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Success is in your blood…

… maybe.

Consider your antecedents.

“Antecedents” refers to your family or origin, parents, and grandparents.  These are “your people.”  They left you with strong messages about your probability of success.

If in doubt, read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell.

If still in doubt, reflect on the messages passed on by your antecedents.

Here are two examples:

My running partner, George, has parents who met in the second grade, as school children in the midwest.  One grandfather took him for ice cream almost every day.  The other grandfather took him on weeklong trips every summer.  His extended family lived within blocks of one another.  They slept at each other’s homes.  Some family members disliked each other. But they traveled together and kept their differences to themselves.  And in the depression, one patriarch left the banking world to sell life insurance.  He made money for over 50 years… In a similar way,  George does the same work that he started at age 17 when he joined the Air Force.  Executive assessments and coaching and consulting.  His antecedents taught him something about independent judgement, business, and long term focus.

My former client, Harry, has family roots from Ontario and Buffalo, NY.  Everyone in his family skates backwards.  His grandfather was the personnel manager at the largest local business.  As such, he hired hundreds of people, including all the sisters at Harry’s grandmother’s side of the family.  All of them were employees, workers.  They measured success by hours endured at work.  During the depression Harrys’ grandfather on his mother’s side was given enough wood to build a cottage on Lake Erie.  For generations thereafter, hundreds of his descendants gathered there for summer picnics and volleyball games.  Then they returned to work early Monday morning… In contrast, Harry rebelled against that life style.  He travelled the world.  He became a masterful salesman.  Then he started his small business.  He became very successful.  His passion?  Harry refused to life the same life as his antecedents.

So, take a minute to do the following:

1.  Make a list of “who” and “what.”  Who were you antecedents and what did they teach you?

2.  Share that list with 6 people in your Inner Circle.  If you do not have 6 people, then you need to invite them.  Or hire me.

Success is largely shaped by our antecedents.

For details on how to be more successful, then call me at 704.895.6479

 

My coaching guarantee

Since 1997, I have provided an unconditional guarantee on coaching services from Action Learning Associates.

There is no “fine print.”

If you are not happy, then I do not want your money.

With many clients, I offer a coaching for results guarantee.  If we agree to work together, and you do the work, then you can pay me at any time.  I guarantee high value.  To date, after hundreds of clients, 100% of them have paid for their coaching services.  Some agreed to pay a lesser amount than we had expected.  Some agreed to pay more.  Virtually 100% found the coaching to be valuable.

Here is why I provide that guarantee.  When I was in high school I had two paper routes.  And I worked at a warehouse after school.  And I cleaned windows and did lawns in the neighborhood.  One neighbor wanted the windows cleaned.  I said, “Yes of course.”  It took about two days.  Imagine sweaty grimy paper towels and windex.  Three stories of filthy windows.  Midsummer heat.  I was tired… but I did my best to do the job.  When the neighbor asked how much to pay me, I countered with, “Let me ask you two questions and then we will likely agree on a number.”

The first question was, “Were you delighted with the service I provided and would you hire me or refer me if the need arose again?”  She said yes.

The second question was,  “What was the value of this service for you?”  She said a number that was higher than what I expected.  I said thank you.

That was in 1981 or so… and I have used that process ever since.

Recently I learned that Marshall Goldsmith, a premier executive coach, uses a similar model when coaching for results.  Here is that model:

 

 

Our coaching tracks the proven eight-step process:

  1. Select the appropriate coach
  2. Measure baseline performance
  3. Identify areas for skills development
  4. Formulate a custom training regimen
  5. Secure stakeholder buy-in
  6. Implement the training regimen
  7. Follow up with stakeholders
  8. Measure results
I like this model and this list.  There are no “fine details.”  All about coaching for results.
So, are you ready to work together?  Give me a call now.

 

Profits are better than wages

Jim Rohn, the great business consultant and philosopher, tells a story about his childhood.  You may like this story…

As a boy Jim learned that he had two choices:

1.  He could work for others and earn a wage.  As an employee.  For as long as he was able.

2.  Or, he could develop himself and his team, and earn a profit.  As a small business owner.  And earn profits.  For as long as he was able.

He could have learned about these choices at any age.  He could have been your age when he learned about them.  Jim quickly realized that earning a profit would lead to wealth.  He embraced choice #2.  Here are some reasons why you should do the same:

Personal development leads to wealth.

Self education leads to wealth.

Professional development leads to wealth.

The small business owner with the strongest team is the wealthiest…

Professional coaching and consulting with me is guaranteed to help you make profits.

And profits are better than wages.

So call me now.  At 704.895.6479.

Why Coaching can never be a commodity

I just got off a peer coaching call with a man I have never met.

Yet for 3 years we have held each other accountable to our dreams, goals, and visions.  He is my peer coach.

We agreed that coaching can never be a commodity because:

1.  Coaching is an interactive process.  We exchange all that is human.  We interrupt.  We rant.  We share evidence-based wisdom.  We guarantee results.

2.  Commodities have no emotions.  And people do.  You can buy consultative video coaching snippets.  You can buy self coaching units.  And you can buy junk food.  Those commodities are worthless.

One goal of coaching is to enable people to garner their emotional strength into constructive action.

We KNOW that emotions drive thoughts.  And thoughts drive actions.  We even know what portions of the brain, and what neuro-chemical triggers are involved.  So why would anyone even consider that coaching can be a commodity?

I am not threatened by the commoditization of coaching services.

However, I am disappointed by the distrust and fear that some people have that prevents them from asking for help.

Give me a call.  Let’s talk about what you are feeling and thinking and doing.

WTF Coaching

WTF stands for “what the f____”     It’s a swear word.   You should know that.

I swear by this:  WTF stands for “What’s The Focus?”

When you FOCUS on providing great value to people, then you will do so.

When you focus on cheating people, then you will do so.

WTF Coaching is a process of intentionally focusing on positive outcomes in your professional and personal life.

We ALL need WTF coaching at times.

No one is successful when they are alone.  Teams are successful.  The myth of the solo-preneur is dead.  Every successful client and alliance partner that I know of has a tremendous support team providing sales, marketing, delivery, assessments, etc.

Throughout history, our WTF Coaches have helped us become successful.  They help us keep our focus.

I currently work with 2 peer WTF Coaches, because I need more help than many 🙂

So, who is your WTF Coach?

I Only Sell Value

People buy products and services ONLY when they see tremendous value.

When I need a discount I go to Amazon or Costco.  Transactional level of services.  I do not compete with such transactional “business coaches.”  If someone wants information they can have it from my transactional websites, www.growcompany.co and www.startcompany.co.

When I want to provide tremendous value to a business owner or team, then I ALWAYS provide 3 levels of value.  People need to choose.  And they pay more for each investment.

Then I strive to ALWAYS over-deliver on whatever value level they select.

If you’d like to see a sample proposal, just call or reply directly.

How about you, do you ONLY sell value?