It doesn't take a genius.

Never assume that people want to win as much as you do

"You know, we're just not reaching that guy." -Gary Larson's The Far Side
Mike shares the story of a client who had a huge opportunity to take sales and performance to the next level. He did all the right things ... why weren't his people doing the right things?
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 dog-eat-dog world--right?

A classic American novel spells out the philosophy that many have in the workplace. If your workplace struggles with politics, retaliations and victimhood, Mike and Mark have a reset. 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

"We're always talking" is not good enough: The five conversations that drive performance

Mike and Mark have heard it before: "We're always coaching around here." What if we told you that talking isn't necessarily coaching? And that there are five different types of talks you must have in order to drive performance?
Your hosts reveal Gallup's clear findings in 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.

You should tell your people before "the judge" does

Mark's kids experience that rite of passage for swimmers everywhere: the DQ judge.
It's a reminder that "clarity is kindness." It is too late when your people are facing the judge. If you don’t hold your people to the standards, the judge will. 
Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

George Carlin and the Bible agree with Ted Lasso: Be curious, not judgmental.

Mike learns the long history of a quote often attributed to George Carlin. There are lessons here for anybody who judges. (Hint: That's you and me. We're all judging. So do it well!) 
Want more? See this Forbes article and "The Art of Powerful Questions: Catalyzing Insight, Innovation, and Action" (it's out of print--read it here). 
 
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 not a problem to solve, it's a tension to manage

Have you ever found yourself torn between two options? Whether it's goals, priorities, paths, values or something else, maybe you need to stop choosing and start living in the tension! Mike and Mark share success stories from individual clients all the way up to global corporations who manage tension. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark.

AI's advice to new managers: Did it get it right?

Mike asked our AI overlords, "What advice would you give a new manager?" Do the answers line up with Mike and Mark's coaching? 
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 intern who figured it out: Be open to learning

Mark shares the story of what happened when an intern opened up to a room full of professionals. Are you willing to say you don't have it figured out? Your future growth--and success--may depend on it. 
We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

Winners and losers: Both have goals ... what separates them?

If you are trying to reach a goal, congratulations! Now let's talk about your activities, habits and lead measures--which are all the same thing. 
Learn more about "Atomic Habits" by James Clear here. (And here's a documentary short about Mark's papaw, country and bluegrass artist Red Harrison.) 
We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. 

Booker T's ancient secrets to communicating

What if you could always effectively communicate and persuade employees, customers and leadership? Our special double-length episode celebrates one of America's most successful communicators, Booker T. Washington. His method illustrates one of the world's oldest communication methods: the "five canons" of classical rhetoric.Click here for our episode on the first canon's tool, the "common topics."Questions? Comments? Ideas for future episodes ... or interview subjects? Email Mike and Mark.