If coaching is to succeed, it must be simple and specific. That’s why I am a big believer in flash cards. Maybe this goes back to my childhood when my patient mother used them to help me learn phonetics, words and arithmetic. You can even make a master flash card for dealing with complex problems by doing the following:
- Square the circle. Focus on the core problem and its root causes, not peripheral ones that may be clouding the picture.
- Determine action steps. Be specific about what you can do as well as what you cannot do.
- Move forward. Take action when called for.
Flash cards can serve as your prompt to think through a problem, as well as to take action in a deliberate manner.
John Baldoni is chair of leadership development at N2Growth, is an internationally recognized leadership educator and executive coach. In 2014, Trust Across America named him to its list of top 100 most trustworthy business experts. Also in 2014, Inc.com named Baldoni to its list of top 100 leadership experts, and Global Gurus ranked him No. 11 on its list of global leadership experts. Baldoni is the author of more than a dozen books, including his newest, “MOXIE: The Secret to Bold and Gutsy Leadership.”
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