"I want my people to be better. All of my people. I want to start with those who have the responsibility for coaching and developing other employees." Despite those words being delivered by a manager with a somewhat strident voice, the sentiment was refreshing to hear. My role was to start the leadership development summit by discussing 'ways to become a better coach.' Jeez, no pressure then!

Do a quick job search and you will see this manager wasn't alone. "The ability to coach and develop others" is appearing on more and more recruitment ads. It's a fundamental skill required in managers. The sad truth is that - for the most part - managers and aspiring managers aren't taught how to coach. As people excel in their roles they are loaded up with more responsibilities and inevitably, management of others. Initially people excel at their jobs because they show strong understanding and capability within their specific area of expertise. It is the performance in their specialized function that catapults them up the chain of command. However, when they are awarded the title 'manager' and given the task of overseeing others, the skills needed to excel in this area haven't been developed.

I was caught off guard this week when someone asked; "Which one quality do you see missing from inexperienced coaches?" My mind instantly started acting like one of those old fashioned rolodexes, quickly flicking through all the possibilities. Mentally I was ...

Great talent makes the difference. It's undeniable. Great talent gives your brand a point of difference. They get you noticed and talked about. They create desire and excitement. Through their content they motivate audiences to find them -- and then keep coming back. ...

There are many people who do good work, sometimes even great work, and yet managers overlook them. Their talents go unrecognized. Their results go barely acknowledged. Their contributions go unrewarded. The promotion they dream of isn't on the horizon. These people ...

How you chose to approach the day has a significant impact not only on your own performance but also on the performance of others. Each morning you have a choice to make - to be positive or negative - to see the glass half full or half empty. Why? Because your emotions ...

I often find myself curious about why we do things in Radio. I often worry that we're just doing things without stopping to evaluate the strategic value gained from our actions. I'm skeptical that sometimes we put programming tactics onto our stations because we've ...

I'm a talent guy. I find radio stations that put the effort into finding entertaining and/or interesting people and focus on creating space for them to perform, tend to leave a better impression with me. Don't get me wrong, I like music and am just as likely as the ...

Building and cultivating a high performing team is essential for achieving success. In almost every situation, having a well-functioning team is the best way for you to attain high levels of performance, innovation and employee satisfaction. I don't think anyone would ...

Everyone has genius in them. You just have to know how to uncover it. When you do unlock your inner genius you will be amazed at what you are capable of achieving and how fulfilled you'll be as you advance your career. Genius is different for everyone. Your inner genius ...

Giving feedback is an essential part of developing another person's (or teams) performance. Offering someone feedback gives them an observers insight into how they're doing. Feedback provides a detached and objective perspective that is focused on helping others ...