In the Right Direction with Deb Elbaum

We want our meetings and conversations to be productive. For that to happen, it helps to know how the person we're talking with is feeling cognitively, physically, and emotionally. That can be hard, especially in virtual meetings.

One way to understand where someone is at the start of a conversation is to ask focused questions. Having intentional "check-in" questions gives you a quick snapshot of where someone is, so that you know how to best guide the conversation.

In this episode, Leadership Coach Deb Elbaum shares 3 simple and powerful check-in questions that help you better understand how someone is showing up and also help the other person engage more positive thinking. If you're ready to bring more intentionality to your meetings and conversations, press the play button now.

Full transcript at https://debelbaum.com/podcast/

Being human means having situations and challenges that knock us off center. Many times, we know what to do next, although sometimes we need help refocusing our thinking. We want to shift from feeling at the mercy of others to remembering that we have choices.

One way to refocus our thinking is to coach ourselves with a powerful question. Powerful questions invite our brain to shift into clearer, confident, and more focused thinking. The question, "What are 3 choices I have?" also reminds us we have agency.

In this episode, Leadership Coach Deb Elbaum discusses the reason you need to keep this question in your toolkit for coaching yourself and others. She shares examples of how this question shifts coaching conversations from stuck to seeing a way forward. If you're ready to feel more empowered as you navigate the unknown, press the play button now.

Full transcript at https://debelbaum.com/podcast/

When you're working toward something – whether a short-term project or long-term goal – you want to know that you're making progress and achieving the outcome that matters to you. Often, though, we just do things without being clear on where we are headed.

Having a clear picture in your mind of what success looks like can help make the path forward easier. When working with a team, defining success at the outset helps to create alignment and agreement.

In this episode, Leadership Coach Deb Elbaum shares a powerful question you can use to coach yourself and others to help define what success looks like, both in work and in life. If you're ready to recognize and celebrate your progress and successes more, press the play button now.

Full transcript at https://debelbaum.com/podcast/

In important conversations, we want to show up as clear and direct. We know what we want to say, and we want to make sure it lands in the way we intend. Too often, though, we hold back in our communication because we're worried about what others will think.

Communicating confidently takes more than words – it also takes being aware of and intentional around the tone you use and the energy you bring. Words, tone, and body language can all help you be perceived in the way you want to be seen.

In this episode, Leadership Coach Deb Elbaum shares context and examples that illustrate the importance and power of incorporating the 3 pieces of communication: words, tone, and body language. If you're ready to communicate more clearly so that you can lead more confidently, press the play button now.

Full transcript at https://debelbaum.com/podcast/

Having positive working relationships can make all the difference when it comes to being productive and enjoying work. This can be hard when starting to work with new people you don't yet know or when working with people in a new reporting structure.

Working together effectively requires conversation, clarity, and talking about the how of working together. When you understand what the other person expects, how they like to receive feedback, and how you'll make decisions together, it creates more clarity and alignment.

In this episode, Leadership Coach Deb Elbaum shares a coaching tool that helps relationships get off to the right start, right away. If you're ready to create positive new relationships – or even upgrade older, outdated ones – press the play button now.

Full transcript at https://debelbaum.com/podcast/

Challenges – especially those that happen unexpectedly – can knock us off center. The overwhelm, fear, and frustration we might experience can stress our body and keep our thoughts focused on what we're worried about, and we feel lost.

Having a way to reorient ourselves is critical. Knowing how to redirect our thinking to what we do know, what we do want, and is clear helps us see through the fog more easily, and lead those around us more confidently.

In this episode, Leadership Coach Deb Elbaum shares a powerful coaching question that can help quickly shift your thinking so that you can have more capacity to navigate your personal and professional challenges. If you're ready to feel calmer and more resilient, press the play button now.

Full transcript at https://debelbaum.com/podcast/

How we show up is in our control – this includes our words, tone, and body language. When we use the phrase "I don't know" too much, it conveys an energy of not caring or not having an opinion. This keeps us stuck, and it can be frustrating for others.

The truth is that there are always things we do know. When we choose a different answer instead of saying "I don't know," it can help us be more clear, precise, and intentional.

In this episode, Leadership Coach Deb Elbaum brings awareness to this commonly used phrase and talks through how to reframe it for yourself, as well as how to handle it when you hear it from others. If you're ready for more confidence and clarity – even when you might not know – press the play button now.

Full transcript at https://debelbaum.com/podcast/

When we are frustrated with a direct report or colleague, it's easy to slip into judgement mode. In judgment mode, we make assumptions and stories about other people's thinking, feelings, and motives. This gets in the way of the relationship and the work.

Dealing with a frustrating direct report or colleague requires curiosity. There are often things you don't know about what they understand, what's clear to them, and what they're thinking. Bringing a curious mindset and asking 100% purely curious questions can shift the conversation and the relationship.

In this episode, Leadership Coach Deb Elbaum shares an idea and tool to build your curiosity muscle and practice so that you can feel calmer, clearer, and more positive when working with frustrating colleagues. If you're ready to bring a new approach to difficult relationships, press the play button now.

Full transcript at https://debelbaum.com/podcast/

Challenges can keep us stuck in our thinking. We might have trouble making a decision or taking action. We want to be moving forward and tackling the situation, although we're not sure exactly how to do that.

Having a tool to help us return to effective thinking to see our way forward through a challenge can help. We can press the pause button to ask ourselves a powerful coaching question and then sort through different possible answers to help our brain return to effective thinking.

In this episode, Leadership Coach Deb Elbaum shares an approach for you to understand the real challenge for you when you feel stuck. With this insight and clarity, you can then move forward more easily. If you're ready to for a tool to reduce your stress and bring more clarity, press the play button now.

Full transcript at https://debelbaum.com/podcast/

Sometimes we need to deliver challenging information to our bosses and senior leadership, and this can be daunting. How can you make sure to show up in the right way, so that you're seen as thoughtful, objective, and confident?

Having a structured way to plan can help. Coaching yourself ahead of the conversation to think through what's in your control before, during, and after the meeting can help you communicate more clearly and bring more executive presence.

In this episode, Leadership Coach Deb Elbaum shares a framework and coaching questions to help you prepare for meetings that you're worried about – including sharing difficult news with senior leadership. If you're ready to for a framework to help you feel more prepared, press the play button now.

Full transcript at https://debelbaum.com/podcast/