Sixth Son Coaching and Consulting

11/15/2024

Too many of our emergency first responders suffer in silence and are not receiving the training or support to improve their emotional wellness. In this week's article, I share five techniques that can help manage and prevent post-traumatic stress.

If you or someone you care about is or previously served in public safety or the military, this article is for you.

Public safety professionals often stand at the front line of our society’s most critical and traumatic events. They are the unsung heroes who rush in when everyone else is rushing out.

10/15/2024

Do you know the difference between wrong and different? 🤔

It's remarkable how often we mistake "different" for "wrong."

Many times, our personal preferences and biases cloud our judgment, leading us to dismiss what doesn’t align with our usual way of thinking.

Understanding this distinction can significantly enhance our decision-making and relationships.

Here are three steps to help you make this crucial differentiation:

1. 🕵️‍♂️Cultivate Curiosity: Approach new ideas and perspectives with an open mind. Instead of jumping to conclusions, ask questions and seek to understand the reasoning behind them.

2. 🪞Reflect on Biases: Acknowledge your own biases and how they might influence your perceptions. This awareness is the first step towards more balanced and fair judgments.

3. 💡Embrace Diversity: Recognize the value in diverse viewpoints and experiences. Different doesn't mean wrong; it often brings a broader, richer perspective that can lead to innovation and growth.

By distinguishing between "wrong" and "different," we pave the way for personal growth and deeper, more meaningful connections. 🌟

Ready to challenge your thinking and embrace a broader perspective?

Start today and see the difference it makes! 🚀

Share a time when you confused wrong and different in the comments below⬇️

10/10/2024

Mental health and wellness is not a once-a-year event! Developing and maintaining our mental wellness must be a daily practice. In observance of World Mental Health Day, this week's article focuses on the importance of emotional well-being and how to improve your overall health.

Today, the global community comes together to recognize World Mental Health Day, an initiative designed to raise awareness and promote mental wellness. However, mental health should not be a fleeting thought reserved for one day a year.

06/03/2024

Too much to do and not enough time to do it?
Want to build trust with your team?

Do you know delegating work can develop trust and help you get things done more quickly?

Delegating work can be a great solution and can serve several purposes.

Let's explore some of them.

➡️ Many hands make light work -
Enlisting others' help on a task can expedite the process and help accomplish tasks more rapidly.

➡️ Clearing the deck -
Delegating work that others can do to free up your time allows you to focus on those that only you can do or are too critical to reassign.

➡️ Expanding horizons -
Delegating work to others capable but with less skill or experience can help develop teammates' abilities.

By assigning tasks not commonly assigned to particular team members, you expose them to new experiences and opportunities that may interest them.

➡️ Build trust -
Delegating tasks is an outward sign of your trust in those you assign.

Entrusting others is acknowledging their abilities.

It tells them and others that you are willing to take risks and that you appreciate them.

It encourages others and motivates them to perform at a higher level as they want to earn your trust!

As leaders, we can sometimes get backlogged and feel like we are getting buried.

It is important to delegate and build the trust and skills of our teammates.

Who on your team could be mentored and developed by delegating some of your work?

Like, Comment, and share below!

05/07/2024

Do you feel lost among the myriad of tasks and items on your "to-do list"? Do you feel overwhelmed by deadlines, due dates, and others' expectations?

Connecting all of the dots can be stressful. Here are six things you can do to help mitigate stress and connect the dots.

* Pause. Take a minute to breathe and focus on your inhale and your exhale. Let your body relax more on each exhale.
* Make a list of the tasks needing your attention. (Estimate the time needed to complete the task if you can)
* Prioritize the task list (It is up to you what criteria you use for prioritizing. You know your world better than others)
* Delegate those tasks that you can assign to others (Leverage the talents of your team)
* Communicate with those who may not have their timeline expectations met. (The response you get may help reset some of your priorities)
* Block time on your calendar and schedule time to focus on the remaining tasks (Blocking time sets boundaries and limits interruptions)

Many people immediately bypass the first step, pausing and breathing. Taking a few minutes to pause and focus on your breathing mentally prepares you to better address the remaining steps in the process.

Focusing on your breathing mitigates anxiety and stress and allows the more developed part of your brain to override your more primitive brain.

What additional steps help you slow down and connect the dots? Post your input in a comment below.

05/03/2024

You made it!!!! It is Friday and this week is almost a wrap!

Before you punch out for the weekend and put your work week behind you it is a good practice to take a little time to reflect on your past week.

Taking 5-10 minutes at the end of your week to reflect on the good, the bad, and even the ugly things that may have occurred this week allows you to process your week and maybe close some doors left open in your mind.

Here are five ways reflecting on your week can benefit you;
➡️Improved Decision Making: Reflecting on the past week helps you analyze what worked well and what didn't, leading to better decision-making in the future.
➡️Enhanced Learning: Reflecting allows you to identify lessons learned from challenges and successes, fostering continuous learning and growth.
➡️Increased Productivity: By identifying inefficiencies and areas for improvement, you can streamline processes and boost productivity in your work.
➡️Enhanced Self-Awareness: Weekly reflection promotes self-awareness by helping you understand your strengths, weaknesses, and areas for development.
➡️Better Goal Alignment: Reflecting on progress towards your goals helps ensure alignment with your long-term objectives, keeping you focused and motivated.

Start a journal and document your weekly reflections to help you plan your future. This will also allow you a more comprehensive look back at a quarterly or annual cadence.

What was the worst part of your week? And, what was the best part of your week? Always finish on a positive!

Have a fantastic weekend!

05/02/2024

When was the last time you took a minute to reflect on the journey to where you are today?

It is important to occasionally reflect on your past and appreciate those who came before you. Gratitude is an extremely powerful and healthy emotion that doesn't get expressed nearly enough.

Who are you grateful for?

05/01/2024

Great leaders never stop learning and should always be developing other leaders.

A wise leader knows they can learn from many people and not just those with matching titles or resumes. Sometimes are best lessons come from those we are leading.

When seeking knowledge, look all around you and keep an open mind to where your next lesson may come from!

Like, Follow, and Share!

04/30/2024

Are you working to survive in a toxic environment? Are your Mondays regularly ruining your Sundays?

Several years ago, I was that proverbial frog enjoying the warmth of what soon became a rapidly boiling pot of workplace toxicity.

The teammates and fellow leaders I had previously known as co-workers were suddenly trying to kill my career and ruin my reputation in the industry, and they didn't care what it was doing to me or my family.

I recognized the situation for what it was, but it took my doctor ordering me out of work to physically remove me from the environment that was slowly going to kill me.

This started my journey of discovering mindfulness and men's emotional health practices. After many years of improving my life, personally and professionally, and applying my improved emotional intelligence as a key leadership principle, I work to prevent others from having the same experience.

Toxic relationships of any kind will drain a person of their energy, rob them of their dignity, and compromise their health in a short period of time.

Sometimes, we are the proverbial frog feeling the water's warmth slowly increasing and sometimes we get dropped into the boiling pot of toxicity.

Regardless of how you got here, it is most important that you are aware and recognize the situation for what it is.

It is one thing to leave a toxic environment, as you should, but that incompetent, ego-driven leader will likely find another frog to replace you.

That is why I work to raise the bar for leaders in any industry and support anyone who finds themself damaged by poor leadership and toxic relationships.

If you identify with my story, please be your own best advocate and listen to your intuition.
• Call on your support network
• Utilize services like your employer's EAP Plan
• Formulate a strategy to exit the environment
• Inform the appropriate people in your organization as per policy

Message me or email me at support@sixthsoncc.com if I can be of any assistance.

04/29/2024

Do you hate change? Are you more likely to repel change or embrace it?

Personal growth can be uncomfortable but when you embrace that uncomfortable feeling and step into the discomfort, you will grow.

Many people learn that their discomfort is from a false perception, a limiting belief, or fear instilled from a previous event. Knowing what drives you and why you act and react to particular changes can help you move forward.

So, explore your feelings around the change, push your limits, step into the discomfort, and show the world what you can do!

If you are interested in exploring your edge and what might be holding you back, send me a direct message or comment below

04/26/2024

The weekend is here, and it is time to recharge!

Get outside and be active. Do something for yourself and replenish all that you have burned up during the work week!

It is proven that getting outdoors, away from technology, and letting your imagination run adds to your overall mental and physical health.

So, disconnect from technology and reconnect with nature.

Have a fantastic weekend!!!

04/25/2024

Congratulations on reaching your goal and earning the position you have been working so hard to achieve!

Now let's get to work...on you. 😀

Great leaders are continuous learners, but many ignore their inner personal growth and the value it provides.

There are a plethora of executive training options to help you create better spreadsheets, improve leadership principles, drive company growth, excite the team about the future, and get appointed to board positions, but what are leaders doing to truly improve their emotional intelligence?

A leader investing in self-improvement is not being selfish; they are being wise!

Regardless of rank, title, or authority, we all have work to do. And by work, I mean emotional wellness work.

And if that scares you or you immediately dismiss that statement as being inaccurate, I challenge you to consider it even more.

Understanding and managing one's emotions while being respectful of the emotions of others is an investment in oneself and one's team.

Let's explore your emotional landscape.

04/24/2024

Have you ever been taken by surprise by someone lashing out or making an out-of-character statement during a team meeting?

Knowing your people and being able to identify what is normal and what is out of character for them is awareness.

We never truly know what others have going on in their private lives and there are lots of possible explanations for someone lashing out or acting out of character.

While most people can easily identify that statement as out of line, your emotional intelligence is critical to identifying that behavior and dealing with it effectively and productively as a leader.

Effective leaders typically have a high EQ and work these types of scenarios with awareness, empathy, and compassion.

How would you approach this scenario if it occurred in your next team meeting? Comment below.

04/23/2024

Did you know that organizations across the country are screening candidates for emotional intelligence(EQ)?

It's true! Whether they are hiring new members or looking to promote internally, they are looking at EQ levels.

Why? You might ask.

Because recruiters, HR professionals, and hiring managers know that team members with a high EQ are more empathetic, have greater integrity, are more self-aware, are more self-motivated, are better communicators, and more.

Quite simply, a team of highly emotionally intelligent people outperforms other teams.

Organizations that value EQ see less abuse of sick time(PTO), greater productivity, greater levels of creativity and ingenuity, and less turnover.

If you want to learn more about increasing your EQ, reach out in a DM or Connect, and let's chat.

04/22/2024

"Just focus on your career and everything will fall into place!"

Regardless of what you do for a living, that is some of the worst advice you could ever receive.

But, too many people still expect the cart to pull the horse and put their personal growth and well-being second to their profession.

To grow professionally, one must focus on themselves first. Yes, one must prioritize time for themselves in order to perform at a high level in the workplace.

A great way to start improving is to get out of your head and get in tune with your body.

Personal well-being and personal growth form the foundation of any successful career.

Connect with me to learn how you can improve your growth journey.

04/19/2024

Oh no! I don't have cell service! Reset the router, I need to connect!!!

Have you noticed how the meaning of the word "connect" has transformed since the Internet age launched?

As our world becomes better connected electronically, we have been slowly eroding the most meaningful and powerful connections we can make: the personal connection!

Humans are herd animals and need connection with others. In our personal and professional lives, we need to do better in nurturing our human-to-human connections.

This weekend, I challenge you to put aside your "devices" and reboot the connections with your family, friends, and neighbors.

How are you going to nurture your connections this weekend? Post in the comments below.

Happy Friday, and have a fantastic weekend!

04/18/2024

What is the problem? This should be done by now!

Do you ever find yourself feeling frustrated that a project is not on track?

I have been there many times and learned to employ empathetic communication skills as we discussed the response to my question.

Have you ever heard someone say, “It’s not what you said but how you said it?” Communicating empathetically is about how we listen and how we speak.

Empathy is a critical skill when communicating and leading a team. When we don’t listen with an empathetic ear, we are likely missing key parts of what someone is trying to tell us.

As a leader helping a team overcome challenges, I find it critical to have all of the pertinent information. A lack of information can lead us to speak with a lack of empathy and likely make challenges and frustrations worse, not better.

When we employ empathetic communication, we:

- alleviate confusion by hearing all of the pertinent information and providing clarity in direction and feedback.

- build trust by being open, understanding, and respectful of others’ perspectives.

- foster improved collaboration by removing barriers to the thoughtful exchange of ideas and perspectives.

What are some examples of how empathetic communication has benefited your team?

04/17/2024

Did you know that real connections happen without technology involved? Are you willing to put in the effort and use the abilities you already have to improve your relationships?

Leadership requires healthy relationships.

Healthy relationships require emotional intelligence.

Explore your emotional landscape and start your journey to exceptional leadership and healthier relationships in your personal and professional lives.