Creating Tomorrow

Dear Friends,

I’ve always loved the rush of being onstage. I am probably one of the few people who looks back fondly on Easter and Christmas programs at church and school plays during elementary school.  Heck, I even survived the Easter Sunday I stood on the small stage in the basement of our family church in Steelton, Pennsylvania and realized by the look of horror on my mother’s face that I had begun reciting my sister’s Easter poem instead of my own.

Yep, I had learned them both by heart….

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Dear Friends,

I want to thank one of my readers, Bole Oluyemi, for passing the “Just Schmoozing” award on to the Creating Tomorrow blog! It’s great to know that people are dropping in here on a regular basis and think enough of me and my work to make the effort to mention it favorably on their blogs!

In keeping with the rules of play, I am now going to mention the people I enjoy reading when I have a few free minutes, and pass this prestigious award on to them:

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Dear Friends,

Two of the three pillars of my consultancy are Leadership Facilitation and Leaders of Tomorrow. With a mixture of individual and team coaching programs, specialized training sessions and general HR processes outsourcing, I support companies and their future leaders, leaders in transition, and key executives in their mission to improve performance and increase satisfaction. By drawing on my own past experiences, as well as current best leadership and coaching practice, I accompany executives as they discover and hone their unique competencies, and learn to apply themselves more effectively for the benefit of both their careers and their organisations.

Curious about the topics I talk about in my telesessions and live keynote presentations? Have a look at the slide show above!

Take care!

Trina

Dear Friends,Tuesday evening I had the pleasure of holding a teleseminar for some of the wonderful women who are part of XING’s group Global Business Women. GBW is both the largest and most active English-language group on XING!

The title of my teleseminar was “Right Tree - Wrong Jungle” and I shared some current wisdom about the difference between management and leadership with the ladies who dialled in. I was inspired to choose my title by the following quote, which - in my eyes at least - succinctly portrays the problem many organizations face when it comes to applying their collective resources towards accomplishing a joint mission:

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Dear Friends,

It’s been brought to my attention that I’ve been neglecting one of the main pillars of my business: presentation skills. Looking back over my entries, I realized that it’s true, so I’ve decided to devote the month of August to writing more about The Art of Presentation.

Those who know me already know that I am one of a long list of Black Americans who received their rhetorical inspiration directly from the churches of their childhood. I grew up listening to – and being fascinated by - the mesmerizing oratory gifts of preachers like Martin Luther King and Jesse Jackson, and many lesser known but equally talented men (and women!) in the pulpit. By observing them, I learned to make direct contact with my audience;  to deliver a message that goes straight to the bone! Listening to them motivated and inspired me to reach deep inside myself to discover my own unique presentation style.

I look forward to sharing my most recent thoughts, inspirations and experiences concerning presentation with you throughout the month of August.

But, before I get started, I want to leave you with a humorous example of how not to deliver your next big presentation:

Drunk Powerpoint Presentation
Uploaded by Berserk_Gattsu

Enjoy!

Trina

Dear Friends,

Coaching as a profession has become very well-known in most of the world in recent years. However, there are still quite a few misconceptions about the profession as well as the people who seek the support of a qualified coach.

If you are interested in cutting through the hype, debunking the myths and getting some straightforward information on the extent of the IMPACT coaching can have on your career or business development, join in my upcoming program:

“You Must have a Problem or You Wouldn’t Need a Coach”

on Wednesday, 25 July 2007, at 1.30 pm (EDT)/7:30 pm (MET)

on BlogTalkRadio.

Click here for the dial-in information.

I’m looking forward to touching bases with as many of you as possible, as well as hearing your questions and comments!

Trina Roach

Dear Friends,

For the second time this year, Germany’s Wirtschaftswoche - one of the country’s premiere business weeklies - has prominently featured the coaching profession in an article bannered on its front page. In January coaching was highlighted as one of the 10 most promising professions of the future. In the current edition journalist Liane Borghardt calls coaching “the best career helper”.

Her critical yet positive look at the profession includes insight into basic prerequisites of a successful coaching relationship, some of the cornerstone approaches to the type of provocative questions that form the basis of a coaching session, as well as some important tips to help guide interested executives and corporations towards qualified coaching professionals. In addition, in cooperation with the Dale Carnegie Institute the magazine is offering 20 free coaching programs worth 7500 Euro to interested executives.

As a professional coach, I have a vested interest in getting the message about the IMPACT coaching can have on a business or a career out there to the potential target group. I also, however, have a high interest in schooling the public on what exactly coaching is about, as well as the qualifications and experience needed to become a really good coach.

If you are seriously interested in career coaching, I can only recommend you apply for one of the free coaching programs being offered by Wirtschaftswoche in conjunction with the Dale Carnegie Institute. If you aren’t one of the lucky winners of a free coaching program, and want to know more about the coaching programs I provide, feel free to contact me for a complimentary coaching session. Or dial in to my upcoming BlogTalkRadio program!

Trina

…”Jesus showed up…and he showed out!”

Dear Friends,

Just a little musical repast for the weekend.

 Enjoy!

Trina

The Gospel Finale 2005

Dear Friends,

No matter what your religious or spiritual beliefs, many of us find we too often swirl around in the vortex we create for ourselves through our own doubts and fears.

I came across the following story on a Indian blog I discovered called gurushabad. It deals with the subjects of happiness, spirituality, abundance and compassion. Those attributes should not only have a place in our personal lives, but also in our professional lives which is why I am including this particular story here.

What especially caught my eye? The juxtaposition of activity versus productivity!

Enjoy!

 Trina

~~~

Instant Message from God.

“God : Hello. Did you call me?
Me: Called you? N-no.. who is this?
God : This is GOD - I heard your prayers - thought we’d chat.
Me: Well, I do pray - makes me feel good - but I’m actually busy right now. I’m in the midst of something.
God : What’re you busy at? Ants are busy, too.
Me: Don’t know. But I can’t find free time. Life has become hectic. It’s rush hour all the time.

God : Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.
Me: I understand, but I still can’t figure it out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.
God : Well, I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.

Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?
God : Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.
Me: Why are we then constantly unhappy?
God : Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That’s why you are not happy.

Me: But how can we NOT worry when there is so much uncertainty?
God : Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.
Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty. God : Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.
Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?

God : Diamonds cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials but don’t necessarily have to suffer because of them. With their experiences, their life ought to become better, not bitter.
Me: You mean to say such experiences are useful?
God : Yes. In everyday terms, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.
Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can’t we be free from problems?

God : Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons (to) Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.
Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don’t know where we’re heading….
God : If you look outside, you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.
Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast enough seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?

God : Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.
Me: In tough times, how can we stay motivated?
God : Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.
Me: What surprises you about people?

God : When they suffer they ask, “Why me?” When they prosper, they never ask, “Why me?” Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, yet few want to be on the side of the truth.
Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I? why am I here? I can’t get the answer.
God : Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.
Me: How can I get the best out of life?

God : Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.
Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.
God : There are no unanswered prayers. Sometimes the answer is simply NO.
Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat.

God : Well. Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don’t believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live.”

“…we do what we do until we know better. When we know better, we do better…”

(Maya Angelou; poet, educator, historian, best-selling author, actress, playwright, civil-rights activist, producer and director)