10 goals for a coaching series

If you were to make one change in your life that would move you forward in living out your calling, what would it be?

What would you like to accomplish, as we coach together over the next few months?

The exciting thing about working with a coach, is that you, the coachee, set the agenda. Some might not know where to start. The following are some of the actual goals our coaches have worked with. The options are endless to grow personally and professionally, whether you are head of a large organization or a new mom partnering in ministry.

  • to keep up with the pace of life and do it well
  • to gain clarity regarding possible future move
  • to develop trust and understanding between myself and a co-worker
  • to lead ministry area to discover a clear, compelling vision for our future
  • to rediscover who I am in God, a healthy identity in my new role
  • to establish healthy patterns & practice of biblical rest
  • to more effectively and clearly communicate
  • to move forward in ministry while processing deep grief & loss 
  • to manage communication with supporters
  • to prepare and carry out discipleship training program

A coach can help you manage a stressful or ambiguous job, think through life balance, or clarify something that has shifted. Coaching can provide a framework to take action towards your own goals.

Look here to get started.

(Coaching series questions adapted from materials by Creative Results Management.)

Fake it ’til you make it?

Today, my sons are were flying home for Christmas.  Their flight was just cancelled, and we will wait at least another 24 hours to see them.  One airport story begets another . . . a brief encounter with a magazine headline at a gift shop in the Frankfurt airport a couple of years ago.  It was the Harvard Business Review, with these words enticing readers to open their magazine: “The Problem of Authenticity: When It’s Okay to Fake it Until You Make It.”

I had just finished my dissertation, which included a long section on authentic leadership. On seeing the arresting headline, several thoughts simultaneously passed through my mind.  I wrote them down as soon as I sat down at the gate, but they’ve stayed on my computer ever since.  So today, in honor of my sons who are spending an extra day in Chicago, here’s my gut reaction to “The Problem of Authenticity: When It’s Okay to Fake it Until You Make It.”

1. It’s NEVER okay to fake it.

2. It’s NOT that important to “make it.”

3. Or, maybe we would should recognize that every day is an opportunity to “make it” with the important things in life.

4. There are many problems with authenticity.  For example, the many temptations to give it up.

5. It IS important to step out of one’s comfort zone (that’s one of the things advocated by the article).