by Doug Gray | Jul 29, 2013 | action learning process, Business, change, Coaching, Leadership, Managers, Meetings, money, organizational leadership, Personal Development, Sales, talent
Action Learning is a behavioral change process model that works 1) for groups and 2) for individuals.
For groups, Action Learning occurs when stakeholders use real problems to acquire learning and implement system-wide solutions.
For individuals, Action Learning is a behavioral coaching methodology that applies the same 4 steps.
The Action Learning change process model includes four steps:
1) decide what breakthrough requires you to invest resources,
2) act with a talented, cross-functional team and executive endorsement,
3) reflect on steps achieved, and
4) connect or expand the results across business or functional lines, to new markets or clients.
We have facilitated organizational Action Learning change using both virtual and direct processes:
1. Technology processes: SharePoint, Action Item task lists, virtual teams, e-coaching and e-consulting, digital consulting and short implementation teams.
2: Direct meeting processes: assessments, facilitation in a series of workshops, coaching and consulting, project initiatives, leadership off-site retreats, strategic reorganization
For a summary of consulting fees and investment levels for organizations click here, and for individuals click here.
Our Services typically include:
Assessments (e.g. individual, group, organizational, strategic)
Qualitative or Quantitative 360 assessments
Organizational Culture Assessments
Leadership competency assessments
Leadership consulting and behavioral coaching (e.g. individual, team or group levels)
Strategic planning and organizational redesign
Videography
Shadow Coaching
Facilitation, training, retreats or workshops
The result is that the Action Learning process helps individuals and groups become true learning organizations.
What are you waiting for?
Download this list of services and investment levels now:
Please contact us or call immediately at 704.995.6647 or schedule your initial consultation here.
by Doug Gray | Jan 4, 2013 | Business, change, Coaching, Employment, energy industry, Leadership, Managers, Meetings, money, Personal Development, safety, Sales, Success
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?
by Doug Gray | Feb 10, 2012 | Business, change, Coaching, Employment, energy industry, Leadership, Managers, Meetings, Success
We asked both the Charlotte Chamber and the Charlotte Regional Partners to promote or contribute to the 2012 Energy Leadership Project. Not yet. Perhaps one day they will do so.
We believe that there cannot be enough conversations about what successful energy leaders are doing.
So we created the 2012 Energy Leadership Project. The purpose is to engage energy industry headers and share data immediately. At no cost.
Our partners to date include the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Hub at Packard Place, on 222 South Church Street. Invitations have been forwarded by Queen City Forward, Sustain Charlotte, YPE Charlotte (Young Professionals in Energy), plus hundreds of individual leaders.
We invite you to forward this blog, and invitation, to any of the 26,000 energy industry leaders in the Charlotte region. We welcome your input.
There are 10 questions on the survey at http://tinyurl.com/2012ELP. Some questions are open-ended. After 8 weeks online, 66people have opened the survey. 24 people have completed it. There are some 26,000 energy industry leaders in the Charlotte region. That is an itty-bitty sample size…
We encourage you to forward this blog post and invite others to contribute to the focus group, interview, or short survey. Click on http://tinyurl.com/2012ELP.
Here are results from one question:
What are the top 3 behavioral competencies of the best leaders at tour company? (select your top 3.)
- Great communicator 26%
- Maximizes the productivity of others 4%
- Shares an optimistic vision 4%
- Results oriented 9%
- Humble enough to attribute success to the team 13%
- Publicly recognizes the strengths of others 9%
- Creates trust 13%
- Expects to increase profitability 22%
FYI, these choices were selected from an extensive review of related surveys. Sample responses came from Booz Allen, the Center for Creative Leadership, McKinsey, the Gallup Organization, our expertise, and best practices in the energy industry.
So, how do you interpret this data?
by Doug Gray | Feb 8, 2012 | Business, change, Coaching, Financial Professionals, Leadership, Managers, Meetings, money, strengths, Success
Yesterday I had this scenario. A second meeting with a prospective client named “Mike.” Perhaps you have had a similar scenario…
Our first meeting was in his office, after a referral from a current client. I met his staff. I learned their needs. I clearly explained the value of coaching. He agreed to a sample session. We quickly determined his strengths. He summarized those strengths. He defined possible focus areas for coaching. He requested 4 days to discuss the coaching investment before our second meeting. I asked him, “What will be different in 4 days that will enable you to say yes at that time?” He had a slippery answer. Regardless, we agreed to meet by phone for the second meeting, at which time he would say yes/no or define a clear future/ next step.
Then, yesterday, we met by phone. He wanted me to “sell him on my services.” I demurred. I do not yet know the value of coaching to his small business. If he does some work, the value will be vast. He may increase his assets over $100K in fewer than 12 months. If he does not do the work, the value of coaching will be zero. He did not like that fact.
After a few attempts back to his agenda, I stated that I was not likely his coaching partner.
There is an energy between people. His behavioral energy was verbally competitive. He needed to win the arguments. So of course I let him “win.”
Rigidity kills relationships.
In fact, rigidity is the #1 career killer. There are many competencies that can hinder a career. Low empathy. Poor communication. Unclear expectations. Unwillingness to listen. Rigidity is the #1 career killer.
Think of someone you avoid. Are they rigid?
Now think of someone successful (however you define “success.”) Are they flexible?
One reason I love my work is because I get to select who I work with. I would much rather work with someone who is flexible, open to defining their future, than someone who is rigid.
A related example is the often quoted passage from Steve Jobs at Apple, that, “I am most proud of what we said “no” to at Apple.”
Throughout recorded history, which is only 650,000 years, the most successful people have focused on their goals. They/we have said “no” to distractions.
A coaching question for you may be, “Who do you need to say “no” to today?
by Doug Gray | Dec 11, 2011 | book review, Business, change, Coaching, digital, Employment, energy industry, exercise, faith, family, Financial Professionals, Front, global, healthcare, Leadership, Managers, Meetings, money, Personal Development, physicians, published articles, Resources, safety, Sales, strengths, Success, talent, talent assessment, video
Welcome,
It may be obvious, however, I want to encourage you to:
1. Scroll over the boxes/categories on the sidebar for key words that interest you.
2. Enter any word in the search button. Then follow that post to more posts.
3. Write a comment. Your thoughts are more important than mine.
4. Forward any posts to your friends/colleagues.
5. Join the RSS feed so that you receive regular blog updates as they are posted.
The purpose of this blog is to share what works.
So, what works for you?
by Doug Gray | Dec 9, 2011 | change, exercise, family, Leadership, Managers, Meetings, money, Personal Development, strengths, Success
Recently our high school-aged daughter asked, “Daddy, you talk to people all day long about their success. If you can make it simple, what are the two keys to success?”
If she was quizzing me, then I failed. Perhaps because I did not expect the question, perhaps because I wanted to say something special to her.
I said something trite: Focus on your strengths. Persist. Follow your passions. Build a great team. But sadly, like most of us, perhaps, I just could not find the words. Frankly, I struck out.
Then yesterday someone made it simple. Now I can answer her…
What are the 2 keys to success?
1. Attention, and 2. Support.
Just as we attend to an infant and support their growth, we create gardens of success. Every successful person talks about those who gave them attention. Their mentors. Their elders. Their coaches. Those who listened well, believed in them, supported them. After repeated actions toward a desirable goal, those people thrived and eventually felt successful.
This morning I shared this idea with someone. She doodled a circle, then drew an exclamation point, bold, in the center of the circle, to represent “attention,” then she gave it legs to represent “support,” then gave it an arrow to represent a future success. That image works!
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The same pattern occurs in a coaching engagement. When I first meet someone they may be uncertain of the process, unclear about why they are receiving the attention. A common fear is that coaching is a process of “fixing behavioral gaps or deficiencies.” As if we could dunk people into a “flea and tick bath” and they emerge cleaned, ready for the next challenge. Instead, people decide if they like the attention, if they can use the support, and if they want to develop their strengths. That choice is the key to success.
So, key coaching questions may include, “Who do you need to give more attention to?” Or, “How can you support someone’s strengths?”
Time to go… I now have an answer for my daughter.
What are you going to do?
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