Anyone who knows me knows how much I love my “side hustle” teaching negotiation to undergraduate students at Vanderbilt University. Yesterday, as I picked up my daughter at school after a day in my Calhoun Hall office, she said, “Mom, you should work from Vandy more. You’re always really happy the days you work there.” She’s right – and it …

Reflections on PRA’s autumn harvest All the end-of-summer rituals are now memories – the first day of school for my daughters, the first day of classes at Vanderbilt, the official first day of fall. In decorating my front steps with pumpkins this week, I officially traded beach days in Maine for the harvest in Tennessee.  This analogy is about more …

In May, I attended an International Coach Federation Tennessee webinar hosted by world-renowned executive coach – and now fellow Nashvillian – Marshall Goldsmith. At the end of his presentation, he invited anyone who lived in Nashville to email him to schedule a walk. I sent him a note not really expecting to hear back, telling myself a story that everyone …

Professional coaching is a rapidly growing field that continues to gain momentum as organizations and leaders recognize the benefits. Unlike other helping professions, however, coaching is neither well-understood nor officially regulated. As a result, myths about the discipline are prolific. These are 5 of the most common misconceptions about executive coaching and the truths behind them:    Coaching is just like …

Ontological coaching focuses heavily on distinctions between moods. According to this approach, which is based on the thought leadership of Julio Olalla and Rafael Echeverria at Newfield Network, our moods are like a body of water, and our emotions are like the waves that ride its surface. Deep-seeded and not easily shifted, moods impact the way we experience the world. …

I recently had the opportunity to address a group of high-powered female attorneys at Bass, Berry & Sims on returning to the office in the wake of COVID. Although the firm’s specific plans were undefined, these women were watching client offices open, and being invited to in-person meetings. Like many of us, they have spent the previous fifteen months eagerly …

Burnout has been a pressing topic in the world of late. The stress of the COVID-19 pandemic and the world’s re-opening seem to accompany unprecedented levels of burnout. During a recent Platinum Rule Advisors partner coach meeting, we let the energy lead us into a deep conversation on burnout in ourselves and our clients. I haven’t spoken to a single …

Benjamin Papa became an organizational health consultant after 18 years of practicing law and mediation. While working as an attorney, he co-founded a group that led trainings and workshops for lawyers and other professionals across the country. Ben specializes in coaching leadership teams and individual executives. He believes coaching, building high performing teams, and facilitating interactive workshops comprise the “three-legged …

Coaching, at its best, generates profound transformation. As an ontological coach who studied at Newfield Network, I always start with examining the client’s “Observer,” the way a person fundamentally experiences the world. Ontological coaching uses the “OAR model”, which implies that the kind of Observer we are drives the Actions we take, which leads to our life Results. If we …

The demand for quality coaches has never been higher, and leaders who experience the impact of coaching seek the same process for their teams. Team coaching is different from its one-on-one cousin in some fundamental respects, but many elements are the same. Here’s how it’s similar: Contracting is the foundation of impact. Understanding problems the team seeks to address is …