Bruce D Schneider's Blog

Motivating Your Boss... Kind of!!!

So many people don’t like the job that they have, and believe that their work environment isn’t what they’d like it to be.  Recently, the daughter of a friend of mine asked me to give her some advice for how to make a good impression at her new job.   As those of you know me realize, I always like a good joke – or a bad one – so I wrote this top 10 list for her on ways NOT to behave at work. 

Do you see yourself in any of these statements? If so, realize what energy are your bringing to your workplace environment, and that when you change your own actions and attitudes, you can change your work environment – all by yourself.  And so...

The Top 10 Ways to Motivate Your Boss So Much...
That He Fires You.

10) Come in just a few minutes late each day. Not just your boss, but all your co-workers will appreciate your doing that.

9) Make sure you use all your personal days in the first quarter.

8) When asked to do something different from the norm, have your job description ready and say "Hey, show me where I'm supposed to do that!"

7) Take your vacation at the busiest time of the year for the company. If they won't give you the time off, take it anyway.

6) Have your monitor face you, so that when people enter your office they look at you, and not the computer games you're playing.

5) Keep your desk as cluttered as possible. It makes you look busy and bosses love looking at piles of work.

4) Snub all the new hires; they need to earn you as a friend, and make sure you let them know that.

3) Tell your customers how lousy it is where you work. If possible, throw in a derogatory statement or two about your boss.

2) Gossip, gossip, gossip.

And the top way to impress your boss so much that he'll fire you is...

1) Make sure you ask for a raise as often as possible, but only after you found out what others in the company are making so you can use that information to your advantage.

The "Choice" is Back!

On May 29th, Dr. Bruce D Schneider's very popular Power of Choice workshop is coming to Shrewsbury, NJ!

 

iPEC Coaching is proud to sponsor The Power of Choice, a unique workshop that demonstrates why certain people succeed and enjoy life effortlessly, while others continually struggle to understand themselves, communicate effectively, or break through blocks that hold them back.

Centered around his groundbreaking Energetic Self Perception Chart™, Bruce Schneider, Ph D, M.C.C., founder and CEO of iPEC Coaching, and author of the bestselling book, Energy Leadership, shares his theory on energy and consciousness, describing 7 powerful levels that can dramatically impact your life and the lives of those around you, both personally and professionally. Don’t miss this exciting and interactive workshop that literally has the power to change your life.

 

In this workshop, you will learn to:

• Replace and ultimately transcend negative thoughts & feelings
• Deal effectively with negative people and never let them bring you down again
• Learn the secrets that enable high performers to stay in high performance mode
• Accomplish significantly more with less effort
• Emotionally connect with your personal mission in life

 

Bruce Schneider has presented The Power of Choice workshop throughout the country, helping hundreds of people realize their potential for happiness, success, and fulfillment in all areas of their lives. 

 

Get ready for an amazing experience!  You will never view yourself or the world in the same way again.

 

Event Details: Thursday, May 29, 2008; 6:00 to 9:00 pm

Admission Price: Pre-registration: $35; At the door: $45

Special promotion - buy two tickets and the third is free!

To register, click here -- http://www.ipeccoaching.com/workshops-events-teleclasses-life-coaching/power-of-choice-coaching-workshop.html -- or call 732-982-8155.

Be in the Moment and the "Now"

Someone wrote me this week to ask a question about being in the moment and focusing on the now. This person wanted to know what that really is, and how to get there. Since it was such a great and timely question, I thought I’d share my response…

When I first began coaching, I sometimes enjoyed playing a little game. With each new client, I mentally assessed how present they were in the coaching session. I could assess this rather easily by either watching or listening to them, and noticing where their focus was when I spoke, and of course, how they answered my questions. It became quite apparent to me that whatever level of "presence" showed up for their coaching session was the same level of presence in their life. In fact, I don't think I ever first worked with someone who was actually living in the now.

Most people are either worried about the future or regretting the past, and so, not here, now. Presence in the moment is tricky. Many people would say that it means focusing on what's happening at that moment, and being at full concentration. I don't think so. Someone can be focusing on the moment, but interpreting that moment from their past experiences or fears, in which case they are actually not in the moment but instead, they are allowing the past to be present with them.

So truly being present now doesn't require concentration, effort, or focus. It requires a level of consciousness that has released the past and cleared the worries of the future. Understand that what I just wrote was a short paragraph with a tall order; being conscious to the point that you are truly here and in the moment is a lifetime journey. We never actually get "there," but we can work to improve our "beingness."

I don't want to make this a commercial, but you asked, and so I'll tell you that raising consciousness, one person at a time is iPEC's mission, and besides our full coach training program, you may want to look into the Life Potentials Training, as well as our Self-Mastery coaching program called the Law of Being. Info about these can be found on our website at www.ipeccoaching.com.

If you have a question – whether it be about coach training, consciousness, human potential, or even what I think of the Mets this season, I invite you to ask me, comment here, or by emailing me at bruce@ipeccoaching.com.

Perhaps the Most Important Coaching Skill for Life...

If it's not the most important aspect of communication, listening certainly comes close. We all know how to speak, but few know how to really listen. Deep listening is at the heart of the Core Energy Coaching process, and it's a skill that really takes some knowledge, practice, and time to master. Without proper training, I've found that most people don't listen well, if at all. If they aren't speaking, then when someone else is talking, they are just thinking about what they are going to say next and waiting for an opening.

Just think about what it would do for you if you were a master at listening. For one thing, you'd learn a lot. I always say that I learn a lot more when someone other than me is talking! Also, when someone feels heard by you, the connection will deepen, and you will become a better leader, partner, spouse, friend, or parent.

And, how would you like for someone to really listen to you?  To hear what you’re saying and understand more about who you are?  I’m sure you’ve heard that one of the best ways to see change in others is to model that change yourself.  Well, that’s what this is about. You learn to listen, and then those you listen to will listen to you.

Our Life Potentials Training and Coaching Training programs provide a ton of skills, theories, and processes. But the most important thing we teach is that the most essential coaching skill for effective communication, and perhaps for life, is the ability to listen, deeply.

Start today by focusing on being fully present when someone is speaking, and clearing your mind of distracting thoughts.  You’ll be surprised at what you hear. 

Try it – and I’d love to hear your experiences.  Share them by posting a comment here. I promise, I’ll listen!

Why Leaders Need to Have Coaching Skills...

There are two types of leaders, those who create inspiration and those who create perspiration. Just because someone is a leader doesn't mean he or she is an effective leader. I've coached many business owners, and for the most part, I've found that their people skills are just awful. I find that quite amazing, considering that each one of the people I coached were really in the "people" business. They worked with, and sold to, other people, and not knowing how to communicate effectively was the major factor working against these leaders.

So why didn't they know how to connect, honor, motivate, and inspire others? Well, it's simple. No one taught them how. They were taught how to become proficient in a skill, product, or service, but not how to deal with others. What these business owners needed were coaching skills – but up until recently, there was no trade training available that taught “everyday” people how to coach others in their lives.

Several of my clients came to iPEC’s coach training program, and found that their entire world changed. The relationships in their company improved - they didn't keep losing great people and they enjoyed working with their staff each day. Their relationships with their clients improved. In fact, due to the personal nature of what coaching promotes, their clients became fans, and referred other clients. But most important were the changes in their relationships at home, and the growth within themselves.
I always knew that coaching skills were important for coaches – but until seeing the significant changes that my clients made in their lives and businesses, I hadn’t fully grasped the importance of these skills for every one of us. And that’s how the idea for Life Potentials Training was conceived. Though not everyone has the desire to become a professional coach, coaching skills are essential for everyone!

Be it service, product, or the business of raising a family, you too will improve what you do by learning how to coach and therefore, becoming an inspiring leader. You see, the question isn't whether or not you're a leader…it's how well you lead. 

Life Potentials Brings Life Coaching Skills to All... A Pleasantly Surprising Launch!

Six months of a near full-time team effort is what it took to create the Life Potentials Training from what was once Module 1 (from our full coach training program).

I'll be honest, I thought the Life Potentials Training was really going to be something special, but I had no idea that the training would be so much more than I expected, and in so many ways. The experiences, breakthroughs, and excitement were extraordinary, and the tons of testimonials we received were confirmation of something that we had only dreamed of. From the bottom of my heart, thanks to the iPEC team who helped put the training together, and thanks to everyone who participated in its inauguration.

When creating the Life Potentials Training, there was a huge challenge that we were excited about facing. Because this program is no longer geared only to those who want to become professional coaches, we realized that we needed to meet the goals of four separate groups.

First, there were small business owners, entrepreneurs, managers and other leaders. This group needed to know that they could go back to work on Monday with a new perspective, as well as with powerful and practical skills they could use immediately. They got all that and more.

The second group were those people who were looking for a new way of living, or more specifically, a new way of "being" in the world. They certainly received what they were looking for.

The third group were, of course, those going on to the rest of our training to become Certified Professional Core Energy Coaches. The experiences of this group excited me the most. From what I observed, the students are more prepared than ever in our history. This is because they not only know great skills and tools, but they also know themselves, and so, they have the foundation they need to be who they truly can be as a professional coach, and more importantly, as a leader in their world.

And the fourth group were guests of the first three groups. We decided that we'd open up the training to guests of enrollees, so that those guests could share the experiences of those who brought them. Unexpectedly, many of those guests enrolled in the rest of the training. And some don't even care about becoming a coach! They just want to bring more and more potential to their lives and the lives of others.

So we met our greatest challenge, which was to fulfill so many different agendas, and the feedback from people in each of those groups told us that participants felt as if the course was created just for them. I guess the thing that is most exciting about the LPT, however, isn't what happened in the several trainings that we've presented so far around the country, it's what will happen once the world knows about it. I'm looking forward to bringing "potential" to everyone.

iPEC Coaching
Bruce D Schneider, Founder
www.IPECcoaching.com

We all lead, either by choice or default.The question isn't whether or not you are a leader, it's how well you lead. Energy Leadership: Transforming Your Workplace and Your Life From the Core.

Why was becoming a coach the “right fit”?

For me, it was one day as a therapist when a client of mine was rambling on and on about how her life would never change. This was the same story I'd heard for about a year from her. I started yawning and realized that it wasn't my client that was a victim to her life, it was me! I was the one at the mercy of a career that didn't suit me. I felt that while being a therapist is an important role, it wasn't the role for me.

That's when I decided to do something different. I pulled from decades of experience in other fields, including two that are most interesting to me, metaphysics and quantum physics, and along with a ton of other life experiences, I created a different kind of therapy. Turns out that I was no longer doing therapy. I was a coach.

When I found out that a new profession called professional coaching was forming, I realized that my time had finally come. This was the role I'd been waiting for all my life.

Each person has their own story as to why they became a coach or why they are considering becoming a coach at this point in their lives or careers. What's yours?

iPEC Coaching
Bruce D Schneider, Founder
www.IPECcoaching.com

We all lead, either by choice or default.The question isn't whether or not you are a leader, it's how well you lead. Energy Leadership: Transforming Your Workplace and Your Life From the Core.

"I Am the River" Inspirational Video -- a Must See

Debuted as part of iPEC's new Life Potentials Training, "I Am the River" is an inspirational video that shows that we all have a choice as to how we approach life. Watch, be inspired, remember who you truly are, and don't wait to bring your potential to life.

At one time or another, we each wonder who we really are. This video will help you remember.

Click here to view: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E8YrhfAXC64

Walking the Talk

Many coaches have a block around walking the talk, meaning, they don't feel they are "there" yet, and so, are not walking the talk.

That interpretation of walking the talk is actually a limiting belief. Walking the talk means living the process of growth--always learning, always in process, always developing.

I'll combine two principles to help you: Life is a journey, and we either grow or die. If you are consciously growing, you are walking the talk... in the process of the journey we call life.

Knowing What’s Important in Life

I love this story and believe it illustrates a limiting belief that many people have that happiness is something that comes when they earn it.

An American investment banker was at the pier of a small coastal Mexican village when a small boat with just one fisherman docked. Inside the small boat were several large yellow fin tuna. The American complimented the Mexican on the quality of his fish and asked how long it took to catch them.

The Mexican replied, "Only a little while."

The American then asked, "Why didn't you stay out longer and catch more

fish?"

The Mexican said, "With this I have more than enough to support my family's needs."

The American then asked, "But what do you do with the rest of your time?"

The Mexican fisherman said, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take siesta with my wife, Maria, stroll into the village each evening where I sip wine and play guitar with my amigos, I have a full and busy life.

The American scoffed, "I am a Harvard MBA and could help you. You should spend more time fishing; and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat: With the proceeds from the bigger boat you could buy several boats. Eventually you would have a fleet of fishing boats. Instead of selling your catch to a middleman you would sell directly to the processor; eventually opening your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You would need to leave this small coastal fishing village and move to

Mexico City

, then

Los Angeles

and eventually

New York

where you will run your ever-expanding enterprise."

The Mexican fisherman asked, "But, how long will this all take?"

To which the American replied, "15 to 20 years."

"But what then?" asked the Mexican.

The American laughed and said that's the best part. "When the time is right you would announce an IPO and sell your company stock to the public and become very rich, you would make millions."

"Millions?...Then what?"

The American said, "Then you would retire. Move to a small coastal fishing village where you would sleep late, fish a little, play with  your kids, take siesta with your wife, stroll to the village in the evenings  where you could sip wine and play your guitar with your amigos.

So my question to you is... how often do you take the time to appreciate what you have, now and know how important that is?

iPEC Coaching

Bruce D Schneider, Founder

www.iPECcoaching.com