It doesn’t take a genius.

We can’t believe we haven’t shared this “ask more/share more” tool yet …

We recently decided to dust off an old tool ... and were surprised to find most of the room declaring it the most useful part of the day.
If you care about relationships with customers, coworkers or kin, you'll want to learn the Johari Window. 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Eliminating friction in your customer experience

A thought-provoking Substack article argues, "We had overestimated the value of 'human relationships'. Turns out that a lot of what people called relationships was simply friction with a friendly face."
Where is the friction showing up in your customer experience? 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Are you guilty of people triangles? They're making things worse. ...

Have you been outsourcing the hard work of addressing employees directly? Triangles are draining your team--but there are simple techniques to solve them. 
(The excellent "Executive Coaching with Backbone and Heart" was a source for this episode.) 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

It's a myth! "Praise in public, criticize in private."

Welcome to our Myth Busters series! Is it really true you should praise in public, criticize in private? 
Tune in to find out how you might be emphasizing psychological safety to the expense of culture, standards and performance. 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Do you know your employee's TWO agendas?

Most managers coach on the surface…
📌 Goals. Actions. Accountability. Performance.
But the best leaders know something deeper is always present:
Every employee brings TWO agendas into every conversation.
In this episode of It Doesn’t Take a Genius, we break down one of the most powerful ideas from Co-Active Coaching:
The Little-a Agenda vs. The Big-A Agenda
✅ Little-a agenda = the tactical “what”
✅ Big-A Agenda = the deeper “why”
The real driver behind motivation, fulfillment, and growth.
If you only coach the task, you get short-term compliance.
But when you connect daily work to who someone is becoming, coaching becomes transformational.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
Why most coaching stays stuck at surface level
How to uncover what really motivates your team
The best Big-A questions every manager should ask
A real example of turning a skill goal into an identity breakthrough
Boundaries every leader must respect (you’re a coach, not a therapist)
🔥 Great coaching isn’t just about better results…
It’s about helping people align what they do with who they’re becoming.
Ask one deeper question — and watch the magic happen.
👇 Drop a comment: What’s one Big-A question you want to start asking your team?
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

The Calendar Test: Why Most Managers Fail at Leadership Execution

Most managers don’t fail because they don’t care… They fail because leadership becomes a “when I have time” activity.
In this episode, we break down the ultimate leadership truth: If it’s not on your calendar, it’s not real.
You’ll learn how top-performing leaders use consistent execution to build winning teams by scheduling:
✅ Weekly 1-on-1 coaching
✅ Daily leadership touchpoints
✅ Development time that actually happens
✅ Culture-building recognition moments
This is the simple discipline that separates average managers from great leaders.
Because winning isn’t luck… Winning is consistency.
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Attention to detail is how your love shows up!

What do Walt Disney's cashmere sweater and a bottle of pesto on a Patagonian mountain have to do with each other? The answer is the same thing that helps build trust and loyalty with the people around you. 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

You Don’t Get What You Want — You Get What You Ask For

You don’t get what you want in life. You get what you ask for. Most people walk around hoping. Hoping they get noticed. Hoping the boss sees their effort. Hoping the customer understands their value. Hoping the universe connects the dots.
Hope is not a strategy.
Asking is.
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Your stories are sticky--so use 'em!

Another tool in your work to engage others: your stories. About 2,500 years ago, Plato said this would work. It's still used today. Here's why--and how to get started. 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

Mercenary, Patriot ... or Citizen?

A follow-up to our episode, "Your coworker, the flat-earther" moves on from your engagement to your employees' engagement. Are they Patriots? 
Can you be OK with them just being Citizens? (AI is probably going to make this problem even harder!)
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.