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The Conversation You’re Avoiding is the One That Matters Most
Article
Game-changing feedback
Article
First published January 17, 2024.
The 3×4 Coaching program has honed my intuitive management style, providing clear frameworks and precise language.
The feedback module, emphasizing specific, behavior-oriented feedback, has been a game-changer, adding valuable mental frameworks to my leadership toolkit. This enhancement has markedly improved my capability to guide and inspire my teams effectively.
-Ethan Trawick
The Power of Preparation
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First published July 25, 2023.
As a busy leader, I often find myself jumping from one meeting to the next. In the past, I would sometimes enter 1-on-1 meetings unprepared, resulting in ineffective discussions.
However, after participating in the 3×4 Coaching program, I came to realize the importance of being a great coach and providing valuable feedback, which requires proper preparation for these conversations. The tools provided in this course have enabled me to enhance the quality of my interactions with my peers, ultimately leading to stronger and more trusting relationships with them.
-David Beaulieu
Coaching Without Authority
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First published July 25, 2023.
3X4 Coaching Reading List
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First published June 10, 2023.
Recommended Reading
Sir John Whitmore, the creator of the GROW model, shows why enabling others to be at their best is the most effective way to keep people engaged and unlock high performance for your team and organization.
Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does—and how that affects every aspect of life. He examines the three elements of true motivation—autonomy, mastery, and purpose-and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action in a unique book that will change how we think and transform how we live.
Susan Scott takes readers through the Seven Principles of Fierce Conversations, and teaches readers how to overcome barriers to meaningful communication, increase clarity and improve understanding and handle strong emotions on both sides of the table.
Our Founder, Peter synthesizes his life’s work into the five core practices exceptional leaders use to ignite the Third Factor in themselves and others — whether it’s in the locker room before a gold medal Olympic hockey game or at a routine performance review. Peter works through an easy-to-understand model, providing a clear view of what separates igniters from extinguishers and exploring a wealth of strategies you can put to use immediately in your world.
Abrashoff takes a coaching approach to turning around performance and commitment on the US Benfolds – the great thing about his story is the Navy measures everything so you see how it changed promotion, retention, efficiency (time to get stuff done, spending less than their budget). And his ship went from the worst ranked ship in the US Navy to the best and was one of the go-to ships for major missions during the Gulf War.
Life is a series of negotiations you should be prepared for: buying a car, negotiating a salary, buying a home, renegotiating rent, deliberating with your partner. Taking emotional intelligence and intuition to the next level, Never Split the Difference gives you the competitive edge in any discussion. This book also has great stuff on active listening and how to get people talking and keep them talking even in really challenging situations.
In Quiet, Susan Cain argues that we dramatically undervalue introverts and shows how much we lose in doing so. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves.
In Switch, the Heaths show how everyday people – employees and managers, parents and nurses – have united their rational and emotional minds and, as a result, achieved dramatic results. The book features plenty of great examples of how to drive behaviour change, and its methods are very relevant to coaching as a leadership style.
Michael D. Watkins offers proven strategies for conquering the challenges of transitions—no matter where you are in your career. This book also addresses today’s increasingly demanding professional landscape, where managers face not only more frequent transitions but also steeper expectations once they step into their new jobs.
Grounded in research, with deep insight into the complex interpersonal dynamics of the workplace, this book positions leadership both as a skill to be learned, and as a relationship that must be nurtured to reach its full potential.
People are using the simple, powerful concepts in this book to focus on what matters most in their personal and work lives. Companies are helping their employees be more productive with study groups, training, and coaching.
Based on interviews with over eighty people who knew and loved Bill Campbell, Trillion Dollar Coach explains the Coach’s principles and illustrates them with stories from the many great people and companies with which he worked. The result is a blueprint for forward-thinking business leaders and managers that will help them create higher performing and faster moving cultures, teams, and companies.
Many websites use affiliate links to make money when you buy something from Amazon – we don’t. Feel free to follow the links provided or pick up the book you want from your favourite local bookseller.
Intentional Trustworthiness
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First published May 13, 2023.
I have been focused on Developmental Bias by intentionally working on being a safe person for others to trust. I am focused on listening with the intent to make sure I value people for who they are. I am accepting them where they are at, and having better conversations as a result.
The engagement in the team seems to be improving and I feel we have made monumental improvements related to recognition by focusing our new agile approach to projects/ management. (Celebrating smaller wins, and reiterating, along with genuine gratitude for effort as well as wins. This seems to be a catalyst to greater curiosity).
Bottom line, realizing that by being intentional and present, we can have profound improvements in connectivity and trust.
-Brady Joe Fields
The Human Side of Consulting
Article
First published May 13, 2023.
As I stood there, watching the Helium Pole exercise, it hit me like a ton of bricks.
I had been so focused on getting things done, on being the ultimate do-er, that I had forgotten about the human side of consulting.
It wasn’t enough to simply provide a solution – I needed to connect with my clients, to understand their emotions and motivations, and to help guide them through the process. Sure, I knew my stuff. I was reliable, knowledgeable, and smart – but what good is all of that if I couldn’t connect with the people I was working with?
It was time to rethink my approach, to become more than just an ad-hoc help desk. I wanted to be a top consultant, recognized not just for my technical expertise, but for my ability to connect with people and help them achieve their goals.
So, after I came back from the coaching workshop, I took a deep breath and decided to embrace the softer side of consulting. I started asking more questions, listening more, and empathizing with my clients. I discovered that by taking the time to understand their needs and concerns, I was able to provide even better solutions. And, to my surprise, people still loved me – maybe even more than before.
Now, I’m not just a do-er – I’m a listener, a root-cause-solver, and a coach. I still get hit with technical questions left and right, but now I’m also the go-to person for personal ones. And you know what? My solutions and recommendations seem to be sticking a lot better! Who knew that a helium pole could be so enlightening?
-Molly Chen
3X4 Coaching Podcast
Article
First published November 16, 2022.
Download the 3X4 Coaching audio program.