In this Issue

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Quote of the Month

"Be present in all things and thankful for all things." 

Coach's Calendar

22.01.15
Introduction to Political Games in Organizations

12.02.14
Identifying Your Political Style

26.03.15
Avoiding Political Blind Spots

23.04.15
Weaving a Network of Influence

05.05.15
Promoting Yourself with Integrity

25.06.15
Ethical Lobbying

 

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Volume 14, Number 1 - Winter 2015

Hello,

A Year in Review
Last year was an exceptionally challenging year around the world. A deadly contagion spread fear across borders. One airline was hit by two disasters that left hundreds dead and missing—including one tragedy that remains a mystery. Armed conflict rages in Ukraine and a new brand of terror has engulfed Iraq and Syria. 

There were, however, many moments of celebration and inspiration, too: in July Germany won the FIFA World Cup in Rio de Janeiro. In October, seventeen-year-old Malala Yousafzai made history by winning the Nobel prize. On November 12, ESA’s Rosetta mission achieved the impossible when the Philae probe soft-landed on a comet hurtling through space, the first time in history that such an extraordinary feat has been achieved.. 

The events of 2014 only serve to reinforce that “Life is a mixed bag no matter who you are”.  Each year we encounter a combination of unpredictable blessings and successes, and along with those are unavoidable challenges. In this respect 2015 will be no different from the other years - but both the blessings and the challenges will be new and different.

Even on the cloudiest of days, the sun still shines. Difficult times test your patience, self-control and resilience. 

With that in mind I suggest that you approach the year  with an open mind, curiosity and faith in yourself. It is through that process that you will discover the strength and wisdom within you.  

I would also urge you to make time to nurture your soul, whether through meditation, yoga, prayer, or inspirational reading - whatever allows you to enjoy the present moment to the full.

May the new year bring you abundant blessings, help broaden your horizons, and achieve at least one cherished goal.  

Happy New Year!
 
Karin Genton L'Epée

The Power Breakfast series kicks off on January 22nd!

In 2003, L’Epée Coaching & Consulting began hosting a monthly Power Lunch series. Attracting a diverse group of people representing a range of professions, Power Lunch was an opportunity to learn, share ideas and exchange experiences, while exploring various management and business-related issues with smart and insightful peers.
    
At the January 22nd Power Breakfast we will introduce the topic of Political Games in Organizations and discuss why an inability to understand and work effectively in organizations can derail your career as a manager. We will also explore and identify what it takes to become a politically-savvy leader.
  • Location: Art Nouveau Palace Hotel, Panská 12, Prague 
  • Date : Thursday January 22nd 2015
  • Time: 08:00-10:00 
  • Price: 700 CZK +21% DPH 

Share Your Thoughts...

How politically savvy are you? This month we'd like to know about your Organization Political Style
  • I compromise when needed
  • I know how to work the system
  • I believe good work will be rewarded
  • I have an open, honest, up-front agenda
  • I sell ideas and self with boldness
  • I respect proper channels and rules
  • Other… (describe) 

New Year’s resolution for 2015: Live in the present

The celebration of the start of the new year is the oldest of all holidays. It was first observed in ancient Babylon some 4,000 years ago. But the Mesopotamians celebrated New Year’s Day in March, following the spring equinox. The Romans continued to observe New Year’s Day in late March, but because the calendar fell out of synch with the sun, the Roman Senate, in 153 BC, declared Jan. 1 as the beginning of the the New Year, so as to set the calendar right.

Traditionally, one of the customs used to mark the end of the year is to make a New Year's resolution. This tradition also dates back to the early Babylonians, whose most popular resolution was to return borrowed farm equipment.

Today, a New Year’s resolution is usually a commitment one makes to achieve a specific goal during the coming year. Resolutions might include stopping smoking, working less, or spending more time with family. In theory, these resolutions are put into effect on New Year’s Day and are upheld until the set goal has been achieved.

But how many of us are able to keep our New Year’s resolutions?

Do we find it difficult to keep our resolutions because we’ve chosen the wrong time of year or is the concept of New Year’s resolutions a paradox in itself? Indeed if we had the discipline necessary to see our resolutions through, we most likely wouldn’t need to make them in the first place. Moreover, making resolutions that are never realized or are broken shortly after they are set naturally leads to frustration.

After many years of failing miserably to keep up with my resolutions, I have learned that the best way to follow through this year is to live in the present.

Young children have no problem living in the moment, but as we get older, many of us forget how to stay completely in the present. Instead we obsess about the past and endlessly rehearse the future. Only if we are lucky does someone or something remind us that life can only be lived in the here and now.

We are undeniably most happy and productive when we are living in the present.

My suggestion for this New Year is to heed the wise words of Henry David Thoreau: “You must live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment. Fools stand on their island opportunities and look toward another land. There is no other land, there is no other life but this.”

About Karin

Karin Genton-L’Epée is a business coach with 34 years of extensive professional experience in the United States, France and the Czech Republic. Based in Prague since 1995, for the past 17 years she has developed a range of coaching and training programs for mid- and top-level managers, focusing on leadership development, cross-cultural understanding and effective communication in a global environment. By providing a structured environment that supports people in clarifying who they are and what they want, Karin enables her clients to devise more effective strategies to achieve their personal and professional goals. Thanks to her knowledge, skills and range of international experience, Karin is in demand as a speaker at business conferences and educational institutions on both sides of the Atlantic. She is also a regular contributor to business journals and magazines. She works in English and French and can be reached at karin@coaching.cz.

 
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