90 Seconds to Be Inspired

It’s been an epic two weeks focused on coaching, conferences and community!

From a CPO anti-conference in Beverly Hills to the roll-out of Wendy Road in Brooklyn, to leading a coaching workshop at this amazing venue, my heart is full and my brain is telling me on repeat: 

“High performers need community, high performers need community, oh, and high performers need coaching too.” (Also, high performers need sleep, as my jet-lagged self is currently reminding me.)

The takeaway from Wendy Road other than the stunning 5-course dinner at a private Chef’s Counter, was simple, high performers need to surround themselves with other people at the top of their game who are still committed to learning and growing. People leaders have had almost CEO-level pressure on us for quite some time and it’s time for us to have CEO-level support. 

Amin Toufani was a keynote at Elevate, the CPOHQ event. Listening to his keynote, I wanted to simultaneously cheer and cry, hide from him and yet I also wanted to work for him. His research into the imminent impact of artificial intelligence, climate change, etc. on our future was - well, you decide. Here’s an example he shared:

We are about to experience such radical, exponential change as a population, the human brain can’t even comprehend it. Example? ChaptGPT just passed the United States Medical Licensing Exam AND performed better in “bedside manner” than humans…If AI robots can be doctors, what will us lowly humans do now? And as People leaders and business builders, how do we need to rethink talent, performance and culture as a result.

Mr. Toufani emphasized that the world around us will be so chaotic, work will need to be a safe haven. Kindness and adaptability will rule. Toxicity in work relationships will not be tolerated.

It got me thinking about, and appreciating, what us leaders have in front of us, and the importance of building the right scaffolding to lift us up.

90 Seconds to Learn a Little

This week I’m leading a workshop on Coaching for High Performance. Here are a few highlights:

I am a little obsessed with the research from Yerkes-Dodson on the “optimal level of stress” and how that correlates with performance. HBR has a great article on it here.

The Yerkes Dodson Law diagrammed above, indicates that stress and performance are positively correlated, but only up to a certain point. After that, additional stress reduces performance until a breakdown or burnout occurs..

So how do we coach our people to get to the optimal level of stress and thus, performance?

One - we have to understand our people as individuals. I often picture myself as a scientist in a lab. Each of my people are in a test tube and each has a little bunsen burner under them. I’m “metaphorically” turning up the heat, little by little, and some I can really crank it and others get burned real quick. Figuring out the optimal level of stress is a fun experiment! But regardless of how much stress they need to perform their best, coaching is an essential tool to support & level them up. 

Coaching is often misunderstood, so here is a handy little diagram that defines it well.

Coaching is asking questions rooted in solutions.

Coaching questions should be…

Good questions need to be followed by great listening. I personally love the GROW model for coaching. Here it is with a few sample questions. Try it the next time someone brings you a problem. It is magic in a conversation framework ; )

90 Seconds to Connect

Coaching, Conferences and Community, oh my! 

Achieving meaningful professional growth requires more than just self-directed learning. It’s about harnessing the right combination of tools and support. 

Coaching offers personalized guidance. It helps identify strengths, overcome challenges, and set actionable goals. 

Community connects you to strong professional high performers who inspire excellence with continuous peer learning, accountability, and inspiration.

Conferences expand your perspective, offering access to the latest industry insights, thought leaders, and networking opportunities. 

Together, coaching, community, and conferences create a holistic development experience that fosters both personal and professional growth and keeps you at the top of your game.

Everyone needs a coach. Everyone needs industry exposure (i.e. conferences). And everyone needs a professional community. The actual mix of these matter a lot as you elevate in your career.

Here’s a matrix of how I’ve thought about it from the lens of coaching:

If you are in need of group/peer or individual coaching or advisory, or if you want my hit list of conferences and communities, drop me a line!

Help expand my inner circle!

My company, ScaleJOY, has delivered quality experiences to hundreds of clients and has grown solely by word of mouth referrals. Spread the joy by sharing this newsletter, or connect them directly to me for leadership development, coaching, or offsite facilitation. Thank you for your continued support!