Episode Description:
In this episode we’re joined by a special guest Jonathan Flaks of JF Coaching. Aside from being my personal coach, Jonathan helps businesses with strategic leadership. His coaching system can help take a business and create a sense of autonomy, ensuring that the business is driven by strategic planning and not by YOU making decision on a whim everyday!
Visit Jonathan Flaks website at: jfcoach.com
Connect with Jonathan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanflaks/
Action you can take right now:
- Can you immediately define and articulate your strategy to your team? More importantly, could any team member be asked about the company strategy and vision and articulate back perfectly?
- Let’s assume you have the perfect strategy, vision, and goals lined up. Step 1 is to ensure that everyone on your team knows it perfectly. Not just generalizations, but specifically repeat exactly the vision. A great exercise I learned from Brian Tracy – for each manager or leader, have them write down the three most important things each team member needs to accomplish or be focused on. Have each team member write down the three most important things they do – if there is any discrepancy that manager is fired. This exercise is repeated up the chain. The point of the exercise, explaining these parameters, most manages WILL NOT take the risk to play this game.
Episode After-Thoughts
A non-vested, third party opinion – that’s the name of the game! Coaching comes in many forms, but the most important aspect is having someone without a vested interest in any one particular person, or any one project or goal set. A sounding board for external input that’s not jaded or bias for any laundry list of reasons.
Regardless of where you are in your career or business, I believe it’s critical to have this “audit” of your business or position within a business from time to time to ensure everything is in alignment. Having a strategic coach is an incredibly powerful tool, and probably the most cost-effective way at identifying issues before it’s too late. Sure – you could just ignore all the issues until they reach a crisis point, but I’m certain that method will be far more expensive.
Bottom line – get a coach today! And why not get Jonathan? Check out his links above!
Episode 43 Transcript:
Justin
Do you ever feel stuck with a component of your business?
Justin
Do you ever struggle with a difficult decision?
Justin
Ever get a sense of impostor syndrome or hit a wall with limiting beliefs?
Justin
Struggles can come in many shapes and forms, but a strategic leadership coach might.
Jonathan
Take you and.
Justin
Your business to the next level that.
Justin
More coming up on the marketing and service.com podcast.
Speaker 2
Second page just.
Justin
Grueso here from marketingandservice.com podcast the podcast to help you build your business by creating incredible customer relationships.
Justin
If you find value in this episode then please take a moment to follow or subscribe.
Justin
And if you want to do me a huge personal favor, please leave a five star review.
Justin
It means so much to me and it.
Justin
Helps keep me motivated.
Justin
I’d love to hear from you, so please hit me up on the marketing and service.com Facebook page.
Justin
What marketing challenges are you having with your business in 2022, and what would you love to learn more about? Let me know and I will make an episode just for you.
Justin
On today’s episode I’m going to feature a very special guest, Jonathan Flax, Jonathan aside from being my own personal career coach for at least six months now is someone who has been in executive and strategic coaching for over 20 years.
Justin
He’s attained some of the most prestigious certifications.
Justin
And credentials in the coaching.
Justin
Field and he’s just an overall great guy and someone who has been extremely helpful to me personally before I even hired him.
Justin
He took the time to have a conversation, discuss my challenges, and really understand where I’m at and where I wanted to be, and he’s helped enormously with goal setting, along with structuring and planning around those goals.
Justin
And that’s coming from someone who’s really put a lot of stock in goal setting the last few years.
Justin
He also helps really breakdown some business challenges into small, attainable pieces that make these a little more realistic.
Justin
And of course, acts as an accountability partner, and he prevents me from procrastinating important tasks and issues that.
Justin
Sometimes I get distracted with and rather push aside to do something more enjoyable, but he’s also served as a cheerleader and has helped celebrate successes along the way as well.
Justin
And the bottom line, it’s extremely helpful sometimes to just have a third party with no vested interest in your business other than your success.
Justin
It’s incredibly helpful just to have that sounding board for ideas for planning for goal setting, and to have someone who really understands biz.
Justin
It really serves as an exceptional aid.
Justin
So with that said, it is my pleasure to introduce Jonathan Flax to the show.
Jonathan
Thank you Justin.
Jonathan
It’s great to.
Jonathan
Be with you here.
Justin
Yeah, I really appreciate it and I have to mention that not only are you a a very experienced coach, but you are also my own personal coach, so it’s definitely an honor to have you on here, and I think that’s really cool.
Jonathan
Awesome, you’re doing a great job.
Jonathan
In our work together.
Justin
Thank you, so let’s just give the audience a quick background for the people who are listening.
Justin
You’ve been coaching for 20 years now.
Justin
What can you tell us a little bit about this?
Jonathan
Well, November 1998. So it’s been really.
Jonathan
23 years.
Jonathan
Uhm, uh, when I had my first client who came to me in a very interesting way it was.
Jonathan
Through someone else I had.
Jonathan
Casually been giving some career advice to and she.
Speaker 2
Said that, she said I I have a friend.
Jonathan
Who’s starting a business?
Jonathan
And I said.
Jonathan
Uh-huh and she said.
Jonathan
And he’s looking for a coach I.
Jonathan
Said OK and.
Jonathan
And she said, and I’ve recommended you.
Jonathan
And I said, well.
Jonathan
What did you do that for?
Jonathan
And and she didn’t answer that question.
Jonathan
That was the moment.
Jonathan
My life changed.
Jonathan
Instead of answering the question, she said Jonathan just go meet him.
Jonathan
And so I met him.
Jonathan
And I asked him some thought provoking questions.
Jonathan
Made a few suggestions and acknowledged what I thought was fascinating about what he was doing and he called me the next.
Jonathan
Day and hired.
Jonathan
Me so I had my.
Jonathan
First client, before I really knew.
Jonathan
What was going on?
Jonathan
In the early late on 1990s.
Jonathan
A coaching profession.
Jonathan
Kind of rose out of.
Jonathan
Nowhere you know it came out of other.
Jonathan
Professions, but the word coaching for this kind of work of personal strategizing and business advising in such a way where it’s not just telling someone what to do based on some observances but helping people discover for themselves some of their best resources answers some of their hidden courage.
Jonathan
And hidden confident you know, accessing your confidence that may have gotten thrown at some point.
Jonathan
It’s a fascinating.
Jonathan
Career that I that that really fits me.
Jonathan
I’m happy to.
Jonathan
Be doing this now since that time.
Justin
Yeah, that’s great that you have that much experience.
Justin
I I can tell you when myself trying to select a coach, it seems especially since COVID and the shut down a lot of people were at home and said, oh maybe I’ll maybe I’ll start coaching just because I’m here and it’s something to do.
Justin
And we’ve seen a lot of them pop up left and right, but to me it was important to have someone who was.
Justin
Really dedicated to this that have been doing it for a long time and you you clearly fit the bill for that, so I think that’s important to have that experience in the in the background when choosing a.
Jonathan
Thanks, just appreciate that.
Speaker 2
When you work.
Justin
With entrepreneurs or executives, top performers.
Justin
Marketing professionals.
Justin
What are some of the things that you recognize as the the most common issues that these people are struggling with?
Jonathan
Well, it usually.
Jonathan
Comes down to one of two categories.
Jonathan
If I could be if I could paint with the broadest strokes first, too aggressive.
Jonathan
Or not assertive enough?
Jonathan
And both of those limits.
Jonathan
If you would, if you would.
Jonathan
Consider that when.
Jonathan
When they occur as a limit, they tend to stem from from some aspect of confidence.
Now, how does that?
Jonathan
Manifest so that might manifest in someone having a too limited or or avoiding business development.
Jonathan
Activities that could mean someone is stressing out and yelling at everyone around them and you know.
Jonathan
Just because of stress.
Jonathan
Treating people in a.
Jonathan
Way that those people feel is either.
Jonathan
Just unfriendly, unprofessional or or even abusive.
Jonathan
On the flip side.
Jonathan
Like you know.
Jonathan
A lack of assertiveness, not not bringing up matters when they’re important, not not addressing the tough conversations to clarify expectations or to clarify direction too.
Jonathan
Touch base when delegating to make sure people are on track, even delegating itself.
Jonathan
Some people are lacking ability, especially entrepreneurs.
Jonathan
They get to a point where they want.
Jonathan
To scale, they have to build a capacity expand.
Jonathan
Their capacity to trust.
Jonathan
To communicate, click corrections, have checkpoints, and then trust and let people.
Jonathan
Have the autonomy and freedom to explore and learn.
Jonathan
And grow themselves without.
Jonathan
Swooping in and taking the project back.
Jonathan
That’s how a business can grow.
Jonathan
That’s how a leader can grow a division.
Jonathan
So those are all very common issues we address.
Justin
Yeah, I think there’s sometimes a perception that most entrepreneurs and executives and people in sales are these perfect config.
Justin
And self driven specimens that just drive revenue growth effortlessly.
Justin
But the reality is, I I think we both know that a lot of people have if not everyone has some level of limiting beliefs and impostor syndrome and and a lack of of confidence.
Justin
And even if you fake it till you make it, I think that’s a reality that a lot of people should accept and not feel bad about being.
Justin
In that position, if they feel that way because I think it’s a feeling that everyone gets at some point.
Jonathan
Especially the kind of personality that will do.
Jonathan
Well, in marketing and sale.
Jonathan
Has the ability to play the role.
Jonathan
I think anyone listening it can attest.
Jonathan
Some times in your life when.
Jonathan
You have been less confident than you needed to appear, and so you mustered up what it took.
Jonathan
To appear confident.
Jonathan
Might even be if you checked with the people around you times when you didn’t feel confident and didn’t even think you appeared confident but showed.
Jonathan
Up as confident I have a.
Jonathan
A friend who’s a who’s a.
Jonathan
Speak a speaking you know public speech trainer he tells.
Jonathan
The story of being.
Jonathan
On a quiz show many years ago on television.
Jonathan
Scared out of his.
Jonathan
Mind his stomach was up in his.
Jonathan
Throat, but when he watched the program on replay.
Jonathan
He looked calm and cool as a cucumber.
Jonathan
There are other times when you might feel confident and maybe even overconfident, but in fact you’re not as certain as as the facts and the grounding that.
Jonathan
You need to be so.
Jonathan
People aligning their confidence internally and externally can be a mismatch at times, and that’s OK.
Jonathan
That’s part of the human experience.
Justin
So one of the things you offer up with the strategic offsite training that you do tell us a little bit about that because I know you have a process and a system that can really help entrepreneurs take themselves to a new level.
Jonathan
So I appreciate that, yes, interesting whether it’s a CEO who have been working with one on one to act as a sounding board.
Jonathan
In account.
Jonathan
Consideri to that person and help them develop their team, or sometimes a CFO or marketing.
Jonathan
Executive will bring me in.
Jonathan
Knowing that the company could use.
Jonathan
More clarity of direction and understanding of roles, understanding of strategic strategy and tactics.
Jonathan
We we start with the phase one of a strategic planning process of getting a really good grasp on the past and present.
Jonathan
It’s really a grasp for the present based on.
Jonathan
At this moment.
Jonathan
At any moment what we have with us is is given by what’s been happening in the past.
Jonathan
So what are the patterns of operation and how are they playing out now?
Jonathan
And where did they come from?
Jonathan
You can take a page, you know if someone listening right now.
Jonathan
Wants to create.
Jonathan
A little worksheet or workbook for you.
Jonathan
Self this exercise you can do on your own very eye opening as simple as just writing down and reflecting on what our operational methods.
Jonathan
What are our operational practices?
Jonathan
What are our values or core values that we know where we talk?
Jonathan
We think we want to talk about but.
Jonathan
But how do people really?
Jonathan
Behave what about the competitive landscape?
Jonathan
Do we describe?
Jonathan
Where the competition has been, how it’s unfolded.
Jonathan
Where it is.
Jonathan
Today, what do we see about our customers?
Jonathan
Let’s take a deep dive describing our customer base.
Jonathan
Our customer concentration where it’s been where it is today, just writing those things down, discussing them, perhaps as a strategic leadership team, can be a really interesting operator.
Jonathan
You know, practice for the.
Jonathan
2 for two reasons.
Jonathan
One the foundation for vision planning and strategy for.
Jonathan
The future, but also in this stage of.
Jonathan
Our process when I’m working on.
Jonathan
On this, sometimes some.
Jonathan
Very simple eye opening ideas for quick fixes.
Jonathan
Pop, you know.
Jonathan
Hey, let’s stop doing this.
Jonathan
Let’s start doing this.
Jonathan
Let’s continue or discontinue this or that that stop start, continue.
Jonathan
Exercise is also.
Jonathan
Something that you could do along the way.
Jonathan
Make a list of.
Jonathan
Things to stop.
Jonathan
A list of things to continue and maybe even double down on.
Jonathan
’cause they’re working and.
Jonathan
Those things that you’ve been thinking about starting.
Jonathan
Start to plan out what?
Jonathan
To start doing.
Jonathan
Or maybe new ideas?
Jonathan
Are required, so that’s phase one of a strategic planning process.
Justin
Great yeah, and I really like that you had mentioned defining the customer in that that writing process because for the people who listen every week, it’s a recurring theme on this podcast in so many completely different genres of business that you wouldn’t think of.
Justin
It seems like the number one most important.
Justin
Thing is that business owners really define and have a handle on exactly their customer demographics, whether they’re looking to expand, whether they’re looking to do a new advertising campaign or social advertising.
Justin
Whatever the case may be, it always comes back to really understanding specifically who your customer is, and it sounds so silly on the surface.
Justin
Because it seems so obvious in the moment who your customer is, but a lot of people really don’t break it down enough to get that maximum impact for every dollar spent on marketing and advertising.
Jonathan
Yeah, look insects crawl on 6.
Jonathan
Legs, that’s what makes them.
Jonathan
Insects, dogs and cats on four humans on two.
Jonathan
That’s what those animals are business.
Jonathan
As an existing being, whether it’s a government business and NGO, non profit or a small entrepreneurial enterprise, or a multibillion dollar global organization.
Jonathan
They all have customers, some audience to serve.
Jonathan
And some internal constituents in a company, it’s your employees or senior staff to serve as well, so that’s a underneath.
Jonathan
It may sound like very obvious.
Justin
Right?
Jonathan
But it is the lifeblood of.
Jonathan
Business is knowing the.
Jonathan
Needs and desires and habits of your customer and how the competition addresses.
Jonathan
Those so that when.
Jonathan
Someone is making a choice, they choose.
Jonathan
You for your unique approach to their needs and that.
Jonathan
Particular subset that might prefer those needs.
Justin
Yeah, absolutely yeah.
Jonathan
So he probably talked about that.
Jonathan
And you know infinitely in this program.
Justin
At all the time, yeah, it’s it’s.
Justin
It’s great and I I don’t mind reiterating it every single week because it’s it’s still something that so many people miss.
Justin
I always say, especially with Facebook ads, people just click that boost button with complete disregard to who they’re actually boosting the ad to.
Justin
And it’s probably one of the best ways Facebook makes a ton of money without any providing results.
Justin
But to jump back into the strategic offset, you also have a 6 by 6 system, right?
Justin
Can you tell us a little bit about that?
Jonathan
Yeah, sure, so when we.
Jonathan
Get a good grasp on the present.
Jonathan
We’ve all kind of gotten the that part completely, so it’s out of the solid foundation and launching point for the future.
We then look.
Jonathan
At well, what do we see as what the business should look like 6 years from now?
Jonathan
That’s the vision, part and and and kind of.
Jonathan
What’s the why?
Jonathan
We’re in business.
Jonathan
What do we care about that would be the mission statement and I won’t get into depth.
Jonathan
People have all kinds of experience on vision and mission.
Jonathan
Strategy, but we.
Jonathan
Did you know we we spent a good half day making sure we really, really like the language and we include people in the language of vision statement and mission statement?
Jonathan
Because if people are included in creating something.
Jonathan
They’re much more likely to buy into.
Jonathan
It, But let’s.
Jonathan
Look at what the business should look like 6 years from now and when we say.
Jonathan
What does it look?
Jonathan
Like I mean literally, if we charged up a dolorian.
Jonathan
With the flux capacitor and.
Jonathan
Went back to the future six years for those.
Of you who?
Jonathan
Are fans of bacteria?
Jonathan
And we actually parked.
Jonathan
The Delaurie right in front of the business and walked.
Jonathan
In we walked around what?
Jonathan
Would we see?
Jonathan
We open the books you.
Jonathan
Know as a.
Jonathan
Business this is measured by kepis and revenue and profit.
Jonathan
What would we see?
Jonathan
What does the.
Jonathan
Business look like.
Jonathan
And so if you can identify 6 KV, 6 important key performance indicators, 6 measures.
Jonathan
That you would like to be able to identify the it’s a reality television.
Jonathan
Usually it includes revenue and profit.
Jonathan
It could be number of employees number.
Jonathan
Of partners now.
Jonathan
Number of quality you know high ticket, high quality customers.
Jonathan
It could be number of awards.
Jonathan
It could be number of major news sources that have repetitively done updates on the business.
Jonathan
If reputation is of of interesting.
Jonathan
You can pick.
Jonathan
Any six items that are of importance.
Jonathan
View and when we do the.
Jonathan
6 by 6 Matrix we begin.
Jonathan
With the end in mind. So today is January 19, 2020.
Jonathan
Two, we would say.
Jonathan
Well, imagine it’s.
Jonathan
January 19, 2020
Jonathan
Eight, what are these measures?
Jonathan
If we really have an ideal fabulous you.
Jonathan
Know not pie in the sky, unrealistic, but a stretch from our imagination of outstanding goals that we would love to celebrate achieving. Then we look at the year before. Now imagine it’s this January 19, 2027.
Jonathan
And what would those those?
Jonathan
Measures look like to make the following year inevitable.
And then we.
Jonathan
Keep reverse engineering backwards year by year.
Jonathan
So we get back to what it.
Jonathan
Would take to.
Jonathan
Make each consecutive development year inevitable by based on the end game, not on where we are today, and then by looking at it and kind of filling in the gaps.
Jonathan
We find that people have been very, very clear about roles and responsibilities.
Jonathan
Some recruiting and or strategies for building the business or building the marketing plan for the long term, and then almost always pops out at the end of the process is OK.
Jonathan
Well, what?
Jonathan
Are we going?
Jonathan
To do next month.
Jonathan
Who’s going to do what by?
Jonathan
When and having a real accountability structure to.
Jonathan
Put that into.
Jonathan
Action, and that’s the whole.
Jonathan
Game plan for strategic planning process.
Jonathan
And the way we do it.
Justin
And I have to imagine that simply by doing the exercise in writing these things down, it has to have an impact on the ability to follow.
Justin
Go through because I know in general a lot of people it’s tough, myself included.
Justin
I know I suffer from this sometimes it’s really hard to look past a month or six months or a year, especially in today’s world with everything changing so fast it’s sometimes difficult to imagine what five years ahead might look like or 10 years ahead might look like, but I do know that one thing that we’ve worked on together.
Justin
Which has been helpful for me is this approach that you just suggested really kind of starting with the end in mind and working backwards to see what you need to do to get to where you want to go?
Justin
And I I think that’s just absolutely fantastic advice.
Jonathan
Yeah, you know, they say what was the.
Jonathan
Was it Woodrow Wilson or Franklin Delano Roosevelt?
Jonathan
One of those presidents.
Jonathan
And you could do a fact.
Jonathan
Check and correct me on this post edit.
Jonathan
You know plans are useless in battle, but planning is essential, it’s something.
Jonathan
Like that and I.
Jonathan
Find that my clients who do this.
Jonathan
Planning when they come.
Jonathan
Out of that, in the first three to six months, they are so jazzed and so excited about the plan and the planning process, they they take off. They might have been wobbling around X plus or minus 5%.
Jonathan
And they go X + 10 or 20% and that’s 6 to 12 months that follow. And then they might forget the plan.
Jonathan
And and if they’re wise, and we’re in a constant continuous relationship.
Jonathan
We do a shorter.
Jonathan
You know strategic planning, update and we do the planning process again, but abbreviated version because we already have.
Jonathan
A plan we’re looking at.
Jonathan
That we just.
Jonathan
How do we revise this?
Jonathan
What changes happen with?
Jonathan
Customers with our into operations with our vision with our team and and so.
Jonathan
Usually it’s a tweet from that point that re energizing from having that clarity and that it’s not just clarity which helps people make and spread.
Jonathan
Decision making power, right?
Jonathan
But the clarity is aiming for an ideal outcome, and I’ll say one more thing about the tool and the one more thing about the process when a business is run by a.
Jonathan
Woman or man?
Jonathan
That’s a headache for the woman or man, because they are the bottleneck of all decisions.
Jonathan
But when a.
Jonathan
Business is run by a strategic plan.
Jonathan
And then everyone can share in the decision making and with more autonomy, which is very motivating for people.
Jonathan
Trust and autonomy is one of the most powerful elements.
Jonathan
One of three very powerful self motivating aspects, particularly based on studies by Dan.
Jonathan
Pink in.
Jonathan
His book drive, so having that plan can really.
Jonathan
Help spread and.
Jonathan
Scale and you have more people empowered to.
Jonathan
Make decisions and help run the business.
Jonathan
Then that’s really.
Jonathan
Your ticket to scale.
Jonathan
The other thing is in the process, it’s important to recognize that you want to stay on the plan of the strategic planning process and sometimes let arguments and brainstorming and creative chats and laughter and lunchtimes and dinners break up the intensity of it.
Jonathan
We also make.
Jonathan
Sure to have a lot of fun.
Justin
One thing I want to tackle before we finish up today is limiting beliefs and impostor syndrome.
Justin
Kind of what we started on with when we spoke about confidence.
Justin
But I I think there are two things that I I certainly in in different business forums online and on Facebook.
Justin
It’s something that I see over and over and over again.
Justin
Either one people not.
Justin
Realizing how limiting their being to themselves or people they do recognize it and they don’t know how to overcome it.
Justin
And from personal experience, I know it’s funny.
Justin
Like with this podcast I started just about a year ago, but I recorded the first three episodes two years ago, right when the pandemic started and I I was so insecure.
Justin
About those three episodes, and I mean, I spend hours editing and trying to perfect it.
Justin
And then I thought I’d have to re record them all and like I just couldn’t get past it and I just got stuck for a year in this like analysis paralysis phase and then finally just about a year later I said this is so stupid.
Justin
Let me just hit go.
Justin
So and you know what happened?
Justin
Nothing, it was no big deal.
Justin
My life didn’t fall apart.
Justin
I didn’t become rich and famous either in the past year.
Justin
But like after maybe just a few weeks, I realized it was so insanely ridiculous that I got so hung up for such a long time on something so insignificant.
Justin
Now that that I wouldn’t even think twice.
Jonathan
Well, I can relate to that.
Jonathan
I really imagine anyone listening could relate to those times when you were intimidated or procrastinating, or just a little uncomfortable nervous.
Jonathan
And when you actually.
Jonathan
Did the thing that you were.
Jonathan
Uncomfortable about or afraid?
Jonathan
Of it was.
Jonathan
Never as big a deal and some.
Jonathan
Things are worse than we expect.
Jonathan
But most things.
Jonathan
Especially in the realm of language and relationships and and communication, and even putting it out there publicly like a podcast, it’s usually not as bad as it as it seems.
Jonathan
I remember having the most difficult time with Skype.
Jonathan
Remember Skype even get comfortable with that dot is where the person I should look at that little camera.
Justin
Yeah, yeah.
Jonathan
Here is where.
Jonathan
I should look if I want to.
Jonathan
Have someone experience what I think it matters into communications, eye contact, but then if I want to see their eyes they don’t see mine and I’m looking off.
Jonathan
To the side.
Jonathan
So that took me till zoom came around to get comfortable with that.
Jonathan
So if you’re listening, you could imagine there are times and maybe even something you’re challenged by now that Justin story about hit go.
Justin
Right?
Jonathan
Just jump right in.
Jonathan
Who will be supportive to to?
Jonathan
Encourage you. Is there a?
Jonathan
Question you had for me in there.
Justin
Well, I I guess my my question would be what what would be your advice if I had come to you two years ago and said, hey, you know I recorded these three episodes but I I just don’t know I I don’t think I can do this I I don’t.
Oh yeah.
Justin
I don’t think I’m right for this.
Justin
No one going to want to listen to it.
Jonathan
Great question.
Justin
It’s it’s not good enough.
Justin
Help me.
Jonathan
Yeah, this let me.
Jonathan
Frame up the three ways people can sync.
Jonathan
Them way out of a bar.
Jonathan
That’s before we get to what I might say in.
Jonathan
That third, the three ways.
Jonathan
You can think about things and get.
Jonathan
Yourself out of box one is by.
Jonathan
Yourself in alone, in a room or moving around.
Jonathan
Even taking a walk alone in your head, your own conversation with.
Jonathan
Your own limiting beliefs and known.
Jonathan
Monkeys in your brain.
Jonathan
And you can probably order a decent dinner.
Jonathan
That way, if you go out to dinner alone.
Jonathan
But really, big decisions it’s not.
Jonathan
Enough people you could all.
Jonathan
Relate to times where that.
Jonathan
That conversation gets circular.
Jonathan
And the downward spiral pretty consistently, it’s not.
Jonathan
Your best route.
Jonathan
Sometimes it can be, but.
Jonathan
Let’s say it’s not working and not the.
Jonathan
2nd way to think your way out of a box or.
Jonathan
To think your way.
Jonathan
Moving forward is pen to paper as I say, so making a pros and cons list or being a quadrant to doing a SWOT analysis.
Jonathan
Your strengths and weaknesses about a decision, your opportunities.
Jonathan
And threats.
Jonathan
And when you start to put things on paper or do a little bit of of analysis that you can then look at and reflect on, you’ll get some additional perspective and many people listening as you are listening to this right now.
Jonathan
You could think of either times you’ve.
Jonathan
Done that and it’s helped.
Jonathan
Made a.
Jonathan
Difference or you might be dealing with something where that might be all you need.
Jonathan
The 3rd way is.
Jonathan
To think out loud with a unbiased, committed listener who will help ask you questions to discover what you need to discover and can discover on your.
Jonathan
Own in your example Justin, I would ask you.
Well, what is it that?
Jonathan
You are actually afraid of.
Jonathan
And what else?
Jonathan
And what else?
Jonathan
So those?
Jonathan
You know, I’d let you.
Jonathan
Speak in between those questions and.
Jonathan
Then write down what those are and.
Jonathan
What would be the worst that would happen if that?
Jonathan
Were to happen.
Jonathan
And what would be your way to mitigate that risk or deal with that?
Jonathan
And by you know, getting some.
Jonathan
Objectivity and clarity you might.
Jonathan
So many people say, well, I.
Jonathan
Never thought of it.
Jonathan
That way, gosh, I’ve made a mountain out.
Jonathan
Of a mole.
Jonathan
Hill and Pullman move.
Jonathan
Forward, the other thing is OK.
Jonathan
Well, now that.
Jonathan
The fear is diminished.
Jonathan
The mountain is now back to the molehill that it was in reality.
Jonathan
The other piece is OK.
Jonathan
Well what are you gonna do by when I asked that question and that added accountability can be really supportive.
Justin
Yeah, and accountability I think is important and and we don’t have a lot of time to jump into it.
Justin
But I think a good element of coaching is also just having that accountability partner and having that sounding board and someone to help keep your goals on track is definitely something that is incredibly helpful with the coach.
Yeah, when you.
Jonathan
Have a coach and or coaching.
Jonathan
Peer to peer team.
Jonathan
And we do our work with clients we.
Jonathan
We give them both one on one sessions and a virtual Advisory Board.
Jonathan
When you know there’s a bunch of people who have no other agenda.
Jonathan
Other than their own success that you’ll support and your success that they support, that’s their only agenda.
Jonathan
And they can’t wait.
Jonathan
To hear the good news of what you did, you’re just that much more motivated to push.
Jonathan
Through whatever you gotta push through.
Jonathan
To get the actions done and the results accomplished.
Jonathan
Uh, I can attest to that.
Jonathan
I put something at stake with my coach for, uh, Monday and I said if I don’t get this done, I have to cancel appointments with people I don’t want.
Jonathan
To cancel with on Tuesday.
Jonathan
And I tell you something I got in the gear, got it done on Monday.
Justin
That’s that’s the way to do it.
Justin
Great, great stuff.
Justin
That’s definitely the way to do it.
Justin
So as we as we come to a close.
Justin
Here, Jonathan, what’s the biggest mistake you’ve made?
Jonathan
The biggest mistake I made was a long time ago I was invited to teach a group of private equity, HR and CFO professionals to how to do coaching like they wanted to learn coaching skills.
And I did.
Jonathan
A reasonably good workshop and they learned some things.
Jonathan
But I asked them not to give any advice.
Jonathan
It was a tough.
Jonathan
Challenge, and that wasn’t even the biggest.
Jonathan
Mistake later in the day, there was another coach doing some communication skills training.
Jonathan
I was in the back of the room observing and he decided to point something out and asked me a question.
Jonathan
And I should have just said something really brief, like reflect on something he said earlier.
Jonathan
But instead I I I said one or two sentences of of something of my own opinion which differed from.
Jonathan
His and that did not.
Jonathan
Make me look good in.
Speaker 2
The room I shouldn’t get my mouth shut.
Justin
So knowing when to make keep your mouth shut is a good thing, right?
Justin
So with that said, would that be the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?
Jonathan
No, I I wasn’t really giving that advice, but.
Jonathan
You know, but definitely no.
Jonathan
Knowing like I’m.
Jonathan
A very enthusiastic person.
Jonathan
This was something.
Jonathan
Like 15 years ago and the.
Jonathan
Enthusiasm ran away from me and.
Jonathan
Now I would say one piece of advice is you know keep it in balance.
Jonathan
Keep it in check and.
Jonathan
Don’t negate other.
Jonathan
People in public.
Jonathan
That would be the number one.
Jonathan
Learning for me in that moment don’t negate people in public really acknowledge people.
Jonathan
It really is plenty of room to acknowledge people even if I don’t have a different opinion.
Jonathan
That’s just mind to have the best advice I ever got is a quote I borrow from the Dalai Lama who said it’s really wise to be 100%.
Jonathan
Intent really happy with who you are and.
Jonathan
Where you are on your path.
Jonathan
And have just enough ambition.
Jonathan
To keep things interesting, I live by that.
Justin
Awesome, that is fantastic and Jonathan thank you for being with us today.
Justin
What is the best way people can get in contact with you?
Jonathan
Best way to pop an email if you have any questions about something you’re dealing with jonathan@jscoach.com and we’ll certainly write back and arrange.
Jonathan
A division of discovery.
Jonathan
Session to explore some of your goals.
Justin
Great and I will definitely put a link to your website and your email address in the in the show notes.
Justin
So if anyone wants to get in touch with Jonathan.
Justin
You could definitely look in the show notes for that information, and again I can get my own testimonial.
Justin
Jonathan is great, he’s been fantastic to work with and I think anyone who would consider working with him would have an incredible time and really hopefully unlock some some opportunities and and be able to really move forward in their business.
Jonathan
Great, we’re dog with a bone on results as well, so hopefully if big results.
Jonathan
You’re playing for.
Jonathan
You have a.
Jonathan
Big Vision, love supporting that.
Justin
Thank you so much for being with us today.
Jonathan
My pleasure thanks Justin.
Jonathan
Bye for now.
Justin
Well, there you have it.
Justin
Jonathan Flax strategic coach, consummate professional.
Justin
When it comes to leadership and someone I’m glad to call a friend.
Justin
As always, if you want to learn a little bit more about Jonathan, you can certainly visit the show notes for this episode at marketingandservice.com and included in there will be how to contact Jonathan.
Justin
A link to his website and some of my after thoughts of this episode that I usually add on to those show notes when I relisten to these episodes later on.
Justin
Thank you so much for listening.
Justin
I appreciate it.
Justin
And again, if you enjoy the show, please follow or subscribe and feel free to leave a review.
Justin
You can always feel free to reach out to me directly at justin@marketingandservice.com.. Of course, I am your host, Justin Varuzzo. This is the marketing and service.com podcast and I will catch you on the next one.