University Glenn, he began his time in the corporate world with organizations such as Ford Motor Company. After a few years of corporate life, he was introduced to executive coaching and joined a group called Tech. When asked about recent valuable learnings he stated the importance of asking questions to his clients. His main question in coaching is to ask the client, “what is it you want?” and taking the time to truly answer this wholeheartedly. Glenn believes that while questions are important, follow-up questions are as well. Asking a client about how they are doing on their goals is essential to the upward momentum of his clientele. The Price to be Paid Timestamp 10:46 Like the president who enjoys signing checks, Glenn indicates that many executives aren’t fulfilling their true desires and are simply putting them off for things that they may slightly enjoy or feel need to be done. Glenn confronts this behavior by stating “You’re going to have to give up the familiar. It’s not going to become easy in many cases, and it may take a long time.” Glenn quotes his wife by stating that “it’s never about what it’s about.” It’s never about signing the checks; it’s about avoiding your true goal. Glenn seeks to reveal to clients what that true goal or desire is, find out what is stopping them, and confront it head on. The Drive for Potential Timestamp 12:20 What gives Glenn his drive and energy is his love for potential. “I fall in love with the potential I see in something,” Glenn states. Like a spectator to a theater play, Glenn enjoys watching people realize and reach their full potential. Holding the Moment Timestamp 14:07 Glenn states that his best day ever as an executive coach began with a client who threw him an unexpected curve ball. After this curveball, both Glenn and his client were able to share what Glenn calls a “sacred space” of executive coaching. “Sometimes I think my role is to be quiet…silence is important for a group…” states Glenn. By letting “silence do the heavy lifting” as stated by Severin, Glenn has been able to invoke deeper more meaningful responses from his clients. By stating deeper issues and addressing them in the moment, even if it is addressed with silence, groups are nourished to deeper conversation and realization. Favorite Quotes Timestamp 20:36 A quote written by Glenn that states, “I know what procrastination is, procrastination is suicide by a thousand cuts.” He uses this and other quotes in his practice carefully, not simply giving clients straightforward answers, but leading clients to their own revelation. “Wasting time is like wasting life,” states Glenn as he addresses the idea of procrastination. One of Glenn’s beliefs is that pain is a massive motivator in an individual’s goal achievements. Glenn secondly states that one of his other favorite quotes is that “you live the myth, or the myth lives you.” He uses this quote in his personal life along with a quote from his uncle “strength through rest” to remind him to live meaningfully and achieve his full potential. A Coach’s Tool Bag Timestamp 26:30 Glenn uses the Authority Matrix with many of his clients, as it has a tendency to create a greater sense of responsibility for action between employees. He also uses Wilfred Bion’s book, My Experience in Groups as well as Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. When asked why Glenn uses Frankl’s book, he states that he wants his clients to know how important a statement of purpose is. Glenn uses several books and resources in his coaching to support a client’s business and personal ambitions. A Lesson Learned Timestamp 31:07 Glenn states that he learned an important lesson in managing competing clients. In his discussion with Severin, he explains that while he maintained proper disclosure, problems between the clients could have still been avoided. Severin responds agreeing that sometimes you can come up with a “fire-walling between clients and discussions, but it doesn’t solve the issues.” In dealing with these issues in the future, Glenn decided that he would not take on competing clients to avoid future issues of the same thread. Changing Times Timestamp 35:04 In the beginning of Glenn’s executive coaching career, there were few in the field. Today he has noticed a massive increase in these numbers as well as a decrease in the stigma surrounding the title. The advancements of current technology have also changed communication throughout his career. Online communication platforms have permitted Glenn to maintain contact with hundreds of fellow executive coaches and maintain large groups of clients on open platforms. In discussing these platforms Glenn states that they go into deeper issues, stay in touch, and learn from each other’s achievements and mistakes. Being a Change Maker Timestamp 39:42 While Glenn believes he is no different form anybody else, he holds memory of moments where coworkers and clients point out his fearlessness for confrontation. Glenn maintains that he is unafraid to approach situations head-on in his current as well as previous work. This feedback of realization and astonishment from clients and colleagues are what gives Glenn his energy. He enjoys his clients’ realizations and epiphanies and takes a sense of accomplishment from them. Regardless, Glenn feels as though his life will be remembered by both his clients, colleagues, and family closest to him. Closing Advice Timestamp 42:38 In closing, Glenn states that it is important for people to realize their own potential. He has a mirror he hands out to clients that says, “Object in mirror may be wiser than it appears.” Glenn lives this philosophy out by pursuing his desired goals and interest and encouraging others to do the same. While having big goals and dreams fully realized is important to Glenn, he maintains that it is important to “remain down to earth.” Copyright © 2021 by Arete Coach LLC. All rights reserved.

Episode #1007: Dive into executive coaching with Steve Ramerini, CEO of COMPELCEOs, an organization which seeks to help CEOs and executive leaders achieve their full potential through intuitive questions and meaningful connections. Continue reading for insight into using prosperity and charity as the foundation for building impactful coaching relationships. As a bonus, you'll learn how to increase engagement during virtual meetings and coaching sessions. About Steve Ramerini Steve Ramerini operates as the founder and chief visionary officer of COMPELCEOs out of Long Island, New York. His coaching techniques used in peer-to-peer advisory groups seeks to help business leaders and executives from all walks of life excel in both their prosperity and personal goals. Steve encourages clients to investigate the reasoning behind their actions and take an alternative approach to their goals and aspirations. Throughout his career as both a banker and executive coach, Steve has impacted the lives of his clients by supporting their desire to learn, disrupt their own habits, and be an effective disruptor in the workplace. Watch the podcast Click here to listen to the podcast, or click below to view the podcast outline and transcript: Key highlights Steve’s influence on the lives of his clients Timestamp 01:31 Steve is meeting with a client whose mother was also a former client of his. This client had taken over her mother’s business at the age of twenty-three and had been influenced by Steve’s coaching. This client is evidence of the immense amount of impact that Steve has had on her life. The client in this story tells Steve that she wants him to walk her down the aisle at her wedding. Steve’s impactful relationships with his clients are put on display in the deep friendships he has with clients, fellow executive coaches, and business leaders. How Steve began his journey to executive coaching Timestamp 2:33 After a bank Steve worked for became acquired, Steve decided to take a leap into executive coaching. He states that he got to executive coaching by “making mistakes,” because at the time of his decision, he believed that he should have joined another bank. This leap of excellence led to him finding his passion leading advisory groups. Upon Steve’s entry into executive coaching, he explains that initially, people were only interested into the financial aspect of his services. He used this to gradually introduce advising topics related to other areas such as business growth and ownership. COMPELCEOs Timestamp 05:02 COMPELCEOs, an advisory group founded by Steve, contains different groups and programs to address each clients’ individual needs and thought processes. He encourages people through these programs to understand how they process ideas and confront these habits in new ways. Within COMPELCEOs, Steve has developed multiple programs for both large and small business leaders, aiding numerous clients in their business ventures. Moving from consultation to coaching Timestamp 6:53 Steve began his journey to coaching by taking an accounting class in high school. Through this class, and his college level courses, he realized accounting was not what he wanted to do. Steve states that his experience as a business owner in college inspired him to learn more about the financial side of businesses. He began his career as a banker, experiencing the dynamics of many corporations, and “tried to learn every step of the way.” Steve takes his experience from banking, in which he learned the overall position of his clients financially, into coaching where he addresses the client as a whole using these same techniques. Steve’s first experiences with group coaching included bringing clients “up-to-speed” on their finances and financial strategies as he saw fit. When clients learned more about their financial stance, Steve was able to begin coaching them and helping them achieve their goals. An example Steve provides of the turning point from consultant to coach is his experience helping a nun whose facility was attempting to unionize. Steve was able to help her through that process and guide her in making the correct decisions for her organization. Learning through experience Timestamp 11:48 Steve’s most recent learnings come from experiences with the keynote speakers he works with at COMPELCEOS, as well as his experiences with fellow executive coaches. Steve states that he tries to “learn every day” so that he “can keep on improving” his skills. Steve discusses the importance of learning through today’s virtual meetings and adapting to current situations. Steve’s introduction to Tech Timestamp 14:39 Steve is introduced to Tech by a client from his banking career. During this meeting, he was introduced to the decision-making processes that many businessmen face and enjoyed hearing about their ambitions. He was inspired by the meeting and decided to join Tech as an associate. He used the skills he learned from these meetings in throughout his banking career which gradually led to his career in executive coaching. After the meeting, the bank Steve was associated with became acquired. It was at this point he decided to make the official move to coaching his own clients. Steve believed in his potential for success and chose to take an unlikely situation into a thriving coaching career. How Steve uses his career in banking to help clients Timestamp 19:01 While Steve used his career in banking as an introduction to executive coaching, Steve knew he had to stand out from the crowd and began asking his clients big questions such as, “Beyond banking, how can I help you?”. These questions allowed Steve to develop relationships with his clients and learn more about their needs as a business and individual. By retaining the information he learns from clients about their businesses and thought processes, he is able to meet each client where they are at and offer tailored coaching advise. Learning through failure Timestamp 20:36 Steve and Severin discuss the importance of failure in an individual’s journey to success. Steve believes that the more successful a person is, the more failures they have made on their journey. Severin points out that failure is necessary for development and requires this understanding of his clients. A passion for prosperity and charity Timestamp 21:45 When Severin asks what Steve’s “why” is, Steve states that he found his “why” through an intense self-introspection course. Steve believes that there is nothing in the world that cannot be overcome with more prosperity, success, abundance, and charity. He uses this belief as a motivating force in his coaching. Steve’s experience in group coaching is related to a “parish” where the target is to increase the prosperity of its clients and in turn produce more charity in hopes of creating a better world for others. Developing relationships with clients Timestamp 24:03 The relationships Steve makes with his clients affect them in both their business and personal lives. Steve talks about the time a client he began coaching after her mother passed on the family business to her. This client told him she wanted him to walk her down the aisle at her wedding. Steve also tells the story of an individual he coached through a process that resulted in a transaction. The joy that his client felt after receiving the transaction had a profound experience on Steve as he relates it to his “best day ever” as a coach. These thriving relationships that he develops with clients encourage Steve and help the client receive tailored and precise advice and coaching. Using questions to challenge routine Timestamp 25:34 Steve uses questions in his coaching sessions to get to the bottom of his clients’ needs and hang-ups. He often begins by asking his clients, “How can I help you?” Steve uses this question specifically to indicate that he cares about his clients’ businesses and well-being. This allows clients to open-up about their experience and in turn teaches Steve more about their business and goals. Steve also encourages clients to question their own thought process. Steve states that many clients attempt to approach situations in repeated mannerisms, and that it can be helpful for clients to learn how to look at situations in a new light. Steve’s favorite quotes Timestamp 29:22 Steve’s favorite quote from Andy Grove inspires him to keep pushing himself forward. He uses this quote as a reminder to be the best that he can be. Steve states that his involvement in his groups is reinforced by the belief that he can never be perfect, but he can in fact be excellent. This drive for excellence is also supported by additional quotes from George Will and a fellow client of his. These quotes inspire him to make difficult situations better and try to change his own habits for better outcomes. Engaging conversations and laughter through Zoom Timestamp 32:38 With the difficulty of Zoom and other virtual platforms, Steve and Severin discuss how they have been engaging their meetings in new ways to account for the differences that come with virtual meetings. Steve keeps his meetings going by allowing for more breaks and changes of topic to keep his employees and clients engaged in the conversation. Steve also allows room for laughter and jokes to increase the wellbeing of his audience. Severin tells the podcast audience of advice he received from a social worker for his article. He realized the importance of laughter and its increased need during the Covid-19 pandemic through this advice and has begun to implement it as needed in his meetings. An example of learning from failures Timestamp 37:29 Steve tells the podcast audience about how sometimes his desires for his clients go beyond their own desires for themselves. Steve addresses this conflict by encouraging clients to push themselves forward and seeking to understand why they are content with specific decisions. He now asks specific questions regarding these issues in his conversations with clients to get a better grasp of their ambitions and needs as a business. Because of this realization, Steve now is sure to make sure it is his clients’ goals that are being met, not his own goals for them. Advancing technology in the workplace Timestamp 38:26 Steve explains that the workplace for executive coaches has been changing because of the increased time constraints that his clients face. In response to this, Steve has an open-door policy where his clients can call him at any time, and he is always available through the use of modern technology. Being available and flexible have become major components in today’s coaching experience. With the use of technology, this need has become easier to meet when coaches are able to adapt in the necessary ways. Steve’s passion for impacting others Timestamp 40:44 A passion for impacting others in both his personal and business circles is what has made Steve a difference-maker and sustained him throughout his coaching career. Steve shares with the audience a story of the first time he met his daughter and how that impacted him professionally. From that moment on, Steve has made it a point to make a difference in the lives of those around him and the business structures he is a part of; not only his own fulfillment but for that of the next generation as well. Steve has a passion for watching his clients succeed and achieve based on the impact he has had on them. This passion is also how he measures his life. As a parent he seeks after the success of his children and as a coach he encourages his clients to achieve greater levels of prosperity. Confidently fearless Timestamp 45:05 For individuals seeking to join the executive coaching industry Steve recommends a confident and fearless attitude. He states that you must be a disruptor of the industry and disrupt your own personal perceptions and habits as well. Steve states that his greatest fear is not moving forward and retreating from the opportunity to make a difference in the lives around him. Steve is always striving to make an impact around him and take-action when others might be too afraid to do so. Closing comments and ending quotes Timestamp 47:32 Steve and Severin close the interview by revisiting the accomplishments of each other and their impact on each other’s lives. Severin closes the interview with two quotes: “Bad things happen. Life depends on how you deal with them,” – Larry Sidler, and “Live as if you’re going to die tomorrow. Learn as if you’re going to live forever,” -Gandhi. Bonus content: navigating virtual meetings Timestamp 50:24 Steve and Severin discuss virtual meetings and their challenges in the workplace. Steve mentions the types of breaks he has, as well as the roles he assigns his team to make the meetings flow and stay engaging. Severin adds to the discussion by sharing some of the roles that he requests for virtual meetings. Furthermore, they discuss their experience with The Owl, a virtual meeting platform. Steve adapted his meetings to better suit this platform and shares some additional insight on the decisions he has had to make regarding virtual meetings in his own business. Copyright © 2021 by Arete Coach LLC. All rights reserved.

Episode #1008: Conquer uncomfortable questions and confidently navigate the waters of virtual coaching with insights provided by Adam Harris, co-author of the Check-In Strategy Journal and CEO of Frank and Fearless Consulting. Continue reading for Adam's take on excavating goals and defeating fears to achieve personal and professional growth. About Adam Harris Adam Harris is an executive coach and co-author of the Check-In Strategy Journal, a daily tracker for business and personal development. Adam is one of the youngest appointed Vistage Chairs in the UK, and seeks to instill deeper conversations and push the boundaries of traditional coaching. The Check-In Strategy Journal, co-authored by Adam, supports his clients and others on their journey to achieving personal and business goals. These contributions to the executive coaching community make Adam Harris an indispensable member of the community with a wealth of ideas and knowledge on the continuation of growth and development. Watch the podcast Click here to listen to the podcast, or click below to view the podcast outline and transcript: Key highlights A lifetime of learning Timestamp 00:52 Adam Harris explains his lifelong passion of learning at the beginning of the episode. Adam is always striving to attend as many trainings possible and learn from those different than him. He states that “appreciation and understanding for learning changed quite dramatically” when he realized that he would learn more from those that are different from him. Beginning in his career as a teacher and moving to an IT trade association, Adam has continued to learn and develop his professional career. It was because of his skill development and capabilities that Adam was invited to lead a group by a Vistage chair. Remote coaching today Timestamp 4:34 In the process of moving his family to New Zealand, Adam transitioned his coaching clients to a virtual platform. Adam continues to coach many clients from his roots in the UK virtually and encourages them to develop their businesses toward their personal goals. When Adam first moved his business to a virtual platform, he received some skepticism, but Adam accounts for this by understanding the different methodologies of in-person and virtual coaching. He states that “you need to really hone in… understand the nuances… {and} focus in the particular areas” to be a successful online coach. From teaching to coaching Timestamp 10:19 Beginning his career as a teacher, then transferring to the IT world, Adam had continually developed his knowledge and skills. Through his IT career, he experienced working within the UK government and being surrounded by bright minds full of ideas. Adam says that he thrives “in situations where [he’s] the least-smartest person in the room” and he uses these moments as an opportunity to listen and gain ideas from those around him. Adam continued his career into a lecturer position within a University. It was at the University where he was given the opportunity to ask students what their next steps were in their lives and informally coach them through lectures. Being yourself Timestamp 13:14 Through his many years of experience, Adam has learned that it is essential to be yourself. In his early career, Adam explains that he wasn’t in the stage of understanding what he had to bring to the table. Through experience and learning, Adam came to realize that “I am who I am and actually, there’s no point in trying to be somebody else…” and this has driven him to develop new and unique ideas in his coaching practice that develop his clients in new and exciting ways. “I am who I am and actually, there’s no point in trying to be somebody else…” Living for the lightbulb moments Timestamp 15:25 When Adam is asked what his “why” is, he states that it all comes back to the lightbulb moments he has with clients. He enjoys, personally and professionally, seeing his clients excel in new ways and achieve their goals. Adam also states that clients can only go at the pace they wish to go. Adam is most motivated when his clients pick their own pace, use the tools and environment provided, and accomplish their goals after asking the tough questions and working through difficult issues. Disrupting to develop Timestamp 17:40 Adam’s best day ever as a coach was when he disrupted a meeting to address unspoken issues, for the sake of the business. He states that he received some disapproval, but by the end of the meeting, the organization had realized the intense need to address unsolved issues. By addressing the elephant in the room, Adam was able to develop the company on a deeper level and prevent seemingly small issues from growing into monumental problems. One of the phrases Adam uses is: “If it feels uncomfortable, then I’m exactly in the right place.” “If it feels uncomfortable, then I’m exactly in the right place.” Adam believes that this lack of comfort is completely acceptable and beneficial to the clients and organizations involved. In his own practice, he informs clients that he will ask uncomfortable questions, then dive deeper to understand why they are uncomfortable in order to address the potential fears and failures of his client. He uses this creatively in his coaching as part of his personal technique. Adam likes to use questions such as “on a scale from one to ten…” to further understand what his clients are facing, thinking, and feeling. He believes that by understanding their perspective, he is able to better offer them alternative perspectives which develop and grow a business exponentially. The Check-In Strategy Timestamp 27:06 Adam Harris’ book, The Check-In Strategy Journal, encourages business leaders to pause and reflect on their goals and steps to achieve said goals between coaching sessions. The Check-In Strategy Journal was developed as Adam perceived a lack of personal-development journals that incorporated business perspectives in the marketplace. With his co-author, he published this journal to address that need and confront the lack of goal accomplishment that can be seen in-between coaching sessions. People use this journal corporately and personally. In corporations such as Google and the YMCA, the journal has been implemented and has changed the conversation between managers and employees. Impacted participants are now using the questions addressed in this journal in their own work lives to help them dive deeper and succeed with their coworkers. Learning through leaving Timestamp 34:04 When asked about how Adam has learned from previous failures, Adam tells the story of how he left a business where values were misaligned between him and his partner. Although he made the right decision, he realized that he needed to ask the opinions of those close to him in order to make effective business choices. This is one of the many reasons Adam takes part in an executive coaching group that acts as a source of honest feedback and support. Through this experience, Adam has learned to ask for thoughts, feelings, and opinions of those around him. A changing industry Timestamp 39:37 Adam states that the coaching industry is actively changing, especially by the influence of the younger generations. He explains that their use of online services such as Xbox and LinkedIn promote a new type of executive coaching group. Time has also become very limited for new entrepreneurs as the economy has developed into a more on-demand and technologically advanced economy. In Adam’s experience he has learned that bite-sized coaching sessions are well accepted by many individuals, but each client needs to have their sessions catered to their time and location needs. Addressing remote challenges Timestamp 44:18 Though remote coaching is often challenged by some individuals, Adam states that it has the potential to be just as viable of a resource as in-person coaching. This is because Adam takes the time to understand the “rule of engagement” or the requirements that must be met on each platform. Adam uses his instinct to ask real and impactful questions both online and in-person, and conforms the format of his sessions with regard to the platform used. According to Adam, routine is not something to be embraced by an accomplished coach. He supports the use of alternative ideas such as walking and talking virtually or talking without the camera on depending on what works best for the client at the moment. Achievement on your own terms and closing advice Timestamp 48:24 Throughout his speaking career, Adam has noticed that some professionals speak because they enjoy the applause at the end of a job well done. For Adam this is not the case. He states that he doesn’t need the instant gratification and seeks the “get the verification yourself” knowing that you did a good job on your own terms of success. While Adam believes in self verification he also states that it is important for new executive coaches to get their own personal coach. He believes that this will inspire new ideas and bring in different perspectives that would be helpful in their own practice. He also believes that new coaches should be in an executive coaching group for a source on unfiltered feedback and perspective. Copyright © 2021 by Arete Coach LLC. All rights reserved.

First gradually, then suddenly, Zoom became the most frequently used solution by coaches everywhere. By early 2018 there were a number of coaches starting to use Zoom and by 2019, Zoom was achieving widespread adoption for coaching in one-to-ones, peer groups, and training webinars for large networks of coaches. Even with the high adoption rate, many still long for in-person communication and connectivity which may not be fully met with virtual meetings. How can we, as coaches, overcome this? Continue reading for advice on how to achieve higher rates of impactfulness, and a heightened sense of community, during online sessions. The history & impact of Zoom Video conferencing has been around in various forms for a number of years, indeed decades. Until recently, it’s been difficult for pioneers to make enough market share to hold their place as #1 in the industry. Early entrants of broadband-based video communications were 8x8, Skype, PictureTel, LifeSize, Facebook Chat, Apple FaceTime, GoToMeeting, Webex, GoogleHangouts, etc. Like other markets where there is massive potential demand, the video conferencing industry has been a minefield of risk for past companies and their technology adopters, as they are frequently leapfrogged by new entrants who take advantage of faster computer processing, thinner video compression codecs, and faster bandwidth. Truly it’s been an Innovator's Dilemma that when researched would honor again the seminal work of the late Clayton Christensen. In 2011, Eric Yuan, a former Cisco Webex VP founded a company called Zoom. And for two years, he and a team of 40+ engineers worked away building a better online video experience—focusing on ease of use, simplicity, and device agnostic operating conditions. Their early software was available in 2013. The company grew out of the gate exponentially, and they became a Unicorn company with a $1 Billion valuation in 2017; and reached profitably in 2019. Truly in their solution, they had created something faster, better, and cheaper, and users rewarded them by joining up in great numbers. From a coaching community perspective, first gradually then suddenly Zoom became the most frequently used solution by coaches everywhere. By the end of 2017 and early 2018 there were a number of coaches starting to use Zoom to replace telecoaching or to replace whatever they were formerly using for their video conferencing solution. By 2019 Zoom was achieving widespread adoption in the coaching community for coaching in one-to-ones, peer groups, and training webinars for large networks of coaches using Zoom or its equivalents for mass video sharing gatherings such as CoachesRising.com, WBECS.com, and others. When the Covid19 pandemic crisis arrived, Zoom was already in the market with a ready solution, and it was inexpensive, simple, and worked on all devices. Their utilization skyrocketed. In December 2019, the platform had 10 million daily session users; then Covid happened. By April 2020, they had 300 million session users. It was a tsunami of surge demand. Yes, they had challenges of growth with early issues of security vulnerabilities in April 2020. And as a profile of leadership, the CEO did not ignore but rather jumped on this security issue, organizing an internal all-hands-on-deck war-room, leading a 3-month security improvement campaign, and they put together security programs that matched or exceeded their rivals, including most notably their newest competitor MS Teams. Their April 2020 security vulnerability shortfall created a gap for Microsoft and its marketers to shoot into, and they exploited this gap with their advertising and have been improving the MS Teams experience monthly. Since the early vulnerability was identified, some companies have mandated that Teams must be used for security purposes (and the battle of Teams vs Zoom continues for market share), however most individuals, trainers, speakers, and coaches would agree that Zoom remains the simplest, easiest, and feature rich go-to-app (for the time being). Importantly, with the Work From Home (WFH) mandate, Zoom became an outlet for many, and the word Zoom has become a ‘noun’ for video conferencing like Kleenex is for tissue. So now, a year after the Covid19 crisis reached global pandemic, we as a population have settled into Zoom meetups, huddles, chat rooms, classrooms, conferences, dinners, happy hours, training rooms, workout rooms, church services, and weddings; you name it, it’s probably happening somewhere on Zoom. And all this Zooming has come at a cost. Some wonder whether Zoom-bies are actually becoming Zoom Zombies, as the fatigue is growing. With the many hours now spent on Zoom (or other video conferencing apps) many individuals report what is called Zoom fatigue. Stanford University researchers report four areas of potential Zoom fatigue: Excessive amounts of close-up eye contact is highly intense. Seeing yourself during video chats constantly in real-time is fatiguing. Video chats dramatically reduce our usual mobility. The cognitive load is much higher in video chats. What are ways we can reduce stress & increase value during Zoom meetings? Shorter meetings, energizers, boosters, breakout rooms, and times with video on, video off, mics on, and mics off. Managing the Zoom meeting is also important, just as it is important to manage the room in a physical location meeting. According to research from Owl Labs conducted in 2020, people used virtual meetings 50% more than before Covid19. With this dramatic increase in video conferencing, there have also been increased concerns and complaints about the change. Owl Labs also stated in their research that only 30% of individuals enjoyed video conferencing more than in-person conferencing. The other 70% of individuals are likely referring to some of the most common complaints such as difficulties with “meeting set-up,” “staying focused,” and “background distractions” (Owl Labs, 2020). Because Zoom meetings and other virtual platforms have given businesses the opportunity to maintain productivity, it is important to use them to their full potential. By adjusting the way Zoom meetings are developed and created, organizations have the opportunity to make virtual meetings more engaging, memorable, and impactful to their organization. Creating engaging Zoom meetings helps organizations increase the well-being of their employees by offering a positive, entertaining, and productive outlet for socialization in the midst of social-distancing procedures. The benefits and potential of Zoom While obvious benefits include the ability to engage in instantaneous conversation amongst employees while remaining socially distanced, there are other benefits to having Zoom meetings. According to research done by Luo, Zhang, and Qi, in an academic environment, e-learning increased students’ sense of community despite meeting only virtually (2017). This finding is significant because it indicates that online interactions such as Zoom have the potential to form a sense of community within an organization. Luo et al. also states that this feeling of community is essential for the human psyche because of “Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory” (2017). This theory states that basic needs such as security, belonging, and health must be met before a person can reach their full potential. Zoom meetings and other virtual meetings have the opportunity to meet the communal needs of individuals in a socially-distanced world. While most businesses are closing or transitioning to online platforms, virtual meetings are able to maintain a sense of connectivity and community within an organization. Zoom also holds benefit to organizations that need to have regular meetings for general maintenance. Since face-to-face meetings are limited, Zoom has become an essential asset for many of these corporations. By enabling these companies to house their meetings virtually, the company is able to thrive in the currently unstable global economy and maintain levels of productivity. Zoom also removes the need to reserve board rooms and pay for potential overhead to hold meetings. Even though Zoom does offer membership fees with particular usage, this cost is minimal compared to potential rental prices. Aside from community and financial benefits, Zoom can also increase the well-being of employees. By reducing the time employees spend driving to the meeting location and waiting for the other members of the meeting to arrive, the amount of time employees have to spend with families, on other important work, or on their own wellbeing, increases. According to Owl Labs, 79% of people work remotely to avoid their commute (2020). Surveys done by Owl Labs also indicate that the increased flexibility that remote meetings offer gives 91% of employees more opportunities to better balance their work-life and personal-life. Where Zoom meetings lack If Zoom meetings are so influential, why are we all itching to get back to the workplace? There are several reasons that our desire for in-person communication and connectivity might not be fully met by virtual meetings. Some complaints regarding Zoom and other virtual meeting platforms indicate that some issues involve difficulties staying focused as a group, individuals talking over each other unintentionally, and failures in the structure of the meeting (Owl Labs, 2020). Because of these difficulties, only 30% of individuals state that they like online conferences more than in-person (Owl Labs, 2020). When taking a deeper look into the issues stated above, it is easy to dismiss virtual meetings as a viable option for connectivity and progress. However, the most common issues organizations have with Zoom meetings and the like, are not technological issues but planning and leadership issues. If virtual meetings can be created with these hurdles in mind, can we increase the effectiveness of our meetings and avoid these issues? Making Zoom meetings great According to an article from Zoom, it is important to plan for your events and conferences ahead of time (2020). Just like in-person conferences, it is important to have an end goal in mind as well as a road-map of how to get there. Zoom encourages its users to be “creative and thoughtful in bringing some of the elements of a live event to your online event” (2020). But how is this achieved? How can we reach through the screens, grab our audience’s attention and engage in effective conversation? Zoom recommends that organizations “simplify the agenda” and keep conversations between a window of 30-40 minutes to support the continual engagement of the audience (2020). They also recommend assigning positions as needed such as a “panelist” or “producer” to aid in technical issues, group discussion, group chats, and/or agenda monitoring (Zoom, 2020). Successful Zoom meetings require planning, teamwork, and active facilitation. An article from Forbes Magazine offers a few tips on housing great Zoom meetings. The first of these is embracing that first-impression. William Arruda states that, “You need to dazzle your audience from the very first second of your presentation. Make your start surprising and your viewers will sit up from their slouch and take note.” (Arruda, 2020). Arruda also points out that when in virtual meetings, you have to, “double the empathy and exaggerate your expressions” to increase the sense of humanity and connectivity (2020). It is important for your audience to feel like they are talking to a real person, not an impersonal screen. With this advice in mind, we are introduced to a more purposeful and thoughtful way of conducting online meetings. By being creative and expressing genuine emotion we can increase the impact of our online meetings and account for the inherent potholes that come with a lack of planning. Georgia Benham from Scarlet Entertainment offers a few creative ideas for Zoom meetings. These ideas include mailed gifts, special guests, a time for jokes, and using visual images instead of lengthy paragraphs (Benham, 2020). This idea is emphasized in episode 1008 of the Arete Coach Podcast (click here to listen) when Adam Harris offered some insight into creative Zoom meetings. Adam recommended Zoom meetings that are taken during walks outside. He stated that it was important to get the body moving and encouraged the audience to take part in other creative ways of engaging with their employees and audience. He also encouraged catering meetings to the audience and individual. He does this in his practice by intentionally deciding to keep the cameras off at times to further verbal discussion. What does it all mean? Despite common complaints surrounding Zoom and other virtual meetings, when organizations take the time to plan their sessions with engaging content, structured agendas, and the necessary roles, virtual meetings have the potential to create greater well-being for employees, higher rates of impactfulness, and a heightened sense of community. Organizational leaders are encouraged to get creative, use attention-grabbing introductions, express their emotions to their audience, and take time for planned community development through group discussions and social or comedic discussions and activities. Some ways to do this include using graphics instead of lengthy paragraphs, inviting guest speakers, and hosting group activities that are enjoyable with elements of in-person conferences included. By doing these things, the engagement and enjoyment of Zoom meetings, and virtual meetings through other online platforms, can be maximized to its fullest potential. References Arruda, W. (2020, October 19). 5 Ways To Make Zoom Presentations Engaging And Irresistible. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamarruda/2020/10/19/5-ways-to-make-zoom-presentations-engaging-and-irresistible/?sh=6435a99a63aa. Benham, G. (2021, April 22). 10 Ideas for Creating The Ultimate Zoom Meeting. Scarlett Entertainment. https://scarlettentertainment.com/virtual-global/10-ultimate-zoom-meeting-ideas. Luo, N., Zhang, M., & Qi, D. (2017). Effects of different interactions on students' sense of community in e-learning environment. Computers & Education, 115, 153–160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2017.08.006 Ramachandran, V, “Stanford researchers identify four causes for ‘Zoom fatigue’ and their simple fixes,” Stanford News, https://news.stanford.edu/2021/02/23/ four-causes-zoom-fatigue-solutions/ State of remote Work 2020. (2020). https://resources.owllabs.com/state-of-remote-work/2020. Zoom. (2020). Running Engaging Online Events. https://zoom.us/docs/en-us/pve.html. Copyright © 2021 by Arete Coach LLC. All rights reserved.

Episode #1009: Explore the phenomenal story and journey that led Larry Cassidy to executive coaching after a career in the Marine Corps and corporate America. Tune into the discussion to learn how Larry, an award-winning Vistage chair, encourages clients to achieve their full potential through asking forward-thinking questions and emphasizing the importance of perseverance. About Larry Cassidy Larry Cassidy, a retired U.S Marine Corp Captain and Lieutenant, Fortune 500 leader, and master executive coach has an immense amount of wisdom and knowledge from his successful careers. Larry’s journey to coaching came from his roots in the military, as well as his experience in corporate America. He has received multiple awards including: the Star Award, Chair Excellence Award, Master chair Award, Regional Chair Award, Robert Knauss Chair of the Year Award, and the Don Cope Award which is the highest honor that Vistage has. Larry has also been named in the top 50 individuals who made a difference in the first 50 years of Vistage. With his ample experience and awards, Larry has positively impacted the lives of many and continues to do so through his executive coaching. Larry firmly believes that in life, two things are essential: lifelong learning and facing life’s challenges. By asking for permission and diving deeper with his clients, he is able to encourage them to reach their full potential, accomplish their goals, and grow as an executive leader and individual. Watch the podcast Click here to listen to the podcast, or click below to view the podcast outline and transcript: Key highlights Larry’s introduction to executive coaching Timestamp 02:57 After a successful career in the Marine Corps, Larry entered corporate America as the CEO of a major company in Los Angeles. Larry then entered an organization called Tech. A fellow member, John Galardi of Wienerschnitzel, recommended that he lead as Tech Chair. At first, Larry stated that it wasn’t for him, but by ’87 he became a Tech Chair. Coaching for the mission Timestamp 04:26 Larry’s experience in the Marine Corps taught him to complete his duty, regardless of his stance towards it. One of Larry’s colonels once told him, “Lieutenant, it’s the mission, the mission, the mission. You complete the mission.” This gave Larry a great amount of endurance as he entered his career in executive coaching. As Larry reflects on his experience in the Marines and field of executive coaching, he states that they are similar “in that they’re both roles where you’re serving.” Larry sees his work as an act of service to his clients. From commanding to coaching Timestamp 07:41 When asked what he had to “unlearn” from his experience in the Marines, Larry responds with his realization of the difference between commanding and coaching. Larry explains that in the Marines you tell your officers to execute a goal and they do it, but in the coaching field you need to encourage your clients to reach their goals and reach their full potential for themselves. Moving from Marine to coach Timestamp 09:28 After his time in the Marine Corps, Larry pursued his education through graduate school at Northwestern. After his education, he then moved on to corporate America. It was then that he was introduced to being a Tech Chair by a fellow member of Tech. His experience being a facilitator for Tech introduced him to one-to-one meetings, which he developed a passion for. This passion led him being the executive coach his is today. Asking deeper questions Timestamp 16:28 Larry states that he recently learned a lesson he wished he learned earlier. “Ask even more questions and shut up.” He uses this learning in his practice by asking clients big questions and giving them space to dream. Larry asks forward-thinking and future-focused questions to his clients, supporting them to chase their own dreams and potential. Larry quotes Stephen Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People when he states that it is important for his clients to “begin with the end in mind.” To reinforce this idea, he asks clients questions that define the gap between where they are now and where they want to be. This gives Larry an opportunity to encourage clients to chase these goals and confront the roadblocks ahead. What you say matters Timestamp 20:58 When reflecting on world-changing questions he has asked his clients, Larry states that every word said matters. He shares the experience of how he has been approached by multiple individuals who have heard him speak or joined his sessions who all state different things he said that changed their lives. Larry states that he often doesn’t remember what he said when those he impacted remind him. Because of this Larry believes that: “Everything you say matters. It’s going to affect somebody in some way…” Becoming the best version of yourself Timestamp 22:26 Larry states that after being introduced to the idea of “becoming the best possible version” of yourself, he embraced the idea and continues to encourage clients to embrace it as well. In his coaching career, he reminds clients that they have to work to be the best version of themselves and that it takes hard work. Larry pursues this idea in his personal life as well as his career through always striving to have a positive impact on those around him. Finding the courage Timestamp 24:46 When asked about life changing experiences and his best day ever as a coach, Larry shares his desire to see clients find the courage to make difficult decisions. In an example of this, Larry shares a story of a client that grew into the ability to make difficult decisions and become a better version of himself. Larry uses three questions to support this pursuit of courage: Who are you? What do you want? What price are you willing to pay? These questions push his clients to acknowledge their internal goals and potential roadblocks. Learning through experience Timestamp 33:27 In Larry’s experience of being an executive coach and CEO, he advises those interested in becoming an executive coach to experience the corporate world. In his experience, his knowledge of the responsibilities that come with being a CEO have allowed him to further relate to his clients in their goals by meeting them where they are. From commanding To coaching Timestamp 33:27 Larry shares a story of how he learned that a coach's role is to encourage clients to reach their own goals, not his own perception of what their goals should be. In discussing this, he quotes the Marine Corps 7th Leading Principle: “Employ your unit in accordance with its limitations and capabilities.” Larry uses this realization in his daily practice by encouraging clients to realize their own goals and potential. Using this new information, he then aids their development in confronting fears and difficult questions. In response to this, Severin shares his story of encouraging versus commanding in fatherhood. When he realized his children would rather play soccer, he redirected his goals to accomplish theirs better. The importance of peer support Timestamp 38:32 In his creation of an executive coaching discussion group called the “Romper Room,” Larry sought to increase communication and connection between coaches during the Covid pandemic. This group of individuals inspire and motivate each other through discussion on current global and corporate issues. Larry has had a great response to this group and individuals keep coming back which, according to Larry, is the greatest reward to him. Learning through Life Timestamp 42:39 The clients that Larry works best with are those that seek to learn throughout their lives. Larry lives his life with the perspective that his goal is to make his clients a better version of themselves. He believes that the desire to continue learning is key to the accomplishment of this goal and is essential for any client that he has. Throughout his coaching career, Larry has continued learning. Specifically, Larry states that he has furthered his understanding of himself. This has helped his coaching sessions immensely as it encourages him to push himself toward greater accomplishments daily. Fighting the good fight Timestamp 45:33 As Larry measures his life by the positive impact he has had on people, he encourages the audience to never give up. He explains this concept by sharing the story of how he beat a hard battle with cancer through endurance and perseverance. He relates this experience to his career and how he has never given up; he has only strengthened his knowledge, experience, and abilities. “Who you really are is written in the times things don’t work out…” Copyright © 2021 by Arete Coach LLC. All rights reserved.

“For good ideas and true innovation, you need human interaction, conflict, argument and debate.” - Margaret Heffernan. Conflict is an inevitable consequence of human interaction and innovation. It happens everywhere no matter the occasion or relationship between parties. The same is for every group or corporation: in due time, conflict eventually arises. What are the potential causes of conflict, and how has the virtual workplace inhibited or hindered conflict? Why is conflict resolution important and what are practical ways we can use conflict resolution virtually and in-person? Continue reading for insight into these questions. Causes of conflict According to the Northern Ireland Business’ article titled, “Managing Conflict,” there are several causes of workplace conflict. These include: “poor management, unfair treatment, unclear job roles, inadequate training, poor communication, poor work environment, lack of equal opportunities, bullying and harassment, and significant changes to products, charts appraisals or pay systems” (NIBuisnessInfo). They also state that “personality clashes, unrealistic needs or expectations, business values, unresolved workplace issues, and the increase in workload” can contribute to conflict development as well (NIBuisinessInfo). With these sources of conflict in mind, we can see that there is a common theme: miscommunication. For example, the “inadequate training” stated above begins with the failure to communicate the training needs to the coordinator or trainer. Furthermore, the example of “bullying and harassment” can be understood by an explanation of the failure to communicate company policies or social standards of the culture where the interaction took place. If miscommunication can be seen as the root cause of conflict, how has miscommunication been affected by the increase of the virtual workplace? According to research from Quantum Workplace and Fierce Conversations, almost half of the surveyed individuals thought virtual or “technology-assisted communication” made miscommunication more likely to happen than in-person conversations. It can be inferred from this statistic that individuals in today’s virtual workplace have the potential to experience more miscommunication than in previous conditions. This increase in miscommunication can potentially increase the amount of conflict in an organization. But why do most people believe that miscommunication is more likely to happen in virtual settings? There are two potential reasons. Firstly, nonverbal communication is critically limited in most virtual communication platforms. Research done by Montoya-Weiss, Massey, and Song states that “nonverbal cues help regulate the flow of conversation, facility turn-taking, provide immediate feedback, and convey subtle meanings” (2001). The tone, or way an email, text, or instant message is read, is ultimately up to the reader. Recipients of virtual communications can either view messages in a positive or negative light depending on their own current mood, or the perceived mood of the sender since there are none of the normal nonverbal cues used during in-person communication (Montoya-Weiss et al., 2001). This can cause misunderstandings between coworkers communications and conflict to arise. Depending on the tone in which an email was read, a message that was meant to formally address minor issues in a project can be read as criticism or judgementalism. The absence of these nonverbal cues can severely impact the overall message received and/or sent between coworkers. Secondly, Quantum Workplace and Fierce Conversations also found in their research that individuals fail to take responsibility for misunderstandings more so virtually than in-person (2017). The reasoning can be deduced down the anonymity that virtual communications provide. Without immediate consequences or understanding of miscommunications, individuals lose the sense of responsibility for their actions. This delay of reactions impacts the perpetrator’s realization that they both made a mistake and need to account for it. The combination of the lack of nonverbal cues as well as the failure to take responsibility for miscommunication presents an environment ripe for conflict. Why stop conflict? The question may seem trivial, but it’s worth asking. If Margaret Heffernan is right and conflict is necessary for innovation, then why stop it? Because conflict that is not resolved has the potential to create disunion in an organization, which ought to be unified for a goal or task. The Society of Human Resource Management states that conflict can result in, “work disruptions, decreased productivity, project failure, absenteeism, turnover and… stress.” While Margaret Heffernan may be right about the inevitability of conflict, it is important to note that conflict unresolved, left to fester and grow within an organization, can cause a sense of disfunction between employed groups. In the wise words of Aristotle: “The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” - Aristotle The organization itself is greater than any subgroup (marketing, management, etc.) within the organization. Therefore in order to maximize profit, effectiveness, and impact, it is essential that all subgroups work together towards a communal goal, overcoming and confronting conflict along the way. How to avoid conflict in the virtual workplace 1. Use collaborative communication In the research done by Montoya-Weiss et al., one hundred seventy-five graduate students within the United States and Japan were split into five teams. These teams were randomized into two groups that were each given the same objective to complete: teams without a virtual communal discussion platform and teams with a communal discussion board. Their research addressed five different types of conflict responses supported by previous research within the groups: “accommodation, competition, collaboration, and compromise” as well as “avoidance” (Montoya-Weiss et al., 2001). By introducing “Temporal coordination” software, which they define as a “structure imposed to intervene and direct the pattern timing and content of communication,” they believed that negative conflict responses such as “competitions” would decrease within groups (Montoya-Weiss et al., 2001). For the purpose of this article, we will refer to “temporal coordination” as communal communication which better describes the discussed platforms usage in the virtual workplace. The presence of conflict responses was measured by the analysis of a questionnaire given to all participants after the experiment. Their findings suggest that the use of avoidance conflict management, which decreased the groups’ performance, was significantly lessened by communal communication boards. Because of these findings, we can deduce that communal conversation boards such as Google Docs, can significantly reduce the amount of conflict and misunderstandings in the workplace by providing a way for employees to communicate freely. 2. Confront conflict and misunderstandings purposefully Author and CEO of Fierce, inc Susan Scott, claims that it is recommended that conflicts are resolved through planned conversation (2017). While most corporations are virtually located, these guidelines can still be followed with the use of virtual meeting rooms or video calls. These plans include a safe and confidential location as well as a specifically scheduled time (Scott, 2017). To place purpose in the conversation is to increase the value and importance of the confrontation that has to take place. Furthermore, it is recommended that you continue the time uninterrupted, with open-ended questions, and the declaration of commitments (Scott, 2017). If business leaders go into confrontations and conversations without purpose or a plan, it is more likely for the issues at hand to be seen as last-minute and unimportant. If a leader doesn’t invest in the importance of the situation at hand, the employee is less likely to as well. Some guidelines are also given for the conversation itself. Susan Scott recommends a conversational guide to conflict resolution (see image) which involves both parties of the conflict (2017). This mode of communication allows both perspectives of the conflict to be heard and respected. 3. Embrace clarity In order for employees to meet requested goals and deadlines, they must first know and understand the objective to be reached. In today’s modern economy time truly is money. Decisions and requests are often sent via instant messaging apps or emails. If these messages are not worded with clarity in mind, the overall goal of the message might be lost or misinterpreted causing a potential domino effect of unmet goals that leads to frustration or conflict amongst employees within an organization. By taking the time to embrace clarity and ensure that emails, messages, and memos are worded with precise measurable outcomes, misinterpretation and miscommunication can be greatly decreased in a corporation, thus leading to less overall conflict. To aid in this, tools such as Active Listening can be used. In this form of listening, the recipient of the message is encouraged to communicate back to the sender what they believe their message was. This gives the sender the opportunity to correct misunderstandings as they happen (What is Active Listening, 2017). What does it all mean? While conflict is an essential aspect of innovation, it also can be harmful to an organization if not addressed properly. The overarching cause of conflict can be summarized as miscommunication, which most post people believe is more likely to happen in the virtual workplace. To avoid miscommunication and confront present or developing conflicts, it is recommended that business leaders give their virtual employees a mode of collaborative communication. This allows employees to communicate with one another in a group-monitored board allowing employees to revisit and clarify communications as needed. Business leaders are also recommended to confront conflict head-on using conversational confrontations. By directly discussing conflict, employers can avoid the potential negative effects such as decreased rate of productivity and a stressful work environment, while allowing both sides of the conflict to share their perspectives. Lastly, employers are encouraged to embrace clarity. By taking the time to ensure that emails, messages, and memos are clearly worded and that employees understand what their expected goals are, miscommunication can be avoided thus reducing the amount of conflict in the workplace. References NIBuinessInfo, Managing conflict. Causes of conflict in the workplace. https://www.nibusinessinfo.co.uk/content/causes-conflict-workplace#:~:text=Major%20causes%20of%20workplace%20conflict&text=Unrealistic%20needs%20and%20expectations%20%2D%20conflict,to%20carry%20out%20childcare%20responsibilities. Quantum Workplace, & Fierce Conversations, The State of Miscommunication. (2017) Scott, S. (2017). Fierce conversations: achieving success at work & in life, one conversation at a time. Piatkus. Society of Human Resource Management, Managing Workplace Conflict, https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/tools-and-samples/toolkits/pages/managingworkplaceconflict.aspx#:~:text=The%20negative%20effects%20of%20workplace,an%20effect%20of%20workplace%20conflict. What is Active Listening? United States Institute of Peace. (2017, April 17). https://www.usip.org/public-education/educators/what-active-listening. Copyright © 2021 by Arete Coach LLC. All rights reserved.

Episode #1010: Explore the impact of executive presence, the importance of authenticity when speaking, and how retreats build vital relationships with clients in our conversation with Mikki Williams, a business owner, executive coach, master chair with Vistage International, recipient of Vistage's Lifetime Achievement Award and Speaker of the Year Award, a National Speakers Association speakers Hall of Fame recipient, and a TEDx speaker. About Mikki Williams Mikki Williams is a business owner, executive coach, master chair with Vistage International, recipient of Vistage's Lifetime Achievement Award and Speaker of the Year Award, a National Speakers Association Speakers Hall of Fame recipient, a TEDx speaker, and the operator of her coaching and speaking school. Mikki Williams is an accomplished speaker and teacher that embraces the power of executive presence. She encourages her clients to learn to speak well and embrace good storytelling. In her speaking school, she charges executives to be vulnerable when speaking to large groups, while staying genuine to themselves. Mikki’s largest driver is to leave behind a legacy. She seeks to impact the lives of her clients and community by teaching them to speak well, work through their fears and issues, and stay genuine in their business practices. Watch the podcast Click here to listen to the podcast, or click below to view the podcast outline and transcript: Key highlights Mikki’s journey to executive coaching Timestamp 01:35 Mikki’s journey to executive coaching included time in dance, fitness, and the service industry. She states that she is very “goal-oriented” and has continued to pursue new industries as she finds avenues that inspire and motivate her to greatness. Mikki’s expertise as a coach and speaker comes from her ample career experience. She started with life coaching and was then introduced to Vistage. Mikki identifies Vistage as the turning point in her career. From these experiences, her passion for executive presence developed into her own “niche.” Today she teaches some of the most influential speakers through her speaking school. The importance of executive presence Timestamp 06:20 Mikki firmly believes in the importance of having an effective executive presence. She explains that many of her executives can talk, but they don’t know how to effectively speak well. Mikki teaches her clients how to be articulate, genuine, and captivating as they take the platform of leadership. Mikki shares some tips that she gives clients on how to present themselves in virtual meetings. She recommends standing and presenting yourself well in how you dress. She is an advocate of using body language and tone to your advantage when presenting to an audience. Understanding yourself to help your clients Timestamp 10:04 By further understanding her DISC personality, Mikki has challenged the way she communicates with clients to better serve them. By understanding her communication tendencies further, she has taken initiative to listen to clients intentionally and learn new ways to communicate more effectively with them. Coach before friend Timestamp 12:15 When asked about her best day ever as a coach, Mikki shares a time when her client expressed their frustration with her. Mikki took this as a compliment, because her clients frustration was from pushing them to be their absolute best. Severin and Mikki elaborate on the idea that they are hired to be coaches first, who overtime become friends. There are times in coaching where a client may not enjoy the direction given, but Mikki embraces this so that clients can embrace their own potential. Relationships with clients as a source of questions Timestamp 13:40 Mikki uses her intuition when talking with clients to gain insight to their struggles and setbacks. She uses this insight to ask personalized and integral questions during each session. Mikki gives an example of how she impacted a client’s life by understanding more about her situation to the point where she became a Vistage Chair several years later. This client came back to Mikki and said, “You really changed my life by what you asked that day…” Being the curious coach Timestamp 19:03 Mikki embraces an attitude of “not knowing” in her coaching sessions. She believes that it is important for coaches to listen to their clients before assuming or offering their advice. Mikki believes this is the marking difference between consulting and coaching. Flexibility as a coach and top 10 priorities Timestamp 22:37 Mikki creates coaching sessions that are structured for the maximum impact on her clients. Before each meeting, she has her executive fill out a form which includes their top 10 priorities to address during their meeting. This allows Mikki to effectively use her time with her clients and ensures that each issue is addressed over time. Her clients are allowed to change these top 10 lists throughout their experience with her. This flexibility is also supported by her refusal to use long-term contracts. She states that this is the best form of coaching for her busy clients. Her clients sign five coaching sessions at a time. These coaching sessions can be within the same week or several months apart from each other. This gives her clients the ability to address the discussed topics in their own practices between meetings. Being a difference-maker Timestamp 27:47 Mikki shares her life-changing experience as a widow and how she embraced the changes that came her way. She has developed resilience through her life experiences which has made her a natural coach. Mikki meets clients where they are and encourages them to push forward. When asked about what advice she would give to a client who experienced a loss, she recommends understanding the five stages of grief and meditating through things that you enjoy. Speaking school Timestamp 33:27 Mikki’s speaking school has developed and changed throughout her career as an executive coach. She explains the structure of her school and how she has created new programs to meet further needs of her clients. Mikki has a passion for teaching others how to speak effectively and this passion has driven her to create new programs for her clients throughout her career. Mikki’s recent addition is “Mikki and Friends.” This program introduces her audience to speaking and executive coaching experts from all walks of life. Mikki also speaks on how important rituals are for her retreats. She credits former Vistage Chair member Karlsen on her application of rituals. In her retreats she always begins with fourteen rituals. Mikki claims that these rituals have bonded her clients together and been the source of her repeat clients. Authenticity as strength Timestamp 43:46 When Mikki is coaching people in how to speak well, she encourages her clients to embrace their authentic personality. She discourages the use of an alternate personality when presenting information and encourages clients to be genuine and vulnerable about their life. This authentic speech style captivates audiences and encourages further dialogue between members. Mikki believes that this type of presentation is essential to an effective executive presence. Copyright © 2021 by Arete Coach LLC. All rights reserved.

Episode #1011: Take in the experiences and learnings of Barry Goldberg, an executive coach, Vistage Chair, and former faculty member of the Leadership Coaching Program at Georgetown University. From effective coaching tools and the ethics of coaching to leading purpose-driven sessions and asking forward-focused questions, read on for a closer look into how Barry has inspired independence and embraced coaching science in his own practice. About Barry Goldberg Barry Goldberg is a Vistage Chair and executive coach out of Little Rock, Arkansas. Barry served as the ICF Vice Chair for Global Ethics and Standards Committee from 2010 to 2013, and taught coaching ethics at Georgetown University’s Institute for Transformational Leadership from 2013 to 2018. Barry has ample experience in the corporate and executive coaching world. He has experienced operational changes within the executive coaching industry and has developed his own style and coaching technique as a result. Barry believes in the necessity for experience and educational training in the coaching field, and has used his experiences and scientifically proven data to aid his coaching practice. Barry Goldberg is a lifelong learner who always seeks excellence, new strategies, and scientific principles that he can apply to his practice as a game-changing executive coach. Watch the podcast Click here to listen to the podcast, or click below to view the podcast outline and transcript: Key highlights The meaning of Arete Timestamp 01:37 Severin and Barry discuss the origin of the word "Arete" and how Greek mythology has inspired them. Arete is a word related to “excellence” and “refined nature.” Severin found this word from Greek mythology after it was pointed out to him by his son. Both Barry and Severin discuss the importance of excellence and the idea of Arete. The journey to executive coaching and training Timestamp 02:58 Barry’s journey to executive coaching from his time in the military and in the corporate world is full of learning and realizations valuable to the modern-day coach. Barry began his journey to executive coaching after leaving the military. Chasing opportunities that came his way with success, Barry began teaching at the University of Georgetown’s Institute for Transformation Leadership in 2013. As Barry reflects on his time with the University of Georgetown, he recommends several coaching schools and states the importance of attending a good coaching program that will set future executive coaches up for success. Barry’s career journey led him to becoming a Vistage Chair and executive coach. After his first executive coaching group, Barry fell in love with coaching and has been doing it ever since. 360 encounters Timestamp 16:07 Barry has a distinct approach to 360s. He believes that they should “define leadership” and be supported by modern research. Barry uses Leadership Circle 360 and believes in the importance of “envisioning a reality and then marshalling the resources to create it…” This mindset creates increased leadership potential for those encountering a 360. Furthermore he believes that 360s should be used with tact and appropriate precautions. Asking difficult questions Timestamp 26:31 Severin and Barry discuss the importance of asking difficult questions. Barry uses the first few minutes of interacting with a client as a time to glean information that might be helpful later on in the coaching session, "I believe that everything we need in a coaching conversation shows up in the first two minutes." Using tools and technique to inspire independence Timestamp 30:36 When asked about early learning he experienced that he wished he knew earlier, Barry talks about how tools are helpful, but the most important part is how these tools are used. Barry shares some of the basic moves of executive coaching and speaks on the need to work on “yourself.” He states that being present during coaching sessions and absent from personal issues outside of the session is a skill that is necessary for executive coaching. Barry further explains that his “ability to be engaged” has one of the biggest impacts on his clients’ outcomes. The outcome that Barry is looking for in his clients is that they become their best selves and reach independence. He shares a story about a time this was achieved when a former client created their own blog about Barry. Barry was shown the article and inspired by the impact that he had had on this former client's life. Conflicts and ethics Timestamp 38:33 Throughout Barry’s experience within the executive coaching industry, he has learned to either coach the individual or the organization, but never both of them. He states that the organization’s and individual’s needs are often in conflict and that by coaching both, he opens the door to biased coaching. In his practice, he has experienced individuals who were being coached only because they were not able to be fired by the organization or were in a transition phase between coaches. In times of conflict, Barry has to tread carefully to avoid violating the Sarbanes-Oxley disclosure, which deals with fair trade and the movement of money in an organization. To help maintain confidentiality Barry keeps track of session notes in a private and organized matter. The growth of the coaching industry Timestamp 44:47 From Barry’s perspective, the coaching industry has grown in recent years, but knowledge has not expanded within the field. He believes that there will be a future need for state licensure and supports the use of effective educational programs that dive deep into the purpose of executive coaching. Barry expresses his concern with the effects of rapid growth and suggests more involvement in coaching sciences and the adaptation of the coaching field with the new values supported by the next generation. Advice for those entering the coaching industry Timestamp 49:43 Barry recommends attending a good coaching school and learning about tools early on in the journey to becoming an executive coach. He also recommends being present for your clients by developing your own practice. It is important for coaches to be able to separate themselves from their personal goals and ideals when consulting clients. This aids in the coaches ability to address the clients own issues and concerns without being distracted by their own. Barry shares his own personal practice of his time in nature. He states that this time keeps centered and greater enables him to connect and be present for his clients. Copyright © 2021 by Arete Coach LLC. All rights reserved.

As we go through life, we often live on auto-pilot where our behavior becomes a reaction to the situations we face instead of a contemplative decision. Habits, dispositions, and routines have a tendency to enclose our thought processes toward unintentional repeated action, which can hold us back from our goals and aspirations. Executive coaches address this repetitive behavior that psychologists often refer to as an individual’s disposition or habits, and encourage clients to actively engage in their destiny. Instead of making choices based on emotion, habits, and fears, learn how you and your clients can apply life design counseling to make more intentional and successful goal-oriented decisions. Life design counseling Research conducted by Maree and Twigge focuses on a similar idea to executive coaching; they call it “life design counseling” (2016). Life design counseling is seen as a subgroup of career counseling which emphasizes that in one’s career choices, “conversation facilitates the… meaning of life” (Maree and Twigge, 2016). Similar to executive coaching, life design counseling seeks to make the client an active worker in their own career goals. Therefore, with the data provided in this research article and the findings produced, we can make fair use of the results in the executive coaching setting. However, a key difference must be noted; individuals seeking life design counseling are not in thriving careers, while those receiving executive coaching often are. Regardless, both groups of individuals seek to become more successful in their work/corporate lives and must learn to become active agents in their own life. “The aim of exploring and building on the magic in the life stories of individuals is to compile a life portrait that does not only transform the individual's life, but also makes a difference in the broader context.” - Maree and Twigge, 2016 Addressing the need for purpose After studying the effects of life design counseling on young adults, Maree and Twigge found that clients have a need to examine their lives as a whole ongoing story (2016). They relate this finding to social psychology theories which emphasize a need for communal purpose and belonging. This need for purpose and drive is directly related to a career choice as it is one of the central roles an individual plays in society, especially those that are collectivist in nature. Executive coaches also confront this need in their practice with clients. Their clients often haven’t thought about what the genuine purpose is in their decisions, much like life design clients often don’t recognize a specific life purpose. By using some of the tools offered in life design counseling, executive coaches can further spur their clients to greatness. Tools used to inspire In life design counseling, conversations are used as tools much like they are in executive coaching. Specifically in this study, Maree and Twigge focused on seven aspects of life design counseling (2016): Defining the problem and identifying the targeted achievement Joint investigation of the current scenario Retelling of a participant/clients story from the perspective of counselor/researcher with revisions Placing the previously identified problem in a new story for the development of new ideas Identifying concrete actions Conducting follow-up activities Continual reflective journaling A similarity between six out of seven of these tools is that they involve conversation and speculation. They seek to drive the client to imagine new solutions to their current situation and innovate their own new ideas to achieve their goals. The other tool used focused on the individual’s self-reflection of what was covered during the sessions. This tool allowed the individual to focus on the concrete actions that were prescribed. Overall, all tools sought to inspire clients to imagine their potential and address all their possibilities in the future. In order for clients to find meaning in their corporate life, they were guided through the process of realizing that they are active agents in their own destiny. They were instructed to define the potential outcomes of their choices and make decisions based on their goals and intentional thoughts. Clients were inspired to look towards the future for possibilities and see the potential in their own choices. In a case study published by Cardoso, Goncalves, Duarte, Silva, and Alves, a sixteen-year-old who participated in life design counseling had significant changes in their behavior (2016). Their results indicated that over time, there was an increase in “innovative conversations” and “innovative moments.” They believe that these results support the validity of life design counseling and the tools used within it. The sixteen-year-old also developed a new “self-representation,” greater ability to develop an understanding of the issues at hand, and increased ability to create concrete and actionable solutions to address the issues (Cardoso et al., 2016). These results are important because they indicate that the methods used in life design counseling have an impact on individuals. Because of this finding, we can apply the tools used to our daily practices and watch ourselves and our clients grow to our full potential. Applying life designing Mark L. Savickas of Northeast Ohio Medical University states that life design counseling “views clients as authors who may be characterized by autobiographical stories and who may be helped to reflect on life themes with which to construct their careers” (2012). Savickas also holds that life design counseling is “effective for its intended purpose” which is to inspire clients to take hold of their own lives and intentionally chase their goals (2012). With an understanding that life design counseling is an effective way for clients to become active agents in their life story, we can then apply its tools to executive coaching. These tools seek to advance the client’s intentional action in their own lives by having conversations about potential solutions, desired outcomes, current situations, and the creation of new narratives that surround identified issues. If we use these tools in our executive coaching practices, we can further support our client’s ambition and motivation towards their individual goals. The most intriguing application from this study is that of creating new stories. If we can encourage our clients to make new stories in their lives, what are the potential life-changes they could make for their own good? This research indicates that it would be beneficial for coaches to repeat a client's stories back to them from a different perspective and with potential changes in plot, result, or conflict. This creative expression of autonomy and initial action in life supports a client’s cognitive journey toward being intentional actors in their own life stories. Furthermore, executive leaders can partake in these tools in their own time. Instead of making choices based on emotion, habits, and fears, executive leaders through future-based contemplation and story-telling, can push themselves toward making more intentional and successful goal-oriented decisions. What does it all mean? After understanding the implications that life design counseling has on its clients, we are called to apply its practices to our executive coaching sessions. If we invite and guide clients through the storytelling of their lives from a different perspective, we can encourage clients to be actors in their own lives. We can support the realization of intentional action towards goals and ambition which is the central goal of executive coaching. When we support a client’s ambition using these tactics, we are further supporting their life story and legacy. So in your next client session, encourage them to change the narrative of their story. Embrace the opportunity that intentional action could provide your client. Encourage them to write their own story and rewrite the narrative of their life. Support them as they investigate and identify decisions, choices, and problems in their situations, and call them to action through the creative process of storytelling and life designing. For inspiration on asking questions that inspire, check out Episode #1009 of the Arete Coach Podcast with Larry Cassidy. References Maree, J. G., & Twigge, A. (2015, December 22). Career and Self-Construction of Emerging Adults: The Value of Life Designing. Frontiers. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.02041/full#B56. Savickas, M. L. (2012, January 1). Life Design: A Paradigm for Career Intervention in the 21st Century. Scinapse. https://www.scinapse.io/papers/2129084881#fullText. Cardoso, P., Goncalves, M., Duarte, M., Silva, J., & Alves, D. (2016, January 11). Life Design Counseling outcome and process: A case study with an adolescent. ScienceDirect. Copyright © 2021 by Arete Coach LLC. All rights reserved.