Category: Coaching

Posted on

[Land O’Spin] On the (Mini) Beach

Land O’Spin is an occasional set of writings focused on best practices in coaching and assessment: how do take what you observe, know what it means, and draw conclusions about what outcomes will occur in the future.

There is nothing quite like a plumbing tract infection to cause you to slow down and lay low. One minute you’re watching March Madness, and the next moment you’re piling on the blankets to ward off chills that alternate with hot flashes – still with the TV as “company”.… Read the rest

Posted on

[New Rules] 5 Landmines to Sidestep When Changing Jobs

Changing jobs in today’s economy is tough enough without adding complexity. But something as seemingly straight forward and simple as moving from one organization to another for a job change can get sketchy if you manage to make some highly avoidable mistakes.

Here’s my take on five things – some may be more traps than landmines  –  you can, and should avoid when changing jobs:

Moving from the frying pan to the proverbial fire : In my experience people are either moving to something (e.g.… Read the rest

Posted on

[New Rules] The CEO on the Couch

One of the cardinal sins of leaders is to think out loud. More tears have been shed by subordinates springing half-formed thoughts into reality than you can imagine. But how and who, particularly in these tough times, does a CEO talk with to make partially baked thoughts into fully formed solutions?

Short answer: it depends.

As someone married to a psychiatrist, CEOs apparently talk to shrinks.… Read the rest

Posted on

Update: It’s Late at the Candidate Pub: Part 8 – “Last Call” – of the nine part series “Choose Me, Hire Me!”

In an earlier post of the getting-hired tips series "Choose Me, Hire Me! " I noted that – for those that could – participating in volunteer activities is a great way to keep your mind sharp and your hands dirty while job hunting. Yesterday’s Wall Street Journal had a good article by Dana Mattioli titled "The Laid-Off Can Do Well Doing Good " which can be found here .… Read the rest

Posted on

[Land O’Spin] What’s YOUR Test Score?

Land O’Spin is an occasional set of writings focused on best practices in coaching and assessment: how do take what you observe, know what it means, and draw conclusions about what outcomes will occur in the future.

Employment testing is (back) in vogue, and with the recession in place it’s likely to continue: the news, similar to an old adage about dogs, is that some employers use employment personality testing for hiring purposes because they can.… Read the rest

Posted on

[Life Back West] March 2009 – The Value of Experience

A little experience goes a ways, and a lot of experience goes even further. It may not mean you know the answers to the future, but it provides a data set that is significantly greater than those who are newly initiated.

I remember Todd Wanerman from the preschool our son Traylor attended (and on whose board I still sit) assuring us that despite my son Traylor’s fierce declaration – “I’m going to wear pull-ups until I’m five!”… Read the rest