<![CDATA[Connect Coaching & Education Inc. - Blog]]>Fri, 16 May 2025 10:35:56 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[6 Key Questions for Your Mid Year Review]]>Thu, 30 Jun 2016 15:01:36 GMThttps://www.connectcoaches.com/blog/connecting-intention-with-actionby Cynthia Spradlin, PCC, MS | The Core Focus Coach
As the first half of the year comes to a close, we have an opportunity to take stock and to evaluate our progress toward our goals.  That which we attend to gets achieved.   That which we tolerate, continues.  This holds true in both business and life.  

We attend to things which we "think" our society has labeled as "important".  We attend to things out of habit or, quite  often, without any thought at all.  We get caught up in the busyness of the day to day.  We keep spinning in activity, only to realize one day that "busy" wasn't actually "better", and that we completely missed the mark on what really matters.

What did you want to accomplish this year?  

Likewise, where we gift of our attention and presence, duplicates and expands.  This holds true both at work and at home.  When we positively and productively attend to our relationships, our relationships grow and flourish.  When we attend to our business, success is more likely.  When we attend to our health and wellbeing, we are more likely to flourish.  

On the flip side - when we attend to things that don't really matter, or when we allow impulse and distraction to govern our thoughts and actions, we suffer and what is actually most important to us becomes significantly harder to attain.

Where has your focus been during the first six months of this year?

How attentive have you been to your  most important goal?

We have more distractions than ever now.  Our culture is full of bright shiny objects beckoning our attention and consuming our time.   We feel exhausted, overwhelmed and worn out as we race from one thing to another.  Our energy is just zapped trying to just do what is expected.   We believe we have no time, no energy, no options and possibly no way out.  We tolerate the distractions at work and in our homes, and often our own health and wellbeing suffers as we sacrifice.  "I'll do it tomorrow" we say or "someday".  Then one day we find ourselves saying "If only".  

What are you still tolerating?

What important goal(s) have you STILL saying "Someday I'll...."?

Imagine for a moment  how your focus and results might be different if you had a dedicated professional to help you make your "someday" TODAY?   

Professional coaches are trained to do just that.  We partner with our clients to help you  make the positive changes you really want.  We help you focus where it matters most to YOU.  We don't offer quick fix gimmicks or claim to be an expert on YOUR best solutions.  We use evidence based practices
to help you create your breakthrough.  We will sit with you in the midst of  struggle, and challenge and champion you to stay connected the outcome you seek.    

A well trained experienced coach can also pivot with clients on many different topics, from work issues, to business needs, to family, to career, to relationships and significant life changes and yes, positive focus on health and wellbeing.   A professional coach can help you clear the distractions, and accomplish what truly matters often with more ease and speed than going it alone.

What would it mean to you if you had help to begin making your "Someday" TODAY?



]]><![CDATA[Four Simple but Crucial Success Factors for Top Performers – Stay on Top of the N.E.W.S.]]>Mon, 08 Dec 2014 21:39:15 GMThttps://www.connectcoaches.com/blog/four-simple-but-crucial-success-factors-for-top-performers-stay-on-top-of-the-newsPictureNutrition, Exercise, Water, Sleep
by Cynthia Spradlin and Carla Walter

In this series we have been covering 10 Top Performance Tips to help you Revolutionize your Business in 2015.  Last week we talked about how you can raise the bar for your business by raising the bar for yourself and your team.   This week, as we get back to work after the Thanksgiving holiday here in the US, we examine specific shifts that can make a real difference in energy, and performance (not only individual and team performance but also that of the bottom line).  Tip number two in our original post was staying "on top of the N.E.W.S” – Nutrition, Exercise, Water and Sleep.  This may sound like common sense but in our culture today and within many companies, focusing on these basics is still not common practice.  In our program, The Performance Breakthrough Blueprint we work with our clients on all four of these components and could write a book on each one of these areas.  Today we touch on these but focus in on the last of the four, sleep and highlight benefits and best practices around rest and how companies can support this practice and improve loyalty and engagement in the workplace at the same time.

What if more companies recognized the importance of these four cornerstones to good health and wellbeing and integrated them more effectively into their work culture?   Forward thinking companies...              
like Google, Huffington Post, and Zappos have been doing just that by integrating options to allow employees to catch some needed rest while at work (1, 2.)  For several years now companies like these have been installing nap rooms, rest areas and leisure rooms, for workers to retreat to in the middle of the workday to relax and snooze a bit if needed.  The companies in favor of this practice report workers being more engaged in their work, more productive and more energized when the rest practices are used appropriately.  Some colleges and universities like The University of Michigan, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christie, St Leo University and the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD)are also following suit (3).  On a recent visit to the Savannah College of Art and Design, we saw nap pods which we were told the school acquired from Google almost a decade ago now strategically located in the campus student centers.  Students are encouraged to come together, socialize, study, create as well as catch some zzz’s if they need to.  We were told nap pod demand definitely climbs around exam time and while the jury is still out on how effective this practice is across the board (4) within companies, studies consistently show that power napping between 10-30 minutes in the middle of the day (between 2-3pm) improves mood, focus, performance, memory and the quality as well as the accuracy of work performed. (5)

Whether your company has a nap room or not, making small shifts in your routine can assist with getting better rest to help you to perform at your best.  The National Sleep Foundation recommends creating a consistent bedtime routine with calming and relaxing activities.  When possible, going to bed at the same time each night and turning off bright lights (as well as electronics) at least an hour before bedtime can improve your body’s ability to fall asleep faster and enjoy a more restful night.  Regular exercise also has been shown to help people improve their ability to both get to sleep and enjoy more rest while sleeping. (6)

What other shifts might you make to improve the N.E.W.S. in your workday?   


How many of the following ideas might be helpful for you?

  • bringing healthy snacks and smaller meals to work instead of opting for fast food; 
  • getting up from your desk regularly and holding walking meetings when possible;  
  • drinking water more frequently during the day instead of sodas;  
  • standing more often  instead of sitting for extended periods of time without adjusting your position;  
  • noticing how much sugar you are eating and consciously cutting down
  • parking further away from your work entrance or
  • taking the stairs instead of the elevator
  • starting a (daily or weekly) (morning or evening) practice of 15-20 minutes of quiet time, meditation, gratitude, prayer, reflection or centering exercises
  • improving your exercise routine
  • adding at least 15 minutes of mindful activity to your daily routine and increasing it gradually over time

How many of these choices are you presently making and how consistent are you?   

How are your present choices serving you or not serving you?

With regard to any of the areas above, how might a coach or other accountability partner or program (like The Performance Breakthrough Blueprint) benefit you?  Your team?

As we reflect on our pause last week (here in the US) to share time and gratitude together with family and friends, we at Core Performance Breakthrough LLC want to send our best wishes from each of our homes to yours, for a healthy and happy holiday season with plenty of rest following that turkey, ham or whatever dinner tradition your family enjoys.  We are grateful for you, our readers and members of our Core Performance Leadership Community.

  1. Stastny Neal, (2013, February 19). 10 Companies That Allow Napping at Work. MTV GuyCode.  Retrieved from http://guycodeblog.mtv.com/2013/02/19/napping-at-work/ on 11/25/2014.
  2. Scott Stump. (2013, March 15).  ’Nap Rooms’ encourage sleeping on the job to boos productivity, TodayMoney.  Retrieved from  http://www.today.com/money/nap-rooms-encourage-sleeping-job-boost-productivity-1C8881304   on 11/25/2014
  3. Waxman, Olivia B. (2014, August 29).  Napping Around:  Colleges Provide Campus Snooze Rooms, Time,-Living Education, Retrieved from http://time.com/3211964/nap-rooms-at-universities/ on 11/25/2-14.
  4. Goodman, Michelle.  (2014, April 10). Nap Rooms Gone Bad.  The BBC, Retrieved from http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20140409-nap-rooms-gone-bad on 11/25/2014
  5. Mayo Clinic Staff, (2012 November 21).  Napping:  Do’s and don’ts for healthy adults, Mayo Clinic Healthy Lifestyle Retrieved from http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-living/adult-health/in-depth/napping/art-20048319  on 11/25/2014
  6. National Sleep Foundation. National Sleep Foundation Website.  Healthy Sleep Tips. Retrieved from http://sleepfoundation.org/sleep-tools-tips/healthy-sleep-tips on 11/25/2014.

This blogpost was originally posted 12/5/2014 on http://www.coreperformancebreakthrough.com/blog/four-simple-but-crucial-success-factors-for-top-performers-stay-on-top-of-the-news 

Connect Coaching & Education Inc | Core Performance Breakthrough, LLC are not responsible for external links to or for the content on third party sites.
]]><![CDATA[10 Top Performance Tips to Revolutionize Your Business in 2015]]>Wed, 19 Nov 2014 22:08:18 GMThttps://www.connectcoaches.com/blog/10-top-performance-tips-to-revolutionize-your-business-in-2015by Cynthia Spradlin & Carla Walter

Have you ever wondered what it might be like to level up your business with greater ease and speed?  Core Performance Leaders know that this is the time of year to evaluate what is working well and where improvements can generate better results going forward.  Here are 10 Top Performance Tips to Revolutionize Your Business in 2015.    Read More.... ]]><![CDATA[3 Keys Leaders must Have to Unlock Performance (Part 3) ]]>Wed, 29 Oct 2014 21:13:56 GMThttps://www.connectcoaches.com/blog/3-keys-leaders-must-have-to-unlock-performance-part-3by CYNTHIA SPRADLIN, The Core Focus Coach Picture
During Part 1 of this series, we mentioned that without clarity, there is confusion about goals, direction and how to accomplish what leaders want.  Performance cannot be achieved without clarity.  During Part 2 of this series, we discussed the need for vision and that a leader's vision needs to encompass more than just the destination but the overall experience of having attained and arrived at the chief aim in question.  In this post, we explore a bit further, the third key to individual and team performance, FOCUS. 
 Websters (1) defines focus as: 

"1 fo·cus noun \ˈfō-kəs\: a subject that is being discussed or studied : the subject on which people's attention is focused
:  a main purpose or interest..."

A google search yields these relevant definitions:
  1. the center of interest or activity an act of concentrating interest or activity on something.  "our focus on the customer's requirements" 
  2. the state or quality of having or producing clear visual definition.
    "his face is rather out of focus" 
  3. pay particular attention to.(2)

Dictionary.com defines focus as  "a central point, as of attraction, attention, or activity....verb:  to concentrate:  to focus one's thoughts. (3)

So, "focus" in the context of leadership or goal attainment, primarily means where one's attention is directed.  When a leader's attention is consciously directed toward taking specific actions consistently for specific reasons consistent with clearly defined goals, the desired performance becomes possible, especially when this focused effort is sustained long enough to accomplish the desired result.  So when leaders lack any of these 3 Keys to Performance Success (clarity, vision, or focus) they can neither advance toward the goal they desire, nor direct or inspire a team to so.
In my coaching practice, we also talk about another type of focus called "CORE FOCUS.   We define CORE FOCUS as:

"the consistent directed attention toward and alignment of a person's or team's internal operating system (their preferences, values, strengths, and gifts ), with both the role they play (either on a team, in their work or in their life) and the activities which they conduct or are required to conduct in that role." 

When CORE FOCUS is not lined up with roles or tasks, this disconnect can create significant difficulty with producing sustainable performance.  In fact, research is showing us that when the work or effort required for a particular role is not congruent with a person's or team's CORE FOCUS, engagement drops significantly in very specific ways creating additional problems and challenges that can end up costing companies and leaders on a very large scale.  In fact, we know that how well companies and their leaders communicate that they value and honor their employee's CORE FOCUS can significantly impact their bottom line.    


CORE FOCUS COACH QUESTION OF THE WEEK:
On a scale of 1 - 10:

How effective is your own Focus on your vision?

How well does your company honor your employee's CORE FOCUS?

Stay tuned to learn more about WHAT CORE FOCUS IS AND WHY CORE FOCUS MATTERS!

(1) Retrieved from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/focus?show=0&t=1414613587 on October 29, 2014.
(2) Retrieved from Google Search "definition of focus" on October 29, 2014
(3) Retrieved from http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/focus on October 29, 2014.
]]><![CDATA[3 Keys Leaders Must Have to Unlock Performance (Part 2 of 3 - VISION)]]>Sun, 19 Oct 2014 19:32:45 GMThttps://www.connectcoaches.com/blog/3-keys-leaders-must-have-to-unlock-performance-part-2-of-3-visionby CYNTHIA SPRADLIN, The Core Focus Coach
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How clear is your vision for claiming your own Authentic Success ? What about your vision for your business?
Last week we mentioned the 3 keys leaders must have include clarity, vision and focus.  We talked about the importance of clarity and how clarity creates calm in the midst of chaos and how clarity supports leaders (and their teams) in generating the needed energy to accomplish the performance they want.  Until is leader is crystal clear on what they want to accomplish, why it is important and the most desired path forward, everyone can feel like they are just spinning wheels, doing tasks that  aren’t connected and aligned and missing the mark time and again.  Clarity is the first key to leadership and to improving team performance.

Vision:  The second item we mentioned last week is vision.   Vision is not just knowing where one (or a team or a family) are going,   Vision is not simply knowing the place or destination on the map.  True clarity of vision is about sensing fully both the arrival and experience of being already at that destination.  How does it look?  How does if feel?  What smells and sounds surround you?  What is going on within you when you reach this goal and what is your holistic experience of it once you arrive?   

I would submit that much of the disappointment we experience in life has to do with a disconnect between what we hoped or expected (either consciously or subconsciously) and what we find once we arrive (depending on the core focus profile we bring to the situation (more on that later).  So if you find yourself feeling disconnected from your work and having low energy toward various aspects or your career or your life - ask yourself: where is the disconnect occurring for me?  More important - ask yourself - what is it that I want specifically?  For my business?  For my life?  How specific have you really been about your aim?  How clear has your vision (either for yourself or for you team) really been?

Busy can feel productive when in fact that’s all it is.  Sometimes as leaders we can get so busy spinning plates and spinning wheels that we fail to see the forest through the trees.  We become bogged down in tasks and don’t even realize we have lost sight of the bigger picture:  What are we here for?  What really matters? Who is really important to us?  How is what I am doing connecting with who I am, my role and my purpose?  What am I missing out on and how much will that matter to me in my future?  

Now, I might add that nice but vague answers like:  "I am here to be happy and live life and enjoy it", are not what I am talking about here.  If you answered in this way with no further thought to the matter then I invite you to consider this post a polite wake up call.  There is a reason you are still reading this.  What does that (happy life that you enjoy) specifically and in a tangible way mean to you and to the people that matter in your life?   What is it really and are you living it?  What are you waiting for and how is this waiting for it impacting you and the people that matter most to you?

On a business scale - these questions might translate to:  What is the purpose and the mission of my business?  Who is it that my business uniquely serves and how does my business uniquely serve them?  What is my consciously chosen market positioning and why?  What are my core offerings for my clients and customers?  What growth do I seek and how can I create better leverage for my time, my talents and my resources?   Who are my trusted, professional advisors who are in my corner?  

These are the types of questions my clients come to me with as a professional coach and the kinds of questions that Core Conscious Leaders ask themselves and their teams on a daily basis.  The most successful leaders in the world demonstrate in their work and in their life on a daily basis how clear they are about what they aspire to.  In fact the connection between future aspiration and creating this clarity of vision, this prospective thought process, is influencing an entirely new and fascinating area of research in psychology, the social sciences and neuroscience (more on that later as well).  

If you find that you are seeking answers yourself to some or all of the questions below, you may be interested in learning more about professional coaching or my Authentic Success Breakthrough Coaching Process.  This process helps core conscious leaders design their specific blueprint for the authentic success they want and map out their unique plan for how to achieve it.  How would you like to have your plan for 2015 mapped out and be crystal clear on where you are headed, why and specifically how you intend to get there?  This program helps you stow the spinning plates and step off the spinning hamster.  This coming season I invite you to slow down, breathe and listen to what YOUR CORE has to say to you about where you have been, where you are headed and what you can do differently going forward to claim your own real authentic success.

Stay tuned for next week’s post on the third key to unlocking your leadership performance and later we will come back to creating a clear vision for your business including the 10 biggest mistakes business owners make that can put them out of business fast.

So your Core Focus Coach Question for this week is:  


On a scale of 1-10, 

How clear is your vision for your business?  

How clear is your vision for your life?  




]]><![CDATA[3 Keys Leaders Must Have to Unlock Performance for Themselves and Their Teams]]>Tue, 14 Oct 2014 04:26:52 GMThttps://www.connectcoaches.com/blog/3-keys-leaders-must-have-to-unlock-performance-for-themselves-and-their-teamsby CYNTHIA SPRADLIN, The Core Focus Coach
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What could you (and your team) achieve if you had more energy, knew how to tap into your amazing potential, were more energized by and engaged in your work, and powered up your productivity?    How would it be for you to accomplish what you really want with more ease, and do so with greater speed?  

Accomplishing anything meaningful (in work and in life) requires 3 key components.   If you are missing any of these keys, you can feel like you are incessantly spinning your wheels:  working and working and working and getting no where closer to where you actually wanted to go when you started.  These 3 critical keys to performance are:  clarity, vision and focus.   They are the very foundation of high achievement and meaningful success.
Lets start today with the first:  CLARITY.  

My clients report that this is is one of the key benefits of working with a professional coach - the objective and connected support they receive to help them articulate exactly what it is that they really want.  A simple as this may sound, clients say that it was professional coaching that helped them to actually separate their authentic desires for their life and/or their work from those of others - boss, parents, team members, family members, associates, teachers, mentors, and friends.  It is amazing what happens when clients are finally able to "shed all of the shoulds" and get crystal clear on what they truly want.  It is exciting to observe the shifts that happen, once a team becomes clear (as individuals and as a group) on what their shared goal is and once everyone is personally (as well as professionally) invested in the outcome.  

Clarity creates calm.  Clarity generates excitement.  Clarity is the first key that unlocks potential and helps individuals and teams move toward their goals with greater speed and ease.
Want more clarity?  Have a peek at our newest program, The Performance Breakthrough Blueprint, and sign up for our free video training series that will, among other things, show you how you can create greater clarity both at work and in your life.
]]><![CDATA[TGIF! ]]>Sat, 04 Oct 2014 00:40:48 GMThttps://www.connectcoaches.com/blog/tgif by CYNTHIA SPRADLIN, The Core Focus Coach
Today is the first friday of the month.  Who doesn't think TGIF right? On fridays our energy goes up as relief that we have made it through another week washes over us and the excitement builds for the weekend ahead. What if we had this same energy when we went to work on monday morning? What if your employees were excited about their work instead of dragging themselves to the coffee machine for the caffeine fix and water cooler chat that only fuels further disengagement? What if there were a solution that could provide you and your business the performance breakthrough and results you imagined when you stepped out as an entrepreneur and started your business? 
  • How high is your energy toward your own work these days? 
  • How about your team?
  • How do your thoughts today, on this Friday afternoon, compare to those you had on Monday? 
  • How ready are you for a change? 
Here is a short video that can help.

Visit  www.PerformanceBreakthroughBlueprint.com 
to sign up FREE to to get "The Six Crucial Steps Necessary to Revolutionize Energy, Engagement & Performance"

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