Rebels or Troublemakers?

People often fear rebels and r'evolutionaries. They fear change and rebels are agents of change. However its important to differentiate between a rebel and a trouble maker.

Trouble makers are people who have their own agenda and impose that agenda onto others regardless of other peoples needs and wants. They are essentially selfish.

Rebels have agendas too but they are based on the need for change to improve a situation that we find ourselves in, to move things on and to continue the evolutionary process of perfecting.

Stop Imagining!

Most of my work as a coach involves helping clients change limiting perceptions and raise their expectations. It is true that expectations drive behaviour and then performance - I have seen it too many times over the last 11 years in this field not to believe it so. But what it is that drives our expectations?

My youngest son (he's only 6..) told me a joke today. He said: 'Imagine you were stuck in a box with chains on it and then they dumped the box in the water - how would you escape Dad' When I scratched my head and told him I didn't know he said: 'STOP IMAGINING!!' and fell over with laughter at how stupid a dad can be...

Stop Imagining....what are the problems we are creating for ourselves through overactive and undisciplined or externally manipulated imaginings. How long will the 'tough times' last in business or will wars continue or all the inadequacies of the world remain - as long as we imagine them or when we can start to imagine (and then act to create) a new and different future.

It was once said that 'whatever the mind can imagine, mankind can create'.  We have demonstrated this simple yet profound fact many times through history. Perhaps it's time to start imagining and now creating a r'evolutionary personal, business and societal future.

Partnering

After you've been in this business of serving people in their quest for personal and professional decelopment, you eventually realise that there is only so far that you can go by doing it by yourself.

Many businesses in this field tend to be one-man/woman bands and they get along just fine. However, there comes a time when, if you really care about making a significant difference, you have to synergise your work with those of other firms.

For me that time has come recently and I am currently working on projects with two other firms in order to deliver new and scalable solutions for clients.

In the first I am introducing a new sales due diligence service which offers a comprehensive assessment for the skills of sales people within organisations - and having done this, can provide the exact type of professional development to help them become true 'rainmakers'. I'm quite excited by this one as it provides, for the first time for me, an independent evaluation of selling skills so that we can deliver quantified change. Originally developed for the technology sector it is applicable to all sales professionals in all industries. For more details drop me a line at sean.weafer@firstcoach.com

The second involves a unique arrangement where, despite having the skills required for the firm, I just don't have the scalability to meet their needs. Having come through an exhaustive tendering process a major bank now wants to work with two vendors - myself and one other to deliver the solution. Initially, I had a challenge with this - what with different philosophies of coaching, approaches and so forth - as did the other firm. However, with patience and a willingness to engage we have found a way of moving forward and trust that, together, we can provide the best possible solution for the client.

Synergy, communication, collaboration. Key values for the new age - and one's that will increasingly determine our futures in work and service.