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Dear <<First Name>>,
It’s Time to Embrace that Fresh Start Feeling
Like clockwork, a couple of weeks before school started, our mom would take my sister and me to the mall for our annual "school shopping" ritual.
We'd each get a new pair of shoes, a couple "outfits" and miscellaneous school supplies. If we didn't make her life miserable in the process, we'd be treated to the candy counter at Sears -- a bag of our favorite treats for the ride home: Bridge Mix for me; Malted Milk Balls for my sister. My mother’s scheme was brilliant for keeping us quiet in the back seat
The "Back to School" routine continued with our kids, although the stores were different and included more online shopping. The supply list poured onto two pages, and the candy counter bonus was long gone. Regardless, there was a definite sense of summer winding down and a ramping up to the new school year.
Running parallel, of course, is much the same transition for our teams and organizations: As "summer Fridays" and vacations ebb, the countdown to end of the year is before us...giving rise to that "fresh start" feeling.
 Now is the season to step back and account for progress against the leadership goals established early in the year, and then, to shift your approach accordingly.
Your mission -- should you choose to accept it -- is to find a quiet place where you won't be distracted, open a blank document, take a deep breath, and answer the following select questions as openly and honestly as you dare...right now.
- What have you learned most about yourself as a leader?
- How have you invested in your team to develop them as leaders?
- How have you catalyzed and managed change?
- Which leadership "wins" and/or decisions are you most proud of, and why?
- How might you lead differently to enhance outcomes as the year comes to a close?
And, for the ambitious, download this full list of questions and dig a little deeper.
Then, hit the ground running with a reasonably complete retrospective and a semblance of ideas for moving forward with a fresh start.
Let's get going!
Jacqueline Franklin
Chief Coaching Partner
IPEC Certified Professional Coach
Energy Leadership Master Practitioner
Coach2Growth helps executives and senior businesspeople grow by capitalizing on their strengths to lead and partner more effectively. With our guidance, leaders achieve more, gain recognition, and grow and prosper fearlessly.
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Is Lack of Reflection Holding You Back?
Of all the leadership skills my clients choose to work on, the most under-valued is reflection. It’s not that anyone is incapable of reflection, it’s more about prioritizing it and carving out time to make it happen. Let’s face it, it feels so much more productive to, well, produce something.
You crank out emails, respond to Slack messages, send texts, interview people, conduct staff meetings, solve problems, brainstorm ideas, create and present plans, onboard new employees, and that’s all before noon! Lots of checked boxes and endorphins are pumping.
Even if you believe in reflection, deciding when, where and how to do so – not to mention on what exactly – can stop you in your tracks. To that end, I invite you to consider the following to build your reflection muscle:
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Set your alarm for 20-30 minutes and respond to the following questions. Be curious about what pops into your head as you answer questions. Don’t rush; if you finish early, cycle back and ponder the questions. Challenge yourself to go more deeply and broadly until the timer goes off. If you’re deep in the zone when it does, take a few more minutes to capture your thoughts.
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 Jacqueline partners for success with her clients, blending years of strategic and practical business experience in global companies with enthusiasm for helping leaders, organizations and teams realize their potential. She has worked with company leaders and individual contributors to help them achieve more, gain recognition and prosper fearlessly.
Jacqueline has been a natural and compassionate champion, mentor and coach to women throughout her career. She participated on the board of Girls Inc. of Lynn for six years, and is a member of The Boston Club, one of the largest communities of women executives and professional leaders in the Northeast.
Jacqueline has an MBA and is a Certified Professional Coach (CPC), having completed her training in the premier accredited International Coaching Federation (ICF) certification program through the Institute for Professional Excellence in Coaching. She is also certified as an Energy Leadership Index-Master Practitioner (ELI-MP).
Learn more at Coach2Growth.com.
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