Fast Company - March 2000 Article #3

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000

Answers

It Takes a Strong Stomach to Listen to how Others See You, by Tony Schwartz, Fast Company, March, 2000, pp. 264-268.

It Takes a Strong Stomach to Listen to how Others See You, is an article written by Tony Schwartz, which discusses a new trend of coaching that was developed in 1987, by Fred Kiel, a counseling physchologist. Fred Kiel runs KRW, a company which utilizes very specific and intricate leadership skill-building strategies. The whole process is built upon the belief that ones personal life cannot be separated from job performance.

KRW begins the process by collecting a large amount of information about the client from friends, family, colleagues, bosses, and from the client. Information focuses on the clients motivation, emotional competence ability, leadership, stress management, trustworthiness, and honesty. During the second phase, clients are presented with the information and are then encouraged to evaluate themselves. Evaluating is done in order to assess what drives the client and the effect they have on others. The third phase has clients developing a plan which focuses on enhancing their strengths and either playing down, or improving, their areas of weaknesses. Finally, when the plan is completed, the client begins his/her new program. Then the clients progress is carefully monitored over several months by trained specialists.

Although Ive never had the experience of being a coach, I have been a tutor and a mentor to several students over the last few years. Many people enlist and utilize coaches in a variety of ways to obtain help in building the strengths which can help them perform successfully. Tutors and mentors do much of the same type of skill building with a childs self-esteem and/or academic performance. Tutors and mentors can also help by serving as a much needed support system in a childs life. Being faced with lifes ups and downs is something most people experience at different times in life. This is when having the ability to bounce back, self-evaluate, and redirect energies can be very helpful. Having a concerned, caring person during difficult times to give support and guidance can be extremely beneficial and rewarding in fulfilling goals or reaching ones potential. Whenever we can help our young people to make positive and successful changes in their life, I feel, the results can be worthwhile and rewarding for all.

-- Anonymous, March 20, 2000