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What Is Your Thinking Hat? | Personal Growth Development Training

  What hat are you wearing when you think?  Years ago when I was studying what makes an effective team I came across a book, The Six Thinking Hats by Edward DeBono.  One of the premises was that for effective teamwork that it was important to have different perspectives.  And, as a team leader it is important to have a variety of prisms in thought in order to be able to move forward on a project or task with greater confidence. First, it is important to understand that each team member has preferred ways of thinking.  As a leader, you may be able to discern what is the best hat for someone to wear. 1. White Hat Thinking- With this thinking you focus on the data available. You analyze from past trends and extrapolate from historical data. 2. Red Hat Thinking-  You look at problems using your intuition, not reaction and emotion. Your goal is to understand others’ response intuitively, even if they don’t know your reasoning. 3. Black Hat Thinking-  You look for all the bad points in a dec
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Ability, Motivation and Attitude | Personal Development Coach

  Ability is your capability in certain areas.  Motivation determines what you do with your ability.  Attitude determines the quality of your outcomes when you use your ability and are motivated. In my personal business coaching practice in The Woodlands and in Houston I have observed time and again the connection between these three areas and how they impact individual and team performance. Ability is important.  It is a great place to start when looking at what you are capable of accomplishing.  But it is not everything. Motivation, by itself, is not enough.  Motivation gets you going in using your ability, yet it doesn’t guaranty you are headed down the right path. Attitude is what takes your ability and motivation and keeps it on track.  Attitude says that if the track your ability and motivation are taking you on is not working, that you will try something else.  With the right attitude, you are willing to make the necessary adjustments on your road to success. Adjustments are not
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Timidity: The Fifth Enemy from Within

In the previous four posts we have looked at the fears that is based on indifference, indecision, doubt and worry. In this post we will look at timidity. And, like the other fears, timidity at times can certainly be appropriate. Yet, when you are overcome with timidity it will keep you from advancing. As a  business coach in The Woodlands  and as a  business coach in Houston  I have seen and experienced timidity. What is timidity? Quite simply, timidity is overly cautious. Timidity or over caution, will keep people on the sidelines when they need to be in the game of business and life. Interestingly, timidity can hold back talented and nice people. Why? A timid person will not take a risk. They always want to have both feet planted firmly on the ground. If you think about it, when you take a step forward, you get out of balance. Timid people love balance. Yet, when you are totally in balance, you cannot move. Very often timid people although qualified will not get the promotion
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Keys To Success: Get Rid Of The Bus Stop Mentality

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In my personal coaching business I find that one of the most important keys to success is to recognize the “bus stop mentality.” And, having recognized it, do something about it. What is the “bus stop mentality?” It’s a pattern where you Allow yourself to be distracted You fail to accomplish what you need to accomplish You have a sense of frustration and reduced energy Keys To Success: What Are Your Distractions? Distractions can range from always checking email, to surfing the web, to Facebook, to the impromptu meeting, to the phone. There are others but those are some of the major ones. As a self-employed business owner the first step is to become aware of your distractions. The second step is to take control of them. Everyone starts their day. You start out with worthy goals to be accomplished. Yet, you somehow get side tracked. You make a bus stop. You take time away from accomplishing what you set out to do. Here’s the key. Some of it is necessary. But, a great
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Business Keys To Success: Discernment

“Discernment can be described as the ability to find the root of the matter, and it relies on intuition as well as rational thought. Discernment is an indispensable quality for any leader who desires to maximize effectiveness.” — John Maxwell Over the years in my personal business coaching practice I have observed clients with a great deal of discernment. They always see the opportunities before others and they also see the dangers before others. Whether you are a self-employed business owner, entrepreneur, solo professional, corporate manager or corporate executive discernment can serve you well personally and professionally. Discernment—Get to the Heart of the Matter Whether you are starting your own business, running a small business or working in a large corporation you are required to lead in some shape or form. The way you lead is to get to the heart of whatever is holding you or your organization back from progress. Most of us have to deal with complexity and some chaos da
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Self Improvement Keys To Success: Finding Peace

In the previous post on peace we looked at one of the keys to success, finding peace. We looked at what is peace and what is causing distress. In this post I am going to start out and explore what peace is a little further. And, we will look at some ways to create peace. We will finish up with the concept that peace is best achieved by running your small business and your life by your expectations. Keys To Success: Know What Peace Is. What Peace Is Not. A Definition Sometimes in defining a subject it is easier to say what it is not rather than what it is. Peace is Not: Based on external influences Based on other people Based on the absence of pressure Peace is Internally Based Definition : Peace is to be set at “one” again. What does it mean to be set at “one” again? Primarily, this means living your life in alignment. Keys To Success: How To Create Peace... Read More
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Keys To Success: Learning From Your Time In The Twilight Zone

There is some gold to be mined during the Holidays in discovering your keys to success in life. For most of us, the normal routine is gone. It disappeared during the Christmas. And it was good. Now we have entered that twilight zone. What is the twilight zone? It is a time and place where the rhythm of business, life or both has changed. For most, it is a time where things have slowed down. If you have children in school you will not get to enter the twilight zone until after they go back. The twilight zone is a time for reflection and evaluation. It is a time, with the coming of the new year, to take stock of who you are and where you are at. It is a time to reflect on what has been and what is to come. It is a time of transition as we move from a Holiday mode back into our normal every day routines. One of the keys to success, whether you are a self-employed business owner, entrepreneur, solo professional or an individual, working or not, is to enjoy and learn from your time in t
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