It doesn’t take a genius.

Mark coding with AI--without any experience?  Getting clarity about professional successes worth celebrating and professional opportunities for more fulfillment, balance and satisfaction? Yes to both! Take the Self-Assessment here .  (Adapted from Co-Active Coaching (3rd ed.) © 2011 by Henry Kimsey-House, Karen Kimsey-House and Phillip Sandahl-- fourth edition sold here .) Interested in coaching o...

One of the foundational stories of our civilization spells out how the ancients thought about honor. And as our culture changes, these stories will give you insight into how your employees and coworkers think about honor.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

Did you know the precursor to the CIA gave people a manual for turning workplaces in enemy countries into a living, breathing "Office Space?" Are you prepared to protect your workplace against them? Part 3 of 3, where we finally get to the subject of employee sabotage. Spoiler: Office workers get their own entire section in the OSS manual. ... Interested in coaching or training on these topics for...

Did you know the precursor to the CIA gave people a manual for turning workplaces in enemy countries into a living, breathing "Office Space?" Are you prepared to protect your workplace against them? Back by popular demand, this is now part 2 of 3: How to sabotage your workplace as a manager! Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email...

Introducing to the IDTAG audience: our friend, Till Kahrs. It's impossible to summarize Till with a profession, or an achievement, or a story. But he has a lot of all three. Tune in to hear some amazing stories of his hit songs, his TV appearances and the things he did that allowed him to transition from one success to another. (Hint: It involves a lot of what he trains on: mindset, communication...

Did you know the precursor to the CIA gave people a manual for turning workplaces in enemy countries into a living, breathing "Office Space?" Are you prepared to protect your workplace against them? Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark. Email: mike@successamplified.com and mark@hipsocket.net.

What makes the Will Guidara story and his book "Unreasonable Hospitality" so compelling--and so useful? We share insights we've used from the book. Mark had the opportunity to train under Will Guidara and shares what he learned from Will's team. https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/books Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email M...

Will Guidara's bestseller now has a field guide! Tune in to hear some of the surprises you can expect in this excellent follow-up. https://www.unreasonablehospitality.com/books Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

Our episode on triangles was just a precursor to the thinking of Pamela Cole--our colleague, mentor and an actual genius! We got a chance to preview some of her upcoming book--and it has the solution to gossip in the workplace. Our previous episode on triangles Pamela Cole's recent work Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike...

Mark shares business genius he witnessed at the Great Homeschool Convention in Cincinnati. Tune in to hear how a small customer engagement went from a desire for a small prize to a sale--to repeat business.  (It would work for employees, too!) See Amanda Trumpower's kids books here.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and...

Ridiculous youth slang? Serious life concept? Why not both! We explain the why and how of intentionally looking for and focusing on those small wins already happening.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

What if you could invest in your future leadership team by inviting them to make impacts on your business today? Introducing a case study: The Future, a workshop series that combines a "Capstone Project" with training, a book club, discussions with experts, and more. Hear how it is helping our clients.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from...

We made it to 300 weekly episodes! Join us to hear about another 300 (made popular in modern times by Frank Miller's graphic novel that inspired a film of the same name). We learn about one of the most storied battles in history. Leadership and culture were the real winners--and can be for your workplace. Or, interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hea...

Plato's "Meno" gives some clues on how Socrates used a coach approach--in some ways--and predicted the content of the bestseller "Crucial Conversations." How can you use elements of the Socratic Method? Our "Crucial Conversations" resources can be found here.  Or, interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

Six criteria ... six pass-or-fails ... and it applies to any industry. Would your workplace be a best place to work for?  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

Last episode, we discussed the scientific evidence that coaching really works. So what exactly is coaching? What does it look like? Is it OK to want training and advice from a coach? How do you pick a good one? We answer these questions and more. Want a copy of the white paper we mention? Or, interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email...

Recent scientific analysis shows that coaching works! But mainly in a particular way. If you partner with a coach or use the coach approach with others, this episode will ensure you are focusing on the right areas for true growth.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

We recently decided to dust off an old tool ... and were surprised to find most of the room declaring it the most useful part of the day. If you care about relationships with customers, coworkers or kin, you'll want to learn the Johari Window.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

A thought-provoking Substack article argues, "We had overestimated the value of 'human relationships'. Turns out that a lot of what people called relationships was simply friction with a friendly face." Where is the friction showing up in your customer experience?  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

Have you been outsourcing the hard work of addressing employees directly? Triangles are draining your team--but there are simple techniques to solve them.  (The excellent " Executive Coaching with Backbone and Heart " was a source for this episode.)  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

Welcome to our Myth Busters series! Is it really true you should praise in public, criticize in private?  Tune in to find out how you might be emphasizing psychological safety to the expense of culture, standards and performance.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

Most managers coach on the surface… 📌 Goals. Actions. Accountability. Performance. But the best leaders know something deeper is always present: Every employee brings TWO agendas into every conversation. In this episode of It Doesn’t Take a Genius, we break down one of the most powerful ideas from Co-Active Coaching: The Little-a Agenda vs. The Big-A Agenda ✅ Little-a agenda = the tactical “what...

Most managers don’t fail because they don’t care… They fail because leadership becomes a “when I have time” activity. In this episode, we break down the ultimate leadership truth: If it’s not on your calendar, it’s not real. You’ll learn how top-performing leaders use consistent execution to build winning teams by scheduling: ✅ Weekly 1-on-1 coaching ✅ Daily leadership touchpoints ✅ Development...

What do Walt Disney's cashmere sweater and a bottle of pesto on a Patagonian mountain have to do with each other? The answer is the same thing that helps build trust and loyalty with the people around you.  Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .

You don’t get what you want in life. You get what you ask for. Most people walk around hoping. Hoping they get noticed. Hoping the boss sees their effort. Hoping the customer understands their value. Hoping the universe connects the dots. Hope is not a strategy. Asking is. Interested in coaching or training on these topics for you or your team? We'd love to hear from you! Email Mike and Mark .