Tom Watkins Coaching

Leadership Coaching | Self-Management | Capacity Development

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It’s Terrible! Let’s Co-ruminate.

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Three sharply-dressed passengers sitting nearby on an early morning flight were sufficiently loud, articulate and interesting for me to overhear their conversation. Mid-level managers in a high-tech industry, I figured. Over the next 50 minutes they repeatedly agreed they'd be more effective and happier if their staff, colleagues, senior executives and clients would behave better, just get out of their way, or be different people. Definitely a co-ruminating group:  regurgitating and re-heating … [Read more...]

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I Don’t Trust You

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We usually avoid saying this directly to those we mistrust.  It's more common to report our unease and reasons for it to other parties, make vague or indirect complaints, or practice avoidance. By then the relationship has effectively failed, though the mistrusted person may be unaware of this.  It can be difficult, if not  impossible, to repair the damage. Given the centrality of trust to cooperation and collaboration, what can be done and how can we behave in order to develop and maintain … [Read more...]

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That’s the problem, right there

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His opening gambit was, What do you do?   Not my ideal subject for small-talk during a short flight, but Oh well . . .  I spoke of coaching leaders to lift their game through a systematic focus on developing their own and others’ capacity for effectiveness . . . how this saves an extraordinary degree of otherwise wasted energy and . . .   As his eyes began glazing over, I invited him to talk about his work. Although my companion  spoke enthusiastically of recent developments in his (very … [Read more...]

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Managing and reflecting on your leadership

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Is leadership simply a higher form of management? Should leaders command, direct, explain, plead, role-model, inspire, cajole, threaten, bargain, encourage, coach, mentor, manipulate, or expect people to just get on with what they're paid to do without being "bossed"? Do your leadership KPIs measure leadership quality or organisational performance?   Are they the same or separate issues?  Can leadership effectiveness be reasonably argued if your part of the organisation succeeds and … [Read more...]

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Start with why

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When asked about meetings they attend,  people often roll their eyes or sigh heavily and say, "Don’t ask!" Clearly, something’s wrong. While "ineptly-facilitated" is one of the usual suspects and an obvious contributor to the problem, something fundamental and frequently overlooked usually lies at its heart.  It’s a major flaw which seriously reinforces the tendency of meetings to waste time, squander potential and irritate the participants.  One researcher points bluntly to it when he describes … [Read more...]