It doesn’t take a genius.

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.

Your coworker, the flat-earther

Do your coworkers wear you out? 
One hilarious novel from 1910 has the answer--and it happens to agree with Gallup's Q12 Employee Engagement Survey. Have you made friends with your weirdo coworkers?
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

Yes, you still need memory

Guitar gods Steve Vai and Joe Satriani agree with Mark's Pap-paw! Memorization (yes, even in the workplace) is really important--and you CAN do it.
Links:
Rick Beato's fascinating interview with Vai and Satriani
Red Harrison mini-documentary 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

Lessons from two successful Chick-fil-A's

Mike and Mark had a chance to interview the owner-operator of two incredibly successful Chick-fil-A locations. Her insights on customer experience--and employee engagement--inspired us to record this overview. 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 Gift-Giving Hack

Thanks to research, Mike has cracked the code on how to give a memorable present. Tune in to hear how diamond charms for your friend's Crocs may actually be a good idea. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.