Category Archives: Growth

“If you won’t be better tomorrow than you were today, then what do you need tomorrow for?”

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“If you won’t be better tomorrow than you were today, then what do you need tomorrow for?”

– Rabbi Nachman of Breslov, founder of the Breslov Hasidic movement

A fundamental characteristic about most individuals who seek the assistance of a coach is that they have a strong desire for growth and development. Being their best, realizing their full potential, and testing their limits are common values these people tend to share.

To what degree are you still a work in progress, even if you are many years beyond any formal education?

Exercise:

Explore the list of growth areas below to assess your progress or desire to work on these today to have some better tomorrows:

·         Parenting
·         Health and fitness
·         Career advancement
·         Faith
·         Hobbies
·         Music
·         Art
·         Friendship
·         Leadership
·         Emotional intelligence
·         Home repair
·         Travel
·         Languages

Please add to this list and let me know what categories are important to you, by replying to this email.

Interview on Coaching with the Michigan Business Network

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I had the pleasure of being interviewed on the Michigan Business Network’s radio show “Association Impact” last week. During the discussion, I answered questions such as:

  • What kind of process do you use when working with executives?
  • What makes a coaching process more effective than training alone?
  • What does a typical coaching relationship look like in terms of time commitment and costs?

You can listen to the interview here:

[audio:http://www.dempcoaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/MMOTIONSS5.mp3|titles=Barry Demp on Association Impact – Part One] [audio:http://www.dempcoaching.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/MMOTIONSS6.mp3|titles=Barry Demp on Association Impact – Part Two]

Wise Quote from Henry David Thoreau

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“I know of no more encouraging fact than the unquestionable ability of man to elevate his life by conscious endeavor.”

– Henry David Thoreau

One of the most satisfying things about being a coach is that I get to watch and participate in people’s conscious efforts to improve their lives. I get to ask them deep, probing questions about where they wish to move forward – and I get to watch them courageously turning these insights into action.

Unfortunately, some people don’t have adequate support to bring these unconscious commitments to the conscious surface and then provide an accountability structure to realize their goals.

Exercise:

Who can you talk and partner with, to elevate your life more intentionally?

“Act so as to elicit the best in others and thereby in thyself.”

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“Act so as to elicit the best in others and thereby in thyself.”

–Felix Adler

This quote is perhaps one of the closest to the core message regarding coaching, which is “bring out the best in others.” Most people have an inherent desire to be their very best and to realize their fullest potential.

Many of our schools, our religious institutions, even our families, utilize an “outside-in” training method for development. This approach fosters conformity, and often limits creative self-expression.

Coaching comes from the place that many answers and capacities already lie within us. When others elicit these answers and capacities, the growth we experience is both more enjoyable and sustainable.

Exercise:

Who are the people in your life that elicit the best from you?

Where can you be a coach and elicit the best from others?

Meet The Quotable Coach [Video]

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In this 7 minute video you’ll learn some interesting facts about Barry Demp (The Quotable Coach), including:

  • What my dream job would be … if I wasn’t a coach. 🙂
  • What my favorite quote is, and what it means to me.
  • How I started my first business at the age of eleven.
  • Why I left a Fortune 500 company to become a coach, 22 years ago.

To find out more about my coaching, you can visit my site Barry Demp Coaching.

“Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can.”

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“Our chief want in life is somebody who will make us do what we can.”

– Ralph Waldo Emerson, leader of the Transcendentalist movement

When I begin a coaching assignment, I include a core value exercise. A high percent of the time, my clients include the values of “personal growth” and “realizing their potential” on their list.

My personal journey into the world of coaching began when I watched the 1992 Barcelona Olympic games, where there were approximately 2,000 coaches supporting 5,000 athletes. It seemed that Olympic levels of achievement were highly correlated with the support of a coach to help each individual achieve their best performance.

Exercise:

What percent of your fullest potential have you realized, professional and personally?

Who are the people in your life that encourage and stretch you to do all you can?

grow with ease

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“Good timber does not grow with ease; the stronger the wind, the stronger the trees.”

– J. Willard Marriott, entrepreneur and businessman

Image fro Flickr by Breezy Luik

Image fro Flickr by Breezy Luik

I go to the gym in the morning to help stay fit. It cleans out my mental and physical cobwebs and gets my day off to an energized start.

A key component of my fitness journey is to push myself in areas of strength, cardiovascular fitness, and flexibility. When we push the limits a bit beyond our comfort, we come back the next day stronger and more capable.

The personal growth and development efforts that make the biggest difference are the ones which test and challenge our “timber.”

Exercise

Where in your personal and professional life can you lean into the wind and find yourself better off through the process?