CorporateCoach

Well, the summer is over for us in the north. I think there has been a mistake worrying about global warming. The issue seems to be global ‘wetting’ or even, in the Gulf of Mexico, global ‘winding’. Not to mention turbulence in the money markets.

So it is back to work for us all – even university students are returning to ‘freshers weeks’ or, as I saw yesterday, ‘welcome weeks’.

What is going to be different for you now? I have had a very productive time during the quiet period of the summer holiday. Over the last few years I have focused more and more on working with directors and boards. Now, we have created a new section of our web site dedicated to this activity. We describe the roles and responsibilities of directors and boards, general training and development, and specific needs of new directors. In addition, we have differentiated board retreats from corporate retreats. I hope that you will have a browse.

I am training as a master practitioner in wealth dynamics, about which I shall tell you more in the future. A first step is to join a boardroom club as experience for when I launch one next year. This is a twelve month group activity dedicated to helping the group significantly improve its earnings. The club meets quarterly and supports each member in preparing and implementing a 90-day plan.

Here are some notes about what you should consider in preparing your 90-day plan: -

• Your goals and the strategic projects necessary to achieve them.
• The critical resources necessary to carry out the projects.
• The players who have accepted responsibility for the projects.
• Milestones and signposts along the way
• The results that enable you to measure success of the projects.

Richard Winfield is founder of Brefi Group.
An international facilitator, he coaches and
facilitates directors and boards in transition:
helping them to make progress by
bringing structure and clarity
to their thinking.

Pierre Bester, creator of E-Scale will be in the UK on the 29th September to run the first ever UK E-Scale accreditation course. This will be a 3 day course running from Monday 29th September until Wednesday 1st October at The Belfry Golf & Leisure resort in Sutton Coldfield, near Birmingham.

The E-Scale is a very powerful tried and tested online profiling system based on the Enneagram. It provides clients with a simple to complete and affordable way of discovering in depth their Enneagram profile and how it affects their life/work.

Head of E-Scale UK Sanjay Shah, who is the only fully accredited E-Scale coach in the UK recently recorded a 60 minute Teleseminar.

In this teleseminar he highlighted how he has used E-Scale to become the coach of choice to some very influential Directors and companies. Sanjay also gave some real life examples of how E-Scale has allowed him to increase his fees and break into high level clients that he had previously struggled to attract. He also discussed the huge impact E-Scale has had on his own personal development.

You can access a recording of this teleseminar on the following link:

http://www.instantteleseminar.com/?eventid=3981378

Booking

The price for this accreditation course will be £795 plus VAT. We are strictly limited to only 16 places for this course, nine of which have already been sold, so if you are interested in this please contact us as soon as possible at escale@altruistmedical.com or on 0121 523 1099.

Brief Outline Of Course Content

Day 1: This day will be spent exploring the Enneagram model of human behaviour, including the opportunity to work through your own E-Scale report.

Day 2 & 3: On days 2 and 3 you will learn how to debrief clients and devise a development plan using the three E-Scale reports:

• The Feedback report (to debrief you clients; raises self-awareness of your client by highlighting main strengths and areas of potential growth in a wide range of contexts)
• Leadership/team report (highlights main strengths and areas of potential growth in leadership and team contexts specifically)
• Coach report (aimed at the coach this report offers you deeper insight into your clients’ areas of growth and guides you on where to focus in your client debrief sessions)

Develop a deeper understanding of the various E-Scale reports and how to maximise the results you achieve with your clients. Includes practical case studies and practice sessions.

Accreditation Process

Interim accreditation is granted on completion of the programme.
Full accreditation is granted on submission of two suitable case studies to the course accreditors.

There is an event coming up on the 29th of September that I think you should attend.

The speaker at this event, Mike Harris, has built three multi-billion pound businesses. He is on the cover of last months “Director” magazine and he has just written an amazing book called “Find You Lightbulb”. He is also the Chairman of Innovation at the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Tickets to see Mike Harris speak LIVE in London are normally £39 inc VAT and his new book “Find Your Lightbulb” retails for £12.99.

If you book through this special link you will have access to a ticket to Mike Harris LIVE in Edinburgh - PLUS his new book - for just £25! (more than 50% discount).

http://www.triumphantevents.co.uk/?unlock=360-e2gqysmna93vbe4qg7bxscfd

This is a rare opportunity to meet one of the UK’s most accomplished innovators and entrepreneurs.

Have you heard of Dr John Demartini’s “Breakthrough Experience”?

I feel I should warn you that it is one of the most powerful and profound experiences you will do this year if you choose to go. I personally want to recommend it highly.

Let me tell you a bit about it…

Firstly, Dr John Demartini is a one-of-a-kind presenter who doesn’t garble the rhetoric we have all heard before. He is a masterful storyteller who blends philosophy, sociology, science and history to make powerful points on the way we behave and interact with ourselves and others.

His Breakthrough Experience can apply to virtually any area of life. Come along to this 2 day course if you want a more loving relationship, a more profitable business, grater health, more clarity and passion. In fact, if you can think of an area of your life that you would like improved, I could guarantee Dr Demartini would give you a whopping big flash of insight around why it isn’t already the way you want it and what to do about it!

If you have a desire to bring greater order to your world, go and do The Breakthrough Experience. He is captivating, controversial and explodes the myths and illusions that restrict our growth and bring chaos and frustration in our lives.

Simply put, John’s a Genius. The only way to experience Dr John Demartini is to actually be in his presence. To actually see, hear and feel his philosophies on life, business, relationships and the underlying principles that shape our lives. I assure you, he’s not like anything or anyone you have experienced before.

Take a look at the details for the event and if you can go… go. You won’t regret it, book now:

What to do when the media talks about recessions!

“Most UK entrepreneurs are struggling to achieve incremental growth in the current economy, not because of common (yet over hyped) cyclical factors, but because they are simply focusing on the wrong things.”

This event features Mike Harris, the creator of 3 multi-billion pound business start ups (Internet Bank ‘Egg’ floated for £1.3B less than three years from launch!). It also features Roger Hamilton, who is fast becoming one the world’s most popular speakers on entrepreneurship (and a heavyweight entrepreneur himself with over 15 companies).

Mike Harris
Explains that startups (£0-£10M/annum) must do things differently from the very beginning if they want to break the glass ceiling of an ‘SME’ and grow into a ‘billion dollar baby’. Even if you don’t achieve the big “B” as Mike has (thrice), his recent book “Find Your Lightbulb” is simply brilliant and seeing Mike speak LIVE leaves you with a whole new perspective on how to create more Profit, Liquidity and Growth in your business - whatever the size.

“A unique networking opportunity… ‘DOUBLE EVERYTHING’ will be attracting the who’s who of the entrepreneurial community.”

Seating for this event is limited so book your discounted tickets today.

There is a big difference between the founder who is still still working ‘in the business’, and the leader who has advanced to working ‘on the business’. It’s not impossible, yet it does take planning and an understanding on how to leverage your time.

Roger Hamilton
Internationally recognised entrepreneur and the worlds leading authority on building powerful teams. He has 14 companies operating in 15 countries including a resort in Bali, Expat Magazines and Rental Services in Asia and a Global Network of Entrepreneurs. He is a best-selling author and world-class speaker who has spoken to over 100,000 people internationally!

For the first time, these two heavyweights of the entrepreneurial community come together with the specific intention of sharing their best insights of over 60 years of combined business experience to help show you how to DOUBLE EVERYTHING.

Tickets are normally £59, however, as a reader of CorporateCoach, you are invited to attend for just £29 inc VAT… and that will include a copy of Roger Hamilton’s best selling book “WINK”, and Mike Harris’s new book “Find your Lightbulb”.

Book before 1pm Tuesday 23rd September and receive a free audio download of the event!

To receive your bonus and to book tickets at this special rate click on the link below:

http://www.triumphantevents.co.uk/?unlock=360-6y9k4jc89sy5nrvj7fasdx4k

I have been reading a book by Bea Fields. Its title is “EDGE!”, and is a leadership story for those who lead in business and those who lead in life. I think it would have been more appropriate to title it “Engage!”; for I became fully engaged.

This is another management book which takes the form of the story of a manager engaged in some form of challenge at work or personal development. In this case it features Mitchell James, who is the CEO of the Global Trade Management Corporation. As his performance begins to lose lustre, key members of the executive team start to leave. With a not so subtle nudge from the company’s chairman, Mitch reluctantly accepts the help of executive coach Kate Nelson. I quote, “the diminutive dynamo” strikes at the core of Mitch’s obstacles and navigates him through a step-by-step process to lead more dynamically. Faced with a crisis, his leadership rebirth is put to the test. Can he regain is “edge” and become the leader his company needs?

The ‘diminutive dynamo’, Kate Nelson, is a thinly disguised version of Bea Fields. I must admit, that there are times in the early story when I wish the editor had been a little bit more controlled where the coach’s behaviour is concerned. It is a little bit over-hyped at times. However, as I have implied, this is a truly engaging story. Of course, I relate to it particularly because of my own experience as an executive coach at board level.

In addition to the story, general coaching issues are addressed. At the end of each chapter there is a section which summarises what has been going on in general terms and then sets several coaching questions for the reader to confront.

This is a book for coaches as well as for managers.

Bea Fields has already established herself as a leader in the field of Generation Y. With this second book she establishes herself as an advanced practical executive coach.

I recommend this book.

USEFUL LINKS

• Bea Fields
• Edge!: A Leadership Story - Amazon UK
• Edge! A Leadership Story - Amazon USA
• Millennial Leaders: Success Stories from Today’s Most Brilliant Generation Y Leaders - Amazon UK
• Millennial Leaders: Success Stories From Today’s Most Brilliant Generation Y Leaders - Amazon USA

When I was seven years old I had a burst appendix and spent a month in hospital. At the end of this time I had to learn to walk again because my muscles had lost so much strength.

A month ago I broke my wrist and, now that I am free of a cast, I am working to regain the flexibility of my fingers and wrist movement. However, my real concern is the weakness of the muscles in the upper part of my forearm that were unaffected by the fracture. Four weeks rest and they seem to have atrophied.

We know that the brain works by building links between cells as a result of frequent use. We also know from research that companies that are committed to excellence grow and increase their profits at twice the market rate.

So what are the lessons? What must we as managers and coaches do to ensure that our organisations achieve their potential performance? Clearly, the answer is to keep using the talents of our staff, and to give them every opportunity to stretch and develop. It is a frequent complaint of young graduates that, when they start their first work experience, their talents are underutilised. Perhaps the reason that older staff do not complain is that they get used to any easier life - how challenging is your culture? Are you a true learning organisation?

The human being is built to develop and grow. If we are to get the most out of our people, we must respect this, supporting them and continually expecting more.

A management consultant or executive coach can help an organisation to review its culture, processes and strategies to ensure that the human resources are being properly used. I was very much involved in the early days of Investors in People, and this is an excellent model. It does not promote training as such, rather, training and development focused on achieving organisational goals.

In many parts of the world, July and August are times for a break in the working year for rest and recreation. This provides an excellent opportunity to review where you and your organisation are going. As the world’s economy faces a slowdown it is even more important to make the best use of your resources, and this should include human resources as well as other assets.

Excellent organisations use quiet times to invest in the future.

Richard Winfield is founder of Brefi Group.
An international facilitator, he coaches and
facilitates directors and boards in transition:
helping them to make progress by
bringing structure and clarity
to their thinking.

USEFUL LINKS 

• Subscribe to the CorporateCoach RSS feed
• Investors in People
• Executive coaching
• Learning organisations

One of my teachers is Wayne Jones, and he has told me that when starting with new corporate clients he very often sends them a copy of The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. This is one of those wonderful stories that teaches management concepts through a fictional person’s learning experience.

In this case it is Kathryn Peterson, the new and unexpected CEO of DecisionTech. Her job on appointment is to unit a team that is in such disarray that it threatens to bring down the entire company. She has to use her skills to help the team confront their situation and to facilitate the departure of some key people. She has done this before and the story tells how she runs a series of workshops in which she introduces her concept for five dysfunctions of the team.

Speaking as a facilitator, I found the story both realistic, engaging and true. At the beginning of the first workshop she draws a triangle with five levels in it, starting off by filling the bottom layer with “absence of trust”.

As the story continues, she fills in the other levels as follows: “fear of conflict”, “lack of commitment”, “avoidance of accountability”, “inattention to results”.

I devour many management books and particularly enjoy these story-based reads. This one is particularly useful if, as suggested by Wayne Jones, you use it as pre-work with new clients, both individual managers and teams. Not only does it introduce a useful team model, but the realism of the story helps managers to come to terms with letting staff go. It also ensures that they understand that what happens should not ever be a surprise, but the result of a strategy.

There is also a workbook related to the story, “Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team”.

USEFUL LINKS

• Wayne Jones, Perfect World Coaching
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership FableThe Five Dysfunctions of Team - Amazon UK
• The Five Dysfunctions of a Team: A Leadership FableThe Five Dysfunctions of Team - Amazon USA

Andrew Halfacre’s wonderful handbook for people starting their own businesses has been fully updated to take account of the UK’s new tax rules. This is an essential reference for anyone running their own business, or coaching entrepreneurs.

If you are thinking of leaving your job and starting your own business or becoming your own boss then you are probably the kind of person who wants practical information that you can use straightaway. When you confront the mechanics of starting a business in the UK, you’ll discover pretty quickly that no one explains it all step by step and it can take a lot of time to figure it out. However, the 12 key decision areas that you need to sort out are all covered in The Red Stuff Handbook.

The Red Stuff Handbook can be downloaded, price £65, from the resources section of the Brefi Group website.

In a recent editorial I mentioned that my wealth dynamics profile is that of a ‘Mechanic’. I explained that the wealth dynamics profiles include Creator, Star, Supporter, Dealmaker, Trader, Accumulator, Lord, and Mechanic. I also mentioned that the ideal is for an individual to be operating in a role that fits his or her profile. I would like to tell you a little bit more about the Mechanic profile and then give an example of how an understanding of it can lead to a win-win situation.

Mechanics are system thinkers. If creators need to have their head in the clouds, then mechanics need to have their finger in the pie. While creators are great at starting things, mechanics are great at finishing things. They arre perfectionists, which is why they cannot resist finding ways to do things better.

While stars twinkle, mechanics tinker. They get hands-on with their systems and prefer to study how to improve things with their hands dirty. As a result, they have little interest in impressing with or indulging in their appearance.

Many mechanics have yet to get going because they are still trying to figure out what business to start Ray Kroc was 52 before he realised he didn’t need to start his own business, he could take an existing business - McDonald’s - and make it better.

Many mechanics have companies with better systems than their competitors, but they have not leveraged these systems with stronger products produced by others, or the business is limited by their autocratic management style and high staff turnover.

Successful mechanics remain hands-on, fine tuning their systems long after they have delegated many other areas of their business. This is where they see the greatest results, and where they gain the most satisfaction.

Greatest support for mechanics:
Opportunists
Financiers

Greatest catalysts for mechanics:
Creators to innovate products
Deal makers to create liquidity in system base

Your true wealth does not come from money; it comes from people. Far too many of us attempt to create wealth without the right network around us. So make the people of greatest support your priority in building your wealth network. Whatever your profile you should make connecting with the greatest catalysts your priority to accelerate your own wealth creation key.

I was recently assisting in a large wealth dynamics workshop in London. On the second day, one of my colleagues came into the auditorium and said “May we borrow you, Richard, for a few minutes please. We need a Mechanic.” I was taken into the back room where they had assembled the items that were to be given to the delegates at the end of the workshop. Piled up on a table against the wall were three piles of work books, three piles of DVD cases and two piles of books. These had to be packed in the correct order into a carrier bag and handed to each delegate on departure. The question was what advice can a Mechanic give to us so that we can be more effective and efficient in doing this.

My immediate comment was that if the table was pulled away from the wall, twice as many people would be able to collect the items, thus doubling the output. I was told that there were only three staff available anyway. My next comment, based on past experience, was that the third person should not attempt to collect any items but should stand at the head of the table holding an open carrier bag into which the other two could deposit the items that they had collected.

I then returned to the auditorium feeling great. Later, I was telling another colleague how I had enjoyed being able to make such a simple contribution on the basis that I am a mechanic. He replied, that he had been one of the people doing the packing and that as a result of my recommendations it had gone like clockwork. My original contact then joined us and said that, indeed, just my suggestion of moving the table away from the wall had doubled their effectiveness.

The interesting thing is that to a mechanic these suggestions were obvious. However, they had not occurred to the people who had been going to do the work. The lesson here is that if people can be given work which beautifully fits their profile there is a win-win. I was delighted at the honour given to me by asking for a simple contribution, and they were delighted by the impact it had on their performance.

A major part of coaching is raising the awareness of the client, and understanding an individual’s profile is an excellent start in this.

You can find out more and discover your own profile if you visit this website: www.knowyourprofile.com.

Richard Winfield is founder of Brefi Group.
An international facilitator, he coaches and
facilitates directors and boards in transition:
helping them to make progress by
bringing structure and clarity
to their thinking.

USEFUL LINKS 

• Subscribe to the CorporateCoach RSS feed
• Know your profile
• XL Results Foundation
• Executive coaching

This article was given to me by my friend John Boys.

This is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the “Peanuts” comic strip. You don’t have to actually answer the questions. Just read the words straight through, and you’ll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of Miss America or Miss World.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half-dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners.

How did you do?

The point is, none of us remembers the headliners of yesterday. These are no second rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.

Here’s another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name the three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name the five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson: the people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care. This how to show true leadership.

“Don’t worry about the world coming to an end today. It’s already tomorrow in Australia.” (Charles Schultz)

USEFUL LINKS

• Subscribe to the CorporateCoach RSS feed
• Leadership coaching

My first job was for Marconi on a site just outside Chelmsford. Although I cycled to work many people travelled by car and I was fascinated to observe in how many cases the man drove the car to the car park and then got out to go to work. The woman then slid across from the passenger seat to the driver’s seat and drove the car away. It seemed amazing to me that if you are prepared to allow your wife to drive your car that you are not also prepared to drive it when you’re in it.

I now live in the centre of Birmingham overlooking two locks on a canal. Particularly before the summer school holidays we have lots of leisure traffic on narrow boats operated by grey-haired couples. Operating a lock, let alone a series of locks, is hard work and requires a significant amount of strength. Again, I am surprised to notice how in the large majority of cases it is the wife that does the work while the husband steers the boat.

If we maintain such traditional divisions of labour based upon concepts of power and sex, is it surprising that there continue to be “glass ceilings” at work? As in so many worlds, charity (and change) starts at home.

We have in the UK a new prime minister who in his first year is generally perceived to have been “a disaster”! During the previous decade he was widely considered to be one of the most successful Chancellors of the Exchequer. The personality traits that are blamed for his failure were all known and commented on before his appointment to the new role. Why then was he universally supported in this appointment?

You may be aware of the management concept known as the Peter Principle, in which people are promoted to their level of incompetence. The basis of this principle is that people are promoted to a new job on the evidence of the success in their previous job. However, in many cases, such as the classic promotion of a salesman to a sales manager position, the two jobs require significantly different talents and behaviours.

There is no excuse for such mistakes in the modern world when we are well supported by sophisticated job descriptions and a whole range of personality profiles. One attitude which leads to much of the problem is the assumption that career success requires aiming for other “top” job. To be managing director is deemed to be more important than to be sales director. To be Prime Minister is thought more important than to be Foreign Secretary.

One of my childhood heroes was Alec Issigonis, the designer of the Mini. Issigonis was a brilliant and inventive engineering designer who was prepared to insist on staying within the engineering discipline at an age when most people were moving into management. If Issigonis had allowed himself to follow a traditional career path, he would have been less fulfilled, and the world would be a poorer place.

How often do we hear of teachers who are frustrated by the large amount of paperwork they are required to complete? In the UK we currently have a shortage of people prepared to apply for the head teacher position in some schools. Management and teaching of very different professions.

A major role of executive coaching is to help clients discover who they really are and to achieve congruence between their personality, their talents and the work that they do. Traditionally this might have involved training to give the individual the necessary skills to do the job that they are in or to which they aspire. The outcome of coaching might well be for the client to reconsider their whole career path.

Over the last year I have been a member of the XL Results Foundation which is built around a profiling system developed by Roger Hamilton. This profiling system identifies the job role in which an individual is most likely to be successful. Conveniently, these job roles relate closely to the stages of business development. There are eight main profiles and, although most individuals show a spread over several profiles, the recommendation is to focus on one profile only, probably your strongest. This means that you are able to live your life and contribute most easily within “flow”. A major attraction of this profiling system is that, in addition to telling individuals about themselves and showing how members of teams relate to each other, it provides a very powerful recruitment system.

The eight profiles are: Creator, Star, Supporter, Dealmaker, Trader, Accumulator, Lord, Mechanic. I am a ‘mechanic’, with supporting profiles of creator and lord. The theory tells me that I really need a dealmaker as an absolute minimum within my team and that ideally I need a star and an accumulator too. Now that I know that, and have a means of identifying people, I know what to look for.

The XL Results Foundation is an international network of several hundred thousand entrepreneurs. So if I wish to start or build a business and require entrepreneurial business partners I have immediate access to the right people who already know their personal profiles.

You can find out more and discover your own profile if you visit this website: www.knowyourprofile.com.

Richard Winfield is founder of Brefi Group.
An international facilitator, he coaches and
facilitates directors and boards in transition:
helping them to make progress by
bringing structure and clarity
to their thinking.

USEFUL LINKS 

• Subscribe to the CorporateCoach RSS feed
• Know your profile
• XL Results Foundation
• Executive coaching

I was delighted on Saturday to see the Welsh flag flying from Birmingham’s Council House. This grand building, which is the local seat of government, dominates the square outside our head office.

St David is the patron saint of Wales and he is celebrated on 1 March. I used to live in Llanddewi Dewi, which is named after the famous saint, who visited there to preach. The legend is that David attended an important Church Synod meeting in the village. A huge crowd of people had gathered near the village church and many complained that they couldn’t see or hear what was going on.

David placed a handkerchief on the ground and stood on it. Suddenly, a small hill is said to have risen from under his feet so that he could be seen by everyone. Some say that a dove then landed on his shoulder, a sign from God. If you visit this picturesque village you will see that, indeed, the church is set on a small rise overlooking the square.

One of St David’s most well-know teachings was that people should ‘do the little things’ in life - in Welsh, ‘gwnewch y pethau bychain‘.

My house was called Dewi Well. The house opposite and set a little higher in the lane was called Ffynnon Dewi ( David’s Well). Again according to legend, the well in my neighbour’s garden had been found by St David. When the foundations for my house were dug, the well opposite dried up and a spring started to flow in my basement. It still does, with beautiful clear water.

So how does this relate to corporate life and coaching? Well culture is made up of stories and celebrations. What are the stories that define organisations that you work in or deal with? What are the sorts of events and sayings that are celebrated?

We talk a lot about the importance of beliefs and values but what are they and how do you learn and recognise them? Values are only expressed through behaviour - it is behavour that defines a culture, and values that underpin behaviour.

Richard Winfield is founder of Brefi Group.
An international facilitator, he coaches and
facilitates directors and boards in transition:
helping them to make progress by
bringing structure and clarity
to their thinking.

USEFUL LINKS 

• Subscribe to the CorporateCoach RSS feed
• Llanddewi Brefi
• Developing a vision, mission and values
• Contact us about video

Roger Hamilton has two major events planned for the UK. As a subscriber to CorporateCoach you can get big savings on each event and download an extract from his definitive book "Your Life Your Legacy". Read on.

Just to give you some background, Roger is an international presenter and best-selling author on entrepreneurs and building wealth. In the last two years he has spoken to over 100,000 people across 14 countries.

Roger has studied the great entrepreneurs in history and has found that there are only eight ways to create wealth. More importantly, Roger’s content is truly unique; he explains eight wealth profiles and shows you with enormous insight the right path to wealth just for you.

You can learn more about his discoveries by downloading an extract from his book.

If you can clear your diary, do so because what you will learn from Roger has the potential to shift your business and take it to a completely new level.

The first event is in Birmingham on Monday 10 March - and it is F.R.E.E!! I shall be there and look forward to seeing you there too!

Find out more and book today

Your Life, Your Legacy - London 14-16 April

The Birmingham event is just a taster for The Entrepreneurs’ Event of 2008 at Alexandra Palace, London on April 14-16. Over 2,000 people are expected and it is being advertised in 20 countries. Because of our involvement with Roger, we have a special offer. Sign up at once and you have a chance of a ticket at £99, instead of the public price of £697.

If you are already curious about your own Wealth dynamics profile, you can find out here: Wealth Dynamics profiling

Use verbal signs

Indicate that you are listening with an occasional word or sound: yes, uh-uh, OK, fine, I see, Mmm, right. This tells the speaker you are still there (if you are on the telephone) and also encourages him to keep talking.

But beware, if these signs are overdone, you can sound condescending.

If you are in his presence, small nods, eye contact and other body language signals can demonstrate continued interest.

Be sensitive

You will gain more information, more effectively if you are sensitive to the underlying feelings and mood of the speaker, which may or may not be directly expressed. Try to recognise the fundamental direction of his intention and energy.

Seek Clarification

Ask questions to get additional information or to clarify what you have already heard. This will help you to expand the discussion and explore all avenues. Questions that are relevant, reflective and based on previous answers will demonstrate that you have been paying attention. Remember the difference between open and closed questions, and use an appropriate style.

Restate and summarise

It can help to restate or paraphrase key facts as they are given. Summarising from time to time will bring the discussion into focus. Both will help confirm your interpretation and understanding of the information, often serving as a springboard for further discussion.

Take notes

Never try to write everything down, just make a note of the key points and words. This will act as a reference point during the conversation and help jog your memory afterwards.

Concentrate

Focus your mind on the discussion and consciously tune in, especially when you are on the telephone. Try to ignore distractions, which can be of two kinds.
Physical distractions include background noise (at either end), lack of time, bad lines, people putting notes under your nose or talking to you while you are on the phone, lack of organisation etc.

Psychological distractions include personal emotion, such as feelings towards the speaker or the subject matter.

Better still, prepare yourself so that distractions do not occur.

Think before you speak

As the listener, you should be doing less of the talking. Try not to interrupt, jump to conclusions, make assumptions or finish sentences for them.

Ask questions

Construction:

• Include what, when, where, who, how much, how often
• Start broad and then narrow to increase focus
• Follow their interest and use their words

Process:

• Ask - listen - observe - ask

USEFUL LINKS

• Subscribe to the CorporateCoach RSS feed
• Coaching competencies

I have been reading "Tuesdays with Morrie". This much loved small book is the record of the dying days of a sociology lecturer, Morrie Schwartz, as experienced in a series of discussions by journalist Mitch Albom.

Morrie decided that an account of his dying should be a course in living and, Tuesday by Tuesday, he and Mitch discussed such matters as family, emotions, fear of aging, love, marriage and culture. The conclusion is that life is about relationships and that death is a natural part of life.

There is a series of questions that are often used in personal development.

• What would you do if you knew that you would live a healthy life for the next three months and then drop dead?
• What would you do if you suddenly received a very large sum of money so that you could pay off any debts and be financially independent?
• If you were able to observe your own funeral what would you like to hear people say about you?

The object of these questions is to identify what you really value in your life and to challenge you to make any changes in the living, rather than in the dying.

One thing that is often said about people at the end of their lives is that they would not have wished to spend more time at the office! I think that in my case I disagree. Not in the case of the office, but in terms of work. I love the work that I do in the office as I am able to indulge my creativity in the design of programmes and preparation of proposals. But there are other ways of achieving this fulfilment. However, I am fortunate that my real work involves many of the things referred to in "Tuesdays with Morrie". Coaching and facilitation are all about relationship, interaction and growth. So, the more work I do the better. And the more I shall be able to look back on, the better.

I recently carried out a simple exercise on myself. I headed a page of my journal "What do I want?" and then freely wrote down everything I could think of. There were no surprises in what I had written - I had written it because I knew it. However, there were some surprises in what I did not write. I recommend the exercise.

One way to stay young is to keep learning new things. I have mentioned that this year I am learning to ride. I am making great progress and am very proud of myself. Such success is very motivating and good for self esteem. In fact I have made such progress that in my fourth lesson I managed to fall off! I had progressed to cantering and was racing round the school when my hourse played a trick on me and suddenly changed direction. I have learned more about understanding my horse and reading its body language. I have also learned not to be smug!

I have bought a ticket to a football match. That might not sound too odd for an Englishman but my family will know that it is a major development. I have never been to such a match in my whole life, nor even watched one on television.

When you seek to challenge your clients you might remember that what is a stretch to them might not seem a stretch to you.

A major objective of coaching is to raise awareness. I thought you would enjoy the story in Coaching Notes about the consequences of knowing only part of the truth.

Richard Winfield is founder of Brefi Group.
An international facilitator, he coaches and
facilitates directors and boards in transition:
helping them to make progress by
bringing structure and clarity
to their thinking.

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Roger Hamilton has two major events planned for the UK. As a subscriber to CorporateCoach you can get big savings on each event and download an extract from his definitive book "Your Life Your Legacy". Read on.

Just to give you some background, Roger is an international presenter and best-selling author on entrepreneurs and building wealth. He’s spoken to over 100,000 people across 14 countries in the last two years.

Roger has studied the great entrepreneurs in history and has found that there are only eight ways to create wealth. More importantly, Roger’s content is truly unique; he doesn’t present on shares, options, real estate, business or any of the specific "how to" strategies for creating wealth. Instead he talks about YOU. And he shows you with enormous insight the right path to wealth just for you.

You can learn more about his discoveries by downloading an extract from his book.

If you can clear your diary, do so because what you will learn from Roger has the potential to shift your business and take it to a completely new level.

The first event is in Birmingham on Monday 10 March - and it is F.R.E.E!! I shall be there and look forward to seeing you there too!

Find out more and book today

Your Life, Your Legacy - London 14-16 April

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One day, three blind men happened to meet each other and gossiped a long time about many things. Suddenly one of them recalled, " I heard that an elephant is a queer animal. Too bad we’re blind and can’t see it." "Ah, yes, truly too bad we don’t have the good fortune to see the strange animal," another one sighed.

The third one, quite annoyed, joined in and said, "See? Forget it! Just to feel it would be great."

"Well, that’s true. If only there were some way of touching the elephant, we’d be able to know," they all agreed.

It so happened that a merchant with a herd of elephants was passing, and overheard their conversation. "You fellows, do you really want to feel an elephant? Then follow me; I will show you," he said.

The three men were surprised and happy. Taking one another’s hand, they quickly formed a line and followed while the merchant led the way. Each one began to contemplate how he would feel the animal, and tried to figure how he would form an image.

After reaching their destination, the merchant asked them to sit on the ground to wait. In a few minutes he led the first blind man to feel the elephant. With outstretched hand, he touched first the left foreleg and then the right. After that he felt the two legs from the top to the bottom, and with a beaming face, turned to say, "So, the queer animal is just like that." Then he slowly returned to the group.

Thereupon the second blind man was led to the rear of the elephant. He touched the tail, which wagged a few times, and he exclaimed with satisfaction, "Ha! Truly a queer animal! Truly odd! I know now. I know." He hurriedly stepped aside.

The third blind man’s turn came, and he touched the elephant’s trunk which moved back and forth turning and twisting and he thought, "That’s it! I’ve learned."

The three blind men thanked the merchant and went their way. Each one was secretly excited over the experience and had a lot to say, yet all walked rapidly without saying a word.

"Let’s sit down and have a discussion about this queer animal," the second blind man said, breaking the silence.

"A very good idea. Very good." the other two agreed for they also had this in mind.
Without waiting for anyone to be properly seated, the second one blurted out, "This queer animal is like our straw fans swinging back and forth to give us a breeze. However, it’s not so big or well made. The main portion is rather wispy."

"No, no!" the first blind man shouted in disagreement. "This queer animal resembles two big trees without any branches."

"You’re both wrong." the third man replied. "This queer animal is similar to a snake; it’s long and round, and very strong."

How they argued! Each one insisted that he alone was correct. Of course, there was no conclusion for not one had thoroughly examined the whole elephant. How can anyone describe the whole until he has learned the total of the parts.

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