In this episode we discuss:

• (0:42) Mark & Tim’s introductions to coaching
• (3:59) The value of coaching
• (8:01) How one coaching session helped Tim improve his decision-making
• (11:28) The difference between coaching and counselling
• (13:01) The difference between coaching and consulting
• (16:05) The difference between coaching and mentoring
• (19:06) What Mark & Tim love about coaching
• (22:51) Who can benefit from coaching?
• (24:15) Coaching and the Working Genius
• (25:02) Coaching someone with the working frustration of Discernment
• (26:34) Coaching someone with the working frustration of Galvanizing
• (27:35) Coaching someone with the working frustration of Tenacity
• (28:56) Breakthrough moments in coaching

If you’d like to book a complimentary coaching session with Tim or Mark, reach out to us through on our contact page. Or you can also learn more about our coaching services.

This podcast was hosted by Tim Chan with special guest Olive Chan, and edited by Jake Beunk. The music featured in the podcast is by Young Presidents. This podcast is produced by Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

The post Episode 08: The Value of Coaching appeared first on Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

In this episode we discuss:

• (0:43) Intro to special guest Olive Chan
• (1:15) Why the Working Genius has been helpful for their marriage
• (2:25) The story of planning an anniversary trip through the lens of the Working Genius
• (6:17) What Wonder looks like in their marriage
• (8:25) What double Invention geniuses looks like in their marriage
• (9:50) What double Discernment frustrations look like in their marriage
• (15:51) What Galvanizing looks like in their marriage, which Tim has as a genius and Olive as a frustration
• (20:48) What Enablement looks like in their marriage, which Tim has as a frustration
• (24:07) What Tenacity looks like in their marriage, which Olive has as a genius
• (27:07) The tension between a couple with Wonder as a genius in one, and as a frustration in the other
• (29:21) Concluding thoughts

To view Olive’s work, visit her website (www.olivechanart.com) or follow her on Instagram and Facebook (@olivechanart).

This podcast was hosted by Tim Chan with special guest Olive Chan, and edited by Jake Beunk. The music featured in the podcast is by Young Presidents. This podcast is produced by Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

The post Episode 07: Using the Working Genius in Marriage appeared first on Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

In this episode we discuss:

• (0:32) Examples of frustrating and ineffective meetings
• (3:10) 2 Reasons Meetings are Bad (because they are Ineffective and Boring)
• (5:43) Why Tim and Mark really enjoy meetings
• (8:10) Could this meeting have been an email?
• (9:03) The pros and cons of Asynchronous communication
• (11:26) The pros and cons of Synchronous communication
• (13:27) The important of meetings for leaders
• (15:28) The Altitude of Genius (how the Working Genius applies to meetings)
• (17:55) Don’t jump elevations too quickly in meetings
• (19:05) 4 types of meetings (daily check-in, weekly tactical, ad hoc strategic, and quarterly offsite)
• (22:20) When to apply your geniuses at meetings, and when to hold back
• (24:54) How to prepare for meetings
• (25:47) Tim’s 10% Rule for Meeting Preparation
• (27:21) Setting times for agenda items and the skill of facilitating meetings
• (28:40) How to end meetings well

In the podcast, Tim references Cal Newport’s article, “Should This Meeting Have Been an Email?“

This podcast was hosted by Tim Chan and Mark Letchumanan, and edited by Jake Beunk. The music featured in the podcast is by Young Presidents. This podcast is produced by Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

The post Episode 06: Using the Working Genius in Meetings appeared first on Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

In this episode we discuss:

• (0:30) Ways the Working Genius can benefit teams
• (4:03) How Tim uses the Working Genius as a team building activity
• (9:29) The Competency Trap
• (12:38) Upstream vs Downstream work
• (13:55) Responsive vs Disruptive Geniuses
• (16:13) Team Maps
• (18:40) A team with a gap in Galvanizing
• (20:00) Team maps create a lot of grace
• (21:10) The impact of the team leader

This podcast was hosted by Tim Chan and Mark Letchumanan, and edited by Jake Beunk. The music featured in the podcast is by Young Presidents. This podcast is produced by Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

The post Episode 05: Using the Working Genius in Teams appeared first on Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

In this episode we discuss:

• (1:41) What the genius of Enablement feels like
• (5:15) What the frustration of Enablement feels like
• (8:35) Advice for people with the genius and frustration of Enablement
• (12:10) What Enablement geniuses crave and are crushed by
• (12:56) Teams without Enablement
• (14:00) What the genius of Tenacity feels like
• (17:24) What the frustration of Tenacity feels like
• (19:22) Advice for people with the genius and frustration of Tenacity
• (24:14) How Tim uses the Pomodoro Technique to get tenacity work done
• (25:00) What Tenacity geniuses crave and are crushed by
• (25:45) Teams without Tenacity

This podcast was hosted by Tim Chan and Mark Letchumanan, and edited by Jake Beunk. The music featured in the podcast is by Young Presidents. This podcast is produced by Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

The post Episode 04: The Working Geniuses of Enablement and Tenacity appeared first on Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

In this episode we discuss:

• (1:52) What the genius of Discernment feels like
• (8:15) What the frustration of Discernment feels like
• (9:30) Advice for people with the genius and frustration of Discernment
• (13:15) What Discernment geniuses crave and are crushed by
• (15:10) Teams without Discernment
• (16:34) What the genius of Galvanizing feels like
• (21:42) What the frustration of Galvanizing feels like
• (22:52) Advice for people with the genius and frustration of Galvanizing
• (26:26) What Galvanizing geniuses crave and are crushed by
• (27:40) Teams without Galvanizing

This podcast was hosted by Tim Chan and Mark Letchumanan, and edited by Jake Beunk. The music featured in the podcast is by Young Presidents. This podcast is produced by Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

The post Episode 03: The Working Geniuses of Discernment and Galvanizing appeared first on Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

In this episode we discuss:

• (1:18) Ideation, Activation, and Implementation geniuses
• (2:42) Geniuses & Frustrations are consistent over time
• (5:46) What the genius of Wonder feels like
• (9:30) What the frustration of Wonder feels like
• (10:23) Advice for people with the genius and frustration of Wonder
• (12:19) What Wonder geniuses crave and are crushed by
• (13:43) Teams without Wonder
• (14:41) What the genius of Invention feels like
• (16:52) What the frustration of Invention feels like
• (17:36) Advice for people with the genius and frustration of Invention
• (21:00) What Invention geniuses crave and are crushed by
• (21:38) Teams without Invention

This podcast was hosted by Tim Chan and Mark Letchumanan, and edited by Jake Beunk. The music featured in the podcast is by Young Presidents. This podcast is produced by Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

The post Episode 02: The Working Geniuses of Wonder and Invention appeared first on Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

The premise of this assessment is two-fold: 1) People who are using their natural gifts are more fulfilled and successful in their work and in their life, and 2) Teams and businesses that help their people tap into those natural talents are going to be more successful and productive.

In this episode we discuss:

• (0:39) What is the Working Genius?
• (2:16) Why we like the Working Genius
• (6:52) Geniuses, Competencies, and Frustrations
• (8:45) The 6 types of work
• (12:01) The Working Genius as a relay race
• (17:22) Time vs energy management

This podcast was hosted by Tim Chan and Mark Letchumanan, and edited by Jake Beunk. The music featured in the podcast is by Young Presidents. This podcast is produced by Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

The post Episode 01: An Introduction to the Working Genius appeared first on Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

Our first season is all about the Working Genius assessment, a personality and productivity tool that helps individuals and teams increase their joy and effectiveness at work and at home.

This podcast was hosted by Tim Chan and Mark Letchumanan, and edited by Jake Beunk. The music featured in the podcast is by Young Presidents. This podcast is produced by Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

The post Podcast Trailer: Thriving is the Goal appeared first on Coracle Coaching and Consulting.

[Note: Amazon affiliate links ahead]

Favourite Memoirs

A Burning in My Bones by Winn Collier

This is the authorized biography of Eugene Peterson, best known for writing The Message. I was surprised by the struggles and uncertainty that Peterson felt in his education, vocation, marriage, writing, and old age. He openly shares about struggles in his marriage: an emotional affair that caused a rift between him and his wife for several years, and the ongoing tension between work and marriage.

Eugene Peterson was drawn to uncertainty and a lack of answers. There was a gentleness and stillness about him, and an ordinariness to his life. After The Message became a bestseller, he became aware of his own temptation to celebrity and retired in a small town in Montana. Collier tells Peterson’s story with a humanity and openness that was refreshing.

A Promised Land by Barack Obama

This was a very long, but well-written book, packed with interesting stories and insights. It offered me a helpful explanation of the history of current conflicts and challenges in the Middle East and Europe. I was struck by the amount of criticism Obama endured from all sides, and how he demonstrated empathy, grace, and understanding through it all, while maintaining strength. I was surprised at how involved the US has been with other countries, many times seeming like they are pulling strings, offering incentives, and making threats, all to shape decisions according to what they felt was best. And I was disheartened at how deep the bipartisan divide of US politics is and how broken they themselves believe it to be. The irony is that the US continues to encourage other countries to adopt this way to governing, in all its brokenness.

Group: How One Therapist and a Circle of Strangers Saved My Life by Christie Tate

Christie Tate shares her story of going to group therapy, and how it transformed her life. This book was dramatic and entertaining read, due to the volatile and adventurous qualities of the author’s various relationships. Tate’s therapist summarized his approach with this quote, “You don’t need a cure, you need a witness.” One personal takeaway for me was when one group member said to Tate, “You know, I can be angry at you and love you at the same time.” Tate’s response was the same as mine, “No, no I did not know that.” The book gave an insightful account of the devastation of childhood trauma, as well as the slow, steady, and hopeful impact of therapy and community.

Favourite Productivity Book

Smarter, Faster, Better by Charles Duhigg

Charles Duhigg is a great storyteller, sharing engaging stories about change and growth with drama and insights. The book shares 8 universal and non-traditional ideas to improve productivity – it’s not what you would expect from a productivity book.

Here are a few of my highlights from the book:

• Google’s research shows that the most effective teams give every team member equal airtime to speak.
• Israel’s desire for certainty and a narrow view that did not question assumptions or consider other possibilities led to their unpreparedness for the Yom Kuppar War.
• GE discovered that their SMART goal culture caused people to choose safe goals that were achievable, but not very ambitious (e.g. ordering stationery on time). Duhigg recommends companies also use Stretch goals.
• The teachers in the Cincinnati school system saw vast improvements when they switched from viewing student data on a automated dashboard, to working with the student data on physical notecards because handling the data helped the teachers process it better

Favourite Novel

Harry Potter 5, 6, and 7 by J.K. Rowling

My daughter started reading the Harry Potter series this year, and I joined her in reading books 5, 6, and 7. I remember the books being quite dark, so I wanted to be able to discuss some of the ideas in the book with her afterwards.

There were a few things that surprised me about the books. First, it was fun to read! I had read all the books in university and into my 20s, and it was just as entertaining and addictive the second time around. Second, I became aware of the author using the story to criticize racism, government incompetence, and dishonesty in the press, themes that were interesting to discuss with my daughter. All in all, the experience of reading the books with my daughter made this one of my year’s highlights.

Honourable Mentions

• Uncommon Ground: Living Faithfully in a World of Difference, by John D. Inazu and Timothy Keller – a collection of stories and insights about how Christians can respectfully interact with those radically different beliefs and remain faithful to the gospel.
• Ruthless Elimination of Hurry: How to Stay Emotionally Healthy and Spiritually Alive in the Chaos of the Modern World, by John Mark Comer – A simple, practical read, giving emotional and spiritual reasons for eliminating hurry in our lives.
• Shadow Divers: The True Adventure of Two Americans Who Risked Everything to Solve One of the Last Mysteries of World War II, by Robert Kurson – A gripping retelling of two weekend scuba divers that risked their lives to solve a historical mystery of an unidentified U-boat (German naval submarine). Also, a great education on scuba diving and U-boat warfare in World War 2.

What were your favourite reads from 2021? I’d love to hear from you. Send me a message or leave a comment.

PS – Here’s my top 5 reads from 2019 and 2020, and Olive’s top 5 reads from 2019 and 2020.

The post Top 5 Reads of 2021 appeared first on Coracle Coaching and Consulting.