Forward Focus Coaching and Consulting

The challenge is in the moment, the time is always now. Reflect on what this means for your current situation. What road blocks are you currently facing that have derailed or completely stopped you in your tracks? 2020 certainly hasn't shaped up the way we thought it would. Seems every month brings a new challenge. ... There is no time like the present to get back on track and working towards your goals. These goals may have changed due to the pandemic, but you've got goals and action towards these goals is what will drive you forward. What can you do today to get back on track and moving towards your goals? What small step do you need to take to get things rolling again? All it takes is one step. Move passed the excuses and into action! Make a commitment to yourself. Today I commit to..... #forwardfocuscoaching #limitsbedamned #youvegotthis #goals #executivecoach

Managing Up #2: Speed reading others, how to build rapport quickly with your new supervisor and team. Ever have a conversation with someone who just did not get you? You may have been speaking clearly and loud enough, but your idea just did not land? Today’s skill inManaging Upis all aboutSpeed Readingothers to identify the communication style that will best get through to them. You may not realize it, but we all have preferences on how we like to communicate to ot...hers and how we like to be communicated with. If you have been in the workplace for a while you may have taken a personality assessment that shows you your preferences. These preferences make up part of the lens through which we see the world. Each lens is unique to the individual based on their life experience and no one personality style is better than the other. There are many tools available to help you assess your personality preferences, one that is easy to understand (and free) is theLumina Splash App. Check out thefree Appto learn more about your preferred style. Lumina looks at 4 Colours, 8 Aspects and 24 Qualities across 3 Personas (Underlying, Everyday and Overextended) to help you understand your preferred style. When we understand how we like to approach the world we can start to recognize how important it is to understand the preferences of others when communicating with them. We can learn to speak their language, to build rapport faster, get our ideas across, collaborate and influence others. Without taking a personality assessment though, how can you tell the best way to approach your new boss? This is whereSpeed Readingcomes in. By looking for a few characteristics (body language, tone of voice, content of conversation, and what their workspace looks like) you can quickly assess the best way to approach them. Tune in to the nextManaging Uppost on what to look for when Speed Reading others. #forwardfocuscoaching #luminalearning #luminaspark #managingup #jobseekers #newjob

A Learner’s Mindset:Seek first to understand, then to be understood. (Full post available on my blog. Link in bio) Today I kick off ourManaging Upseries by discussing mindset. Mindset is all about your frame of mind when approaching a situation. This is particularly important when interacting with a new boss and colleagues. You want to start the relationship off on a positive note and demonstrate how you will fit in with the team and add value to your new organizatio...n. Consider for a moment how you want others to see you and how you will make a positive and lasting first impression. Attitude or mindset will have a big impact here. When we are open to the ideas of others, we have a greater capacity to develop relationships, influence others, learn and grow. This is aLearner’s Mindset. When we approach a situation with a closed mindset, we are closed off from growth and developing relationships with others because we are locked in our own mind about how things aught to be. This is known as aJudging Mindset. ALearner’s Mindsetis listening to understand. Seems simple, but all too often we approach a situation with preconceived ideas or our own history in front of us which sets us on auto drive of following a script of how we think things should go. We use a judging mindset, we forget to stop and listen, I mean really listen to what others are saying before we react. If we fall into a judging mindset trap, we stop listening which hinders our ability to develop relationships and build rapport with a new boss and colleagues. ALearner’s Mindsetleads to collaboration, building trust, open two-way dialogue and relationships that will enhance your career. It is not just about being curious though, it is about leaning in, showing genuine interest, and making authentic comments to build on ideas. To be clear, aLearner’s Mindsetdoes not mean putting your ideas on hold but rather means seeking to understand someone else before putting forth your own ideas. Drop me a line and share what you have learned about mindset in Managing Up! Check out my blog for the full article and tips on Managing Up. See more

Follow along this month as I explore Managing Up. https://www.forwardfocuscoaching.ca//6/8/managing-up-series

What if individuals and teams were empowered to bring an entrepreneurial spirit to the work they do for you? Imagine a culture that supported new ideas, creative ways of thinking, taking a product or service from good to great! What could this mean for the big picture and employee engagement? This concept isn’t anything new, Gifford Pinchot III, coined the term intrapreneur in 1978 and defined it as "dreamers who do." "Intrapreneurs are employees who do for corporate in...novation what an entrepreneur does for his or her start-up." Early on the term intrapreneur referred to employees who were given liberties (i.e. budget and freedom from established corporate policies and processes) to innovate and build prototypes they wouldn’t have had the ability to develop otherwise. To me, this sounds like certain individuals were given license to create, design and think outside of the proverbial box. Their job was to be internal entrepreneurs! Today, intrapreneurship is still about freedom to innovate but it is also the ability to bring forward ideas and for all employees to be responsible for driving the business forward by how they approach work and what they do. In order to drive a culture of intrapreneurship in your organization, what would you need to do to create the environment where this could flourish? A few things come to my mind. - Create an environment of psychological safety where employees are supported to take risks without the fear of reprimand for failure (fail forward if you will). - Build your organization on the foundation of trust. - Make space for it. What barriers (policies, processes, culture norms) do you need to shift to make it possible? - Embed the necessary behaviours in your competency framework. -Determine and define the competencies necessary for intrapreneurship and add them to your core competencies. - Grow and hone the necessary skills through training and development programs accessible to employees at all levels in your organization. - Hire for it. Add the competency to your hiring process so you can recruit the right talent. What else comes to mind for you? #forwardfocuscoaching #intrapreneur #culture #leader See more

Nothing sets your intentions for the week ahead better than reflecting on your personal mission statement. My personal mission statement is about how I move through life. When I am doing this well I feel grounded and fulfilled. When I am struggling I find it is because I am drifting away from my mission. Life isn't only about what you accomplish, but it is about how you accomplish it. ... How do you ground yourself for the week ahead? #forwardfocuscoaching #limitsbedamned #youvegotthis #goals #yyj #executivecoach #plan #idwellinpossibility #dreambig #dreambigger

As we say goodbye to 2019 what is on the horizon for you in 2020? This time of year is traditionally filled with New Years resolutions, goals or promises we make ourselves about how we want to be or what we wish to accomplish in the year ahead. Often these are forgotten by the end of January, usually because we haven't planned well enough or aligned these goals with bigger goals that reach our core values. Have you considered the coming year and where you want to be this ...time next year? What monthly or daily goals are you working towards? Write them down! Small changes each day lead to big changes over time. Now that you have considered this horizon, look beyond it to your next horizon. This could be 5 years down the road or just 2-3 years. What is important is that the goals of this year, month, week, or day align you to where you want to be in 2, 3 or 5 years. Write this goal down. Close your eyes and sink into what you want for yourself (personal life, career, school, business, etc.). Now look further out - what does your horizon look like in 10-20 years? What business, career, personal or health success do you want to have accomplished? Take a moment to imagine what you want your life to look and feel like when you are 10-20 years older than you are today. Write this down. Now work backwards, what do you need to accomplish or do along the way to make these goals a reality? Align your horizons so you can build your future today! Happy New Year and all the best in 2020! #forwardfocuscoaching #limitsbedamned #goals #newyearnewme #vision #yourfuturestartsnow #dreambig #dreambigger #horizon #yyj #yvr #executivecoach #2020

Blinders. Ever feel as though life continuously looks the same? You do the same thing over and over again without noticing a change. . We might not notice it but we are so focused on our goals that we forget to look up. We forget to take time to notice, to appreciate what is happening around us. . Some people might say our view is limited by the lens with which we view the world. This lens is created by our personal life experiences. There is no right or wrong lens, but ...there is an important awareness that we need to pay attention to. We need to understand how we see the world and value how others might see the world so we can truly appreciate and understand the world around us. Otherwise we are only understanding our view of the world. . How do you do remove your blinders? I had a great coaching conversation recently around curiosity. Imagine what it would be like to approach your day through the lens of curiosity. What would you learn? What would it be like to approach a situation as a learner or with a beginners mindset? How could this accelerate your goals and lead to greater success? If you lead a team, what might you learn from others? . By removing our personal lens we are removing our biases and opening up the door to possibly. . #forwardfocuscoaching #curiosity #ivegotthis #limitsbedamned #executivecoach #dreambig #dreambigger #idwellinpossibility #yourfuturestartsnow

When you wake up tomorrow, plan to spend the day as your future self. What would that look like? . . How will your future self behave differently than your present self? Will you take the stairs instead of the elevator? Or drink more water? Or speak up during a meeting? Or perhaps you will lead with curiosity or make a phone call you have been procrastinating on. .... . What behaviours do you need to modify? . . Whose help do you need to enlist? . . Set your intentions and give it a try! One small change in our behaviour is all we need to start the ball rolling to bigger changes. It all starts with one small step. . . Drop me a note below and share what your plans are and it goes . . #forwardfocuscoaching #limitsbedamned #youvegotthis #newyearnewme #yourfuturestartsnow #yourfuturestartshere #yyj #yvr #yyz #yyc #dreambig #dreambigger #executivecoach #plan #idwellinpossibility See more

Turbulence. Quite a common occurrence when flying, but what do you do when you experience it in your every day pursuit of goals? Does it stop you in your tracks? A pilot doesn’t stop flying the moment she hits turbulence. Pilots have protocols and SOPs on what to do when they hit turbulence. This protocol is engrained in them before they even take to the skies. When a pilot hits turbulence they become even more vigilant. They reach out on the radio for weather reports a...nd even check with other planes in the area. They draw on all of their resources to look for smoother skies. In life when we experience turbulence, perhaps we can learn something from pilots. Let’s plan for what might happen and then move quickly to action so we don’t lose our momentum. What could you add to this plan? Perhaps a few people you can reach out to (your ground control!) a colleague, friend, mentor, past boss, you get the idea. Also, know your strengths so you can lean into these to pull you through the challenging patch. What do you do when life hits turbulence? I’d love to hear how you manage through the rough patches and make your way to smoother skies.

Ever feel so stressed or overwhelmed that you felt as though there was a fog all around you? We have all felt this way at one point or another. It isn't a pleasant feeling. . . When we stop to think about everything we do in a day, week or year, there is no wonder why we might feel this way. .... . Have you ever considered what stressors might be in your life? I am sure you could name a few off the top of your head right now. Write these down! Now consider the hidden stressors that also exist in your life. This might be screen time, noise, smells, relationship drama, commute to work, allergies, pain, etc. . . When we can identify our stressors we can start to plan our way out of becoming overwhelmed. Think about your self talk, body sensations and actions you take while slipping into overextension. This will give you an idea of what to look out for AND help plan your way out. . . I use a psychometric tool called Lumina Spark to help clients identify these overextension and utilize their key strengths to pull themselves out of the fog of stress. What do you do to identify your stressors and stay out of the overwhelmed zone? . . #forwardfocuscoaching #luminalearning #luminaspark #limitsbedamned #stress #overwhelmed #youvegotthis #executivecoach #anxiety See more

Glitter and gratitude have a lot in common. Ever accidentally knock over a container of glitter? It is amazing how quickly it spreads everywhere! And how it shows up in the most unexpected places! . . Gratitude is very similar. Once you start sharing gratitude with others it quickly spreads. .... . Gratitude works best when we start with ourselves. To do this, start by listing 3 things you are grateful for. Reflect on these 3 things. How does this make you feel? Now go share some gratitude with those closest to you or someone who you feel would benefit from receiving it. I bet this feels great! . . Have a wonderful day and don’t forget to brighten someone’s day by sprinkling a bit of gratitude glitter! #forwardfocuscoaching #futurefocusfriday #gratitude #resilience #youvegotthis #ivegotthis #positivepsychology #goals #executivecoach #glitterandgratitude

Weekend reminder. Put down your work and go outside to play. .. .. Have a great weekend everyone!... #forwardfocuscoaching #limitsbedamned #youvegotthis #newyear #goal #yyj #yvr #

Take a moment and just breathe. Close your eyes, take a deep breath in and slowly exhale. Do this three more times to calm your body and mind. . . Feel good?! A simple task like concentrating on our breath can bring a busy mind back to the present and release stress that builds over the course of the day. .... . If you find yourself tense and frustrated as you hurry to meet your Friday deadlines take a moment to breathe and release the stress of the week. Focusing on your breathing will help release tension, clear the mind and prepare you for the day ahead. . . Happy Friday everyone! You've got this! #forwardfocuscoaching #futurefocusfriday #limitsbedamned #youvegotthis #newyear #goal #justbreathe #resilience #buildinghappiness

Heading into the weekend I am reflecting on what a great reminder this is. . . Persistence pays off but developing the resilience to persevere takes time and effort. It truly is like building a muscle. .... . What do you do to build resilience? I'm heading out on my mountain bike to enjoy the trails and fresh air tomorrow but during the week I focus on showing myself compassion and sharing gratitude with others. . . Share your resilience building strategies below, I'd love to hear them! . . . #forwardfocuscoaching #futurefocusfriday #limitsbedamned #youvegotthis #newyear #goals #resilience #resilienceatwork #selfreg #perseverance #perseverancepaysoff #mtb

Perseverance truly is a super power. When we reframe our failures as lessons we learn more about ourselves and go farther in life. . This might be easier said than done of course but have you tried looking at what went wrong from a different angle? We can gain a lot of perspective when we step outside of our own beliefs and take a step back to see how others might perceive the situation. . Try asking yourself what someone else might see or say or do! Choose a few people y...ou admire and look at it from their perspective! . And then get up and try, try, try again! You’ve got this! . #forwardfocuscoaching #perspective #perseverance #youvegotthis #limitsbedamned #trytrytryagain #ivegotthis See more

Good Monday morning everyone! Today is the day, your day to be exact... your day to get it done! . . What am I talking about? You know! What is that one thing you keep putting off? Procrastinating over? Hitting the snooze button on because you don't want to deal with it?! .... . We all have a few things that we keep putting off until a better time, more convenient time, more resources, more whatever comes our way. The point is that what we procrastinate on is holding us back, mentally and physically. . . So, what do you need to do today, right now, this instant, to move forward and get it done? . . Feeling challenged to get moving? Take a moment and reflect on an accomplishment that you have had, how did it make you feel? Think about that wonderful feeling and how proud you were of yourself. Let this positive feeling energize you to make your move. . . Have a great day and wonderful week everyone! Drop me a line if you are looking for an accountability partner. #forwardfocuscoaching #limitsbedamned #youvegotthis #newyear #newyearnewme #PROCRASTINATION #dreambig #vision #todayistheday

Wow, it is hard to believe Friday is upon us! What a busy week... and a long one after 2 glorious weeks off for Spring Break! . . How are you going to end your week? I keep thinking about the last 5 minutes of spin class where the instructor urges you to give it all and leave nothing in the tank. I equate this to the workweek by ensuring I have checked off my to-do lists and goals for the week. Sometimes this means an extra busy Friday, but it certainly leaves me feeling ...fulfilled! . . What is on your to-do list that you haven't crossed off this week? How are you going to make time to make that call or finish that project in time for the weekend so you can relax and not think about doing it on Monday?! . . Have a great Friday everyone! #forwardfocuscoaching #futurefocusfriday #limitsbedamned #youvegotthis #newyearnewme #vision #yourfuturestartsnow #dreambig #dreambigger #fearlessfriday #pelaton

Happy Friday everyone! We are at the midpoint for Spring Break at our house and have had quite the adventure so far. From mtn bikes to spring skiing it has been great week! Watching our son learn to ski for the first time made me reflect on this quote. It brought to life the realization that we need to believe in ourselves if we wish to accomplish our goals and dreams. Without this belief we are aiming in the dark and not focussed on where we are going. Take a mom...ent this week to inventory your strengths and look closely at how you will use them to get to where you want to be. Share your top 3 strengths and how you use them as your superpower! Have a great weekend! #forwardfocuscoaching #futurefocusfriday #limitsbedamned #youvegotthis #newyearnewme #goals #liveyourbestlife #motivationalquotes

What a week! Yesterday was International Women's Day where a number of my clients shared their amazing breakthroughs and successes with me. Such an inspiring group of women. . . What really stood out to me was their perseverance and determination to stay the course no matter what gets in their way. Their superpowers truly are perseverance and resilience. .... . How do you lock into your vision and stay true to your goals? Having clarity in your vision helps you to visualize where you are going. Try writing down the three most important accomplishments you want for yourself, keep them close and reflect on them often so you stay on track and prevent getting distracted. . . Have a wonderful weekend everyone! Stand tall and keep moving forward. . . #forwardfocuscoaching #limitsbedamned #goals #vision #yourfuturestartsnow #dreambig #dreambigger #youvegotthis See more

A step forward, no matter how big, is a step in the right direction. What will you do today to move yourself towards achieving your goals? Will you... --create a plan --schedule a meeting... --make a call you have been putting off --ask for help --take time to reflect on what you want --begin some research --make a "to do" list --be brave and take a risk Whatever you do, go do it and share your step below! See more

To get a good night's sleep: 1. Think of a happy memory of an accomplishment you are proud of. Recall all of the details around how this success/sense of accomplishment felt to you. 2. Write down the three most important tasks for Monday and when you will complete them. 3. List out the people/resources you will need to accomplish the 3 tasks. 4. Note any barriers and how you will get around them.... 5. Write down what success will look like, how you will feel and how you will reward yourself on Monday. 6. Get a good night's sleep by going to bed on time See more

Happy weekend everyone. I hope you are taking some time to reflect on the week and plan for the week to come. . . Rest is important but so is keeping your momentum working towards your goals. .... . Get up and go do something that your future self will thank you for! I am going spinning now! . . I have one accountability session open for Sunday. If you are looking for a mini coaching session to keep you on track for the week ahead check out the link in my bio. . . #forwardfocuscoaching #futurefocusfriday #limitsbedamned #youvegotthis #newyearnewme #vision #yourfuturestartsnow #goals #dreambig #dreambigger #geterdone See more