Tony Stoltzfus's Blog
June 8, 2018
Feedback: Friend or Foe
“Let me give you some feedback.” Anyone who’s heard this phrase in a staff meeting knows that these simple words are usually loaded with a punch. Unsolicited feedback is often interpreted as…”Here’s what I think you need to change” which can have the effect of a small land mine exploding in your lap. Those giving …
Judo Coaching: Redirecting Energy Toward the Coaching Goal
Over the last month or two, your client John’s coaching goal has been rethinking his work flow, time-management and getting more work done with less stress. He’s been working diligently to make a change, but today he has something completely different on his mind: a great new job opportunity. It’s an exciting thing to talk …
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Coaching Change: When NOT to Speak Up
Maria is a client with too much on her plate. She has trouble meeting her commitments, she is always a day late and a dollar short, and her life is a jumble of competing demands and half-remembered promises. When you think about coaching change in her life, the agenda that would make the most difference …
Up Your Active Listening Game by Eliminating Distractions
One important way to improve your active listening ability is to identify and eliminate distractions in your environment with this coaching tool. You can be great at many other facets of listening, but if your phone line is full of static or you are constantly interrupted, you’ll still find it very difficult to listen well. …
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Transformational Coaching: Reinventing Yourself
Over the years I’ve used transformational coaching techniques to walk a number of individuals through the process of completely reinventing themselves. For instance, one leader’s goal was “to move from being a critical and demanding boss to one who was approachable, kind and built strong relationships with the leaders around him.” That’s a real Goliath …
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Life Purpose
Life purpose is a rising movement that has been shaping the church over the last ten years and will be a major influence for the next generation. Just as the “visionary leadership” concept has been at the forefront of the way churches are led for the last season, the coming wave seems to be helping …
How’s Your R.A.S? Making Your Brain Work for You
How’s my what? My R.A.S? Is that the latest electronic gadget that my kids are going to be bugging me to buy? Is it new technology for my car? No, R.A.S is the widely recognized abbreviation for Reticular Activating System. And yes, everybody has one. Actually, it’s a very vital part of your brain. About …
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How to do a Team APA Analysis
In the SWOT Analysis we began looking at ways to help coach a ministry team to be more effective. We noted that coaching, whether with an individual or a team, starts with the premise that God has already been speaking to those you coach and your role is simply to ask the right questions to …
Leading on Purpose: the Benefits
Christians who are leading on purpose have an incredible opportunity to help connect people with their destiny. The deep yearning each individual has to know why they exist and why they are here, coupled with a life experience that offers more questions than answers, leaves a formidable emptiness. Many have tried to find their purpose …
Asking Mistakes Coaches Make: the Top Five
From long experience as a coach trainer, here’s my personal list of the top five asking mistakes coaches make (excerpted from the book, Coaching Questions by Tony Stoltzfus). Asking Mistakes #1: Closed Questions Number one on our list of asking mistakes is—closed questions! Open questions are powerful questions and have two important benefits: they let …
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