Every year, a new challenge

Coaching

Whenever I have overseen people, I have tried to manage them in such a way that not only benefits the organization but also develops the person. When I was a senior pastor, I would think of a new challenge every year for each person I oversaw. I’d think, “What do they...

Walk before you run

Coaching

Here’s something I’ve learned:  When you’re doing coach training, don’t try to train them in an application area (e.g. coaching for church planting, coaching for discipling) at the same time you’re training them in basic coaching skills. If you try to have people...

Coaching: Keep yourself out of it

Coaching

A woman at a conference asked me one time what my position was on women in leadership. I responded, “I believe that leaders ought to be in leadership,” to which she responded, “Well said.” But in a coaching setting, if I am serving as the coach, my opinion on issues...

Pre-empting your mid-life crisis

Coaching

Everyone knows about the cultural phenomenon known as the mid-life crisis. It can result in anything from a sports car to an affair to a sudden career change. What is a mid-life crisis? It’s a forced evaluation—usually the result of circumstances beyond one’s control...

Don’t dump the whole truckload at once

Coaching

I was field-testing a training process recently. As I reflected on it, I realized we were answering questions that the people at the training event wouldn’t even be asking for at least two more years. Sure, I might know they would be asking it in two more years, so...