Professional Certified Coach
732-845-4833 (in US)
+1 011 732-845-4833 (outside US)
Education/
Credentials
- B.S. Psychology & Marketing
- Professional Certified Coach (PCC)
- Corp. Coach U Certified Graduate
- Certified MBTI® Practitioner
Testimonials
"Your approach is direct, yet compassionate. You are insightful, methodical and most importantly, you provide actionable tools to help people process and move on."
- Philip. Yee, CMO
"We've had a few different experiences with coaching…but the person who stands out in my mind is Karla Robertson. She demonstrated a thoughtful and smart approach to helping our group understand who we are, how we work best together and, moreover, how I… can elevate the entire work experience and results we get by being together.”
– Jack Myers, CEO- Myers Development Corp.
"[Karla’s] insights and recommendations were both practical and impactful. Perhaps it is because she has the courage to give you honest feedback. But she compels you to want to make changes and follow through. She coaches and she teaches, but most of all, she helps you find your own desire and determination to make effective changes. As a result, out of 70 sites, our office became the national customer service leader 3 years in a row and we won several other awards for meeting and exceeding metric targets.”
– Donna Inamine, Operations Manager-Wells Fargo Home Mortgage
Services
- Executive/Team Coach
- Business Consultant
- Leader
- Trainer
- Facilitator for meetings, retreats, etc.
- Speaker
Industry Background
- Consulting
- Healthcare
- Mortgage Banking
- Recruiting
- Telecommunications
What You Think Is What You Do!
by Karla Robertson, PCC
Isn't it interesting that when things are going wrong, we look externally for the fix-it solution or for the cause of the malfunction? Even when things are going well and we want them to work better we reach for our mouse and engage in the cyber-driven pursuit of seeking answers from resources and experts "out there". Why is it that we overlook one of the best sources for our answers: our own brains? When we want change, rarely is our first action to go internal to ask ourselves questions that will reveal not just knowledge but new ways of thinking. What keeps us from spending time inside our own brains to find solutions and higher awareness?
Neuroscience, as discussed in David Rock's recent book, Quiet Leadership, is coming up with much exciting information about our brain and specific studies which show that what we think directly influences what we do. In his book, David shares how this applies to leadership and management effectiveness. Our patterns of thinking (which combine emotional responses as well as logical analysis) inform our decisions and drive our choices and actions. How we repeatedly respond to certain people, for example, is due to how we repeatedly think of them which may be based on previous experience with that person. We already begin an internal dialogue about them… sometimes before they've even opened their mouths! Our brains have set the stage for what is about to transpire. This is why it's hard for people who have made a bad impression over time (and it doesn’t’ take much time) to ever get out of the "box" our brains put them in. We become hardwired with our thinking toward that person. It’s the same for how we think about theories, problems, relationships, challenges, politics, etc.
It is this hardwiring that informs our thinking which we use to make sense out of what is being presented to us every day. Our hardwiring also is what is behind our decisions inside our heads and moves us to make specific choices and then take certain actions externally. Think of it as a flow that looks like this:
Thinking (internal) → Decision (internal) → Choice (internal) → Action (external)
So this begs the question: Can we change our hardwiring? Right now science says mostly, no. But the good news is our brains can build new wiring! And it doesn't take as long as we previously thought to construct new wiring to new highways that our brain can construct. The more we use these new roadways and continue to build upon them, the more hardwired they become. What happens, then, is that we begin to shift our thinking, decisions, choices and actions in a direction that will bring us (and perhaps our business, results, team, family, or society) to a new level. New thinking takes over which sparks the opportunity to make better decisions and create new and better outcomes. What happens to our old hardwiring? Well, like a formerly used road that is now bypassed for the newly constructed superhighway, it becomes weaker and is less utilized.
What are you thinking? When you are looking to drive innovation, solve a problem, create a solution, or resolve a conflict begin by asking yourself a few questions:
- How often do I think about this?
- On a scale of 1-5 how important is this to me? To my team?
- How else can I think about this?
- What assumptions am I making?
- What am I not thinking about in this situation? (or giving little thought to?)
- How do I feel when I think about this?*
*Feel. Oh, that word! What does feeling have to do with good, solid decision-making? We've been talked into thinking (hardwired) that emotions and feeling have no place in business and yet the lack of them or presence of them plays out in some of the most disastrous and fabulous outcomes every day. Learn to harness their power. Remember, humans are emotional beings. The limbic (emotion) and neo-cortex (reasoning) parts of our brains are inextricably tied. They are both part of our thinking and no amount of denial (or corporate directives) is going to change that. Learn to listen, understand and use what your emotions are telling you! As my colleague, Dr. Emina Karamanovski explains in her upcoming book, Emotions Simplified, "Emotions are your allies not your foes. Emotions are messengers that are trying to tell you something important." Value and integrate your logic and your emotions. You will be a better leader and decision-maker. Find people who can challenge your thinking and help you through the process such as a coach, colleague, mentor, supervisor, friend, etc.
As an executive, a rising star or a veteran leader, the ability to look inward along the way is critical. Our world is not static and change has become the norm…and it comes fast. Technology has driven this to a large extent. Therefore, it is imperative that our thinking and being as humans must be revised and revisited just as our technology is. It is my belief that we have put significant money and effort into perfecting and advancing our technology and yet our thinking as humans has not evolved or advanced as deeply and significantly. We need to effectively find solutions for emerging concerns as well as historic issues that continue to challenge each new generation. How we think about what is before us, what is and what could be, will determine what happens next.
Where has your thinking been taking you?
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For Executives on the Go...Quick Shots!™
Short videos (only 2:30sec) where I address timely and timeless topics to challenge your thinking and keep you relevant and on your toes. Click here to view http://shiftinggears.biz/quick-shots.html
Resources
• Are you looking to start 2008 with a clean slate? Get ready for the new year and learn about your preferred operating styles and how they impact your leadership style and performance. Contact Karla Robertson @ 732-845-4833 or email her at karla@shiftinggears.biz
• No time like the present to learn about what motivates and shuts down Gen Y workers. Fortune Magazine did a great article on this topic. I will add more articles around generations at work as I find them. Attracting the Twentysomething Worker
• Have trouble overcoming objections when in front of your prospect? Learn from some of the pros in Inc. Magazine's article. Want to work on your consultative sales expertise, give me a call! Putting the Performance in Sales Performance
• Does your elevator pitch need work? Read this article in Inc. Magazine to see how some executives learned how to develop their message. Need personal help with this? Let's talk. You Know What Your Company Does. Can You Explain It in 30 Seconds?
Upcoming Events
Presenter -June 4th-IHRIM Conference (International Human Resource Information Management) June 1-4, 2008. Orlando, FL
Topic: "Didn’t I Just Say That?: Getting Heard"
Tip of the Day: Networking
Many leaders and managers have the tendency to only communicate when they catch people in the act of doing something wrong e.g. not meeting targets, not managing a process, etc. Very one-dimensional leadership style and ultimately erodes a team and your reputation. People need to hear the straight shot for sure-good and bad. Make sure you spend as much time catching them in the act of doing something right and give as much air time and specificity to affirmations as you do to criticisms.
Quote of the Day
"The greatest problem with communication is the illusion that is has been accomplished." ~George Bernard Shaw
What’s On Your Mind?
I'd like this newsletter to be as relevant and valuable as it can be for executives and emerging leaders of today so I am inviting you to send me your questions or topics you'd like me to expand on in future Executive Pit Stop issues. Bring it on! If your topic or question is used, you can take advantage of a complementary 30-minute coaching call with me.
© 2008 The Karla Factor, LLC t/a Shifting Gears® Produced by Claire Communications