This is the final episode of Ever Better Today, Season Two!  I'll be back at some point in the future so stay tuned!  ++++++++++++++++++++ It’s Coach Question Friday when I ask a question that I often ask clients!  For the final episode of Ever Better Today, I’d like you to consider how you can share your ideas more widely. How can you reach more people? How can you have a greater impact?  ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ---------------------------------------------- How can you share your ideas more broadly? Set your goals. Who do you want to reach and why?  When I set out to produce Ever Better Today, Season Two, I said that I was going to do 250 episodes. That was roughly one episode per weekday for a year. My main goals were to become more comfortable with creating ideas, articulating, and sharing them. I knew that this would help me to document my body of work and identify patterns that I could focus on moving forward. Before I knew it, I had reached 100 episodes and I recognized that I had achieved my goals. Creating another 150 episodes wouldn’t help me move the needle on achieving my main goals. So I’m turning my attention to client work and other projects….at least for now!  But….I’ll be back!What are your goals?   Identify key topics and themes. As I created daily podcasts, I narrowed down my topics to leadership and related tactics and tools. What are you key topics and themes? It’s totally normal for your topics and themes to evolve! But they can’t evolve until you get started.  Identify a platform to share your ideas. Think about how you can share your ideas. Try podcasting, blogs, creating workshops, webinars, seminars, or being a guest on podcasts. If you try something and it’s not working for you, it’s totally fine to try something else! What platform seems most natural for you? Remember, it all takes practice! Have a team to support you. On my end, I have a wonderful editor named Ryan Higgs and virtual assistant named Louisa to help me produce, publish and publicize each episode.Who’s in your corner? How can you stretch yourself to get your ideas into the world?  ----------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

It doesn't have to be lonely at the top! As you move up the ranks from an entry-level job to senior managerial positions, you have fewer peers to confide in. And if you're a founder, you have even fewer peers. You’ll need to create an evolving circle of confidantes. It may not be easy, but it’s important to achieve. And when you do, it won’t be lonely at the top.  ---------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ---------------------------------------------- It doesn't have to be lonely at the top. Here are some tips:  Find a coach. Identify someone you trust to share your challenges and success with on a confidential basis. This relationshop can cover all aspects of your business, career, and overall life.  Surround yourself with people you can trust. Find your circle of advisors and people you can trust to share your challenges with. This should be a two-way relationship. They need to be able to rely on you just as you rely on them.  Speak at conferences. This will help you create more your connections and meet people who are also in senior roles. Put yourself in places where you’ll be among peers.  Involve yourself in hobbies and activities. Build relationships with people who can become confidantes outside of work. As you pursue hobbies and activities that you enjoy, those relationships will evolve and you’ll learn from each other.  ----------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

Leadership involves articulating your vision, creating alignment within your organization and driving execution. ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ---------------------------------------------- The Work of Leaders DiSC Assessment identifies and describes your work style, and explains the benefits and opportunities for growth within the framework of vision, alignment, and execution.  Here are the three Work of Leaders elements: Vision, Alignment and Execution.  Vision is an imagined future condition for the organization or team. It expands assumptions about what can be accomplished. It unifies people and provides purpose.  How you craft your vision and how you communicate your vision is related to your DiSC style. You might prioritize details, or you might prioritize the big picture, you might be extremely bold, or you might focus on analysis.  Alignment involves gaining buy-in from the organization and your team. It takes a team to achieve a vision. Alignment sets the stage by proposing a plan for effective implementation, provides a forum for questions and concerns, brings people together behind the vision and it generates excitement.  If a team is aligned towards a vision and they understand the strategic plan and where they're going in the future, they're going to be much more resilient and less likely to jump ship when things get tough. Execution is how you turn vision into reality. Vision is achieved through tactics. Choose the right person for each position, consider resources, and finances for your organization.  Using OKRs - objectives and key results - or another form of metrics is important for managing execution. They provide team milestones and the opportunity to recognize and celebrate progress.  The work of leaders varies at different levels. CEOs should be focused on vision and alignment while delegating execution.  Middle managers should be focused on some vision and alignment with a greater emphasis on managing execution.   Entry level managers will primarily focus on execution and managing execution.  ----------------------------------------------- To learn more about DiSC Assessments and working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

Do you sometimes act as if you are not qualified for a role even though you know you are? Do you downplay your ideas and accomplishments so that others won’t feel threatened? If so, you are acting like an "intentional imposter."  ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ---------------------------------------------- Why would anyone be an intentional imposter?  Avoiding Conflict We’ve all seen examples of women who confidently speak their truth and face a firestorm of criticism because of it. Maybe you’ve witnessed this or even experienced it yourself. This can cause individuals to play smaller.  Consider Dr. Christine Blasey Ford who was harassed, ridiculed, and experienced death threats because she shared her experience of being assaulted by Brett Kavanaugh in high school.  Avoiding the Spotlight Sometimes being in the spotlight can result in public shaming and people speaking out against an individual whom they don’t know. This very real experience of trolling can cause individuals to avoid the spotlight so that they can continue to live their lives as they have been. Unfortunately, they may not be living and speaking their authentic truth and they are not making a difference in the world as they might.  Consider what happened when Dr. Brene Brown gave a TEDx talk in 2010 that becamse wildly popular. Word of her research and her relatable explanations of shame became widely quoted - and the trolls came for her online. She openly discusses how hurtful and potentially damaging the barrage of negative comments about her looks and her work could have been. She discusses this in her Netflix special, The Call to Courage. Avoiding Responsibility: Which May Reveal Symptoms of Imposter Syndrome  Sharing your ideas in a meeting or public forum can result in being assigned with leading a task force or taking on a special assignment. This can be great for your career. But it can also be one more responsibility for which you won’t receive additional compensation. It may also put you into a role for which you don’t feel qualified. This can cause imposter syndrome to reveal itself. Listen to Ever Better Today Episode 104 to learn more about Imposter Syndrome.  How to break the cycle of intentional impostering. Take steps to stop intentional impostering little by little.  Practice sharing your authentic ideas a bit more every day. When you do this regularly, people will get used to hearing from you and expect it. You’ll create the understanding and expectation that you have valuable ideas and qualifications.  Expect to be invited in as a leader. And if you’re not, remember what Shirley Chisholm said: “If they don’t give you a seat at the table, bring a folding chair.”  ----------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

If you feel like you’re not qualified for the role you’re in and you’re going to be discovered…you may have imposter syndrome. Even if you don’t, chances are that someone you know or work with does. ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ---------------------------------------------- Imposter syndrome is the feeling that you are not qualified to be in your current role, and that you are going to be found out and humiliated. What drives feelings of Imposter Syndrome?  1. Comparison  Comparison is addiction to failure. Comparison also drives imposter syndrome.  Imagine you’re a CEO who’s struggling with a challenge and you compare yourself to another CEO who handled a similar situation gracefully. You may judge yourself harshly in comparison and conclude that you aren’t qualified. In reality, every CEO struggles with challenges and no two CEOs have the same qualifications.  Rather than comparing yourself to someone else, think about the valuable skills and experiences you bring to your role. In addition, seek a different perspective from people around you like your leadership team, coaches, and someone who knows your capabilities and will provide honest feedback.  2. Lack of Practice and Negative Feedback Individuals are often afraid of speaking up in meetings or sharing their ideas in other forums because when they’ve done this in the past they’ve been discouraged, laughed at, or had their ideas hijacked. They may feel that they are jeopardizing their job if they share an idea that isn’t accepted by others. Overcoming this belief takes practice.  To elevate your voice, you need to practice saying your idea authentically while making eye contact with key people in the room. And if someone takes your idea and presents it as their own, call them out with a direct and matter-of-fact statement.  3. Reinforcement of Inconsistent Qualification Requirements  Women and people of color are often judged to be lacking in qualifications for roles even when their academic and business successes exceed those they are being judged against. This can lead individuals to start believing that they are truly not qualified and that they have to work twice as hard to gain the respect of their colleagues.  Address feelings of inadequate qualifications with your support system and with reminders of all you’ve accomplished.   ----------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

How can you get better at your job? Each Friday, I share a question that I often ask my clients. Today’s question is inspired by “Born Standing Up” by Steve Martin, and “So Good They Can't Ignore You” by Cal Newport. ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ---------------------------------------------- Here’s how you can get better at your work if you are a CEO, Founder, Co-founder, or Senior Manager… Create a coaching relationship with someone you trust, who can guide and mentor you.Broaden your network and informal relationships so that you have people who you can share ideas with and brainstorm with.Ask for feedback from customers and keep in touch with your entry-level employees to ask for their input on what they're observing and what they're experiencing. Here’s how you can get better at your work if you are in an entry-level or mid-level role.… Strive to become a subject matter expertCollect and study information to learn about your company, business sector, competitors, and your job.Create and share your own perspective! Identify transformational concepts and ideas that others haven’t considered. Become someone who is so good, that they can't ignore you! Episodes 99, 100, 101, 102, and 103 describe just some of the takeaways from So Good They Can't Ignore You and Born Standing Up. There are many other lessons in these books so I encourage you to read or listen to them. yourself! You can find them here. ----------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

Feeling fulfilled and passionate about our work comes from having autonomy, competence, and relatedness.  So what do those three terms mean and how can you achieve them? ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ---------------------------------------------- Cal Newport talks about Self-Determination Theory (SDT) in his book “So Good They Can't Ignore You”. SDT is actually composed of six mini-theories and one of them is Basic Psychological Needs Theory. To learn more, go to selfdeterminationtheory.org/theory Basic Psychological Needs Theory Psychological well-being and optimal functioning are a result of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Autonomy This is the feeling that you have control over your day and that your work is important and meaningful. Don’t expect this in the early days of your career. Strive for a blend of autonomy and guidance by finding mentors and role models to help you navigate your profession. As you gain experience, you’ll enjoy more autonomy than you’ve earned.  Competence There are four levels of competence. As your skills and awareness develop, you’ll move through the phases of: Unconscious incompetence; conscious incompetence; conscious competence; and unconscious competence. Learn more about this model by listening to Episode 7 of Ever Better Today. Relatedness This is the feeling of connection to other people. You have to feel a connection in order to feel very engaged and passionate about your job and mission-driven. Episodes 99, 100, 101, 102, and 103 describe just some of the takeaways from So Good They Can't Ignore You and Born Standing Up. There are many other lessons in these books so I encourage you to read or listen to them. yourself! You can find them here.  ----------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

Do you focus on the value you're offering in your job? Or are you thinking more about “what's in it for me”? These are two very different mindsets that create vastly different outcomes. ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ----------------------------------------------- In chapter four of Cal Newport’s book entitled “So Good They Can't Ignore You”, he describes two different approaches to thinking about work - a craftsman mindset versus a passion mindset. In Steve Martin’s book, Born Standing Up, he describes his constant work to craft better performances. His passion for the work grew with his expertise and accolades. Crafters mindset & Entrepreneur mindset Crafters and entrepreneurs focus on the value they are producing for someone else. Entrepreneurs collect information, interpret it in their own way, and create something transformational for the world to consume. They take in information, apply their interpretation and create something new - transformation.  Passion mindset vs Employee Mindset In the employee mindset, individuals are focused on how their jobs make them feel and what they're getting out of their jobs rather than emphasizing the contribution, transformation, and advancement of others. This revolves around the “what's in it for me?” culture. Real-life examples following information, interpretation, and transformation flow… Steve Martin took information about magic tricks, comedy, entertainment at Disney, and quirky personalities. He interpreted all this information in his own way and created an act that only he could do. He made an artform that entertained his audiences and shifted comedy forever.  With this podcast, I’m interpreting information from books, my professional and personal experiences, and my education and transforming it into podcasts. My hope is that these podcasts help you and others to elevate their businesses, careers, and overall lives.   Episodes 99, 100, 101, 102, and 103 describe just some of the takeaways from So Good They Can't Ignore You and Born Standing Up. There are many other lessons in these books so I encourage you to read or listen to them. yourself! You can find them here.  ----------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

Do you pursue your passion or get so good at something that it becomes a passion?  In the book, So Good They Can’t Ignore You, Cal Newport makes the case that single-mindedly pursuing your passion can create frustration and a chaotic career. Listen to learn more! ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ----------------------------------------------- Here’s what you can do to create a career or business that you’re passionate about without creating chaos… Figure out what you're interested in, that you can get paid for, and that you enjoy doing. Then get great at that! Get that job or start a business that you can feel good about doing on a day-to-day basis. Get started! As you learn more and get better at what you’re doing, it may very likely become a passion. Learn what you need to know, learn the basics, and figure out ways to not succeed. Mistakes are a great way to learn! Build your network. Meet people in that industry and people who are engaged in similar work or business. Consider… Do you know someone who pursued something and it grew into a passion? What steps did they take to succeed? Episodes 99, 100, 101, 102, and 103 describe just some of the takeaways from So Good They Can't Ignore You and Born Standing Up. There are many other lessons in these books so I encourage you to read or listen to them. yourself! You can find them here.  ----------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

This episode is inspired by two books, So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport and Born Standing Up by Steve Martin.  If you’re ready to achieve wild success in anything you do, you need to become great at it.  This takes time, dedication, and a willingness to be uncomfortable.  Overnight success rarely happens. And when it does, it’s not sustainable. ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! --------------------------------------------- Here’s how Steve Martin became so good… He honed his magic and entertainment skills in a variety of “unglamorous” jobs. He started performing for very small audiences and learned from negative feedback.He refused to give up and continued to hone his skills as a stand-up comedian.He went on tour at colleges and universities which led him to perform on much bigger stages, stadiums, and venues. He recognized that performing in very large venues left him empty and unsatisfied because his passion was to connect with his audience.  As a comedian, he created transferrable skills that he applied to acting, producing and music.  When he reached financial success he became a philanthropist and an art collector. Steve Martin’s advice, “be so good they can’t ignore you” was the inspiration for Cal Newport’s book. Listen to the next few episodes of Ever Better Today to learn more! ----------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

It's Coach Question Friday when I ask you to consider a coaching question. What does community mean to you? How can you help to create it? These coaching questions were inspired by the entrepreneurial community in Fargo, ND, and TEDx Fargo that I discussed in episodes 94 through 97.  #TEDxFargo ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ----------------------------------------------- What is a Community? For me, a community is a group of people that support each other and… A community does not have to be limited by geography. A community can be virtual. A community should not be stagnant. Community members should come together on a regular basis and be open to new discussions. A community welcomes new people who add energy, engage in different ways, and generate new ideas. Members who left the community can be regarded as alumni or alumna.  Members who left are welcomed back to re-engage should they decide to rejoin the group. Communities should have fun together and enjoy each other’s company. Community members keep learning and taking risks together. What communities do you belong to? Consider these communities: Your familyYour neighborhood Professional associationsOnline groups like LinkedIn groups or Facebook groupsEmployees at the company you work for or ownIndividuals at your co-working spaceAlumni of schools and training programs you’ve attended How can you add more value and energy to your communities? ----------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

At TEDx Fargo, Randy Hedberg, Associate Head Coach and Quarterbacks Coach for the North Dakota State University (NDSU) football team, described the principles and cultural touchpoints that guide his team’s culture.  Between 2011 and 2022, the NDSU Bisons won nine national titles. So their culture is one to be studied!  One of Hedberg’s lessons that stood out for me was:  The daily environment of Bison football is shaped by the worst behavior the leaders are willing to tolerate. Coaches and all Bison teammates pay attention to behaviors that might drag the team down and behaviors that might elevate the team.  This is a philosophy that everyone should apply in business and in every other aspect of life.  Don’t tolerate a horrible culture.  Instead, be a catalyst for change!  #TEDxFargo ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ----------------------------------------------- How to apply the “worst behavior tolerated” philosophy to your life.  Business If you’re a business owner or senior leader, you are responsible for modeling your culture. Don’t tolerate or personally demonstrate inappropriate behavior.  Leadership happens at all levels. If you’re not a senior leader, you have the ability to speak up and report inappropriate behavior.    For example, if you see that someone is being bullied in your workplace and you remain silent, you contribute to the tolerance of that behavior.  Family If you’re a part of a family with unhealthy dynamics, consider how you can make a difference for this generation and the next.  If you’re not sure how to make a difference, talk to someone else who might be able to help. What situations are you tolerating? ---------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

On May 25, 2020, Christopher Martin, then 18 years old, was working at a store in Minneapolis. A customer came in to buy cigarettes and Chris believed that he paid with a counterfeit $20 bill. Chris reported this to another employee who went out to talk to the customer. The police were called. Within a half hour, that customer, George Floyd, was dead and the officer who knealt on Floyd's neck, was found guilty of murder. Following this tragedy, Chris experienced profound guilt and wondered if he had done the right thing. Chris described his experiences and his motivation to rise for George Floyd in his TEDx Fargo talk in July 2022. #TEDxFargo ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! -------------------------------------------- From his TEDx Fargo talk, here are some of Christopher Martin’s lessons for rising after a difficult experience… Recognize that you should not take on burdens not meant for you. It can be tough to discern which are your burdens. Chris ultimately realized that George Floyd’s murder was not his fault.  Acknowledge that you cannot control circumstances.  You can only do the best you know how to do in the moment.  Tell someone if you are not feeling well mentally. Get help. Your mindset matters. Saying “I’m fine” doesn’t help you to rise.  Call 988 to reach the National Suicide Prevention Hotline in the U.S.  ---------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

At TEDx Fargo, I was inspired to think outside the fence by Jay Doan from Black Leg Ranch. #TEDxFargo ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ----------------------------------------------- In his TEDx Fargo talk, Jay Doan discussed how his family’s business continues to evolve. They introduced new business ventures within the ranch including:   A microbrewerySelling and shipping grass-fed beef and bisonHunting tripsEvents like weddings and retreats Jay discussed keeping the next generation engaged by thinking differently. Recognize that evolving is important for any business and beneficial to employees and owners.Acknowledge that you are ready to evolve the business by discussing ideas and preparing for change to happen over time. Research new ways of doing things. This may take you back to traditional ways!  Get other people involved and excited about your ideas. Hire new staff and interns to bring renewed energy to new ventures. How can you think outside the fence? ---------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

I was introduced to the Fargo, ND community in 2016 when a friend recommended that I invite Greg Tehven to be on the Ever Better Podcast. You can listen to that podcast here. That conversation with Greg continued as he introduced me to many other entrepreneurs and change-makers in Fargo. In July 2022, I spent almost a week in Fargo and thoroughly enjoyed seeing friends, some of whom I had never actually met in-person, meeting with clients in real life (IRL), and participating in fun, energizing, and inspiring experiences. It takes just one person to spark change and to get others engaged and involved. If you’ve got an idea you’ve been thinking about, start talking to others and make it happen! ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ----------------------------------------------- In addition to TEDx, Emerging Prairie creates other opportunities in Fargo, ND for developing skills and creating ventures. These include:  Founders Only Retreat. Founders come together to share ideas and challenges and plan for the future in a relaxed environment.Emerging Digital Academy. Participants learn full stack software development skills, allowing them to get jobs immediately and help fuel the local economy.Startup brew. A weekly get-together where founder and community organizers share what's happening with their ventures and activities.Grand Farm is modeling the farm of tomorrow. Here are some of the ways Emerging Prairie created a memorable and impactful TEDx event.  Two days before TEDx, attendees were invited to participate in “curated dinners” where they had dinner with people they had never met before. This was beneficial to the participants as well as local restaurants. When talks were not in progress, TEDx attendees enjoyed lawn games, live music, lunch, coffee, kite-flying, and other activities. The setup was a catalyst for meeting new people and hanging out with friends.After TEDx, participants enjoyed an after-party and an after-after-party!Encouraging participants to post on social media using #TEDxFargo ---------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

How will you know when…. … you're happy? … you've achieved your fitness goals? … you're earning enough money?  … your personal relationships fulfilling? ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ----------------------------------------------- What will be different when you’ve achieved your goal? Create a measurable or observable outcome. Here are some examples of specific goals. Yours may be different! How will I know when…. I’m happy? I will journal about how I feel each evening and morning. My sense of optimism will rise.  I’ve achieved my fitness goals? I’ll be able to run two miles in 16 minutes.  I’m earning enough money?  I will be living according to my budget while saving $1,000 per month for my child’s education and in my 401k.    Here is my fitness goal…for real! I will create six-pack abs by my next birthday in October! I’ll be doing lots of solidcore classes between now and then!  The work is the joy. The outcome is the reward.  ---------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

Conflict in the workplace is a part of life, but how it’s handled can mean the difference between success and failure. Productivity and conflict are not opposites. In fact, productively addressing conflict is what keeps a company functioning and thriving.    The ideas below were first published in my CEO Today article:Co-Founder Conflict: Productive or Destructive? ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ----------------------------------------------- Conflicts are inevitable. How do you stop destructive conflict from eroding your business? Here's how to create a healthy working environment for everyone involved:    Maintain and protect a regularly scheduled meeting just with your co-founder(s). Meet in person when you can, by video meeting as a second option, and by telephone if needed. Move beyond tactics and to-do’s to discuss how you’re each feeling, what’s next for the business, what’s happening that’s great and risks to be aware of. This should not be a superficial meeting!   Resolve One Open Thing (ROOT ™) with your co-founder or team member. Consider those topics and friction points that come up again and again. Get to the root of what’s happening. This can take a lot of discussion and introspection. What seems to be the cause is often just a symptom of something else.   Resolving one open thing can make all the difference in keeping a team focused, positive and productive. Resolving recurring conflicts opens up time to create new services, and products and grow your team.       Take a DiSC Productive Conflict Assessment to find out how you and your co-founders deal with conflict. Review results as a team with your coach. This is something I do with clients on a regular basis and it gives each person valuable perspective.   ---------------------------------------------- We all experience conflict—but that doesn’t mean it has to be destructive. Be aware of making your conflicts constructive and helpful, not hurtful and damaging. Here are more co-founder resources to help grow and sustain your business. ---------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

As we face the challenges of the future, our leaders must be ready and willing to have tough conversations. Excusing rude or inappropriate behavior doesn’t help anyone in the long run. ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ----------------------------------------------- Here are reasons why leaders make excuses for their staff. Consider if you have a tendency to do any of these yourself. The employee is someone they have a personal history with. It can be challenging to create new dynamics when two people have an established relationship and ways of communicating.   They are conflict avoidant. Confronting issues is an important part of a leader's job, but also a necessary step in learning and development Reframe challenging conversations as “leadership conversations.”.       They worry that someone will quit if they point out their inappropriate behaviors. This may be true and this may create an opportunity to level up the team with a higher-performing team member To succeed in business, it’s critical to ensure that your people are doing the best they can do. they may need resources and support that you can provide. If you avoid discussing their challenges, they may never reach their potential. ---------------------------------------------- What are the most difficult conversations you've had as a leader and what have you learned about yourself in the process?  I'd love to hear your thoughts on leadership conversations! ---------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

The most successful business owners are always planning for the next stage of their business. If you’re a business owner or a leader, consider what your organization could look like in the next 5, 10, or even 20 years. To visualize this, I recommend creating your future organizational chart. ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ----------------------------------------------- Organize, plan, and build your future. Here's how to create your future org chart. Take out a blank piece of paper. When you think big, the sky's the limit. So go ahead and write a description of what your organization might look like in the future.   Place yourself at the top of the org chart.   Create boxes for the leaders who will report to you and imagine who might report to each of them. Fill in job titles or short descriptions and don’t be concerned with the names of people at this stage. In fact, locking into your mind specific people to fill each of these slots can be limiting.   Use this future org chart to keep yourself on track as you plan and execute your vision. Let's talk about your business vision. I look forward to seeing how you use this tool! ---------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here

Meetings are a great way to communicate with large groups, but sometimes they exclude something important to share. Here's a solution borrowed from a teacher ----------------------------------------------- Welcome to Ever Better Today: the daily podcast for creating your optimal business, career, or overall life in ten minutes or less. I’m Lisa Conners Vogt, Executive and Leadership Coach and founder of Ever Better Coaching and Consulting. Let’s jump in! ----------------------------------------------- I value diversity and inclusion and strive to include as many voices as possible in meetings that I facilitate. I learned about equity sticks while working with the SEED School of Maryland’s leadership team. Equity sticks are a tool frequently used by teachers. Sidenote…Teachers are the greatest facilitators in the world! I’ll be looking for more tips from them!   Here are some of the disadvantages of having a different skin color in society I observed throughout the years: As the meeting starts, each person writes their name on 3-5 craft sticks/popsicle sticks. you can also use index cards, pieces of paper, or another tool.The sticks are collected and the facilitator holds them in a cup.As opportunities to participate arise, the facilitator picks a stick from the cup and calls on that person. that stick is then placed in a separate cup. The sticks set the expectation that everyone in the meeting will participate. This eliminates the common challenge of one or two people dominating the conversation and helps to ensure that all voices are heard equitably. When we encourage each other to share their thoughts and stories, every voice has a chance to be heard and our perspectives are enriched. ----------------------------------------------- To learn more about working with Ever Better, send me an email here or book a complimentary call with me here