Andria Gillis, PCC

𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲 - Building Resilience: A Lifelong Journey Ever wonder how some people bounce back from adversity?   The Ontario Psychological Association describes resilience as more than just optimism—it's a skill you can build over time. https://lnkd.in/g28hK52m In our upcoming Phoenix Series (October 19, 2024), we’ll teach eight lifelong practices to build Career Resilience and explore how you can strengthen this crucial trait. https://lnkd.in/g5kZpxBY The article states that resilience hinges on three factors: personal characteristics, external support, and coping strategies. With optimism, self-belief, a strong support network, and proactive problem-solving, anyone can cultivate resilience. As Carol Dweck’s Growth Mindset shows, challenges are growth opportunities. Adversity is inevitable, but it can lead to personal development. By practising gratitude, managing emotions, and learning from setbacks, you can build resilience that helps you thrive through life's ups and downs. Join us to discover practical strategies for developing resilience and thriving in your career. #Resilience #Psychology #GrowthMindset #PhoenixSeries #LifeSkills

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Steve Lowell and Jayne Lowell from Canada introduced me to three very useful words: Mission-Moment-Mess. I sometimes use them for personal reflection, sometimes to frame a speech or a coaching call, often a set of choices for someone taking my presentation skills class, and always as a reminder that words provoke the story. Can you imagine giving a presentation on any of those three words and not launch into a story, an example, a person, or an interaction? Even in ordinary conversation, we can probe gently with questions like, “What was that moment like for you?” or “What do you think drives your efforts (mission)?” or “That sounds like it was quite a mess! How’d you get out of it?” (or better yet, “What did you learn from that?”). As I reflect on my previous day, I’ve found it helpful to just briefly, always non-judgmentally, and honestly ask myself, “How did I act on my mission? What was that special moment? And whew, how’d I get out of that mess (or what did I learn if I’m not out yet!)?” Of course, at the same time, I’m thankful for people like Steve and Jayne who remind me of these reflections with their words. #LeadershipReflections #StorytellingMatters #MissionMomentMess #PersonalGrowth #PresentationSkills

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Earlier this week, I asked a riddle, and received some great answers! My answer: FEEDBACK! We need it if we're going to realize our potential and understand our impact. We don't get enough - either recognition or developmental feedback. And when we get it (at least the constructive type), we often react negatively. Next week, I'll be sharing a micro-course where we share one simple tool to help you create a culture of feedback - comment below or DM me your email to get free access! In the meantime, here's a taste of why feedback is so challenging. https://lnkd.in/gEwwSz46 #MakeWorkAwesome

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Today I'm continuing the "Horrible Bosses" series. Taken from this BuzzFeed article, https://lnkd.in/esfzzMZj , here's the boss scenario I'm looking at today: "Teacher appreciation week every damn year. It's pathetic and very clear that school leaders and administrators have to come up with something that costs practically nothing, which is how we end up getting stale, prepackaged cupcakes and sodas, or a small bag of popcorn, or small bags of chips. I've been working hard all damn year, and you think I feel appreciated because I got a chocolate cupcake and some Doritos? Like, I'd like some **** supplies for my class, please! How about I get that new whiteboard I wanted since the old one is only screwed to the wall with two screws, and every time someone walks by in the hallway, it rattles like it's going to fall on top of me? How about you buy some screens or curtains for the large windows the district had built into the newest building so that you can see directly into every single classroom as you walk by? (Great during active shooter drills, btw.) NOPE. I get a damn cupcake." So here's the thing... Appreciation should match effort. Instead of token gestures, leaders should invest in understanding what genuinely makes employees feel valued and provide practical support. People these days have BS meters that can detect anything that's not genuine - it absolutely has to be genuine AND heartfelt. I myself have been known to send along things to my team when they were in need - just because it was a good thing to do and I cared about them. I gave a colleague a set of shoe laces once that brought him to tears (no hyperbole here btw…). Leaders should consider asking employees directly how they would like to be appreciated and respond with meaningful actions. Appreciation is a strategic tool to create direction, meaning and momentum - don’t waste it with meaningless pats on the back or a hollow “way-to-go”.

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Confident Vulnerability is a concept we shared in The Art and Science of Culture: The Power of Seeing What's Hidden (https://lnkd.in/gEMZKUnN). Through research and practical experience, we've expanded the concept to help you develop these two fundamental aspects of effective leaders within your organizations. Read more in our latest blog post: https://lnkd.in/e2RxTgKK

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An executive coach is someone who you can confidentially share your hopes, dreams, frustrations, challenges, fears, doubts, and struggles without feeling judged. Most clients find coaching reassuring and energizing. They are no longer alone and feel more secure knowing that most of their unhelpful thinking and actions are both normal and typical. They learn they can choose to make positive changes to grow both personally and professionally. There are a couple of ways we could work together to support your growth plan. Individual and group coaching: https://lnkd.in/ecGiNgne 10 X Coaching Intensive: https://lnkd.in/gxgm4BWX First-time Manager Success: https://lnkd.in/gMSwrkFm Which one will be most helpful for the new you? #professionaldevelopment. #businessowners #managers #management #business

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Have you ever helped someone only to notice they keep retreating to their old patterns? They fail to take your advice or make any changes to get what they say they want? I have I am reading Breakthrough Coaching by Marcia Reynolds, PsyD, MCC. It is the ICF (International Coaching Federation) Edmonton Charter Chapter book club choice And already I am feeling such resonance with the content I have highlights, underlined words and added punctuation and stars on the page, I have even made notes in a separate journal These concepts are so insightful that I also want to share them with you It may help you understand others better So why do we resist change? 1️⃣ “Routines our solutions to yesterday’s problems … they relieve us from having to think through steps” 2️⃣ “People prefer the certainty of misery to the misery of uncertainty” 3️⃣ “When you don’t have any past experiences, indicating how to succeed in the present situation, the brain defaults to predict failure. Prompting us to resist and avoid taking the risks required to grow.” Would love to hear your thoughts on these ideas! #thetalksicologist #growth #change

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on #informedintuition "The idea that you can improve your performance by relaxing and “just trusting your gut” is popular. While it may be true that intuition is valuable in routine or familiar situations, informed intuition is the result of deliberate practice. You cannot consistently improve your ability to make decisions without considerable practice, reflection, and analysis." ~The Making of an Expert; by K. Anders Ericsson, Michael J. Prietula, and Edward T. Cokely #reflection #executivecoaching #outoftheboxthinking #leadership

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丢脸: To those who understand, these words hit deeply. It's something that most have felt at some point in their lives. It translates to "lose face," where "face" represents reputation, honour, and influences how we are perceived by our family and society. The maintenance of "face" is crucial for social survival. In Asian culture, one person's actions reflect on their entire family's "face". It comes with many expectations, immense pressure, and significant repercussions. To these expectations, everyone responds differently - some rebel, others try to please. But all are left with lingering feelings of shame, guilt, resentment, and the sense that they are not good enough. Many become adults who lose their sense of autonomy, a unique voice, and don't feel comfortable in their own skin. It doesn't have to remain this way. And it has become an issue I feel extremely passionate about in helping others navigate. ----- 👇🏻Want to dive deeper? Check out my latest post to read further 👇🏻 ✍🏻 If you’d like to stay updated with similar content, please subscribe to my newsletter.

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Susan Ní Chríodáin, David Lee and I are planning our next webinar and would like your help. This time, we are going to focus on bad behaviour at work: ❓ Why it happens? ❓ Why are we sometimes oblivious to our impact on others? ❓ What can we do about it? We'd love to share some of your stories about toxic behaviours that you have experienced so please either DM us or comment below if you would like to share. We will of course ensure stories are anonymous if you want them to be. As an example of the kind of stories that we want to unpick....in my very early career, I spent ages photocopying a huge report only to be told that the staples were the wrong angle in the corner of the document and that I would have to start again. And then, the person who I had done the work for threw all the pages on the floor and jumped up and down on them! Interestingly, when I created the image for this post, AI also included lots of paper being thrown about in the form of paper aeroplanes...I've never experienced that at work but I'm sure someone has. We are hoping that it will be both cathartic to share experiences and useful to figure out how to deal with these bad behaviours! Image by DALL-E Open Ai

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We've all been there: your organization is going through change, rumours have started flying, and the helpful reassurance you try to offer backfires. I loved this article by Liz Fosslien in Harvard Business Review on "How Leaders Miscommunicate When Tensions Are High". She nails the common pitfalls--I've seen them all in my experience coaching leadership teams. Here are three of them to watch out for, along with some practical examples of how to improve communications in difficult times. 1. Lack of Clarity: Ambiguity in communication can lead to confusion and misalignment. Take time to ensure your messaging is clear and direct to maintain team focus. 👎 "We had to cancel some projects. Move on to other tasks." 👍 "Due to budget constraints, we are cancelling Project X. We will reallocate resources to Project Y, which has higher strategic importance. Team members affected by the cancellation will be reassigned with clear new objectives by the end of this week." 2. Over-reassurance: While it’s important to calm fears, over-reassurance can appear dismissive. Balance empathy with honesty to sustain trust. 👎 "There might be a change in leadership, but it shouldn’t affect you." 👍 "We are preparing for a leadership transition to bring fresh perspectives. The new leader will be introduced at our quarterly meeting, where they will share their vision and strategic plans. Your roles and responsibilities will remain unchanged during this period." 3. Ignoring Feedback: Shutting out team input during high-stress times can worsen the situation. Foster an environment where feedback is welcomed and valued. The tricky part: invite input that you will be able to implement and remember to acknowledge it. 👎 "We’re not sure what the future holds, but keep working hard." 👍 "While we finalize our future direction, our immediate focus is on sustaining our current projects and improving customer satisfaction. We are hosting a series of workshops to gather your input and will communicate the finalized strategy by the end of next month." Navigating high-tension situations is challenging, but with mindful communication, you can lead your team through it. What strategies have you found effective in high-stress moments? Link to the full article: https://lnkd.in/gaK7j_kg

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 This is a great post. When I think of how this relates to our work around psychological safety the first thing that comes to mind is the degree of psychological safety needed for strategic vs process driven innovation. Although it’s not absolutely true, strategy requires a lot more willingness to suspend judgment when considering various paths forward. Process can often have components that are more predictable. In both cases the ability to innovate requires psychological safety, high standards and a process that includes planned experimentation. Smart risk taking is an art and a science.

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2025 is coming faster than we think. The question isn't IF change will happen, but HOW your team will respond to it. 🔄 In my years of coaching high-performance teams, I've noticed a pattern: organizations that thrive aren't necessarily the ones with the most resources - they're the ones with the most adaptable teams. The difference? An agile mindset.🧠 No doubt your team has incredible potential. However, in today's rapidly evolving business landscape, potential isn't enough. You need the tools and mindset to turn that potential into consistent performance, regardless of what changes come your way. That's exactly what my 'Fragile to Agile' keynote delivers. Through interactive exercises, real-world examples, and practical strategies, I'll help your team: ✅ Transform resistance into resilience ✅ Turn uncertainty into opportunity ✅ Build confidence in change Don't wait for 2025 to catch you unprepared. Let's equip your team with the mindset they need to thrive, not just survive. 👉 DM me to learn more about bringing 'Fragile to Agile' to your organization before the year ends. #FragileToAgile #ChangeManagement #LeadershipDevelopment #TeamPerformance 

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Thrilled that #FixingLeadership has started to make its way to leaders inboxes and mailboxes everywhere! My newest book addresses the systemic gaps facing leaders and organizations today: 📌 Why conventional leadership development methods fail 📌 Why we're not investing in the next generation 📌 What skills we need to, but aren't teaching 📌 What we need to be teaching, and 📌 How to teach skills so we remember and can apply them #Leaders - this book is for you. Remember: 1. If you don't invest in your leadership, you're not learning how to solve your own or your organizations' challenges - you become stuck where you are 2. If you're not investing in others' growth and building other leaders, the weight of change and organizational improvement all falls to you - you remain the bottleneck, stuck where you are 3. If there is no succession; no pay-it-forward - then there is no legacy. The walls fall down behind you and the collective impact and economic worth of your enterprise implodes. The leadership vacuum we are seeing - IS NOT SOMEONE ELSE'S PROBLEM. Arm yourself today with the tools you'll need tomorrow to be and do better. https://lnkd.in/gGqXNghU

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System change & Being/Becoming a mystic “In this blog, I discuss how there is something very trippy at the heart of systems change, particularly by discussing the invitation for all of us to be mystics that lies at the heart of Donella Meadows' leverage points framework.”

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Great little post here about psych safety on virtual teams: https://lnkd.in/ggjecQ9y – As a part of a team that works more than 90% of the year in a virtual setting this has been something we have had to be intentional about as well at Aristotle Performance.   Here are the tips I would add to the article based on my experience: -Drop the formality – teams that are all business all the time struggle to innovate and share ideas that might be “off the agenda”. -Build relationships over a different format – I make regular phone calls. Yes, the phone. I start by saying some version of “how are you – I’m going for a walk – tell me how things are going” I still send along a text ahead of time to make sure I’m not disturbing anyone’s workflow but I make time and I aim to listen. -Don’t overwhelm your team with BS team building – take extra time and go to a comedy show or a tourist attraction when you are on a work trip. We went for an extra 3 days to Saltsburg after working with a German client. Keep it low key and low obligation so the focus is on a natural development of relationships instead of a forced or contrived situation. What tips would you offer from your experience as a leader? What about from your experience as a team player? #psychologicalsafety #leadership #virtualworkplace #virtualteam #online #workonline

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🔄 Changes, expectations, troubling thoughts and fears about the future generate negative stress and impact our mental and emotional health. 🌟 Whether it’s adolescents facing final exams or executives, our workshops repeatedly show that no one is spared from negative stress. Delivering peak performance, working under time pressure, and maintaining emotional control in conflict situations is easier said than done. However, mental strength can be developed when we consider body and mind as one: aligning body and mind is the essence of martial arts and some elements of training can be well integrated into everyday life. While the body becomes stronger and fitter through effort, the brain also benefits from positive stress towards: – Thinking clearly 💡 – Being more resilient 💪 – Increasing performance 📈 - Releasing stress and anxiety ☯️ Read more here: https://lnkd.in/eVde76h2

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