San Francisco Bay Area Executive Coaching

Be a Good Boss – The Provide a Human Shield Mindset

Good Boss 

Good bosses play a critical role in how successful people are at work.  It could be the most important and rewarding role you will ever play at work.

My coaching clients repeatedly tell me stories of how a good boss removed obstacles so that they could get their work done with minimal hassle. I could experience my client’s level of engagement soar when they felt their boss had their back.

Stanford University management professor Robert I. Sutton, PhD, author of the New York Times bestseller The No Asshole Rule, knows about bosses. He has received thousands of emails about the bad ones since the 2007 publication of that title. In his most recent book, Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best...and Learn from the Worst (Business Plus, 2010) Sutton focuses on what it takes to be a better boss.

Provide a Human Shield

Great bosses protect their people, going to bat for resources and support. Even when they may suffer personally, great bosses are willing to take such risks. They shield their employees from red tape, meddlesome executives, nosy visitors, unnecessary meetings and a host of other time wasters.

“A good boss takes pride in serving as a human shield, absorbing and deflecting heat from superiors and customers, doing all manner of boring and silly tasks and battling back against every idiot and slight that makes life unfair or harder than necessary on his or her charges,” Sutton writes.

You know you’ve been successful when your subordinates believe you have their backs.

The Questions to Ask Yourself

     Human Shield

a.    Do you see your job as caring for and protecting your people?

b.    Do you fight for them when necessary?

c.    Do you consider it too much trouble or too risky to battle superiors on their behalf?

d.    When your people screw up, do you take the hit or hang them out to dry?

e.    When you screw up, do you admit it?

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development to grow emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching to help leaders protect their people by go to bat for them providing resources and support?  Leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to fully engage employees and customers.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Do I see my job as caring for and protecting my people?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching for leaders who can admit when they make mistakes.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create a culture where all employees are fully engaged. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams. He is the president of Working Resources, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. We specialize in helping San Francisco Bay Area companies and law firms assess, select, coach, and retain emotionally intelligent leaders.  Maynard is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader. He facilitates leadership retreats in Northern California and Costa Rica. The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded Dr. Maynard Brusman "Board Approved" designations in the specialties of Executive Coaching and Leadership Development.

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252.

Subscribe to Working Resources Newsletter: http://www.workingresources.com
Visit Maynard's Blog: http://www.workingresourcesblog.com  

Connect with me on these Social Media sites.
http://twitter.com/drbrusman
http://www.facebook.com/maynardbrusman
http://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusman
http://www.youtube.com/user/maynardbrusman

How to Be a Good Boss – The Avoiding Power Traps Mindset

How to Be a Good Boss

Bosses determine how people experience work. They help create a workplace culture and climate: joy versus despair, enthusiasm versus complaints, and well-being versus stress. Most bosses want to excel at what they do, yet many lack the requisite mindset that precedes positive action and behavior.

As a boss who strives to do great work, you may need to shift your thinking. The beliefs and assumptions you hold about yourself, your work and your people will determine your actions and ultimate success.

Stanford University management professor Robert I. Sutton, PhD, author of the New York Times bestseller The No Asshole Rule, knows about bosses. He has received thousands of emails about the bad ones since the 2007 publication of that title. In his most recent book, Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best...and Learn from the Worst (Business Plus, 2010) Sutton focuses on what it takes to be a better boss.

Numerous studies show that people in power tend to become self-centered and oblivious to what their subordinates need, do and say. To compound matters, your staff will carefully scrutinize everything you do and say. These two phenomena merge into what Sutton calls the “toxic tandem.”

Wielding power over others can cause you to:

1.  Become more focused on your own needs and wants

2.  Become less focused on others’ needs

3.  Act as through written and unwritten rules don’t apply to you

This isn’t the case with only a handful of personality types. Most people in power positions will adopt these tendencies; it’s human nature.

Good bosses remain on guard to avoid such power traps. They never forget how closely they are watched by their people, and they resist taking advantage of their position and ignoring others’ needs.

The Questions to Ask Yourself

     Power Traps

a.  Do you remind yourself that your people are watching you closely?

b.  Do you avoid doing little things that undermine their performance and dignity?

c.  Do you ignore the little things that could be perceived as overuse of power?

d.  Do you realize that everything you say and do will be magnified in your subordinates’ minds?

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development to grow emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching to help leaders avoid the power trap mindset?  Leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to fully engage employees and customers.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Am I mindful that everything I do and say may be magnified in the minds of subordinates?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching for leaders who appropriately use power when working with people.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create a culture where all employees are fully engaged. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams. He is the president of Working Resources, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. We specialize in helping San Francisco Bay Area companies and law firms assess, select, coach, and retain emotionally intelligent leaders.  Maynard is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader. He facilitates leadership retreats in Northern California and Costa Rica. The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded Dr. Maynard Brusman "Board Approved" designations in the specialties of Executive Coaching and Leadership Development.

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252.

Subscribe to Working Resources Newsletter: http://www.workingresources.com
Visit Maynard's Blog: http://www.workingresourcesblog.com  

Connect with me on these Social Media sites.
http://twitter.com/drbrusman
http://www.facebook.com/maynardbrusman
http://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusman
http://www.youtube.com/user/maynardbrusman

 

 

Good Bosses – The Small Wins Count Mindset

Good Bosses

Exceptional bosses know how to motivate people tapping into their intrinsic motivation. They set goals that empower people and builds confidence. Big audacious goals can initially sound great, but can backfire when people fail to achieve milestones resulting in a de-motivated workforce.

As a boss who strives to do great work, you may need to adjust your thinking about goal setting. Small wins over time can add up to tremendous success. Sometimes less is more.

Stanford University management professor Robert I. Sutton, PhD, author of the New York Times bestseller The No Asshole Rule, knows about bosses. He has received thousands of emails about the bad ones since the 2007 publication of that title. In his most recent book, Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best...and Learn from the Worst (Business Plus, 2010) Sutton focuses on what it takes to be a better boss.

If you set big goals to energize and direct people, you can fall into the trap of overwhelming and discouraging them. The path to success is lined with small wins. Framing goals as a series of small steps helps people see the importance of their participation.

Smaller goals also help people make better decisions, sustain motivation and manage stress. When subordinates experience a challenge as too big or complex, they can freeze up. When problems are broken down into bite-sized pieces, a boss inspires clarity, calmness and confidence.

The Questions to Ask Yourself

Small Wins

a.  Do you frame what your people need to do as a series of small, realistic and clear steps?

b.  Do you propose grand goals?

c.  Do you break things down into bite-sized steps?

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development to grow emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching to help leaders set goals that instill confidence and motivates people?  Leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to fully engage employees and customers.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Do I set smaller goals that helps people make better decisions, sustains motivation and manage stress?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching for collaborative leaders who know how to establish appropriate goals when working with people.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create a culture where all employees are fully engaged. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams. He is the president of Working Resources, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. We specialize in helping San Francisco Bay Area companies and law firms assess, select, coach, and retain emotionally intelligent leaders.  Maynard is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader. He facilitates leadership retreats in Northern California and Costa Rica. The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded Dr. Maynard Brusman "Board Approved" designations in the specialties of Executive Coaching and Leadership Development.

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252.

Subscribe to Working Resources Newsletter: http://www.workingresources.com
Visit Maynard's Blog: http://www.workingresourcesblog.com  

Connect with me on these Social Media sites.
http://twitter.com/drbrusman
http://www.facebook.com/maynardbrusman
http://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusman
http://www.youtube.com/user/maynardbrusman

 

 

Executive Coaching San Francisco Bay Area

Executive Coaching San Francisco

Effective coaching is a major key to improving business performance. Executive Coaching focuses on the qualities of good leadership and improved business results. It is comprised of a series of structured, one-on-one interactions between a coach and an executive, aimed at enhancing the executive's performance in two areas:

• Individual personal performance
• Individual organizational performance

The Business Case for Executive Coaching

 Research

• The research of Goleman and Boyatzis shows that the key indicator of failure for young executives is their inability to develop empathy.
• The research of the Gartner group shows that the key factor in retaining high quality employees is having a favorable relationship with their supervisor where they experience the opportunity being treated like an adult and given the chance to grow and develop.
• The research of Metrix Global shows that coaching generated improvements in retention, cost savings, productivity, work output and sales and 69% of improvements were attributed to coaching.
• From a study of 100 executives from Fortune 1000 companies conducted by the Manchester Group:
  • 5.7 times the initial investment in coaching is recaptured through coaching
  • 53% improvements in productivity in execs receiving coaching
  • 48% improvements in quality from execs receiving coaching

What are the Benefits?

• Achieve more business and personal goals?
• Clarify causes of behavior and create a strategy for long term change
• Create the best choices and decisions possible for you and your company?
• Demonstrate more effective interpersonal communication skills
• Develop emotional intelligence competencies
• Enhance leadership capability
• Improve job performance 
• Improve interaction and influence skills
• Learn skills to manage conflict and change
• Maximize control over career path
• Prevent derailment
• Realize better communication between leaders and their teams
• Resolve problems that impede job performance
• Support succession planning
• Unleash high-potential capacity

Who We Work With

We work with executives, corporate leaders, senior professionals, entrepreneurs, accountants, attorneys, and business owners in a broad range of industries to make you more valuable to yourself and your organization. 

We coach you to:

• Become  a leader who motivates, inspires and innovates
• Deal with difficult people and issues
• Make better informed decisions to lead your company
• Utilize your time and energy effectively

If you’re like many of our clients, you might benefit from coaching in one of these areas:

• Leadership Development
• Communication Skills
• Emotional Intelligence
• Resilience

We find that the clients who succeed the most:

• Are highly motivated to maximize their full potential
• Are open and honest with themselves and the coach
• Realize that if they want different results they need to do things differently.
• Are open to learning a better way – often tapping into their own inner resources
• Are enthusiastic about making a commitment of time, money, and following through with actions

Why Working Resources Executive Coaching?

Working Resources' executive management coaches provide confidential, independent feedback, based on individual assessment and analysis through a variety of methods. Working Resources executive coaching offers:

• Support for executives facing change and new leadership expectations
• Flexibility, involving activities that focus on priorities specific to the individual and the organization
• Solutions targeted to specific needs.

Dr. Maynard Brusman has over 20 years experience in the field of coaching. Additionally, we offer a diverse suite of coaching and development tools, including: Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Step II Form Q (MBTI), Spectrum CPI-260 Coaching Report, Fundamental Interpersonal Relations Orientation (FIRO-B), and 360 Feedback Performance Appraisal - Leadership Practices Inventory (LPI).

Strategic Executive Coaching Program

Clients perform under pressure as team members, team leaders and as individual contributors. The client works directly on his or unique challenges, which are aligned with business objectives.

• What are the organization’s key business challenges?
• What business goals need to be achieved?
• What are the business enterprise core values?
• What culture-specific leadership competencies define success
• Does the organization have a proven system to select, develop, and retain top talent?

The goals are Issue identification, clarification and resolution. The executive coach observes the daily interactive process of the participant, and provides direct face-to face consultation.  The executive coach brings fresh perspectives to problems, and helps remove hidden obstacles to performance. For example, the executive coach helps the participant look at the individual personalities and styles involved in work team dynamics to devise strategies for success.

Executive coaching works on levels deeper than simple how-to techniques. The discovery and implementation of core values is one kind of organizational transformation that can subtly shift workforce attitudes from the top down. This can lead to an atmosphere of corporate enthusiasm and optimism that is ultimately reflected on the bottom line.

As today's leaders find themselves increasingly challenged, they realize that they must find ways to transcend traditional limits. The executive coach incorporates relevant examples from research, different cultures, successful sports franchises, and business best practices. These examples help to broaden the client's horizons and create a learning context that fosters creativity and innovation.

With a coach as a committed and personal partner, participants utilize improved perspective to choose where to focus attention and resources. They overcome obstacles that previously limited or frustrated them. They develop their ability to perform consistently at optimal levels focusing on improved results.

Executive coaching helps participants transform stress into optimal performance, and use the kinetic energies inherent in change as a source of strength. Continuous learning, change resiliency and enhanced performance is the response to challenge the executive coach promotes.

 The Executive Coach:

• Observes client behavior in the workplace, and helps clients learn to self-observe.
• Creates a partnership with clients engaging in a dialogue of mutual influence.
• Gives respectful, candid feedback to both client and company.
• Operates with the highest standards of honesty and integrity.

 Executive Coaching Process:

Executive coaching is designed for an individual's unique needs and circumstances. The process, however, usually has five major steps.

 1: Contracting

Initially, a contracting meeting for the purpose of clarifying expectations takes place. Typically, the meeting may include a human resources manager, the executive coach, and the executive coaching client. The objectives of the contracting meeting include:

• Identification of desired competencies
• Agreement regarding confidentiality boundaries
• Identification of measurable outcomes
• Confirmation of good chemistry
• Clarity of roles and responsibilities
• Agreement regarding milestones and timelines
• Conceptual agreement regarding fees

A mutual understanding of the coaching process, expected results, specific issues and time frame of the coaching is developed. The Executive Coaching process typically spans a minimum of six months.

2: Comprehensive Assessment 

A structured interview, data collection and relevant assessment instruments to clarify emotional intelligence competencies, leadership skills, values, interests, work styles and other key factors are utilized. Executive management coach and client engage in an in-depth dialogue of relevant issues focused on performance improvement. A 360 feedback performance appraisal informs the process. 

3: Feedback and Action Planning

The first order of business is a feedback dialogue between coach and client. The focus is on relevant data from instrument assessments and 360 feedback performance appraisals. Executive management coach and client collaboratively create an Action Plan that includes strengths, developmental targets and effective strategies for change. The focus is on self- insight, motivation, problem solving, skill acquisition, and leadership development. Interventions are aligned with client's vision and the key objectives of the business The Action Plan focuses on behaviors that contribute to specific business results. Weekly coaching meetings are one to three hours.

4: Action Learning

The coach guides and reinforces the development of leadership competencies outlined in the Action Plan. Techniques include action learning, role play, and shadowing.

5: Follow-up and Sustaining Success

Approximately six months after the initial feedback session, an abridged version of the 360 feedback performance appraisal is conducted. The results of the assessment assist in evaluating the effectiveness of the coaching process. Further development of the executive is determined and aligned with business goals.

Dr. Maynard Brusman
Consulting Psychologist and Executive Coach
Tel: 415-546-1252
E-mail: [email protected].                       
Web: www.workingresources.com

 

 

Gritty Bosses – The True Grit Mindset

Gritty Bosses –

Good bosses are hard working and resilient. They keep employees inspired in good times and bad. Failure is seen as bumps on the way to winning and success.

One of my Chief People Officer executive coaching clients models true grit. She taps into the creative DNA of employees by helping people weather failure and instilling optimism that success is just around the corner. She believes in her people and their shared purpose.

Robert I. Sutton, PhD, author of the New York Times bestseller The No Asshole Rule, knows about bosses. In his most recent book, Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best...and Learn from the Worst (Business Plus, 2010) he focuses on how to be a better boss.

 “Gritty bosses are driven by the nagging conviction that everything they and their people do could be better if they tried just a little harder or were just a bit more creative,” Sutton writes.

Such bosses instill grit in subordinates. Without creating the impression that everything is an emergency, great bosses have a sense of urgency. They are dogged and patient, sensing when to press forward and when to be flexible. As Albert Einstein once stated: “It’s not that I am so smart; it is just that I stay with my problems longer.”

University of Pennsylvania Assistant Professor of Psychology Angela Duckworth, PhD, and her colleagues define grit as perseverance and passion toward long-term goals.

“Grit entails working strenuously toward challenges, maintaining effort and interest despite failure, adversity and plateaus in progress,” they wrote in a 2007 Journal of Personality and Social Psychology paper.

Without becoming discouraging, bosses with grit believe that progress isn’t always good enough—that you can never stop learning or rest on your laurels.

The Questions to Ask Yourself

     True Grit

a.  Do you treat work as a marathon or a sprint?

b.  Do you look for quick fixes?

c.  Do you instill a sense of urgency without treating everything as a crisis?

d.  In the face of failures, do you persist or give up?

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development to grow emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching to help leaders focus on strengths and persevere?  Leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to fully engage employees and customers.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Do I demonstrate true grit at work?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching for collaborative leaders who persevere through adversity.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create a culture where all employees are fully engaged. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams. He is the president of Working Resources, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. We specialize in helping San Francisco Bay Area companies and law firms assess, select, coach, and retain emotionally intelligent leaders.  Maynard is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader. He facilitates leadership retreats in Northern California and Costa Rica. The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded Dr. Maynard Brusman "Board Approved" designations in the specialties of Executive Coaching and Leadership Development.

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252.

Subscribe to Working Resources Newsletter: http://www.workingresources.com
Visit Maynard's Blog: http://www.workingresourcesblog.com  

Connect with me on these Social Media sites.
http://twitter.com/drbrusman
http://www.facebook.com/maynardbrusman
http://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusman
http://www.youtube.com/user/maynardbrusman

 

 

Savvy Bosses - The Goldilocks Management Mindset

Savvy Bosses

Stanford University management professor Robert I. Sutton, PhD, author of the New York Times bestseller The No Asshole Rule, knows about bosses. He has received thousands of emails about the bad ones since the 2007 publication of that title. In his most recent book, Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best...and Learn from the Worst (Business Plus, 2010) Sutton focuses on what it takes to be a better boss.

Bosses determine how people experience work: joy versus despair, enthusiasm versus complaints, and well-being versus stress. Most bosses want to be good at what they do, yet many lack the mindset that precedes positive action and behavior.

As a boss who strives to do great work, you may need to adjust your thinking. The beliefs and assumptions you hold about yourself, your work and your people will determine your actions and ultimate success.

Goldilocks Management Mindset

Managers who are too assertive will damage relationships with their superiors, peers and subordinates. Conversely, those who aren’t assertive enough will fail to inspire their teams to strive for stretch goals, according to a study conducted by business professors Daniel Ames, PhD, and Francis Flynn, PhD (of Columbia and Stanford Universities, respectively).

Ames and Flynn speculate that the best bosses would receive an “average” rating from subordinates if measured in competitiveness, aggressiveness, passivity and submission. Stanford experiments confirm that micromanaging employees with relentless attention and advice usually undermines their efforts.

There are times when bosses need to coach people, discipline, communicate direction and intervene. The savviest bosses look for the right moments to apply pressure or encouragement to get the best out of their people. In choosing their moments, they command respect instead of contempt.

The Questions to Ask Yourself

Goldilocks Management

a.  Are you managing with just the right degree of assertiveness?

b.  Are you creating ways to walk the line between enough intervention and micromanaging?

c.  Are you neglecting to give your people guidance, wisdom and the feedback they need to succeed?

d.  Are you obsessively monitoring every move and metric?

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development for emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching to help leaders improve their interpersonal skills?  Leaders tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to fully engage employees and customers.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “Do I use just the right amount of direction and intervention with company employees?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching for collaborative leaders who have a balanced approach when working with people.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create a culture where all employees are fully engaged and growing. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams. He is the president of Working Resources, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. We specialize in helping San Francisco Bay Area companies and law firms assess, select, coach, and retain emotionally intelligent leaders.  Maynard is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader. He facilitates leadership retreats in Northern California and Costa Rica. The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded Dr. Maynard Brusman "Board Approved" designations in the specialties of Executive Coaching and Leadership Development.

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252.

Subscribe to Working Resources Newsletter: http://www.workingresources.com
Visit Maynard's Blog: http://www.workingresourcesblog.com  

Connect with me on these Social Media sites.
http://twitter.com/drbrusman
http://www.facebook.com/maynardbrusman
http://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusman
http://www.youtube.com/user/maynardbrusman

 

 

Killer Bosses are Worse than Killer Bees

Most of us can tell horror stories about the boss from hell. He or she might have been a micro-manager or so work-driven that employees didn’t have a life. The boss was unhappy and took out his/her frustration on employees. Bad bosses can be more destructive than those nasty “Killer Bees”.

Killer Bosses

Bosses also have bosses. In the United States alone, their ranks have swelled to an estimated 21–38 million. Even CEOs answer to boards of directors and shareholders.

Myriad studies prove the link between a boss’s effectiveness and team performance. Having a good boss may also increase longevity: A Swedish study that followed 3,122 men for 10 years found that those with the best bosses (considerate, clear and proactive change agents) suffered fewer heart attacks than did those with bad bosses. Study participants who stayed with good bosses for 4 years had at least a 39 percent lower heart-attack risk, according to coauthor Anna Nyberg, PhD.

Personality-assessment specialist Robert Hogan, PhD, researched studies of diverse workers conducted in 1948, 1958, 1968 and 1998 in cities like Baltimore, London, Seattle and Honolulu. In his meta-analysis of postal workers, milk-truck drivers, schoolteachers and other members of the labor force, 75 percent reported that dealing with their immediate supervisor was the most stressful part of the job.

Over the last 30 years, Gallup surveys of more than 100,000 employees in 2,500 diverse businesses have revealed that one’s immediate boss has far more impact on engagement and performance than any other factor. A 2007 Gallup survey of U.S. employees found that 24 percent would fire their bosses if given the chance.

Indeed, 56 percent of disengaged employees cite bad bosses as a primary reason for their unhappiness. People don’t quit their jobs; they quit bad bosses.

Good bosses create employee satisfaction that leads to retention, performance, productivity and profitability. How you treat your direct reports creates a ripple effect that travels down and across your company’s hierarchy, ultimately shaping its culture and performance.

A study of 66 of the fastest-growing new U.S. firms shows that the best CEOs blend a top-down directive approach with a participative shared-leadership approach when managing their top teams.

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development for emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching to help leaders become better bosses?  Leaders with highly developed executive presence tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to fully engage employees and customers.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “What are the qualities of a great boss where I work?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching to develop great bosses.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create a culture where all employees are fully engaged. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams. He is the president of Working Resources, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. We specialize in helping San Francisco Bay Area companies and law firms assess, select, coach, and retain emotionally intelligent leaders.  Maynard is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader. He facilitates leadership retreats in Northern California and Costa Rica. The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded Dr. Maynard Brusman "Board Approved" designations in the specialties of Executive Coaching and Leadership Development.

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252.

Subscribe to Working Resources Newsletter: http://www.workingresources.com
Visit Maynard's Blog: http://www.workingresourcesblog.com  

Connect with me on these Social Media sites.
http://twitter.com/drbrusman
http://www.facebook.com/maynardbrusman
http://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusman
http://www.youtube.com/user/maynardbrusman

 

 

How to Be a Better Boss

Ninety percent of us work for someone else, regardless of our seniority or status. As with great works of art, we have learned to recognize good bosses when we see them, but their specific qualities may prove difficult to define.

The word “boss” is often used interchangeably with “leader,” “manager” or “supervisor,” and it conjures up memories of the good, the bad and the ugly ones we’ve endured throughout our careers. The boss is the authority figure who has direct and frequent contact with subordinates—the “head honcho” responsible for personally directing and evaluating work.

Stanford University management professor Robert I. Sutton, PhD, author of the New York Times bestseller The No Asshole Rule, knows about bosses. He has received thousands of emails about the bad ones since the 2007 publication of that title. In his most recent book, Good Boss, Bad Boss: How to Be the Best...and Learn from the Worst (Business Plus, 2010) Sutton focuses on what it takes to be a better boss.

“Devoting relentless attention to doing one good thing after another—however small—is the only path I know to becoming and remaining a great boss,” he writes. “I wish I could promise you that the path was easier.”

Whether you’re the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, a restaurant owner, athletic coach or store  manager, your success depends on how well you deal with the people who surround you. In any position of authority, great or small, you are expected to personally guide, inspire and discipline.

Anytime you have more power than others, you must interact in productive ways—especially when facing strong emotions and gut reactions. A boss evokes feelings of confidence and comfort, as well as insecurity, fear, anger and confusion, in every communication medium: face-to-face meetings, telephone calls, emails, text messages and video conferences. Emotions can intensify when relationships are inherently unequal.

In many situations, the boss-employee relationship requires that you work “up close and personal,” which means you’re exposed to others’ quirks, foibles and habits. To benefit your team and company, you must excel at accepting differences and finding workarounds.

There are no magic bullets, and the work may seem relentless. Besides getting things done and meeting performance objectives, you must shepherd your people through every hard turn. Your principal rewards for success are keeping your job and receiving even more responsibilities and challenges.

The best bosses keep chipping away at a huge pile of tasks—some interesting, others dull but necessary. Their leadership prowess is measured by how well they handle the frustrations associated with people and performance.

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development for emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching to help develop better bosses?  Good bosses tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to fully engage employees and customers.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “What are the qualities of tjhe best boss I have worked for” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching for collaborative leaders who value work/life balance.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help good bosses create a culture where all employees are fully engaged. You can become a leader who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams. He is the president of Working Resources, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. We specialize in helping San Francisco Bay Area companies and law firms assess, select, coach, and retain emotionally intelligent leaders.  Maynard is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader. He facilitates leadership retreats in Northern California and Costa Rica. The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded Dr. Maynard Brusman "Board Approved" designations in the specialties of Executive Coaching and Leadership Development.

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252.

Subscribe to Working Resources Newsletter: http://www.workingresources.com
Visit Maynard's Blog: http://www.workingresourcesblog.com  

Connect with me on these Social Media sites.
http://twitter.com/drbrusman
http://www.facebook.com/maynardbrusman
http://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusman
http://www.youtube.com/user/maynardbrusman

 

 

5 Kinds of Stories That Create Our Reality

Stories

The stories we tell ourselves can either create struggle and pain or happiness and fulfillment. Emotionally intelligent leaders are able to tell themselves positive stories that create untold possibility.

Enlightened leaders are able to help their organizations shift its culture from good to great. They guide their people in retelling the history and growth of the organization that fully engages people to create a prosperous future.

5 Kinds of Stories

We tell stories related to five basic subjects:

1.  Work

2.  Family

3.  Health

4.  Happiness

5.  Friendships

While there are myriad variations, these themes form the basis for everyday complaining or bragging—two facets of storytelling.

Do a reality check to see if your stories excuse your actions or inspire new behaviors. How do you feel about your results? Are you happy with the way you conduct yourself? Answering these questions allows you to uncover how your internal stories influence your behavior.

3 Steps to Rewrite Your Story

1.  Make a list of your current stories. Identify the areas where your stories are clearly hurting you.

2.  Articulate, as clearly as possible, a story that isn’t working for you. Are you, for example, rationalizing a behavior or scapegoating a colleague? Are you bitter or boastful? Your story should be as authentic as possible.

3.  To rewrite your story, first identify its faulty elements. Ask yourself these three questions:

a.  Does the story reflect the truth?

b.  Will it take me where I want to go in life (while allowing me to remain true to my core values)?

c.  Does it stimulate me to take action?

Constructive stories contains three key components:

• Purpose
• Truth
• Hope-filled action

If your story lacks one or more of these elements, it remains flawed and unworkable. Only a purposeful, truthful and hope-driven story will inspire you to unleash your intrinsic energy and achieve what you want from life.

Are you working in a professional services firm or other organization where executive coaches provide leadership development for emotionally intelligent leaders? Does your organization provide executive coaching to help leaders develop executive presence?  Leaders with highly developed executive presence tap into their emotional intelligence and social intelligence skills to fully engage employees and customers.

One of the most powerful questions you can ask yourself is “How can I transform an unhealthy story to a hope-driven story that inspire me to unleash my energy and achieve what I want from life?” Emotionally intelligent and socially intelligent organizations provide executive coaching for collaborative leaders who value work/life balance.

Working with a seasoned executive coach and leadership consultant trained in emotional intelligence and incorporating assessments such as the Bar-On EQ-I, CPI 260 and Denison Culture Survey can help you create a culture where all employees are fully engaged and work/life balance is an important value. You can become a leader with executive presence who models emotional intelligence and social intelligence, and who inspires people to become fully engaged with the vision, mission and strategy of your company or law firm.

About Dr. Maynard Brusman

Dr. Maynard Brusman is a consulting psychologist, executive coach and trusted advisor to senior leadership teams. He is the president of Working Resources, a leadership consulting and executive coaching firm. We specialize in helping San Francisco Bay Area companies and law firms assess, select, coach, and retain emotionally intelligent leaders.  Maynard is a highly sought-after speaker and workshop leader. He facilitates leadership retreats in Northern California and Costa Rica. The Society for Advancement of Consulting (SAC) awarded Dr. Maynard Brusman "Board Approved" designations in the specialties of Executive Coaching and Leadership Development.

For more information, please go to http://www.workingresources.com, write to [email protected], or call 415-546-1252.

Subscribe to Working Resources Newsletter: http://www.workingresources.com
Visit Maynard's Blog: http://www.workingresourcesblog.com  

Connect with me on these Social Media sites.
http://twitter.com/drbrusman
http://www.facebook.com/maynardbrusman
http://www.linkedin.com/in/maynardbrusman
http://www.youtube.com/user/maynardbrusman