Posts Tagged ‘coaching’

Enjoy the Ride
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

On my way to Gatlinburg, TN in April, I ran into some problems about 6 hours into my trip, and ran into the most massive traffic jam I have seen in 2010!

After working a full and tough week, I hopped into my car and drove all the way to TN for a quick getaway vacation.  Apparently in Pigeon Forge there was a car show that night.  I went from being excited about getting to my vacation destination early; to grumbling because it took me two hours to drive 12-miles through this car show.

In the middle of fuming about how tired I was, I paused and looked at the scenery around me.  There were people walking up and down the street in their summer clothes, laughing and enjoying one another.  There were rows and rows and rows of beautiful old and new cars.  Their owners were standing close by with looks of pride on their faces, and a polishing cloth in their hands.

Everyone with a convertible had their tops down, there were tons of people in the backs of jacked-up lifted pick-up trucks, and tweaked mufflers sang the song of their over-eager owners pumping the gas pedal.

This was a party.  I was in the middle of a party!  So, instead of being mad about my situation, I decided to join the party!  I put my top down, turned up my music, and participated in every bit of the car show.

I enjoyed the ride.  Life and business are a ride, and we have to enjoy every moment of them.

There is a quote that says, “Success is a journey, not a destination.”  Remember that saying as you go through your great days and your poor days.  Success is equivalent to what you are doing right now, so put your top down and enjoy it!

Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for Reachmore, which provides leadership coaching for small business and executives.  Email Jamar at jamar@goreachmore.com for the latest on Reachmore’s newest seminar, Launch.

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Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life |

3 Keys to Business Resurrection
Wednesday, June 2nd, 2010

A couple of weeks ago, I was finishing up my workout by doing some cable-fly’s, and a group of gorilla sized men surrounded me because they wanted to ‘work-in’ on the machine.  I normally ignore this group of grunting behemoths, but that day they were cheering me on. “C’mon, bring it back!” “Push it through!” “That’s it, only four?”

I have been lifting weights for five years, and have gotten some great results (of course…).  I usually don’t have a workout partner because my schedule sometimes forces me to workout at extremely early or late times.  As a result, I sometimes lose track of how hard I’m pushing myself during a workout.  Those guys totally challenged me to see my workouts from a new perspective, and also taught me the value of having a team around me for support.

I met a prominent Indianapolis lawyer in an elevator in April.  After our conversation ended, he gave me his card and instructed me to follow up with him.  So I did.  Two weeks later, I was waiting for him in his office, at the top of a skyscraper, and he rushed in 20 minutes late for our meeting.  He sat down hurriedly, looked at me, and said, “What would you like to accomplish today.  I have 7 minutes.”

Talk about being put on the spot.  So, I mumbled a couple of things, and he interrupted me by saying, “I’ve done some checking up on you.  You’re doing some things, but you can do better.  Here is what I expect from you…”

Wow.  My expectations of myself have never been lifted so high in such a short amount of time.  I realized that having a mentor who is willing to challenge me, and is dynamically more successful than me, is crucial to my success.

I also just signed up for sales coaching.  I already know most of what is being taught, and could teach the class myself.  The power of my time with the sales coach is reflection.  I am paying for time to think about how and what I am doing to build my business, and I have a qualified person to reflect my challenges to.  If I want to grow as an intra-preneur, I have to have time to reflect and someone to reflect to.

If your business is struggling at this point in the year, here are 3 keys to resurrect it ASAP:
1.    Find a team – Don’t go at this alone.  Join a trade association, form a referral team or accountability group.  There is strength in numbers.
2.    Get a mentor – Find someone who will push you and who’s RAS is set much higher than yours (for more on the RAS, email me at jamar@goreachmore.com).
3.    Engage a Coach – A structured program that will help you build your business is invaluable.  Google “Executive Coaching” for a list of some of the best.

Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for Reachmore, which provides leadership coaching for small business and executives.  Email Jamar at jamar@goreachmore.com for the latest on Reachmore’s newest seminar, Launch.

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Posted in Blog, Business, Habits, Life, Sales |

Asking Hard Questions Causes Business Growth
Tuesday, May 18th, 2010

If you are having trouble getting your business to grow, start asking your team harder questions.

I recently spoke to a group of 3rd graders in Indianapolis for Career Day.  At the end of my immaculate presentation, I opened up the floor to the students to ask questions.

A tiny African American girl with braids quickly raised her hand and said, “Mister, how much do you make?”

Woah.  I wasn’t expecting that one.  I mean, couldn’t we start with, “what time do you get up in the morning”?  Or, “What’s the hardest part of your job?”

Nope, she went straight for the jugular and asked a brotha’ the money question.  I answered her in the most tactful way possible without giving her an exact number.  She approved.

This little girl taught me a lesson; it is okay to ask hard questions.  Questions challenge people to grow and force them to come up with creative solutions.

Reachmore’s founder, CJ McClanahan, always asks his small business coaching clients why they don’t hold their people accountable by asking hard questions.  The answer is always the same – asking hard questions is, well, hard.

Here are a few strategies to use to make growing your people and asking hard questions easier:

  1. It’s not about you – The purpose of asking hard questions is not about stroking your ego or to make you seem bigger.  When you make the reason for asking questions about growing your business or your people, the pressure is taken off of you.
  2. People like to be challenged – Why do you think board games, skydiving, and AP English are so popular?  People like to grow.  Growth is one of the main motivators of your employees.  Capitalize on that fact by asking them hard questions.
  3. Use a qualifier – If you really need to make yourself feel okay about what you are saying, use a softening statement such as, “out of curiosity” or “I may be wrong”, before you ask the question.

Asking hard questions that challenge your staff is one of the best ways to take your people and your business to the next level!

Jamar Cobb-Dennard is the Vice-President of Business Development for Reachmore, which provides leadership coaching for small business and executives.  Email Jamar at jamar@goreachmore.com for the latest on Reachmore’s newest seminar, Launch.

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Posted in Business, Habits, Life |

Now
Tuesday, February 9th, 2010

I just finished a very interesting book – The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.

I understood about 65% of it and probably disagreed with a quarter of the information I could understand.

However, I would recommend this book and here’s why.

I begin every workshop or seminar with an overview of the importance of living in the present.  I argue that there is nothing the participants should do for the remainder of my talk but listen, participate and take notes.  The will have wasted their time with me if they chose to check email, the internet or text their friends during my presentation.

Tolle’s book expands upon this concept in a way that really drove home the point for me.

He argues that all we really have is this moment and that it is within the Now where we find all of our peace and contentment.

Tolle points out that all of our stress, fear and anxiety come from over analyzing the past or worrying about the future stating that – “To be identified with your mind is to be trapped in time: the compulsion to live almost exclusively through memory and anticipation.”

In other words, no matter what you have achieved or hope to achieve will ever mean anything unless you learn to enjoy the moment or the Now.

This has huge implications in business and I have a story that illustrates the issue perfectly.

Recently, I recommended a website called www.Yelp.com to a group of successful professionals that I coach bi-weekly.  They pay for my coaching individually and I am not cheap.  This was a 90 minute meeting with no breaks.

At the end of the meeting one of the participants enthusiastically proclaimed – “CJ is right!  Yelp.com is a great website.  It’s easy to use and I can see why it will be helpful to my business!  Thanks CJ for the recommendation!”

After a brief pause (for dramatic purposes – I am a professional) I asked – “How would you know anything about this website considering the fact that we have been sitting in this room together for the last 90 minutes.”

“Sorry” she uttered sheepishly.

“Don’t apologize to me – apologize to yourself.”  I replied.  “This is your meeting that you paid for with your money.  If you don’t focus exclusively on the meeting you won’t get the same value as the others.”

I hope she learned her lesson, but I doubt it.

We are under the impression that the only value in our current moment (the Now) is to prepare for the next moment.  “Something better is just around the corner” we constantly tell ourselves.

I have a newsflash for you – something better isn’t just around the corner – it’s right here and you can experience it if you choose to live in the Now.

CJ McClanahan
reachmore
(317) 576-8492
www.goreachmore.com

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Posted in Business, Habits |

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