Coach: a person who gives instruction or advice to elevate the performance of an individual or student.

Business men and women are looking for leaders who demonstrate an enthusiastic and genuine belief in others and who strengthens their will to succeed. Look at the two definitions above and think about which of those people is going to get the results needed in business today. Coaching is all about focusing on the talent of the person, and not so much about the production of the job description given when hired. Yes, businesses hire a manager to control the output of sales in order to control the outcome or production of business. However, if the focus is on enhancing the talents of hired staff, I believe the outcome will be greatly improved. Coaches focus on supplying the means to achieve, not on the fear of employees losing their jobs. It is the title of “coach” that helps to express optimism for the future with a firm walk in life.

A coach must keep hope alive from within the person. They must always strengthen their players’ belief that life’s struggles will produce a more promising future. This evolves into an intimate and supportive relationship, a relationship based not on pure authority, but on mutual participation that results in an inner renewal. The coach sees the good in you, and it is his or her job to bring the good out and place you in a position where your talent matches the task so success is almost a given. It is when you put people in positions of your needs that you are thinking like a manager, not a coach. Your job isn’t to put people in a position of your need; it is to put them in a position where they will succeed.

All great coaches find ways to change up the game plan in order to get tried and true results. Different competitions, changing up strategies, having employee input ideas from the field – all these things help to get your team engaged in the company’s goals and have some friendly competition to bolster energy for production. A manager without a coaching strategy might simply post the goals of the company for the quarter and give no input as to how to achieve those goals. This kind of manager is relying on the talents of the sales staff, but not enhancing or improving upon past performance. Yes, the coaching up manager is going to have to be creative.

Business owners should be looking for that quality in a coach for their team. Coaches, study your competition. There are strategies out there that are proven in the market place and should be followed, just like the skills to make a three point jumper shot at the buzzer. Perfect practice makes perfect. Follow your team on the road to help them to continue following proven principles your company has set. But by all means, have some fun with some friendly competition.

During these uncertain and changing times, those who take the title of Coach lead with a positive, confident, can-do approach to life and business, something that is so needed with the people I see each week. The feedback I receive from investing hundreds of hours each year with people is that they want a leader with a coaching focus, not a managing agenda. These people want to believe that we all are part of a journey, and this is not just a job or a task. They seem to gravitate toward people with a can–do attitude, not those who always seem to have a reason why something can’t be done. It is when the pressure is on that the title Coach becomes so important. A manager thinks one way and a coach thinks another. A coach says, “I asked you to be on this team because I believe in who you are as a person, not just as a player.”

The good coach sees what is good on the inside and brings it out. A manager sees what is on the outside and pushes it in. I hope this month’s e-Zine will find you coaching up for success.

The Good Life Rules!

Bryan Dodge

Great tour in Florida with CMAA!

Nothing changes in life until you change. The change starts when you transform from a reactive state to a life of hope for tomorrow. It is easier to hate than to love if you haven’t learned the art of forgiveness. How can anyone move forward if they are stuck in the past? Alexander Pope, in ― An Essay on Criticism writes, “To err is human, to forgive divine.” We all make mistakes. You must understand that not only are you human, but other people are human, too. Be a student of the truth in life. Any religious philosophy that preaches forgiveness also speaks about loving your neighbor. We don’t have to like what they do. The simple truth is those that forgive first live a better life sooner because they can move forward with their dreams. Forgiveness, however, can be a problem for many people simply because they are not clear about what forgiveness really is.

The simple definition of forgiveness is the refusal to hurt the one who hurt you. This ―refusal to hurt‖ can take many forms, depending on the circumstances, and it encompasses everything from the refusal to ―get even with‖ others, to the refusal to prove to others—with arguments, protest, violence, or even self-sabotage—how important it is that you are right and the other person is wrong. Common sense will tell you that focusing your brainpower on living forward is to understand that forgiveness, by itself, is psychologically preferable to holding a grudge. Bitterness works like a mental poison that doesn’t hurt anyone but you. Seeking revenge or wishing harm to another will, at the minimum, deplete your strength and prevent your wounds from healing. In the worst case, the hunger for revenge will make you into a victimizer yourself. Lacking forgiveness, you both will be locked together in living a life of revenge.

It’s really hard to find a better you, when you are focused on revenge. So even though someone hurts you and refuses to apologize, and even if this means that the relationship cannot be repaired, you can still offer forgiveness—for the sake of choosing to live a better life, by choosing to live forward each day of your life and not allowing yesterday’s mistakes to take away tomorrow’s opportunities. Try spending your time on what you can change. This was President Kennedy’s philosophy and I think you would agree he was a smart man. After a recent program, a gentleman came up to me, said that he was not very happy with himself, and asked if I had any recommendations. I told him not to stay that way very long. I reminded him that life is too short not to be happy. That’s common sense thinking, isn’t it? That, my friends, is good old common sense, and some really good critical thinking on your part.

Join me each Saturday from 4:00 to 5:00 pm on WBAP 820 AM and 96.7 FM for my live broadcast radio show which covers topics like these in greater detail. You can also listen to any of my shows by going to www.bryandodge.com and clicking on the Radio tab. I am now completing my 4th year on radio, and the numbers continue to grow beyond all of my expectations. I thank you for listening when you can, and the suggestions that you make help the ―Building A Better You hour grow tremendously. We can make a difference in America, so let’s put for our best foot forward each day. Forgiveness will allow you to do just that.

Living forward in life begins with complete forgiveness.

Bryan J. Dodge

“Change is inevitable, progress is a choice!” – Dean Lindsay

“Most of the articles that I write for this monthly e-Zine have to do with personal character traits. I believe leadership is all about character and attitude. This includes things like temperament, personality, disposition, energy, stamina, strength, and most importantly, moral fiber. All of these areas require learning and discipline. The following seven negative character traits are listed to help you recognize them and avoid them.” (Taken from the Aug. 10th blog post)

4. Worry: Comes from fear and is fed by indecision. Worry is wasted mental energy forged in idleness. It causes health problems, social problems, economic problems, and family problems. Most of what we worry about never happens. CURE: Take action.

5. Over-caution: Timid approach to life and definitely not a leadership quality. Brought on by failing to take risks when an opportunity arises. CURE: Focus on the benefit of the opportunity, not on the risk.

6. Pessimism: Gloomiest possible view of a situation that develops into a false mental image that becomes insurmountable and overwhelming. CURE: Focus on the good in every person and situation. Tell yourself, “This is not a problem; I can do it!”

7. Complaining: Whining, crying, griping, and expressing dissatisfaction and resentment. People who engage in constant complaining are not interested in results and tend to pull themselves and others down emotionally and physically. CURE: Develop a cheerful, happy, positive outlook on life.

Sorry, but there is no immunization for these diseases. We all suffer from them at one time or another, and to some degree or another. Like any disease, the important thing is to recognize it in its early stage and apply the cure.

*In one of my personal journals dated November 1990, I found notes that I apparently had taken from a seminar I had attended, but did not write down the name of the instructor, so I cannot give credit. I Googled the title and found an article similar to my notes, but no author was credited. Although the title and general outline were authored by someone else, the comments are mostly mine.

Frank Massine